Omar Lopez’s Testimony

I was born in a family of seven brothers in South Los Angeles, California. It was a rough neighborhood with a lot of drugs and violence. Because of my older brothers, our house was the place for the homies in the neighborhood to hangout. It was not unusual to see 30 to 50 guys in front of our house on any given night. When I was 14 years old in 1978 we moved to Huntington Park, California. My parents wanted to get us in a better environment at the time. It did make a big difference for my brothers and I as we got away from the neighborhood influence and started to refocus our lives toward a better future. I made lots of new friends and experienced some of the party life. Nevertheless, I felt my life had a void as if something was missing but I could not figure out what it was.

My older brother who watched a lot of TV began to talk about the mark of the “Beast” and the last days, something he heard from a TV preacher. Although he was not a Christian himself, what he said caused me to begin to read the Bible and investigate what all these things meant. Sitting in a park one day someone handed me a “Chick” gospel tract. I realized by reading the sinner’s prayer on the back that I needed to make a real commitment to Christ. I was so mesmerized by the gospel tract that I sent for more by mail. Soon the top of my dresser was filled with about 50 tracts that I read every night. I figured that I needed to go church so I went to the old religious church I grew up in. I soon began to pray for a new church that preached what I was reading in the Bible. It was not long until my cousin’s sister in-law invited me to Praise Chapel in Maywood. I knew the moment I walked in and the worship service began that I was in the right place. That night at the age of 16 years old, I gave my life to Jesus and it seemed as if a weight was lifted off of me; the void in my life was finally filled.

I have been happily married to my High School sweetheart Letty, for 24 years. I thank God everyday for blessing me with three wonderful sons Omar, Isaiah and Jacob. Who knows where I would be today if was not for the grace of God touching my life when He did. I thank God that He put me in Praise Chapel a church with a vision who believes that everyone has a purpose for their life. I’m a blessed man to be able to answer God’s call on my life and partner with Him in touching others for the Kingdom of God. I’m honored to be able to pastor a great church “Praise Chapel Paramount”; there is nothing else I’d rather be doing.