It All Started with a Prayer on a Mountain

It All Started with a Prayer on a Mountain

By Shannon Nelson, Founder of the H-Town Dream Center

Fifteen years ago, my husband Shawn and I attended a pastoral conference at the Phoenix Dream Center. We didn’t know it then, but that trip would change the entire direction of our lives.

During one of the sessions, Pastor Tommy Barnett challenged everyone in the room to go up on Prayer Mountain and ask God a simple question:

“Lord, why did You bring me here?”

So, we did.
We climbed that mountain, knelt down, and prayed. And in that sacred moment, God spoke something so clear and powerful into our hearts — a call to go home and be the hands and feet of Jesus to those who were hurting, hungry, and forgotten.

We didn’t have much — no big plan, no resources — but we had a “yes.” That yes became the foundation of what is now known as the H-Town Dream Center, a place where thousands have since found hope, healing, and freedom.

Full Circle: 15 Years Later

This year, we returned to that same mountain — only this time, we weren’t alone.
Standing beside us were the staff, volunteers, and young people whose lives have been forever changed by the Dream Center’s mission.

As we gathered to pray on that same ground where it all began, I couldn’t help but stand in awe of God’s faithfulness.
The seeds we planted in obedience all those years ago have grown into a thriving ministry that feeds the hungry, rescues the lost, and equips the next generation to lead with faith.

Looking out over the city from that mountain, surrounded by the people who now carry this mission forward, I realized — this is what happens when you say yes to God.

From One Prayer to a Movement

The Dream Center has never been about buildings or programs; it’s about people.
Every woman rescued, every teen mentored, every family fed — it all started with one prayer on a mountain and a willingness to believe that God could use ordinary people to do extraordinary things.

If there’s one thing I’ve learned, it’s this:
You don’t have to have all the answers. You just have to be willing to take the first step. Because when God gives the vision, He always provides the provision.

And now, 15 years later, that same mountain reminds me — the story isn’t finished yet. 🙏💙

Join the Movement

At the H-Town Dream Center, our mission is simple: to bring Hope, Healing, and Freedom to the most vulnerable.
Every meal served, every teen mentored, and every life restored happens because people like you choose to get involved.

✨ Pray. Give. Volunteer. Partner. ✨
Together, we can continue to build a community where broken lives are restored and hope is renewed.