January 2023 THE 180 GROUP

Meet Darryl

Greetings, y name is Darryl Burnside and I’ve been incarcerated for 17 years. I was a victim of gun violence as a young boy. It’s time welcome everyone to united as one and turn the page on this epidemic.

Eradicate the Hate.
It’s time to come together and change the minds and hearts of those in power. Let’s get everyone on the same page. We have so much to lose in this amazing country. If we don’t intervene now it’ll be too late and I’m afraid hope will only be just a word. Mass shootings, gun violence, and gun control are the hot topics over the news and the only way we will make a change is to get down to the nitty gritty and stop blame game with politics and pointing the finger at the other person. Hateful comments, anger, tension, and sometimes fighting only makes us look like fools especially to our children who will eventually be the ones running our beloved country.
How do we confront this epidemic today? WE gotta talk to each other, listen to one another without a quick rebuttal and take control of our emotional regulation. Let’s be accountable and responsible like adults. Communicate!!!! WE need to get influential and educational speakers with facts not opinions to get the word across without prejudice. Our mental Health system must be flagged and monitored appropriately. People need to do their jobs!!!! Our youth population is a tremendous factor. We the people need to step up realize that this is not a political game, It’s an epidemic that will only come worse if we do not act now. Let’s eradicate the hate and change the minds and hearts of those in power one at a time until we progress into a more common ground. WE NEED TO BE ON THE SAME PAGE!! Gang shootings and mass shootings are totally 2 different entities. None of these are acceptable. Let’s take a closer look. Gang shootings have a target while mass shootings do not have a specific target and kill many. Illegal guns are all over our streets. I could go on and on. We can solve a lot of this if we adopt a different prospective. Let’s do this.

ERADICATE THE HATE!

Testimony of Jose Vargas.

Good afternoon. I am thankful for the ministry of Claudia and Dr. Emerick who bring the Word of God that can change a life like I use to live. I attend every Sunday morning their Protestant Christian Service.

I am glad to be able to share my testimony to help others not make the mistakes I have made in my life. I have been sentenced to 15 years to life for my third DUI in which I was convicted of murder since two people died because of my actions.

I have had a lot of time to reflect, and correct the criminal thinking that landed me behind these prison walls. I am truly every sorry for the crime I have committed. I have written both the families of my victims and have expressed how extremely remorseful I am. My amends from now on, is a living amends. I am no longer the same person who walked and sat into court, and prison 15 years ago.

I have now served 15 years (in December) of imprisonment on the Progressive Programming Facility (PPF). The PPF prison facility sets a much higher standard for inmate conduct and program participation than is the case for other prison facilities. Thus, in terms of the typical prison yard, the PPF yard is “exceptional.” Inmates who qualify for assignment to the PPF yard and demonstrate, as I have demonstrated, the ability to successfully program, on this yard are considered “exceptional”, and are considered to be engaged in self-improvement, and community service programs requiring reflecting extraordinarily behavior beyond merely complying with CDCR regulations. Indeed, the fact the PPF yard has one of the highest percentages of sentence commutations, and release of long-term offenders among California prisons strongly suggest that the prisoners who are successfully programming on the PPF yard are evidencing changes in themselves that would likely render them to be a positive asset to the community upon their release.

I have also made it my daily practice to counsel the younger prisoners against violence, drugs. Participation in gangs, prison politics, and other negative antisocial endeavors. I also invite all whom I encounter and socially engage to visit and get involved in fellowship in their church. I consider these activities to be my way of contributing to bettering and improving the conditions of existence in the community in which I live. This behavior is beyond what the CDCR asks of or expects from me and it is readily transferable to life outside of the prison. I have been proactive to create and share programs teaching exercise skills, healthy eating habits, and applying Biblical principles to everyday problems and aspects of life.

I have not confined my efforts to be of benefit, and assistance to others to the prison environment. I have also committed myself to reaching out to my immediate, and extended family members by providing counsel, advice, and guidance through correspondence visits, and pre-paid telephone communications. My principal message to my family and relatives is to stay in school; find a way to embrace God, and keep God in their lives; avoid drugs, alcohol, and gangs, get a good job, and learn how to be independent, and self-sufficient. I experience a sense of self-fulfillment, and personal worth in being able to provide guidance, and assistance to young people who are struggling to find their own place in life to make a way forward for themselves.
My faith in God as well as the programming I’ve completed here are key to my rehabilitation. I have had a lot of time to reflect, and correct the criminal thinking that landed me behind these prison walls. I am truly every sorry for the crime I have committed.

One thing I have learned is that there are no loss causes in the Kingdom of God. My being born was not a mistake. God even though I did not obey Him in the beginning of my life God has given me another chance to know and live for Him.

Sy, Dr. Emerick and Sister Claudia. Nov. 25th, 2022.

Good afternoon to everyone. My name is Sy and I was an inmate at the Lancaster prison. I attended the Sunday teaching and worship services with Dr. Timothy Emerick and his wife Claudia this has been a tremendous time of teaching for me and I’m going in the Lord.
I grew up in a very violent home, and I committed many criminal acts from a young age. I was either drinking alcohol, or using drugs. At one time, my life became so uncontrollable that my father and I were involved in a very intense and heated argument, and he ended up shooting me in the leg. The picture that you see me on crutches is because they had to amputate my leg. I hated my father for this. My life became worse and I got involved in more criminal acts.
In 2018, I was sentenced to 50 years to life. When I found this out, I just wanted to die. This was my darkest hour of my life. I just wanted to die. However, God in His mercy and love reached down into the pit where I was living and I gave my life to the Lord Jesus Christ who helped me turn my life around.
The Lord performed a miracle and I was released on November 11th of 2022. I was taken to court in Fresno California, with the clothes on my back and my wheelchair. They released me from court with time served and put me for a period of probation, I had no money and nowhere to go. I was out on the streets, not knowing what to do. But before I went to court, I asked Dr. Emerick for his business card. I called him that very moment when I got out of court, but he didn’t answer. I called again the following day and he answered and he took time to calm me down and prayed with me. He and sister Claudia sent that very moment through Western Union $300. I am so grateful for the ministry of Dr. Emerick and his wife Claudia the picture you see is myself and Dr. Emerick and Claudia standing in front of the temporary housing that the Lord helped me to find.
On the date of this picture taken Dr. Emerick picked up my possessions from Lancaster State Prison and he and his wife took them to me in Fresno California, which is about three hours from him. I am eternally grateful to them and many others who have helped me.

Please pray for me and others who reach out to God despite being lost and discarded. When we need help Father God will send few a angels 😇 to you to help, support, and encouragement. God showed me His love and mercy through “Dr Emerick and his wife Claudia, Mr. & Mrs. Timothy and Andrea Powell for the crutches they donated, Paws for Life K-9 Rescue Family, Jon, Chris, Tommy just to name a few.

God will never forget us. We are the apple of his eye!

James. Inmate at Lancaster Prison
GOD IS WITH US
There is not a more comforting feeling in the world than knowing that I have a relationship with the Father God-Yahweh through His Son and my Savior the Lord Jesus Christ. I am going to spend eternity in Heaven! Can you image what that will be like? I try, but then I am reminded by I Corinthians 2:9. “But as it is written, eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, nor entered into the hearts of man the things that God has prepared for those that love him.”
My testimony may not be so different from anyone else that has experienced the overwhelming joy of receiving Christ into their life as Savior. Yet like other Christians, there is a time order of events that led up to that moment, which I’d like to share with you. I’ll try to be brief as not to lose your interest.
I was adopted by wonderful parents at two weeks old. My father was an Air Force pilot, my mother a schoolteacher. They met while attending Washington University-Huskies! I also have a brother and two sisters who are incredible as well, but I am the only adopted child. My parents adopted me shortly after their baby was still born upon delivery. My mom Joan told me that she flat lined during the delivery for almost a minute due to the loss of blood. She explained having an out of body experience, during those moments watching doctors and nurses frantically trying to resuscitate her, as her spirit drifted above the chaos of medical staff trying to do everything within their medical expertise to revive her.
My mom recalls immediately finding herself in the presence of an overwhelmingly joyous light whom she believed to be the Almighty God. She said the peace she felt in God’s presence surpassed any she could have ever imagined. Then, just as quickly she found herself looking up at the frenetic faces of hospital staff trying to resuscitate her-and then their celebrating upon her return to life. I share my mom’s personal experience because it is one of my earliest memories of learning about God’s Glory at work. I have never forgotten the sharing of her enlightening encounter with God and believed that someday I too would have a life changing experience with the Lord God.
I fast forward my life to when I was just twelve years old. My brother Mike, friend Clark, and myself were returning home from a morning surf session at Zuma Beach. I had just experienced my first tube-ride (When a surfer pulls entirely inside of the curl of the wave) along with the high-pitched whirling sound of the wave’s energy as I had encased myself inside the barrel of the wave. It was exhilarating! So, on the ride home I was entirely in a state of stoke. When out-of-the-blue, I hear a voice, other than the other occupants in the vehicle say, “James, when are you going to come serve me?” I looked at Mike and Clark wondering if they also had heard the voice but there was no verification in their non-verbal’s. I could barely believe what I was hearing but knew it was God’s voice, even though it was the first time I had ever heard it. While somewhat in a state of shock and unsure how Clark sitting next to me would react, I turned toward the door, closed my eyes, and prayed. “God, I promise you that someday I will come serve you.” I was startled by this experience but it made me feel very special that the Creator of the universe was calling upon me!
Fast forwarding again to when I was nineteen years of age. My lovely newlywed wife Michelle and I were on our return drive home from having just eloped to Washington State’s Lake Tapp’s. We were driving through the majestic Shasta Mountains on the narrow two-lane highway when suddenly the car veered left as if the front left tire went flat. I pulled off into an emergency area on the side of the highway and stepped out of the red 76 Buick, with the primer red driver’s side, to investigate. As I looked down at the front driver’s side wheel awkwardly tilted toward me, and the wheels bearings laying in the dirt at its base. I immediately began thinking of the $60.00 in my pocket, just enough money for the gas to get us back to So-Cal. I thought to myself, what am I going to do to get us home safely? I then heard my bride Michelle singing and praising God, so I looked into the car and explained, “Honey, all the bearings have fallen out of the front wheel and we don’t have enough money for a tow-truck or to have it repaired.” She continued with her praise, so I decided the only thing I could do would be to nurse the car along the shoulder eight miles back to the town of Shasta where I’d try to find a mechanic.
I was finally able to make it to the other side of the highway from the emergency area as cars flew past us at over 70 miles per hour. It was a frightening experience! The car’s front end literally bounced as I creped along the side of the highway. As I drove, Michelle continued singing and praising God, to my dismay. Then, all of a sudden, the car began rolling normally, slowly but normally, all the way back to town and the mechanic garage. After waiting for about an hour, the mechanic’s approached me, scratching his head while looking totally perplexed. He said, “I don’t know how you got back here. There were no ball bearings in the wheel. If you had driven another hundred feet or so the wheel would have welded itself right to the axel. You were extremely lucky. I am only going to charge you twenty bucks for the repair.” I couldn’t believe it as I looked back toward my wife smiling and continuing to sing and praise the Lord. I knew on that day God had his hand on us and that it wasn’t just luck. Once we returned home, I asked Jesus to come into my life as Savior, and lived fervently for Him, yet with.one foot in the world by continuing to smoke marijuana.
Several years later, I began to lose the zeal in which I once served God, resorting to my secular, selfish ways of alcohol and drug addiction. After being given numerous chances to change, Michelle left with our 2-year-old daughter Genevieve to Canada, along with her mother. Losing my Christian wife and daughter destroyed me inside. My life felt empty without them. So, I drove all the way to Canada in my 69 VW bus looking for them, but to no avail. A few years later I went to prison for 6 years, paroled, stayed out for eight years, and then shot and murdered my dear friend during a week-long sleep deprived meth and alcohol related psychosis. As a result of these actions, I was sentenced to Life-With-Out-Parole plus 30 years. Today, I continue .to grieve the devastation I have caused the family and friends of my victim. Today it is still hard for me to believe that I murdered an innocent human being! Shortly after arriving in prison, I realized I needed to change from the piece of garbage I had become into the father, son, and brother that my children and family had once loved and respected, so I got to work.
I wasn’t entirely sure I was saved, so I got down on my knees and asked Jesus to come into my life as Savior. Once arriving in Lancaster State Prison, I joined the church of Emmanuel. As a member of the Church and through my relationship with God, I learned a lot about my identity in Christ, and my calling to go forth and save the lost. And while I have only led a few people to Christ while in Lancaster State Prison, I continue sharing the joy that I receive every day while serving Him. I am so in love with God that I wouldn’t trade my relationship with Him for anything, including my freedom. As for me and my household, we will serve the Lord all the days of our life.
Today, I continue serving God with all my heart, soul, and strength. As a result, He has delivered me from a 28-year addiction to drugs and alcohol. On May 20, 2019, I will have 14-years sobriety! And while my adult daughter and three adult sons’ no longer write to me, and my family continues to keep me at arm’s length, I continue praising Him and thanking Him for the amazing things He does in their life and my own.
I currently attended Sunday Protestant Service with Claudia and Dr. Timothy Emerick. I am learning everyday how to walk with my Savior and Lord Jesus! Thank you for taking the time to read my testimony. If you haven’t received Christ, please do. You’ll experience un- surpassed joy.
GOD IS WITH US

My earliest memories take back to a five year old child living with my mother and my big brother Gary. My biological father Gary Baker left us when I was three, for which I was blamed. My brother would always say it was my fault that my father left us. It got worse as he would say that I was adopted, that he left me hurt and confused as I felt unacceptable and lonely in this world.
Shortly after my dad left, my mother got a new boyfriend who is basically a monster and beat me and my mother. The first time I called 911 the police arrived at our house and did nothing. Admittedly left my mother‘s boyfriend turned his rage onto me. As he smacked me across the face he yelled at me and threaten to kill me and my mother if I ever snitched on him. I never called the police again however they abuse did not stop.
As a child I used to wet the bed. If he caught me in the morning, he would roll up a newspaper and put my face into the mattress and smack my nose saying I need to be trained like a dog.
Eventually Child Protective Services got involved as my mother’s boyfriend smacked me and drag me around by my shirt at McDonald’s in Azusa where I lived at the time. Nobody interfered, but at least the police were called and I was taken out of the situation. After that I was sent to live with my father in Pomona. This was in the midst of a crack era and where we lived was a hotbed for crime and gang violence. Vividly I can recall police and army tanks battering rams crashing into living rooms, helicopters, and gun shots at night.
During this time, I can recall my father ‘s preaching at church he was what was known as a fire and brimstone preacher. I was never told about the love of Christ, so my psychosocial construction of reality regarding God was that he was angry all the time and I was going to hell.
Death was so prevalent in my life I became numb to it. I witnessed my first murder at the age of six and several more thereafter. Whenever someone died I would hear my dad‘s voice you’re going to go to the lake of fire forever. Three years later I was sent back to my mother and I witnessed a double murder at the time the police and gang members with asked me repeatedly what I saw it was too much and I was glad to move back with my mom.
Eventually my mother left her boyfriend and we settled in West Covina which I consider to be my hometown. But prior to that I never had stability and I went to seven different schools by the time I reach the fifth grade. I was a serious problem for my mom and my little brother. The hurt that I internalize was projected on to them. Eventually I transitioned into a teenager and I projected that hate onto my peers. At the age of 13 I began running the streets and joined a gang that’s when things went from bad to worse. The gang lifestyle gave me a false sense of acceptance. I became a full-blown alcoholic at the age of 13 and was sent to juvenile hall before my 14th birthday. Going to juvenile hall solidified what I have been told my whole life nobody cared about me and I was worthless. So my life spiraled out of control I gave up on school and home I dedicated myself to the gang. Because I was involved in gangs my mom kicked me out of the house at the age of 15. I found myself homeless, sleeping on park benches, bus stops and even stealing cars just to sleep in the backseat. I would rob and drugs to make enough money to rent a motel once in a while.
I had the memory of my close friend lost I attempted suicide twice both times playing Russian roulette. I can see the hand of God working in my life however I couldn’t see it then all I envisioned was Dante in a lake of fire just like my dad used to say.
By the age of 18 I was a very violent person. I committed a home invasion and was sentenced to 75 years to life. I am truly remorseful and repented for this crime. I saw no reason in my life for redemption. I was sent to Folsom prison which was extremely violent. It was all about survival. The mindset that I had led to violence And I wound up in solitary confinement. During this time, I read a lot but not once did I pick up the Bible. My mother said that she was praying for me but it fell on deaf ears because my reality was a living hell. A decade later while I was in solitary confinement at another prison, I read my first verse which was Psalms 37:4.
My Nana Thelma used to send to me ‘The Daily Bread” and I would read it mostly out of the respect for her and I did admire her trust in God. However, It took 15 years into my incarceration for me to find God. It was miraculous how it happened. The worst day in my life became the best day of my life. It was Thanksgiving of 2015 I was going to kill myself that day. I was placed on C status which means you’re treated like you’re in the hole but you’re not in the hole. You have no appliances, no phone calls, no visits. Being without those things is bad enough but seeing others have them and you don’t leave you in a sense of depression was something I was acquainted with. At this time my mother was very ill I did not have long to live. I remember writing her a goodbye letter that basically was turning into a suicide note for myself. I bought 3 grams of heroin and overdose in prison. I never used hard drugs before But I thought these 3 grams in my veins were take me out of my misery. After dinner, something happened that interfered with those plans they were visitors and the tears a pastor his wife and also escorting them. We all couldn’t wait for them to leave so we could pass contraband. The pastor‘s wife said to me Jesus loves you and that caused me to laugh out loud. I told him I’m ready to die and you’re going to tell me that Jesus loves me what a bunch of BS. After that I walked away from the door. The pastor said to me God is with you and that Cell son he hears you suddenly I was interested. I asked them why you with your families since this is Thanksgiving Day. The pastor said Christ never forgets the prisoner and his wife said because we love you. I was puzzled how can you love me if you don’t know me I asked. She said I don’t have to know you I know God. As they walked away the warms that was in my heart went with him I was prepared to finish my plan. But they came back and the pastor said brother Bandon we forgot to pray for you. I don’t understand what he was saying when he prayed but it felt in my heart that’s something that I never felt before, tears were streaming down my face. The pastor said spend time with God Brandon, He hears you. I lost the words to say but I found more tears it was uncontrollable and all the demons of abuse, trauma, and pain rushed me at once and I thought about all the wrong things I did it made me cry even more. I was able to shout out three words I am sorry God I yelled and the tears stopped and peace fell upon me. I felt that I was no longer in prison I was in the presence of the living God and I hadn’t been cast away. Psalms 37:4 became a reality to me and God gave me a new heart and a desire to have a relationship with Him. I have no relationship with my biological father but I do have a relationship with my father in heaven and he doesn’t like the thoughts I had as a child. I’ve seen myself for the first time that God is good all the time and all the time God is good.
Prison ministry is important because true rehabilitation comes repentance and that comes from the Holy Spirit so I’m truly thankful for the love and support of all involved in the prison ministry as Jesus tells us in Matthew 25: 31–45. “If you did it for the least of these you, did it for Christ.”

Greetings to all. My name is Marquell and I am an inmate at Lancaster State Prison. I am now a born-again Christian but my life before I came to Christ was full of violence and crime. On Christmas day of 2013 I accept is the Lord Jesus Christ as my savior.
I was raised by my mother as a single parent who could not read or write. She did the very best she could and I love her dearly but the streets of Southeast San Diego swallowed me up. At the age of 10, I became a legitimate gang member learning how to survive on the streets. Part of my crimes involved exploiting women making them work as prostitutes. Due to many poor choices of my past behavior, I wound up in prison. I have been incarcerated for 24 years. During my incarceration I have written a couple books and poems that can find under my website; freemarquell.now .site
I have also attended college in prison completing several classes in the behavioral sciences.
I attend weekly the Protestant Sunday Services conducted by Claudia and Dr. Timothy Emerick. Their ministry has been a blessing to me as well as all the other men who attend these services as well.
There are no loss causes in Jesus!

Greetings my name is Robert and I’m an inmate at the Lancaster State Prison.

I will share just a little bit of my testimony with you. Before I came to the Lord Jesus Christ, I was a gang member and criminal. I was angry, resentful, and a miserable person. I allowed my circumstances to change the course of my life. At the age of 16 that was sentenced to die in prison for killing another person. I take full responsibility for my actions and I didn’t care the harm that I caused to them and their families. While in prison I was a very violent person and in 2016 I was sentenced to the Security Housing Unit for two years of Pelican Bay State Prison. This is called solitary confinement and it is a prison within a prison.
In the Fall of 2017, I had about a year and a half in solitary confinement. I was channel surfing and I landed on TBN a Christian station. I saw on the TV the title called “What is Love?” For some reason I left it on the channel and turned into the program. I saw Dr. Charles Stanley a Christian televangelist speak about God ‘s love and how to practice God ‘s love and how to love your neighbor. I found myself taking notes and writing down Bible verses that he was referencing. When the program ended, I was left wanting to know more. The following week I turned in again and I now had a Bible to check what he was referring to. When I opened up that Bible and read it for myself, it changed everything. All the questions I’ve ever had were answered as I began to read more. I realized the Bible is the Word of God and it convicted me but also enlightened me. It showed me how lost I was. How foolish and horrible I was. It was then that I felt the guilt and shame of my past actions. It was then I knew that I couldn’t keep doing what I was doing. I could not be the source of any more pain and suffering. It was in the Fall of 2017 that I repented and accepted Jesus Christ as my Lord and Savior. It has been five years since I made that decision and my life has changed in a wonderful way. Yes, I’m still in prison but there is joy and hope in me that this world cannot take away. God is good all the time.
I have been attending for about a year now Christian Protestant Services with Dr. Emerick and his wife Claudia. I am enrolled in their two-year Bible Institute Program that they offer and I have completed more than half of the curriculum. This is a great way to study and learn the Word of God.

Please share my testimony with others so they can find new life in Jesus like I have!!