Written by Communications Department
When Pastor Bounsa was booked into Washington County Jail in 2015, he never imagined that it would be the first step in a journey that would lead to Jesus, helping to build a thriving ministry bringing hope, healing, and reconciliation to dozens of people every week.
Today, Bounsa serves as associate pastor at Life in Christ Church in Maplewood and leads Life Support, a ministry that has become a lifeline for men and women navigating addiction recovery, incarceration, gang involvement, family brokenness, and spiritual restoration.
After graduating from Teen Challenge and returning to the Twin Cities, Bounsa saw many Hmong men leaving treatment programs with nowhere to belong.
“I felt God say, ‘The people your heart is broken over—they’re not going to go [to these treatment programs],’” Bounsa recalled. “Then God said, ‘Do it. And if nobody comes, I will be there.’”
With the support of Pastor Teng Vu, Bounsa launched Life Support with little more than coffee, donuts, and a willingness to be obedient.
The early days were difficult, with only a handful of people attending some meetings as Bounsa worked to create a community rather than another program. Today, that community regularly welcomes 50 to 60 people each Thursday evening.
“We wanted a place where people could come and say, ‘I’m broken, and I need Jesus,’” Bounsa said.
The ministry has become known for powerful moments of reconciliation. In one unforgettable meeting, a man who had recently been released from prison encountered another participant whose best friend he had killed in a shooting decades earlier.
As emotions surfaced, forgiveness seemed impossible.
Instead, the two men fell to their knees, embracing one another and thanking God for His grace.
The surviving friend approached the man responsible and said, “Brother, I forgive you, and I love you.”
“These men never had a chance for that,” Bounsa said. “For so long, their lifestyle was so frowned upon. They never had a place where healing could happen.”
Stories like this have become common as Life Support has grown into a ministry of discipleship, outreach, and evangelism.
Life Support now reaches beyond Minnesota. Former gang members and recovering addicts tune in online from California. Individuals in prison invite fellow inmates to participate after their release. Even men who have been deported overseas continue to join Bounsa’s Bible studies and share their faith with others.
Today, Bounsa and his wife, Daryen, regularly open their home to people seeking encouragement, community, and a place to belong.
As Life Support continues to grow, Bounsa hopes churches will remember one simple principle when reaching people caught in addiction, incarceration, or destructive lifestyles:
“Love without judgment,” he said. “When you start loving with judgment, that comes with expectations. They already feel like failures. Just love them.”
That message has become the foundation of Life Support—and the reason so many people are finding hope, healing, and a new beginning in Christ.
