DANIEL’S STORY

 I was born January 14, 1947 in Santa Ana,Calif. This was where I would spend most of my younger years growing up. My grandmother was a school teacher in a little town in Lawrenceburg, Ky., so, I ended up spending a lot of my elementary years living with and going to school under her. I was blessed to have a strong Christian influence due to having a  Mom, Grandmother and Grandfather who were all very strong faithful followers of Jesus Christ.  Their influence would play a key role in installing the values that would guide me thoughout my life.

I eventually attended and graduated from Santa Ana High School in 1965. At 19 years old after getting married for the first time and right after getting drafted for Vietnam, I had a heart attack just 2 weeks before I was to report.  God obviously had other plans.  I soon recovered and went on to, attend college have 2 kids, and worked various jobs.  Late 1966 was a  major turning point in my life.  It was the year I, not only became aware of the Black Panther Party for Self-Defence but made a full commitment to become a member and leader in the Santa Ana Branch of the organization. From that point my life took many twist and turns. But God who is ever faithful, would use many different situations and put the most unlikely people into my life, to bring me to where I am today. I'm looking for the opportunity to share that story with you at this year’s Whitter Mayor’s Prayer Breakfast. 

 My message is from the New Testament Book of Romans, chapter 1 verse 16; "For I am not ashamed of the Gospel of Christ, for it is the power of God that brings salvation to every one who believes, to the Jew first and also to Greek."

 It was this gospel and its power that brought me to a saving faith in Jesus Christ.