JORDAN THOMS – STREET LEADER

Now in his 6th year as a Street Leader in the community of Warden Woods where he was raised, 20-year old Jordan Thoms is considered a veteran soldier at UrbanPromise Toronto (UPT). His life journey is continually inspiring everyone.    
        Before he became involved with YMAD, UPT’s program for young adults, his life was very different. Every day was filled with the stresses of school, home, and the pressure of proving himself to his friends and community – all the things typical things teenagers deal with.  Getting involved with drugs was not only a way to cope with life, but as he admitted, “I thought it was the thing to do. But even then I was thinking about the consequences, I was always a deep thinker.”
        Things began to change when he and some friends started going out to Saturday Night Fevers, a UPT event where children and youth enjoyed playing games and hearing the Word. It was there he saw something different.  It was in the leaders’ lives…he saw genuine love. That gave him the freedom to be the kid he really was. 
        “When you’re in the hood, you’re forced to be someone you’re not, but at UP, you can just be yourself, you don’t have to worry about people judging you, you’re free,” he said.
        Jordan didn’t grow up knowing God or really having any interest in Him, but after hearing a message one Saturday night, he started crying and realized the Word had hit him. A seed was planted.  Years later, he became a Streetleader and began attending Bible studies for leaders and even found himself learning more about God through teaching children Bible lessons.
        It wasn’t until the summer of 2007 that Jordan’s faith was really tested.  After the first day of summer camp, Jordan and other leaders were taking kids home on the TTC. In an effort to defend the children, an argument ensued with the bus driver and before he knew it, Jordan found himself in a police station.  The first people to the station were his mom and leaders from UPT.  Charges would later be dropped, but it was through that court case that he began to experience God for himself.
        “It showed me I can’t do this (life) by myself, I can’t depend on man…from all the experiences I’d had with God before that, I knew He was real and I knew that He sacrificed for me so I have to sacrifice my life for him,” Jordan said. 
        Just as he began to change his ways to follow God fully, police officers unexpectedly showed up on his doorstep. They arrested him for something in which he had no involvement. The next morning in court, he found out he was being falsely accused of a serious drug charge and was going to be placed on house arrest until trial.  If convicted, he faced up to 5 years in prison.  He felt all his hopes and dreams slipping away.
        In the midst of it, he reassured his mom and younger sisters that everything was going to be okay even though he wasn’t completely sure himself.  From what he’d recently learned about spiritual warfare, he knew the enemy was after his life. He knew though, that God had allowed it and was going to give him the strength and victory to overcome. 
        “I knew God could do it cause I’d heard testimonies from other people at UPT.”
        To him, all the years learning about God and the discipleship he received through UPT, led to this moment which seemed to be the battle of his life.  Instead of becoming bitter or angry, Jordan dealt with it through mercy, forgiveness, prayer and relying on God. The Lord began to reveal Himself to Jordan in wonderful ways that brought comfort and encouragement.  He spent the following year studying the Word, praying, and waiting patiently as he watched God use his situation to change the lives of those around him…including himself.
         In May 2009, his trial was held in Superior Court. After a week of proceedings, the charges were dropped.  Some people would say Jordan is a typical story of why UPT exists. As Jordan says, “UrbanPromise is a tool that God used to get through to people like me. They changed me for the better and basically saved my life…spiritually.”