Former Fresno gang member shot in the face 24 years ago helping others find their life purpose
FRESNO, Calif. -- Loto Lealaimatafao does not need a mirror to tell him he has some decent dance moves.
His attitude earns cheers on this Sunday at Cornerstone Church in Fresno, but in the 90s, it got him in trouble.
He got involved with a gang and danced with the devil.
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"Then I got shot because when you dance with sin, nobody dances for free," said Lealaimatafao.
Paramedics took the 16-year-old Loto to a hospital that night and although he survived the shooting, he never saw again -- not with his eyes anyway.
"You see more than so many people see. God's given you the vision," said Jim Franklin.
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Loto says it only took about a day to figure out he lost his sight for a reason, but he lived for a reason
From that day forward, his attitude had to change.
"I blamed God for everything. But I was only too blind to see the fact I was paying the consequences for the road that I chose," said Lealaimatafao.
His road now leads all over the world and he shares his story of redemption with saints and especially sinners -- in prison, juvenile halls, and on the TV.
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Loto tells them all he is living proof there's hope even in the darker places, like what some people see in Fresno.
"Becoming blind was the best thing that's ever happened to me because again, God only let the devil close the eyes to my face only to open the eyes to my heart," said Lealaimatafao.
He shares his heart with a wife and their five kids now.
And he shares his story wherever possible, hoping to help everyone else get a look at what he can see.
