“I grew up in a good home where my parents taught me morals and standards and instilled in me a sense of right and wrong. On the other hand, my maternal grandfather molested me from the time I was 5 till I was 13. This experience left me confused and depressed. Later I was also confused about my sexual identity.
“At 19 I left home and moved to D.C., to a gay enclave. There I found my place for the first time, and there I first used drugs. The first time I used drugs they changed my mood, and I wasn’t depressed anymore, so I continued using them.
“My life continued to be manageable for a while, but slowly that began to change. In 1998 I found out I had H. I. V., which was a devastating blow. Six months later I had a psychotic break, and for years after that I was in and out of mental health facilities. I also started using more and more heavily. I’ve had seizures, been homeless, I’ve got two felonies, I’ve overdosed, I’ve had Hepatitis B, I’ve been institutionalized and basically been through the mill.
“I finally reached a point where I was numb. I wasn’t sad, but I wasn’t happy. I didn’t laugh, but I didn’t cry. I didn’t hate anyone, but I couldn’t love, either. I was dead inside.
“Then I came to Teen Challenge and things began to change. I was saved on May 25, 2013, at Lakeshore Assembly of God. A little old woman with flaming red hair prayed with me while she held my hands in hers. It didn’t hit me right away, but I started down a path that is like a snow ball rolling down hill. That is how I describe my spiritual growth. I know now that I’ve been set free. I never have to go back to the way I was before. Amen.”
