Teresa Neumann : Jul 26, 2012 : Stephanie Cary – The Press Telegram

"I went from…living in sin and death and on the verge of spending eternity separated from God to getting in a prison cell and getting set free by the power of God's love, His forgiveness, His mercy and His grace." -Christian Hosoi

(Long Beach, CA)—His nickname was "Christ", but professional skateboarder Christian Hosoi knew nothing about Jesus. In 2000 he was sentenced to 10 years in prison for trafficking methamphetamine across state lines.

Today, Hosoi—author of the memoir "Hosoi: My Life as a Skateboarder Junkie Inmate Pastor"—is pastor of The Sanctuary Church in Huntington Beach and shares the good news of Jesus Christ in the public arena wherever he can.

According to a report in The Press Telegram Hosoi's childhood was anything but traditional; he began smoking pot at 10, did acid at 12, became a pro-skateboarder at 14, and started his own skateboard company at 17. Not surprisingly, he ended up addicted to meth and speed.

Shortly before Hosoi's arrest in 2000, his girlfriend Jennifer, who is now his wife, began going to church. It was after landing in prison that she told him he needed to get a Bible, read it, and trust in God." His second day in prison, he did just that, and his life has never been the same.

"For the first time I was happy," he said. "I went from…living in sin and death and on the verge of spending eternity separated from God to getting in a prison cell and getting set free by the power of God's love, His forgiveness, His mercy and His grace."

The article notes that Hosoi still competes and uses his influence in the skateboarding world to spread the Gospel.

   

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