Jason

I was born on August 13, 1974 in La Mesa, California (a suburb in San Diego county). I was born to Shannon and Rex Gastrich. We lived in El Cajon, California for 18 years, until I moved to San Diego for school.

I accepted Jesus Christ as my Savior at a young age. I went to Christian Elementary school from 1st to 6th grades. Then I went to Christian Junior high from 7th to 8th grades. In 9th grade I went to Christian high school.

I took Bible classes, went to church, and did good things. However, I didn't know Jesus Christ like I do now.

In my junior year of high school I got into some trouble. A couple things I did at school added up to them asking me to leave. I left Christian high in the middle of my junior year and went to Valhalla high school, the public school near my house. I wanted to return to Christian high, so I followed a number of steps and they re-enrolled me the following year.

Once again, in the middle of the year, they asked me to leave. This time, I had gone to a party on the weekend. Nobody was allowed to go to parties where people where drinking. So, I went back to Valhalla high school and graduated there. Incidentally, the principal didn't even know who I was at this public school.

Ever since I left Christian high, my junior year, I began drinking alcohol and smoking occasionally. I went to San Diego State University---the only school that I applied to. I became a founding father of a fraternity my first year, called the Kappa Alpha Order. I drank a lot, smoked, and did some drugs with those guys.

One day, I was leaving the KA house, and I got pulled over by the police. They took me down to the station and gave me a DUI. This was one turning point in my life. I took alumni status in my fraternity, because I knew that I couldn't handle myself around them. I stopped hanging out with them and paying dues.

The next summer, I went to Woodstock '94. I mention this to contrast my new life in Jesus Christ. I did drugs with more people than I could count. Camping and listening to secular bands was the time of my life. However, these foolish times would soon end.

Within a couple of months, I answered God's call. On November 1, 1994, my life was changed forever. It was the night after a Halloween party. I had bought a 12 pack of beer, a pack of cigarettes and a bag of pot. Like I had done so many times before, I consumed them, trying to fill the void and looking for a good time.

I will remember the next morning and what followed it forever! I was staring at my ceiling. My lungs hurt. My hair and fingers stunk like smoke. My mind was a bit wobbly. And I knew I needed to change. I knew I needed integrity. The only way to be a success was to make a definite change, and never return to my old lifestyle of foolishness. I never knew what I would give up. I never knew how much there was to gain in Jesus Christ!

So, the process began. I started praying. I found Bible studies to go to almost every night. I was smoking pot almost every night, so I studied God's Word, instead. The friends that I hung out with changed. I felt healthier and stronger. Sometimes I would smoke a cigarette right after the gym or some pot before the gym. Now, I just worked out, and ate well. I started seeing much better results.

In the summer of 1996, I went to Jesus Northwest. This is a huge, three day festival with Christian bands and speakers. I had a fantastic time. And I prayed with more people than I could count. This is in stark contrast to my experiences at Woodstock. I was living for Jesus and my life was protected. I wasn't harming my body anymore. I was growing spiritually and loving it! Only Jesus can give us success. He promises this. This is one of my favorite verses: Jeremiah 29:11 "For I know the plans I have for you, plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future." This proves that God is a good God. He is not waiting for us to die or hurt ourselves. He doesn't want us to go to hell. He wants us to be successful. He has great plans for us!

For more on me and the ministry God has led me to do, please email me or visit http://www.jcsm.org/

Sincerely,
Jason Gastrich