Cody Bates was introduced to marijuana when he was 12 years old — and in his own words, he got “more than he bargained for.”
Cody’s journey is astonishing: after his initial interaction with drugs, he dedicated his life to chasing the highs of addiction. By 16 years old, he was in jail. And that was when he joined a gang.
After his release, Cody moved up the criminal ladder and was eventually arrested for the murder of a rival gang member. He was placed in a maximum security prison.
But it wasn’t until after he left prison, built a cocaine empire, and became suicidal that he had an encounter with the living Jesus.
Cody saw 8-year-old Akiane Kramarik’s painting of Jesus and knew that he was staring at the living God. Five months later, in the middle of a suicide attempt, God intervened and spoke to Cody. And Cody knew he was loved.
From that moment on, Cody’s life was radically changed.
Today, Cody is an evangelist. His cocaine addiction disappeared overnight. He’s gone to Bible college. He spends his days witnessing, sharing the Good News, and encouraging people to develop their faith.
Cody Bates will be joining us at our Christmas fundraiser this year to share his powerful story of transformation.
When Cody met Jesus, everything changed. We hope his story impacts you the way that it impacted us.