MY TESTIMONY

Your life....your strongest weapon....why don't we use it to shine hope upon the lost...here is my life...my testimony

I was born in Santa Rosa, CA and I was a perfectly normal little boy ready to start his life. I grew up not knowing who or what God was. By the time I was 7,my mom was always working trying to raise me and my older sister as a single parent. We moved out of my dad’s house when I was 7 months old. I did not get to see my dad as much as I wanted, even though he lived a couple blocks away. So I grew up with very little authority in my life. By the age of 7, I was drinking, stealing, and had the worst mouth ever. I was only was caught stealing once at a 7/11 and the guy just let me and my friend go.
When I was 7 my mom met a guy and brought him home. Little did I know he was about to try and be my step dad. He seemed cool at first and seemed like he really cared. After he moved in all he could care about was himself. He abused me physically and emotionally up until I was 13. He still yells at me but that's it. From when I was 7 to 10 the cops were at our house all the time and things were just really bad at home. Then I find out when I was around 11 that we are moving. I felt like my life was going really bad and I had no support and no love.
So we moved to Sacramento California and I didn’t like it for I had no one, but after a month living there I was invited to go to a youth group from someone at my school, and I said sure. The youth group ended up being right across the street from my house. So I went there and was pretty consistent, going almost every week, listening and learning. After I turned 14 I started feeling what love was and who God was and is.
Then that night happened. It was April 17th 2004. I came home from a fun night at a baseball game with my youth group and I walked in the door to find my mom waiting in my room for me. Once I went in my mom told me to sit down and so I did.She looked me in the eyes and said "Michael......your father has passed away......" I immediately broke down and ran out of the room to the street where I fell to my knees and I cried and cried, begging God for forgiveness and pleading with Him."Please bring my father back please...I need my father...I never really got to know him.." I prayed and cried for a long time and realized how much I needed God :) So I accepted God into my heart that day. April 17th 2004 I was reborn...

For the last 6 years I have made a major turnaround, praising and worshiping God with everything I do. My testimony will be forever used for God’s glory.
Now I am going to do a discipleship training school in Ensenada Mexico this fall. God is so amazing!

In my life I have gone through death, being homeless, stealing, drinking, abused, living with a single parent, near death experiences etc. God has blessed me with this testimony and I am able to relate to people going through similar things...

Your testimony is powerful and should be used to reach His people. God has blessed everyone with a story and everyone is unique for we are all different. You may think your testimony a big deal, but it is. You don’t have to have had one like mine, it is still important and powerful. It is yours and no one can tell your story.
I challenge you to share your story with a friend and you will see God work. He is so amazing! I thank God for my life everyday and we all should be, for He was the one who gave us this life :)
He has given us all so much and we need to thank Him. I know I do, I thank Him for things that happen every day, even the big things :) I thank him for bringing people into my life like Carmichael Bible Church and everyone in YWAM Ensenada. Most of all my fiancé Alex. I am so grateful, and that is my testimony