Gospel Con Carne

As an adventure-seeker, Tim Shea lived many of his years for the thrill of a challenge. Among those challenges, however, was his use and distribution of drugs. Tim spent years in and out of prison while carrying the destructive weight of a drug addiction, which led to a downward spiral with his health and eventual loss of relationships with his family. With nowhere to turn after losing one of his...

From founding one of the largest accounting firms in Austin to becoming the CEO of St. David's Foundation, Earl Maxwell has experienced the benefits of creating long-lasting, relational foundations throughout his career. After spending 31 years as a CPA, Earl answered the call to serve his community by joining and leading the St. David's Foundation team for more than a decade—a team who will surel...

A young boy with the dream of one day becoming a rockstar, Lee Espinoza has been in and out of bands and playing his guitar for more than 40 years. The day Lee remembers most from his journey, however, is a July day in 2015 when he lost it all. His car, his home and his hope—all gone. After living on the streets and in shelters, Lee had a hard time adjusting to the place he now calls home in Commu...

While he's somewhat of a newer face around the Community First! neighborhood, Sherwynn Patton has already touched the lives of so many of our neighbors. As executive director of Life Anew, Sherwynn helps guide individuals who are locked in conflict through a process of restorative justice with intentional conversations that lead to meaningful relationships and life transformation. As a neighborhoo...

Everyone has a story to tell, and Community First! neighbor Helen Hopkins is never at a loss when it comes to sharing her next tale. Many of our neighbors here at the Village struggle when trying to reflect on their upbringing, but Helen has an abundance of treasured memories with family and the life she has lived. Hear how Helen spreads her love and faith with other residents in our community and...

While his time on the streets lasted about three years, John "JR" Rogers says he feels like he was homeless most of his life before moving into Community First! Village. Designated as the outcast of his 11 siblings, JR lost the sense of love at an early age and later dealt with his heartache by blowing into a harmonica. JR has experienced his fair share of storms in life, but felt the sharpest los...

As one of the original founding members of the Mobile Loaves & Fishes "six pack," Pat Patterson is a man who exudes selflessness. He even recalls how helping others in need at one point in life just wasn't fulfilling enough—only because it wasn't happening often enough by his servant-hearted terms. This conversation with Pat gives a touching look into his life as he reflects on his childhood on a...

A victim of abuse from as far back as she can remember, Penny Hunt first ran away from home when she was only 6-years-old. By the age of 12 she was hopping freight trains across the country -- partly for the adventure, but mostly for survival. At one point in her journey she landed in Austin with nothing more than a mountain bike, two backpacks and $80 in her pocket. Continued neglect and abuse fo...

As a sixth-generation Texan, Kathryn Whitaker has certainly had her share of life. She had a good upbringing in the Texas Panhandle, and soon began her own Texas-sized family (six kids from kinder through college) after marrying her college sweetheart. But the storms awaited, and so did her anger with God. In this authentic conversation, Kathryn shares how her struggles through a miscarriage, a tr...

A self-described "straight F" student when he was growing up, Larry Cottrell never fully learned to read and write until he was 38-years-old ... when he was in prison. He was exposed to alcohol and drugs at a very early age, which was the main contributor to his spending more than two decades behind bars. But through it all, Larry says he never doubted God. He reads his Bible daily, knows that he'...

Remember the dot-com heyday of the late 1990's? As co-founder of the software company Vignette, Ross Garber certainly does. Ironically, starting a successful high-tech start-up also happens to have been one of the most lonely and isolated moments in his life. Today, in midst of a decades long family genealogy project, Ross has acquired a growing sense of gratitude for his Jewish ancestors along wi...

In many ways, Ellis Johnston is the epitome of one of our fundamental beliefs at Mobile Loaves & Fishes related to the largest cause of homelessness in our country. In almost all cases it starts with a profound loss of family or an otherwise significant breakdown in one's family unit. Ellis knows this all too well. An abusive childhood at the hands of his father led Ellis on a path toward drugs an...

She was never homeless, though Wendy Smith recalls how she easily could have ended up on the streets when she was ready to give up at one point in life. Following a rough childhood involving divorced parents, she found steady ground in her relationship with Christ. Following a failed date to a Huey Lewis concert more than 30 years ago, today Wendy and her husband Larry have found themselves as mis...

Raised as one of 11 children in a sharecropper's family in Mississippi, Dexter Batie encountered a literal life-changing storm when he was only seven years old. Several years after his mother passed away he dropped out of school, and as a teenager found himself on a path of crime and drugs. Dexter was in prison by the age of 17, and eventually wound up homeless on the streets of Austin for two dec...

As a successful day trader with a solid work ethic, David Jamail distinctly remembers the point in his life when God offered him a welcomed alternative to his self-reliant worldview. For once, the Gospel made sense to him. The timing also couldn't have been more appropriate, as a self-inflicted marriage crisis soon followed that would test David to the core of his being. We love to talk about rela...

The first real memory Robin Draper has of her parents is when they divorced when she was only 8-years-old. That breakdown in her family unit - the profound loss of family that we talk about so much at Mobile Loaves & Fishes - ultimately became the start of a long, tough road for Robin. She is an adventurer. She is a fighter. She is a mother. Today her own beautiful and spunky 8-year-old daughter i...

As co-founder and general partner of Austin Ventures, Ken DeAngelis is a man who understands financial success. A disciplined investment strategist, his venture capital firm has raised more than $4 billion in capital over the past three decades. While Ken is regarded by many as a captain of industry and pillar in Austin's investment community, he is by no means a man without struggles. He also has...

When he was a child, Johnny Brown says he dreamed about being a police officer. He always wanted to help people. Part of that dream would eventually come true, but Johnny's time on the police force was cut short by a series of bad decisions that ultimately resulted in him ending up homeless. Johnny has spent a good number of years trying to find his way again in life, and has learned many lessons...

John Vincent was the most enthusiastic neighbor ever to grace Community First! Village, known by all for his larger-than-life personality and entrepreneurial mindset. Sadly, John left this world too early. He passed away a few months ago after suffering a major heart attack, and we miss our brother deeply. We're grateful to have been able to record this Gospel Con Carne episode with John prior to...

Ever since seeing Elvis Presley in concert as a 7-year-old boy, Louis Messina knew he wanted to be in the music business. Today he is recognized as a powerhouse promoter in the music and entertainment industry—and has been for the past several decades—with current and past clients including Taylor Swift, George Strait, The Rolling Stones, Bruce Springsteen and U2, among others. Taking a trip down...

When Gary Floyd talks about his childhood, he has plenty of good memories to share. The one part that he wishes would have been different is the role alcohol played in his upbringing. Gary was introduced to alcohol at a very young age, and it led him down a path of recklessness that ultimately landed him in prison for nearly two decades. Today Gary is a well known, outgoing neighbor in Community F...

Texas Senator Kirk Watson joins the Gospel Con Carne podcast for a compelling conversation about the current issues facing our community. His journey to the state senate has led him to see the power of both collaboration and communication. Through his time spent in politics, Senator Watson also has been witness to a new level divisiveness and its unfortunate impact on society. He shares his deep b...

If you want to find  Richard   Devore  around Community First Village, you need to look no further than our Genesis Gardens.  Richard  works diligently as part of the gardening operation in the Village, and even leads regular tours with volunteers to share about his newfound community. This is quite a change from the previous life he lived, during which  Richard  says he lacked drive and direction...

At one point in life, Donna Berber described her existence as one of misery, sorrow and hardship. Once you hear her amazing story, you'll understand why. After enduring a childhood filled with tremendous grief and loss, Donna shares how her experiences cultivated in her a heart of compassion for others who found themselves in a place of suffering. Today she leads A Glimmer of Hope, an extraordinar...

Our friend Will Langley is a person who acutely understands the deep impact of broken family relationships on one's life. He survived a past riddled with abuse and immense loss, and ultimately ended up on the streets living a life of panhandling and struggling to overcome addiction. Will shares his intense journey of brokenness, battling addictions and the friendships that helped lead him to the p...