Testimonial - Timothy

Brothers and Sisters,

Greetings in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. Each and every one of you are in my thoughts and prayers, now and always. Praying that each one of you will be strengthened in your faith and personal journey with God from reading my personal testimony.

After living most of my life in and out of prison, due to drugs and my life in crime — which included me becoming a gang member after coming to prison. I thought that I had just about everything a man in my situation could ever have, such as drugs, money, power, and friends! It seemed like I had risen to the very top, and had everything! After awhile though, things started to change in my life for the worse!

To make a long story short, I was truly a very miserable person, and realized when I looked into the mirror that I was living my life as a total lie! I hated what I saw in the reflection! I became very depressed to the point where I even hung myself. But with God's grace and mercy, God gave me the strength, at the last second (before I went unconscious) to take myself down from hanging! I laid there on the floor of my cell, and cried myself to sleep because I even failed on killing myself! A couple of days later, I spoke to one of my friends who was already a brother in the orthodox church, and after we had talked for a couple of hours, I decided to take his personal advice, and surrender the rest of my life into God's hands! I thought, "What could it hurt?" It had to be better than the miserable life that I had been living since a teenager. I then spoke to the orthodox priest, Fr. Stephen, who worked here at the time, so he started coming to visit with me, praying for me, and bringing me spiritual books to read. After five (5) months of reading about the orthodox church, I just knew in my heart that for the very first time in my life, I wanted to serve God for the rest of my life! Six (6) months later, I was baptized into the orthodox church, which was a day that I will never be able to forget.

A serious test to my faith happened eight (8) months later when my cancer came back for the fourth time! I spoke to my spiritual father about the issue I was dealing with, so he told me that he wanted to perform an unction service on me. About three (3) months later, the head doctor came to check on me, and see if the cancer tumor had gotten any larger. I realized only after a minute or so that the doctor couldn't find the pea sized tumor that was in my upper lip, so I told him that he could stop looking for the tumor because God had healed me! After I was taken back to my cell, I thanked God for healing me, and doing what the doctors couldn't do! That was when I knew without any doubts at all, that God is very much real! I was overjoyed that God had so much mercy and compassion that he healed me, "a sinner"! I still struggle like everyone else in the church, and there are times from living in one of the most darkest prisons in the world, that I always have to ask God to strengthen my faith, and for me to always leave everything to God's will!

I, who once was a well liked gang member with most of the men at this prison, am now hated by everyone except for other Christians who have also given their lives to God. There are lots of times where it's very hard to stay strong in my faith, when everyone here persecutes me because I gave up being a gang member to serve our all-merciful and compassionate God. God has given me strength and faith that I never knew I had! I always try and remember something that I read years ago, that helps me to have faith and always know I can continue being a true orthodox Christian, even in the darkest of prisons in the world. It read, "If a man cannot be a Christian in the place where he is, he cannot be a Christian anywhere." So I say to all of you loving brothers and sisters who read my personal testimonial, we all struggle with our faith at times, and fall down, but I will tell you, as long as you never give up on your faith in God, and trust Him with all of your heart, He will never turn his back on you.

With love in Christ,Your loving Orthodox brother,

Timothy

P.S. I humbly ask that everyone who reads my testimonial to please pray for me. God bless each and everyone of you.