Justin Wren, an All-American wrestler in college, easily moved into the world of MMA or Mixed Martial Arts. But as his success and popularity skyrocketed, so did Wren's addictions to cocaine, alcohol, and narcotics. His life hit rock bottom when he was kicked off one of the world's best fight teams for drug use. Wren said,

My childhood dream had turned into a living nightmare. But when everyone else had written me off as beyond redemption, one friend, Jeff, refused to walk away. He called me several times a day, inviting me to a Christian men's retreat … I was expecting a bunch of "kumbaya moments" around a campfire, but the men were raw and real about their struggles.

After opening his life to Christ, Wren wanted more than MMA fame. He started volunteering at local ministries and prisons, sharing his story with anyone who would listen. Then he offered this prayer: God, I'm yours. Is there anything you want me to do? I desire to do your will, not mine. God answered his prayer with a vision of working in the jungles and a Bible passage—Isaiah 58:6-12 about God's heart for the poor and oppressed. Wren explains what happened next:

I shared my vision with my mentor, Caleb, and he immediately knew I was describing a Mbuti (or Pygmy) tribe in the Congo. He told me he was leading a group there in a month and he encouraged me to go with him. Our goal on this trip would be to find the most remote Mbuti villages in the jungle, form relationships with them, and learn more about their needs.

I saw firsthand that circumstances there were graver than I had seen in my vision. And after several months back home, I still could not shake my burden. Caleb connected me with Shalom University, a Congolese Christian school dedicated to serving the Pygmies. I knew I couldn't help them unless I understood them first, so I lived with them for a year. I slept in a twig-and-leaf hut, ate their food, and suffered from the same diseases. One bout with malaria nearly killed me. But no matter how tough things got, I felt more at home than I ever had in the gym.

I was soon adopted into the Pygmy tribe and given a new name: Eféosa Mbuti MangBO. "Mbuti MangBO" means "The Big Pygmy," which is appropriate, since at six foot three I tower over the average (four-foot-seven) Pygmy man. "Eféosa" means "The Man Who Loves Us." Recently, after a five-year hiatus, I returned to the MMA cage with the goal of raising money for Fight for the Forgotten, the organization I founded to help serve the Pygmies. The drive to fight is still there, but I'm no longer fighting my inner demons. I'm fighting to fulfill God's call on my life.