ASSIST News Service (ANS) - PO Box 2126, Garden Grove, CA 92842-2126 USA
E-mail: danjuma1@aol.com, Web Site: www.assistnews.net


Monday, July 5, 2004

LOTS OF MILES AND SMILES: SANTOS RETURNS FROM THE DOO-WOP TRAIL

By Dan Wooding
Founder of ASSIST Ministries

NEW YORK CITY, NY  (ANS) -- Born-Again Doo-Wop singer, Santos, has just completed a 12,000-mile driving road trip. He drove from California to New York and sang approximately 40 times in churches, prisons, drug programs and at Police events. (Pictured: Santos and his wife, taken at The Statue in May  2004. Courtesy, NYPD's Harbor Unit.).

He told those attending, “I went from being a ward of the State of New York drug addict to being an ambassador for Christ, singing ‘Born Again’ Doo-Wop about the incredible Deep and Rich hope we have In Him.”

On this trip he did his third annual concert at Rikers Island Prison in NYC. During his visit to Rikers, he sang Doo Wop favorites with Christian lyrics like “Stand by Me,” “In the Still of the Night” and “Teenager in Love.” He told the inmates at Rikers Island about how God has set him free from drugs and alcohol. "I used to run around these streets of New York like a knuckle-head," he said. "I was on methadone and heroin and would run in and out of the buildings like a lost dog. I was looking for something to fill up the emptiness inside of me. You know that Jesus set me free and He wants to do the same for you. Sometimes it takes the situation that you are in here on Rikers Island, for you to really wake up and reach up-up to Him.” Santos’ music and testimony along with Pastor John Connors’ (Horizon Christian Fellowship – Brooklyn, NY) powerful evangelistic message stirred the hearts of the inmates and over 75 of them gave their hearts to Jesus. What a banner day! (Pictured:
Right: Original photo of officer Gravelli at GZ that day).

Santos visits many prisons in the US and shares his testimony. "It is a great feeling to go into prisons - the so-called tomb of society, where society buries people that are problems - and talk about how the inmates can be raised up out of that tomb just like Lazarus,” he says. “I am very excited about that because it makes my life worthwhile. I was a taker, who used to use people and now I am a giver - I give messages of hope and testimony. If God can set me free, he can set anyone free.”

Santos also said that later this year, The 700 Club (CBN) will run a feature story on his ministry. He also has an appearance scheduled on 100 Huntley Street and The Nite Light Show in Canada.

Santos and his wife, Andrea, spent over a month in and around the NYC metro area. While he has there, he sang at the Police Officers’ for Christ annual communion breakfast (where over 50 NYC Police Officers received Jesus as their Lord and Savior) and a banquet for the NYPD self support group, honoring those police officers that have suffered injuries on the job. At this event, he met Police Commissioner Ray Kelly and the Vigiano Family, who had lost 2 of their sons at Ground Zero. One was a NYFD fireman the other was a NYPD detective. Both were saving lives when the buildings fell. (Pictured:
Andrea and Walter Santos at One Police Plaza with Chief Joseph Esposito The Special Photo is Framed behind on the wall).

The brown tinted photo has a very powerful story to it, The Lord has used this Photo to touch many Police Officers including Santos’ good friend, Chief Joseph Esposito, Top Cop of the NYPD. The Chief has this picture mounted in the main conference room at NYPD Headquarters at One Police Plaza in NYC. When Santos presented this photo to him, the Chief was instantly moved to tears and exclaimed, “This shows the true heart of all the police officers who gave there lives that unforgettable day.” On 9-11 their mission was to protect and serve. Santos’ good friend,, Robin Hanley, is the artist behind the image we see today. Her website shows all the incredible art work she creates. Visit www.robinhanley.com.  This awesome artist has recently been used to touch so many right here in the Southern California area on some recent officer fatalities. (Pictured: Brown tinted photo on conference room wall).

Check out Santos’ on his web site www.santosministries.org

Also view a road clip from his tour in West Texas http://teenchallengepb.com/santos.php

Dan Wooding is an award winning British journalist now living in Southern California with his wife Norma. He is the founder and international director of ASSIST (Aid to Special Saints in Strategic Times) and the ASSIST News Service (ANS). Wooding is the co-host of the weekly radio show, "Window on the World" and was, for ten years a commentator, on the UPI Radio Network in Washington, DC. Wooding is the author of some 42 books, the latest of which is his autobiography, "From Tabloid to Truth", which is published by Theatron Books. To order a copy, go to www.fromtabloidtotruth.com.

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