A Triumph of Grace Over Tragedy Pacific Lighthouse Christian Fellowship was born in the heart of a young man who had been raised in a Christian home by a devout and failthful woman of God. But that heart had turned away from this heritage toward a worldly life that would bring tragedy. Following a heart for ministry that grew from a childhood in the church, Ronald Magno would follow his heart to Bible college. A talented singer, Ron led worship in church and performed in a gospel choir. But after graduation what was once a heart hot with passion for God slowly became cold. Ron tells of a dream one evening where he saw himself in a dark cell, accompanied only by a snake which seemed to wrap itself around his heart -- slowly squeezing out the love for God that was his heritage from childhood. In 1997 he gave up and descended into a life of rebellion. He fought for a year and a half against all he had been taught as a child, living an unrestrained life which he describes as leading to nothing but "shame and condemnation." But the friends to whom he had belonged had never considered him lost to them and the mother who had raised him to love God had never stopped praying. One Sunday she convinced him to return to church. "Upon entering the building to the sound of singing and worship the tears burst forth as I felt God tugging at my soul," Ron recalls. "The sermon was about how a man's life can either be wasted, or be used by God to fulfill His purposes. It had been a year and a half of unrestrained sin -- but I gave my heart back to God that Sunday." But the tragedic story of sin had not been fully told. In July of 2000 Ron was diagnosed with full blown AIDS. With double-pneumonia, Ron wasted away in a hospital bed for what were expected to be his last few days. As the doctors raced to find the combination of medicines that Ron's condition would respond to, Ron accepted the justness of his fate -- but nonetheless looked only to make godly use of whatever time was left -- a few days, a few years, or more if God should ordain it. And He did. The doctors succeeded at discovering the right combination of medicines and Ron began to slowly recover. The commitment to make godly use of time he did not deserve remained with Ron as he began to ponder how best to tell his story and reach out to others. He especially wanted others who had been infected by HIV to know that grace can overcome shame and tragedy. It was a heart to heart discussion with his brother Jun that brought the desire of his heart together with the desire of other of his friends to plant a church. With his brother and a friend both sharing his heart for planting a church, Pacific Lighthouse Christian Fellowship was born in December of 2001. A year later Ron married Evangeline, a very special woman who had been with Ron throughout his sickness. In 2008 God blessed Ron and Vangie with a son who they named Reuben (Hebrew for "See! A son!"). Ron continued to serve Pacific Lighthouse Christian Fellowship until July of 2011 when he stepped down to pursue God's leading to minister to orphans affected by the HIV crisis in Africa. Ron's story is simple. It is the story of grace overcoming tragedy: "To all who will listen, I will testify that there might not be a cure for HIV/AIDS, but there is a cure for the hopelessness that AIDS brings. In Christ I found that Hope again on my hospital bed and invite everyone to come and see how grace triumphs over condemnation -- how God can take a curse and turn it into a blessing."