Feature

The Strength of a Man

By Janelle Sundin10 FLAME

On a hot summer day two years ago, entrepreneur Raul Romero walked past a young man standing outside a restaurant and felt the Holy Spirit tug on his heart. “I saw him standing there with a sign, and I just felt the Lord put compassion in me,” Raul explained. “So I asked him how much he was being paid. He said he was earning $10 per day, so I offered him a job for $10 an hour.”

That young man was fifteen-year-old Ricky Mcknight, and he’d taken the restaurant job because he was tired of having to steal to help support his family. Ricky’s father had never returned from prison, and his mother labored to make ends meet as she tried to provide for six children on her own. The struggle took a toll on the whole family. Ricky had already seen one brother put in prison, and another had recently died. He wanted to live differently.

“I admired Ricky when I met him,” said Raul. “I thought, ‘You’re coming from this neighborhood and working in the hot sun for just $10 a day? You must be special.’” So Raul taught Ricky construction skills, starting with how to dig tunnels for plumbers. As the two worked together, Raul learned about the family’s difficulties and did his best to help.

“His mother got stranded with no money, so we placed her in a hotel for six months,” Raul said. “When the money ran out, I let her stay in the church we were remodeling and then found a place to rent across from that church.”

Ricky views Raul as his mentor. “When I met Raul, he told me about the Lord and invited me to church,” he said. “I went to church with him and met his sons. They gave me extra food when my family had nothing and were really good to me. If I hadn’t met him, I don’t know where I would be.”

One day, Ricky saw a flyer for evangelistic meetings by Richard Halversen and the Crowley Seventh-day Adventist Church. Crowley usually hosts these meetings once or twice a year, but this year was the first time they held them away from their church – in a recreation center not far from where Ricky and Raul were working.

Ricky was intrigued by the topic of God’s second coming. He talked with his boss about it, and Raul ended up bringing not only Ricky but also his coworkers to a meeting after work. They didn’t even take time to change out of their work clothes.

“Ricky was eager and interested,” said Crowley Church Pastor Buster Swoopes. “He faithfully attended every night, and he met with Halversen and me several times. He really held on to the Sabbath truth.”

As the meetings continued, Ricky decided that he wanted to be baptized. “It took time for me to stay on God’s side,” Ricky explained. “But I got tired of it, put my foot down, and said, ‘Enough sin is enough.’ The next step was getting baptized. It was something I’d always wanted to do. I’d been baptized before when I was only six-years-old. I’m not even sure what church it was. But I wanted to get baptized again once I understood what it meant.”

Ricky made plans to be baptized on the last day of the meetings, a Friday, with six other people. But unlike the others, Ricky did not show up for his baptism. His friends at the church became worried.

“We called him several times,” said Swoopes. “And he didn’t answer. We even drove by the house to give him a ride, but he wasn’t there.”

Earlier that day, Ricky had been working with Raul when disaster struck. “We were planting palm trees,” Ricky explained. “They’re big and heavy – they weigh about 1,000 pounds. My boss, Raul, was using a Bobcat to move a tree with a chain wrapped around it, but he started moving before I was ready and my fingers were caught under the chains.”

Ricky’s hands were torn up, and he was rushed to the hospital. “I visited and sat with him while he was getting stitches,” said Swoopes. “The first thing he said was, ‘Can I still be baptized tomorrow?’ I remember saying, ‘Of course, but let’s get you fixed up first!’”

Ricky was baptized the next day, as requested. He even used plastic bags to protect his hands as he went under the water. “I’m glad I got baptized,” Ricky said. “I may still have problems, but I know I don’t have to worry about anything now. When you get baptized, it gives you peace. It gives you hope.”

Ricky has seen the power of Jesus transform his life. “It changed who I hang out with. I used to stay home a lot, but now I spend time with other Christians. It changed the way I talk. I don’t curse anymore. It changed the way I live,” he said. “I used to spend my life thinking there was no hope. But now I pray and ask forgiveness. There are some things I still struggle with. I’m not perfect, but I know God is. His perfect strength is all I need.”