- He dragged her intothe kitchen by her hair,

and he pulled out the gunand put it to her head

and he cocked it, and hesaid, "Tell him the truth."

She looks at me and shesays, "He's not your father.

"You're not his son."

- [Narrator] Michael Fordspent much of his youth

fearing the man he thought was his father.

- He used to verbally abuseme as much he did physically.

He would tell me that nobodyloves me, nobody wants me.

I'd be better off dead.

I'd be better off running away.

He would always tell her,"Well, what about that SOB

"that shouldn't be here right now?

"He shouldn't be in my house."

When you grow up as a kid,

regardless of your parents' flaws,

your parents are your heroes, you know?

But when you find out thatthis man isn't your father,

then who are you as a person?

- [Narrator] Both of hisparents were alcoholics.

- The two, you know,would get drunk and cry,

lock herself in a room,and he would get drunk

and smash things and shoot his guns off

and beat up on me and my mom.

- [Narrator] When Michael was15, his mother went to prison

after she killed someonewhile driving drunk.

- It broke me.

My mom was the best person I knew,

regardless of the flaws that she did have.

And for them to throw thebook at her like that,

it took my hope.

- [Narrator] Michael wentto live with the relatives

until he finished high school.

Then they told him he was on his own.

- They tell me, "Look, yougraduated high school now.

"We did what we had to do.

"We got you through whateveryou need to go through.

"Get a job, do something.

"Don't come back home."

Once again being rejected,neglected by somebody else,

I ended up at the homelessshelter here, San Antonio.

I remember my first nightthere, man, I cried.

And the only thought thatwas going through my head

was, "Where is everybody?"

That I was alone, by myself, homeless.

I decided then, like, it's just me.

Whatever I gotta do forme, that's what I gotta do.

- [Narrator] Michael turned to gangs

for protection and survival.

- Gang life was glorified.

I wasn't accepted at school.

I wasn't accepted by my dad.

But if I joined this, I couldbe accepted by something.

- [Narrator] Michaelalso started stealing.

- There's a lotta people whoget social security checks,

welfare checks, in thebeginning of the month.

They'll go cash out these checks

and be walking around withall that money on 'em.

And we'd beat 'em upand we'd take the cash

and live off of that.

- [Narrator] Eventually,Michael was arrested.

- So I had the thought thatI was gonna get out of jail,

and I was gonna get a job.

I was gonna go back to school, whatever.

- [Narrator] Shortly after that, however,

Michael's best friend'sgirlfriend was robbed.

The two of them set outto settle the score.

- He gives me a knife, really big knife.

Mind you, at the same time,

I have $120 worth of crack on me

when we see a cop driving towards us.

So we decided to cut throughthe nearest parking lot

and I guess that wasenough initiative for him.

And he kinda swervedaround us, cut us off.

Boom, threw me acrossthe hood, checked me.

I had the crack on me.

I had the knife on me.

- [Narrator] Michael beganto envision life in prison.

- Very first thought that came to my mind,

it's like, "Yo, they threwthe book at your mom.

"She had never had troublewith the law before,

"and they threw the book at her.

"So imagine what they're gonna do to you.

"You got a record."

something in my spiritsaid, "Pray," so I prayed.

And I said, "God, God, please,

"if you get me out of this situation,

"I'll give my life to you."

- [Narrator] But he wasshocked at what happened next.

- He was like, "You're way too young

"to be getting into all this trouble."

He's all, "Well, what do youwanna do with your life?"

Oh, I wanna go to school.

I started making, I'm just being honest.

I started saying thebest stuff I could say

to give this man a goodimpression about (chuckling) me.

And I started tellinghim all types of stuff.

"Oh, yeah, I'm gonna go to college."

Finally, he just said, "Look, man,

"this is what I'm gonna do.

"I'm gonna let you go.

"But if I ever see youon this block again,

"it doesn't matter ifyou're going to the store

"to get a bag of chips," he said,

"I'm gonna lock you upfor possession charges."

- [Narrator] The next night

Michael met a young mandoing street evangelism.

- Hey, he's like, "I'mfrom the Joshua House."

He's like, "You know, we're out here

"to let people know that Jesus loves you.

"And there's nothing you could ever do

"to separate yourself from God's love.

"It doesn't matter what kind

"of life you're living right now,

"Jesus loves you just the way you are.

"You come just as you are."

And I just heard the voice of God.

And he said, "You told me youwere gonna give me your life.

"Stop what you're doing.

"Go with these people,

"'cause this is where I want you to be."

As soon as I heard that, I looked at him.

I said, "Let's do it, let's go.

"I'm ready, let's go."

- [Narrator] Michaelbegan attending a church

in San Antonio and entered a group home

where he was cared for and discipled.

- What really threw me off was the love,

people I had never met before hugging me

and telling me that theyloved me and Jesus loves me.

It was the first time in my life

that I had felt peace,

that I felt hope.

It was the first time in my life

that I've actually felt like I had a home.

I learned what it means tolove God, to love others,

to know God, to serve God.

I haven't looked back since.

- [Narrator] Today,Michael is married to Maria

and shares his musical gifts at church

and in the streets of San Antonio.

He's also the directorof the same group home

that he attended.

- If somebody had loved mewhen I wasn't worthy of love,

then I wouldn't be who I am today.

God has called me to go andshow others of his love.

My purpose in life isto worship God, period.

And in First Peterchapter two, verse nine,

it says you are a chosen generation,

a royal priesthood,God's special possession.

And once you have been calledout of the depths of darkness

into his glorious lightto declare his praise,

our job as Christians is tolift up the name of Jesus Christ

into everything that wedo with all of our mind,

with all of our strength,with all of our hope.