TESTIMONY

Around 1993, I was homeless and living at the UG Mission in Sioux Falls. I was a 20-year-old partier, smoker, and drinker. At the UG Mission, I was required to listen to a church service before supper time, where all I heard was repent and be baptized, not knowing what either was. I was confused and got no answers, so I went on with life. Fast forward to 2001, a lady I would soon call mom, invited me to a church event they were having in December, so I went. Then on occasion I continued to go off and on when I could.

In April of 2002 my life as I knew it was over. My fiancé cheated on me, I quit my job, and with my mind made up, I was going back to Ohio where I grew up. It seemed like nothing could stop me, but that’s when God intervened. He spoke to me plain as day, saying; “if you go back to Ohio, you will be dead in a short matter of time!” This put fear in me to stay and within two weeks I was still in Sioux Falls and things were beginning to look up.

I started going to church regularly but was still working on changing my ways. A few months later, I finally made the decision to accept what God had to offer. I decided to repent, get baptized in Jesus name and I received the gift of the Holy Ghost. Because I made up my mind, and accepted this new way of life, I replaced my partying and smoker side, with an active church life and a whole new family! Which I never had, because I was an only child and my mom died when I was nine years old. In the scripture Matt 19:29, Jesus says what we give up and follow him, he will replace a hundredfold, and he proved this to me with my new church family. It’s amazing what God will do if we just trust in him!