I grew up with religion but drifted away as an adult due to negative experiences with judgment and gossip in church. After the death of my daughter on January 20th, 2024, I felt compelled to keep a promise I made to her to attend church. This led me to Journey Church, where I reluctantly began attending with my fiancé. Through this, I found healing and purpose, eventually starting a ministry called “Destinee’s Journey” to give back to children’s hospitals in honor of my daughter. Losing her brought me back to God, and now I’m committed to serving and trusting that one day, I’ll be reunited with her. Journey Church has become a place of comfort, and I know no matter the challenges, I’m staying strong in my faith.

In "The Brick Zone," a community of labor trafficking victims, I met Meena and her family, who worked tirelessly making bricks for minimal pay. After praying for her sick relatives, I felt compelled to offer comfort and let her know that God sees her. Though her family was often around and hesitant to let us speak, we managed to connect, and I encouraged them to share prayer requests. Meena’s brother asked for peace, and as we prayed, we shared the message of Jesus, emphasizing that peace is found in Him. By the end of the conversation, Meena, her brother, and another family member decided to accept Christ, having never heard His name before. It was a powerful, life-changing moment, and I continue to pray for Meena, hoping she will grow in her faith and inspire others in her community.

Raymond is an ordained minister who experienced a significant fallout and drifted far from God. He recently moved here from Texas and is currently homeless. However, on the Friday before October’s Serve Saturday, he rededicated his life to Christ. The next day, he met the Outreach Team at Lake Eola, where they told him about baptisms happening that weekend.

Moved by their encounter, Raymond decided to come to Journey the next day and get baptized. During the sermon, he was overcome with emotion, crying throughout as he felt the Holy Spirit speaking to him. He shared that he sensed God’s presence while waiting in line to be baptized and even in the baptism changing room. Raymond said he thought he had been running away from something, only to realize he had been running toward God all along. He is confident this was a divinely orchestrated moment in his life.