During September 2019 in Victoria, Canada, I was part of a team delivering evangelism training and Outreach events in the evening, one day we heard on the TV news of a street called Pandora Street.

Pandora street for two whole blocks had effectively become a “no go zone”, open drug dealing, people shooting up on the sidewalks, smoking Crack Cocaine and Crystal Meth as if it were completely normal, prostitution out of control. The McDonald’s even had a sign saying, “Prostitution in the toilets is prohibited.” People are living in lean-to shelters on the sidewalk and The Police just drive by powerless to do anything due to the scale of the problem. the city governor was appealing on TV “if anyone could do anything to help this crisis please get involved”

The next day I was part of a team on Pandora St. and this is where I met Jamal. He is a big guy. I was asking him what he was doing out here today? I was surprised when he boldly answered, "just dealing Crack making some money!" I told him I wasn’t interested in Crack, but I knew a different kind of release, a real freedom from pain, problems, hurts of the past, and shared the good news of Jesus with him.

I asked if he would like to receive Jesus into his heart and turn away from his sin? He said yes!

Jamal had fought for this spot to sell from on the street he was known, tough, and always there, I asked him if he would kneel in public, where he made his living, renounce his old life, accept Jesus there and then, my heart rejoiced as he knelt, repented, and gave his life to Jesus.

When he got up and we had prayed that the Holy Spirit would baptize him, the team and I were even more amazed as he took a bag of Crack walked to the trashcan and pushed it down in the trash. After he had done this, he walked away from his spot a saved, free, son of The Father. A new creation. From death into glorious life.

“If the Son makes you free you will be free indeed”
- John 8v36