David


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		David Maravilla

Trouble behind the smile

	David Maravilla has an easy smile. His face has always lit up, but beneath it, there was a troubled young man. He had heard of God and Jesus for years, but did not take the teachings to heart. Gang life was looming in rural Sanger, and David was an eager participant. Drugs and guns quickly became his life. He did not care who he hurt or why. Rival gangs were a particular source of hate that propelled his descent into violence. Once, when he was with several members of his gang, a man approached. It was Robert Rubio from Hope Now. There were guns and drugs in plain sight. Robert made it clear, he wanted to offer them a chance to change. David tore his card up and threw it away.

Stints in Juvenile Hall changed David. Life looked different from a cell. He attended a Bible Study and sought the Lord's forgiveness. That night, tearfully confronting his past, he committed to Christ and a new future. The change, however, took time. From Juvenile Hall he was sent to California Youth Authority, and while not perfect, something had changed. He knew he was now forgiven.
On parole, he remembers talking to a parole officer about finding work. She gave him a card….from Hope Now. The name on the card was


	familiar, Robert Rubio. This time he called. The irony was not lost on David. Today, David works with Hope Now, reaching others with a message of love and his own transformational experience. He and his wife Sarah and daughters have a rich life. David is taking Bible classes as he continues growing in Christ. He still has that easy smile, but now the joy is genuine.