Testimonies

Erica (16):

Before I came to the Dream Center, I was into smoking meth and weed. During that time I was in a gang and getting arrested. When I was in and out of Detention I knew that God had a calling on my life. After the 5th time of being locked up, I was reading my Bible, and it hit me that I needed to get my life straight.

The next day my mom came to visit me and she told me that she had talked to my P.O. and that I was going to do some time, so either leave me in there or send me somewhere. So now I am here and God is doing awesome things in my life. Now I have something to live for when before I didn't. I have such a strong passion for Him. He renews my mind daily, and I have a peace in my heart that I have never had before.

Matt (15):
Currently in DCTD

My name is Matt. I’m 15 years old and I’m from Phoenix, AZ. From the ages of 10-14, I was very angry. I was angry at people, mostly at my peers. I was treated like crap, so I ended up hurting myself by opening up the doors to a whole lot of things that would haunt me for the next three years.

In October 2004, I decided to come to the Dream Center. I wanted change in my life. I officially came February 8, 2005 during Pastors’ School in Phoenix. Since then, I’ve changed a lot. I had a bad cussing problem and now that’s gone. I used to blow up at the slightest aggravation, but I have more self-control now. I’m on level 4 in the DCTD program and hopefully, I’ll be going home in a few months. One of the best things that happened to me is that I made new friends. Some are closer than others are but I’ve let them help me through certain situations that have occurred in my life.




Mercedes (16):
Graduated from DCTD, attends DCA

My name is Mercedes and I grew up in East LA. I have 4 family members: 2 brothers, 2 sisters, a mom, no dad, a niece and a nephew on the way. I never grew up in a “Christian” environment. I’ve grown up with parents that have had problems.  My parents are no longer together, have always been on drugs, have been drinking alcohol since before I can remember and have spent time in jail. My dad hasn’t been there for 14 years of my life and it sucks but whatever.

Before I got saved, I thought since my mom was doing drugs, having pointless relationships, and partying that it would be cool for me to do the same. Honestly, I was running away from all the problems that were in my life that I didn’t want to deal with. So I followed my mom’s footsteps and ended up going to a program at the Dream Center for my dumb mistakes.  I gave my life to God on June 5th, 2004 at a summer camp. I finally graduated from the DCTD program in November of 2004. I moved back with my mom and I got my whole family to come to church.

Yeah, we have struggles here and there but I know it’ll all get better. I now come to school at the Dream Center and I’ve been clean and sober for three years now. I’m involved in everything that goes on at the Dream Center. God has changed my life with His mercy and grace because without God, I’d be nothing. I also want to thank the people who have been there for me as well.

Thank God for the Dream Center.




Alex (17):
Attends DCA, brother graduated from DCTD

Hi, my name is Alex. I grew up around all of Los Angeles. The city where I really got involved with smoking, drinking, and partying was in Norwalk, CA. I was smoking weed, drinking alcohol, and going to parties. As a kid growing up, my father and mother’s relationship was off and on. They finally divorced when I was seven years old. I was very close to my father and also my mother.

Growing up wasn’t always very good. Sometimes we were broke and had no money. My mother was working hard and also living from check to check by government aid. When my mother and father argued, my brothers and I were always caught in the middle. When I was little, I remember my mother busting her butt working two jobs just to give my brothers and me a good life.

When I was twelve years old, my mother became ill. She had anemia and was put in the hospital for a week. During the week that my mom was in the hospital, my brothers and I were taking care of my sister who was four at the time. At that time, my brothers were getting into weed and alcohol as well. So I was the main person taking care of my sister. My mom got better after a week and was back at home. But meanwhile I became bitter because I was doing grown up things liking taking care of my sister, cleaning the house, cooking for my sister when mom was gone, and still going to the seventh grade. While I was in the house helping my mom, my brothers were outside having fun, smoking and drinking. By that time I had never done extremely bad things like that. I also felt like my mom didn’t like me as much as she did my brothers, and I also felt like she was being ungrateful.

All of this stared getting to me, and I felt like I was being taking advantage of. All of this started affecting me at school, the way I acted, and the things I thought of. I started hanging around the wrong crowd and getting into trouble with my teachers, principals, and even the law. I felt like I was doing this out of the anger and bitterness, because I felt like when my brothers did this, my mom would give them more attention, so I did it to get her attention.

In band class, my teacher would sell stuff for instruments. One day when the teacher wasn’t looking my friends and I stole her money and parts of instruments. I got caught and was given a ticket and was forced to go to my house. When I was going home that night, my mom was waiting for me with the cops. When I got there she was yelling at me and I was yelling back. The cops wanted to arrest me but my mom would not give them permission. Then I told my mom I no longer wanted to stay with her and that I wanted to move to my dad’s house.

After being with my dad, it was perfect, no problems in school. I was focused until my step mom, who was once a heroine addict relapsed and took all of my dad’s money and left us in the streets, literally. My dad and I were homeless for about a year. Living house to house and also living in motels. When my dad got back on his feet I went back to my mom’s house to try it out. After living there for a week I was smoking weed, drinking, doing graffiti, hanging out in the wrong crews, and in parties. I did that every day for a whole year. At the time I was doing that, my brother, Jonathan Martinez, was in a Christian rehabilitation program in the Los Angeles Dream Center known as Teen Discipleship. He would have visits once a month when he good behavior.

When he would come over, I started to see that he would act and live his life a little different. He stopped drinking, smoking, tagging, and going to parties and even changed his friends and left his girlfriend to pursue God. So this showed me how powerful God is and things that He can do. My brother also told me about the church services they had on Tuesday nights, Youth Fuego. I didn’t like going that much, but my mom made my brother and I go, even if we were high. Then my brother told me about summer camp 2004, so I went and on Wednesday night, I accepted Christ.

I tried to quit smoking and drinking and live my life for Christ and follow Him, but it was hard. It was hard because I still had the same friends and mentality, which needed to be changed. My brother, Jonathan, was about to graduate the DCTD program and he asked me to go to school with him at the Dream Center Academy. I said yes and that was the best decision I ever made in my life.

I quit smoking, drinking, tagging, partying, cussing, and changed my life completely and have been sober for almost 2 years. I give thanks to the Dream Center, the pastors, Stella and Brad, Robert Sayles, and a lot of people that give to the community like they gave to me. I also give thanks to my Lord God, Jesus Christ who took me, made me, broke me and molded me into what He wants me to be. God has opened many doors for me, like this school, because no other school wanted me, and He restored many things in my life.