The Street Book

Final Chapter – A Living Testimony - (rough copy, un-edited)
 
I was once the man who ate out of dumpsters, who wandered the streets addicted, broken, and without hope. My life was consumed by drugs, crime, and despair. I had lost my family, my dignity, and nearly my life more than once. There were nights when I lay in hospital beds hooked up to machines, convinced my story was finished. Yet the mercy of God reached into the darkest places and pulled me out.
 
Day by day, the Lord began to rebuild me. He restored my relationship with my daughters, healed my body, and lifted me out of depression and suicide into a new life of hope. What once looked like an ending became a beginning.

The same streets where I injected drugs became the streets where I prayed with the homeless, carried Narcan to the overdosing, and sat beside the forgotten to remind them they were loved. This testimony is not only a record of where I have been, but proof that no pit is too bottomless for God’s hand to reach and no sinner is beyond the power of His grace.
 
But my story is more than personal; it is also a call to awareness. We are living in the middle of an opioid crisis that is devastating families and communities across the world. Every week I still meet people who are fighting for their lives, just as I once was. Addiction is claiming sons and daughters, fathers and mothers, every single day. If my testimony reveals anything, it is that there is hope even in the darkest places. Narcan can save a life, but only Jesus Christ can truly save and change a life.

My prayer is that the church would rise, not only with compassion and practical help, but with the boldness to preach the gospel that truly sets captives free.
 
In 2025, God gave me the privilege of returning to Mexico twice in one year, ministering to pastors, leaders, and hundreds of men and women struggling with addiction in Mexico City and the state of Sinaloa. I shared my testimony in churches, at interventions, and in recovery centers, and was welcomed as an international minister.

At the same time, my local ministry has grown with countless testimonies of God’s saving power: people delivered from addiction, families restored, the homeless finding housing, and lives transformed by the gospel. Over these last seven years of street outreach, I have witnessed tremendous miracles of grace and power that only Jesus could do.

Through the online side of my ministry, God has multiplied my influence far beyond what I ever imagined. Millions of people have viewed my videos, and tens of thousands follow my work on YouTube and social media. Every week, people tune in to hear the message God has placed on my heart, sending words of encouragement that strengthen me in my own journey. Because of this global reach, I am now able to support other ministries financially, operate two ministry outreach vehicles, and continue to expand the work God has called me to. I am humbled by the monthly supporters who stand with me as I reach not only my local community, but people around the world with the gospel of Jesus Christ.
 
And today, I have more hope for the church than I have ever had before. Many churches are now opening their doors to me, welcoming my ministry both locally and internationally. I have been given opportunities to share in men’s groups, faith gatherings, and church pulpits—always calling people to repentance and pointing them back to the cross. For every false prophet I have exposed, I have also met faithful pastors, servants, and believers quietly laboring for the kingdom. They are the living proof that God’s church is alive and well.
 
As you close these pages, I want to pray over you. My prayer is that the same Jesus who rescued me from addiction, despair, and hopelessness would meet you right where you are. May He heal the broken places in your life, restore your family, and give you a hope that never fades. May you walk in the abundant life He promised, full of joy, freedom, and peace.
 
To my daughters, my family, and the many faithful friends and pastors who have stood with me, thank you. Your encouragement, prayers, and belief in what God has called me to do have carried me further than I ever imagined. I could not have walked this road without you.
 
And to you, the reader: this story is not just about me. It is a testimony of what God can do in anyone’s life. If my journey has touched your heart, I invite you to stay connected.

Visit me online at http://www.brotherjohnelving.com and follow along on YouTube and social media, where I continue to share testimonies, expose deception, and point people to the true gospel.

Together, let us believe for greater things, and let us walk one day at a time by the grace of God.

Brother John Elving 

Looking forward, my greatest desire and prayer is to see a rehabilitation center established on Vancouver Island for men, women, and children. I would call it The 10:10 Home, a place where families can be restored, where men walk with men and women walk with women, rebuilding lives with dignity and hope. The vision is simple: to create a safe, faith-filled space where parents can reconnect with their children and discover the abundant life Jesus promised.
 
For the enemy came to steal, kill, and destroy—but Jesus came that we might have life, and have it more abundantly (John 10:10).