By Ruth Ann Ruiz
The Post Newspaper Features Editor
Sharing God’s word along with a hot meal is what Cindy and John Michael Armijo do once a month at their church, Come and See Friends in Texas City. It’s their passion to help others and share the gospel.
Cindy is the person in charge of the monthly luncheons, which she has dubbed “Chat and Chew.” Along with a hot, fresh meal, attendees are offered a backpack with hygiene items, which includes a couple towels. They are also given a sack lunch to eat at another time.
But the Armijos’ lives have not always been about sharing the gospel. Though Cindy was born a preacher’s child, she admits there was a time in her life when she wandered away from following God’s path.
John Michael shared that he was addicted to crack for seven years. He moved in and out of a multitude of programs designed to help him overcome his addiction. According to John Michael, while he was in prison for five years, he participated in substance abuse programs.
The couple, who at the time were not married, were looking for a church and stumbled upon the newly formed Come and See Friends Church. Cindy admits she steered them to the church because she had heard about the church’s recovery program.
They quickly got involved in all the activities offered at the church, some of which were designed specifically to aid in addiction recovery.
But still John Michael was not free of his habits.
“No matter how hard I tried to be involved at church, the action on the streets was still attractive to me,” shared John Michael.
The pastor at Come and See Friends church had a vision for how to get John Michael on the road to full recovery from his addiction to substances and life on the streets.
According to John Michael, the pastor advised him to seek treatment at a Biblically based in-house facility in Houston for an intense six-month treatment which included not being allowed out on the streets.
John Michael followed his pastor’s prompting and spent six months away from his daily life.
It was during his time at the facility that he was able to immerse himself in a structure and submission to living a life for God that enabled him to turn his life around.
Today John Michael has a full-time job, and he has health insurance for the first time in his adult life.
Though John Michael did a lot of work to get sober, he credits God and His salvation for his success.
Cindy and John Michael have been married for just over a year, and Cindy, well, she is enamored with her life with John Michael and with God’s role in their lives.
“Marriage is a beautiful thing and so is the power of God,” Cindy said.
