Let's start off on the right foot...

My name is Mark Bulanov, and I am a humble servant of 

our Lord Jesus the Christ. 

Son of the most high God.

The one who created us, loved us, found us, and died in our place,

being obliged by nothing.

This is the middle of my story, but in many ways it is also the beginning of the end.

If you know me personally, one of the first things that probably comes to mind is my love for film. When I was 15, the idea first came to become an actor. This was originally because of watching the show 'Even Stevens', starring and launching Shia LaBeouf's career. I began to seek many different ways of reaching the 'Skill' and the 'Talent' that Shia LaBeouf had.
I found an acting school, and begged my parents to go. They said, "Christians don't do that stuff."

I was shocked.

I'm not allowed? ... I'm not allowed? 

Between the ages of 15-18 I had many different plans and wants. Maybe I should become a radiology tech. Maybe I should do optometry. Maybe I'd be good as a phlebotomist. Maybe I should act.
You see, regardless of what idea my parents gave me in hope of saving me... They put that idea on top of my already imbedded plan. I pondered it in the back of my head, and eventually, somewhere down the road, I decided to slowly revolt.

Along the way I purchased a camera, and learned very much about it. I read about the great directors of old, and I wanted to command the emotions of the screen as they did. I "saw the talent God gave me". Why should I not "use it for his glory"?

And slowly... Oh so slowly.. I began to give satan a little bit of room in my life. For where there is no God, there is only evil. 

Over those years, in my heart, I began to plan. I got a well paying job, and I got out of debt. 

Check mark for Mark.

I then got into contact with an Agent in Los Angeles.

Check mark for Mark.

I found a job that will make it easy to transfer, and eventually move to Los Angeles.
Check mark for Mark.

"Don'tworryguys, ididtheresearch, iknowmorethanyou, imgoing"

I called, and I found a Starbucks in Long Beach, CA that was more than willing to see if I had what it takes. It was the six-month mark, the time when I finally have the permission to transfer. Oh how long I've waited! Oh how long!! FINALLY! I was moving to Los Angeles!! MY future was unfolding!

I planned a weekend expedition to investigate the place I would live, and the place where I would work.

Both bells rang beautifully....................................................

May 24th, and May 25th, 4:30am - 1pm

were my scheduled shifts.

Here is the street.

I was pretty nervous as to who I would work with, because people from LA are supposed to be mean.... edgy. A young girl, ethnically asian, peered through black rimmed glasses and said, "Good Morning!"

I was pleasantly surprised. Not only did I feel welcome in this immense city, but their store was immaculate.

Need a bag of espresso roast? Here it is.

Need a day-dot sticker? That's right here.

Oh we need to brew more tea? Already got it for ya.

Things were perfect.

"OH GOD, THANK YOU FOR SENDING ME TO L.A."

said the sinner while the Lord shook his head.

As all good things, the shift came to an end and Johnny picked me up. I reflected with him about how everything is falling into place, and how this is 'god ordained'. 

Little did I know, that day was the most important day of my life to date.

After visiting the beach and walking on private backyard beaches, we returned to Santa Monica to look for a place to stay. Having found no place, I booked a room at a motel named Paradise Inn and Suites.

Looking over the room, I found it to be clean, but strange. The floors were tile. I hate that. 

The guy at the front desk, a middle-eastern college student, said they were in the process of continual remodelling. This was after I complimented him on the outside look of the place, because it had a fresh paint job. His mother it seems, stood behind him and said something in a different language.

Not bad, but eery.

I decided to take a shower, and did. It was incredible.

Drying myself off, the story took a turn.

I heard a shotgun shot, followed by a quick reload, outside of my window.

I ducked, and tried to make sense of what I heard. 

I started to hear someone jingling around the gate outside. 

I started to get my things together.

I started to get very, very scared.

I called my home phone, they wouldn't pick up.

I called my brother, he wouldn't pick up.

I called my dad, and by the grace of God, he picked up.

He asked me how I was and said he was just thinking about how I was doing. 

At that point, thoughts of paranoia started to bounce around inside my skull.

What do these people want with me?

Why are they trying to kill me?

How many are there?

Now I began to hear above me a female voice, walking from door to door upstairs, saying something in a different language. I began to think someone has been shot, and she's telling everyone to remain indoors.

As this was happening, I was telling my dad how LA's people are strange, and that I didn't like it here.

I couldn't tell him that I heard a gunshot, could I? What would he think? He wouldn't be able to save me.
While he was talking, I heard a voice outside my front window, "He's on his first phone call".

I froze.

Johnny. I need to call Johnny.

"Pap, I'm so sorry, I need to call Johnny. I love you. Bye."

I rang johnny's phone so fact, I almost poked right through my screen.

"Johnny, I think I messed up... ...you need to come here as soon as you can...

...I know this is all just paranoia... ...stay on the phone."

I can't recall how I said these things, because I was breathing very fast, stammering, and altogether falling apart.

While he was talking, I heard a voice outside my front window, "He's making the second call right now".

I lost it. They're going to kill me. Oh my god johnny, they're going to kill me. please come as soonasyoucanimgoingtoDIEINTHISMOTEL

I ran to the back, in possible hopes of escape. BUT WAIT, THAT'S WHERE THE GUNSHOT WAS!

I was trapped. I stood left of the bed, facing the window across the room, the curtains drawn with only a crack of visibility into the parking lot. My hand holding the phone, shaking uncontrollably, I listened to Johnny calming me down. 

Then, a light shined through the window, through the crack in the curtains, and directly into my eyes.

I dropped to the floor.

"Johnny, Oh my god Johnny THEY SHINED A FLASHLIGHT INTO MY ROOM."

If I remained here on the floor, they'll be able to come through the window and have a clear shot at my head.

So I got up, and ducking my head, ran to the couch, crouching behind it.

"Bro! You're a child of God!" Johnny comforted me. "In moments like this, you just need to look up, and say I believe."

I stood up on my knees in between the TV and couch, ready to be shot through the window, but I wasn't looking up. 

I didn't realize that even if they kill me, that's all that they could do.

I didn't realize that these people are the same kinda sinners as me.
I was wincing away from the windows, afraid of the bullets.

What I then did realize, was almost everything. 

'If God is for us, who can be against us?'

'And do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather fear him who can destroy both soul and body in hell.'

And so, I stood straight. Because I did believe. I believed that Christ has won long ago. And if I believe that, then I must be saved. For anyone who utters those words and wills to live by them MUST BE SAVED. Why else would people throw their lives away for Christ?

I stood straight on my knees and I looked into the ceiling, and the paranoia was gone.

There was no one outside. There was nobody with guns. There was nobody.

Johnny finally arrived, and I broke and prayed. He prayed over me, and I finally knew Jesus.

I finally found the true water of everlasting life. The one who saves. The one who changes faulty minds. Praise him, Praise him. He picked me up by the collar and brought me back.

After thinking about much, but most importantly, praying over everything, many things have been reorganized in my life.

I never knew that 'Life Priority slot #1' was stuffed with personal plans, messy sticky notes and chicken scratches. 

I never knew God would be so merciful as to show me, through this route, that I have been planning this all along on my own accord.

All the research I've done on the Illuminati, the Masons, and other organizations with possible ties to Satan himself.

All the reading I've done on storage facilities on the rise and how people are playing out exactly what the bibles talks of.

Every book I thumbed through on a quest to become a hybrid actor-christian.

Oh what a fool I was, what a fool.

He took all of that, and flipped it right around. He used all of those bad things to show me signs. Through all of these small, micro-miracles, God has been nudging me.

Oh Praise GOD. I, of all people, received this personal push from him.

Most undeserving, most disobedient. Most rebellious, and the most perverted of thinkers.

All I ever wanted since I was young was all for myself.

He changed everything.

"I don't feel safe here, we need to leave." I said. And so it was.
We drove to where Johnny is now staying, with a family that is blessed by God. A family that we will all meet in glory.

Michelle, bless her heart, was patient enough to deal with my emotional state. She prayed over me. and let me stay the night.
When I woke up, she wrapped up some banana bread for me, along with a card containing verses to strengthen me.

I recalled the verse..

And the King will answer them, ‘Truly, I say to you, as you did it to one of the least of these my brothers, you did it to me.’

I felt that I needed to go home immediately. I phoned the person I drove to LA with, and wanted to know if we could leave then. After realizing I had no other option, I caught a greyhound bus to Sacramento.
On the way, I ate banana bread, and I almost finished reading Luke.

After getting home and rejoicing with my family, I went to bed early, because I had to work at 3:30am. 

(I thought I had work off until the 27th. If I had stayed in LA any longer, I would've never made it)

The final micro-miracle was just a cherry on top of this spiritual sundae.
I walked out of the office and into the lobby, and realized that standing there, was my cousin Joseph. My soul leapt for joy. Joseph has always been someone I looked up to.
He hadn't the slightest idea that I worked at this little starbucks in west sacramento.

Here's the kicker.

He lives in Vancouver, WA, and I'm pretty sure he thought I was supposed to be in LA.

Here's another kicker.

When I told him that God changed everything, that I am no longer on a journey to becoming some famous actor, he said, "Gramma and I have been praying about that for so long..."

(If i had stayed in LA any longer, I wouldn't have made it to work. If I hadn't made it to work, Joe would never know that I was the one who worked at that very starbucks he chose to visit.)

If you believe, praise God. Please pray for me. 

If you do not believe, then all I ask is that you open your mind.
Read the word of God as it is, a Biblical historical narrative.

Test the word of God, look for answers. 

If you don't believe, just try to ask God to MAKE you believe.

I have found peace. I have found Christ.