God is real. Miracles are real. My story is real.  I was a meth addict for fifteen years. I couldn't function without the drugs.  I couldn't hold a conversation with you without being high.  I couldn't even open my eyes in the morning without getting high.  It was physically impossible for me to do so.  

On the night of Oct 28th, 2004, a few minutes before I was to be involved in a brazen robbery attempt on the open streets of Honolulu, I met the living God, Jesus Christ.   Without God's intervention,  I doubt highly that I would be standing here alive and well today.

The Bible tells us that unbelievable and miraculous things happen to those who come face to face with the living God, Jesus Christ. Now I know those accounts to be true.  It happened to me.

That night I was so very angry.  It was the first robbery I wasn't able to get the result that a robbery intends.  I took out my anger on my wife that night. What she did that night in reaction changed my life forever. She got down on her knees raised her hands towards the heavens and cried out to God.  She cried, "God help us! Please help us! " I remember vividly thinking,  "What God are you crying out to? There is no God! If God existed, would he allow somebody like me to live? I had done so many things.  Unspeakable things I did to men that owed me money, things done to women not thought of even in the sickest and darkest of minds,  and the damage my product was doing to the very fabric of peoples lives in this State. Before I smoked myself to sleep I did something I never did before. I had a conversation with this "God" that my wife was crying out to.   I didn't know it then add I was doing it but I know now. I repented. I told this imaginary, invisible God that I was sorry. Sorry for the things I had done. Sorry for what I became. There was no redeeming a person like me. Who would want to? I told that night to kill me. I couldn't change. Truth be told, I didn't want to change.

When I woke up the next morning, I started getting ready to go back out. But a funny feeling started to come over me.  Something didn't feel right.   I went back into my bedroom and i saw my ice pipe laying there next to my bed.  It was the first time since being a chronic user that I could remember being able to function,  you know brush my teeth, wash my face, before taking a hit to just open my eyes. I was completely sober. Not just sober but it was as if I hadn't ever touched the drug.  No rehab, no withdrawal symptonms, no tiredness, no anger,  no NA meetings, no nothing.  It was a miracle.

On October 29th, 2017, the release of my book, my story, is scheduled. My heart is to share the events of my tumultuous life, my 15 year addiction to meth, and my testimony of God's unfailing Grace. For a purpose. To fulfill the call of God in my life.

To my friends, relatives, and supporters--this is a work of love, gratitude, and forgiveness. My book is an expression of what you have done for me and through Him.

To the people and families suffering because of an addiction, in this book you will find the proof that every Word of the Bible is true.  Every promise, everything.  All true.  You will also find comfort, strength, hope, unfailing love, forgiveness, and a newfound and growing faith in the pages of this book.   I am living and walking proof God does exist. He does redeem. He does heal. He can do the impossible.

My goal through the release of this book is to ignite hope like a raging fire in the hearts of everyone that reads it. This book will also be a call to arms.  We must not cower to the exploits of the enemy by standing still. Brothers and sisters of faith must come to action!  We must act in love not just talk about it!  We must attack the drug problem sweeping our State. And believe me, a person that has seen his fair share of meth being shipped in, the growth of meth addiction of the 80's and 90's will be dwarfed by the upcoming epidemic!  We must be ready!  

My desire is not to exploit the events of my life for my own self-gain but to use my life for God's purposes. Our initial goal is to raise $20,000 from the pre-sale of the book. These proceeds will be used in two ways. One, it will go towards the marketing and publishing of the book. Secondly we will be using part of the initial funds raised to help build a eatery for a young lady that the ministry has partnered up with. Her name is Vania Fortunato. She is a former employee of Grindz and one of our most brightest success stories. I am so very proud of her.  She was in and out of prison when we first met her and she was battling meth addiction. She was immersed in a lifestyle that kills the spirit of young women and they never become the women God created them to be.  Vania showed a different spirit about her when she first came to Grindz seeking a job.  She was clean and sober for the first time in 7 years and she was so optimistic and so full of hope.  She has been clean and sober now since 2008! Praise God! She is the proud mother of three terrific kids and enjoys an intimate relationship with God.

Grindz can't take credit for her transformation of course but I can't help but think that God used Grindz to help her get to where she is now. Her eatery will keep the traditions of Grindz alive! She will hire convicts coming out of prison or are presently in prison, recovering addicts, and the loved ones of addicts. Her eatery will also make Bible classes mandatory for all employees as Grindz once did. Employees will be paid. as if they were working. to attend these classes.

Then proceeds from the sale of the book once it's published will go to fund a ministry called, "The Road To Damascus".  This ministry will one day build a center where people will come to receive help with their drug, alcohol, and sex addictions. It will be a rehabilitation center like no other! We will have housing, job training, job placement, and top notch medical services made available to those coming for help. The ministry will also be an incubator of sorts partnering up with men and women who over a period of time show promise and a desire to honor God.  We will be partnering up with these future men and women to open businesses as we are with Vania.  The ministry will be self sustaining at some point.  We will not count on contributions as we grow.  More importantly it will be a center where souls get saved. We will preach and teach the Word of God at the center. For we know, nothing can heal and restore you fully from an addiction. No amount of medicine, not a fancy job, nor even all the money in the world can get you clean and sober. Addiction is not a mental issue, not a physical issue. It's a heart issue. Only God can heal you of an addiction because only God can fill your heart.

This is an incredible vision.  A vision I was afraid I wasn't qualified to attempt.  That is why it has taken 12 years for me to yield my heart and lift my fears to Him and step out in faith and obey.  But to accomplish this incredible vision, I need your help.

If you have been in any way touched by my story, want to let others know about God's amazing nature, or are just curious to learn more about my story by getting your hands on a copy of the book--please contribute. 

Any donation amount would be greatly appreciated but we are asking you, in this season of giving, please dig deep. We can testify that many lives were transformed while working for Grindz. So many young men and women accepted Christ for the very first time as employees of Grindz. Many more lives will be changed and the lives of their families given hope at the new eatery. The new eatery will be opened in Waianae right across Tamura's Supermarket. And can you imagine the positive impact and change we will have on the west side of the island?  As we are already feverishly partnering up with other organizations, the police department, representatives at the city and state levels to bring about REAL change to the west side of the island.  We have already reached out to the homeless and will be ministering to them daily.  We will offer them food, love and friendship whenever we can.  I have no doubt we will one day have a global impact for Christ!  I am praying earnestly for all this to come to fruition!  

Your donations will help release this incredible dream and help it come to God breathe life!  Is it too large of a vision?  Am I like a child, too simple and unlearned to know that this is impossible?   Because

Twelve years ago I felt the same way as I do today. Twelve b years ago God instructed me to open up a restaurant called Grindz. I can't begin to tell you how ridiculous that sounded. How impossible  it sounded to me. I was a guy with no restaurant experience, with no skills or talent in preparing food (to this day I burn instant saimin), and with absolutely no money at the time to open a restaurant and to top it all off I was told to hire only addicts as employees. Nine out of ten restaurants fail. Most of them fail because they do incomprehensible things like all the things listed above! But I held my lips and more importantly I yielded my heart and was obedient. He told me he would take care of the rest.  If i just took a step of faith and looked for a place to open the restaurant he said, I will see His glory played out through the restaurant.   Less than a week later, I signed a lease to build and open Grindz.  

Please prayerfully consider helping us. Step out in faith. Have faith that your contribution will have an eternal impact on thousands of souls! Also you will be helping a friend fulfill his mission in life. His calling. My purpose. God Bless you and thank you!

I have faith.  I believe that one day, I will see thousands of walking miracles.

Below you will find some things we will send you as gifts if certain benchmarks are hit in your donations. However ANY amount will go a long way to seeing the vision God has placed before us fulfilled.

Please share this with anyone that might be interested! Post this on your FB feed as often as God leads your heart to. Lets make this thing go VIRAL! WE CAN DO THIS! WE can partner up and make a God empowered impact on our communities, State, Nation, and World! Thank you! Also you will find below some links to newspaper and magazine stories written about Grindz! Thank you once again for your generosity and commitment to seeing God's purposes played out!

$50 or more - A personal autographed copy of the book due out 10/29/2017

$100 or more- A personal autographed copy of the book due out 10/29/2017 and a $25 gift certificate to eat at the new eatery.

$500 or more- A personal autographed copy of the book due out 10/29/2017 and a $50 gift certificate to eat at the new eatery and your picture up on the "Dream Releasers" wall.  The Dream Releasers wall will testify to everyone who visits the eatery that without YOU and your generosity, these dreams  would not have been released and would've stayed just that....a dream!

$1,000 or more- A personal autographed copy of the book due out 10/29/2017 and a $75 gift certificate to eat at the new eatery and your picture up on the wall of the eatery.  We will call that portion of the wall our "Dream Releasers" wall. And you will be able to forever be linked in history to our eatery.  We will name one of our plates (that you can choose) after you or a name that you choose!

http://thegoodlifehawaii.com/my-plans-included-guns-violence-and-worse-vincent-kwon/

http://the.honoluluadvertiser.com/article/2006/Jul/10/ln/FP607100331.html

http://archives.starbulletin.com/2006/09/04/news/story01.html