Just Before Dawn — Leo Pacheco

Life would be a lot easier if you didn't have to live it!  That was Matthew Carpenter's motto.  Living (or rather surviving) was a constant challenge for a young, latchkey kid raised by a drug-addicted, alcoholic, mother whose bedroom was a revolving door of one-night stands and drug dealers.  Abused, neglected, and forced to fend for himself, Matthew took to the streets where violence and sorrow ensued around every corner.  One tragedy after another eventually compels him to make a life-altering choice, placing him on a path of destruction and an encounter with Mrs. Ruby Wilson, a tenacious Christian widow who points him to redemption. The prequel to the author's highly acclaimed play, RAIN, Just Before Dawn introduces you to the characters based on true stories and real events lived by people he encountered throughout his years of ministry. Just Before Dawn paints a raw, gut-wrenching portrayal of life on the streets and the darkness that envelops so many, but offers a glimmer of hope when merely one person reaches out with loving kindness to those often shunned and ignored by churches and society.