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Testimonials
Linda's Testimony
Jesus has changed my life in more
ways than I can tell. First, He set me free from drugs and a destructive
lifestyle when I was a teenager. I have learned that anything is possible when I
surrender to Him allowing Him to be in charge. I was given victory over drugs,
salvation, and the courage to deal with childhood memories of sexual abuse. He
gave me healing.
Jesus gave me the courage leave an abusive marriage and live as a single parent.
I was able to go to school and become a licensed counselor He gave me strength
to face a disability after a car accident. But most of all, when I fail He is
always there. He has always been there for me to talk to, to vent with, and to
share my deepest thoughts and feelings with. He has given me hope and a new
life. He has also given me wonderful friends who also know Jesus, and this has
been a source of support to me.
He gave me a wonderful new husband who also loves Jesus. He helps me sort out
what is true, in a world where He is often misrepresented by many. Please
remember that. I hope you will get to know Him yourself. You will be surprised
to find the truth about Him. You will be energized with His love and awakened to
a new life that you never thought was possible. All it takes is surrendering to
Him. Surrender your heart, your life...all of it, the good and the bad..., let
Him be in charge. He will make all things new for you!
Linda
TRUST JESUS
Thirty two years ago when I came to
the Northwest, I saw the words “TRUST JESUS” painted everywhere. The large black
letters covered walls, benches, fences, and street signs. Occasionally I would
see that message painted on a board attached to a tree along a wandering country
road.
I asked friends I was staying with if they knew what it meant. They told me they
didn’t know what it meant, but knew the guy that did it. My friends said he had
been arrested for painting those words. I wondered if there was something wrong
with him and why he would continue to do such a thing.
When I decided to trust Jesus thirteen years later, I discovered first hand what
compelled that man to write those words. I found that Jesus can heal a broken
heart and restore relationships. Jesus can give you hope, peace, strength, and
wisdom. Jesus can free you from anger, guilt, bitterness and destructive habits.
Jesus offers us forgiveness for our sins, an eternal home in heaven, and a
meaningful life right now.
When I met Jesus I found a love that was beyond anything I had ever imagined.
Today I still see those same plain black letters painted on bridges, over pass
signs, and all along the roads and freeways of the NW. Today, I praise God for
that wonderful testimony of a man’s faith, and of Gods faithfulness. God is
still impacting his life, compelling him to share the good news and invite
others to, “Trust Jesus!”
Those thirteen years I spent living the life I had chosen were the darkest, most
painful years of my life. I have no doubt my life would have been different had
I accepted that invitation way back when.
I am here to extend that same invitation to you. Don’t wait! Make the decision
to trust Jesus today! He really is waiting to hear from you!
God Bless You,
Julie
How Jesus Changed My
Life
My name is Forrest . I’m very proud
to say that I am a graduate of the SAFE program in Portland, Oregon. I was
twelve when I first used alcohol and that opened the flood gates for me to a
life of turmoil and unbelievable, horrible experiences. I was put on probation
before I was 13. Due to my using and abusing drugs and alcohol, I remained on
probation until the age of 26. I had been thru 5 drug treatment centers and one
prison run treatment center. Then I graduated to prison for 22 months. I got off
parole when I was 30 – still using.
One day I said to myself, "I’m either going to kill myself or end up back in
prison. Please, God, Help Me!" God led me from San Antonio, TX to Portland, OR
to an awesome place called SAFE. I’ve learned many tools to live a free and
righteous life. The very main one is my relationship with my Lord Jesus Christ.
Through Him, I’m eternally free, and I love Him so much for that.
Praise the Lord, today thanks to Jesus, I have been clean and free for 5 years.
In that time God has taken me from a crack head alcoholic on the streets in San
Antonio, TX. and transformed me. I have been a youth director for a church for 3
years. God has given me beautiful Godly wife and we are on our way to starting
our own SAFE Outreach ministries in Gresham, Or. Jesus changed my life, let Him
into yours and He will do the same for you. God bless you and thank you
Sincerely His Servant,
Forrest
All Roads Come To
The Cross
I had been addicted to drugs for many
years and had completely given up hope of ever being free. While in a hotel room
paid for by a local charity I laid down on the bed next to my six week old baby.
He looked like an angel sleeping there next to me. I smiled, briefly imagining
the happy life he would have without me. I knew that someone would be there soon
to clean the room, and he would be safe. That’s when I decided to take my own
life.
Someone started yelling at me. “Hey you, you Heroin addict lying there in that
hotel room, don’t you know that God loves you, don’t you know that Jesus wants
to change your life?” I hadn’t noticed that the TV was on but when I turned to
look at it there was a man on the screen yelling and pointing his finger at me.
I had no idea what he meant but somewhere deep in my soul the will to live was
stirred by that message.
Five months later, by divine appointment in a Pastors office, I understood. The
Pastor told me about Jesus. He told me that God loved me and had a plan for my
life.
He explained how I could have a relationship with God, about how Jesus had paid
the debt I owed God for my sins by dieing on a cross in my place. In my minds
eye I could see a cross on a hill. In front of the cross there were many roads
winding in every direction. I knew they were the paths and roads I had been on
through out my life. All the roads ended at the same place, and that was at the
foot of the cross. I could see that in the distance, on the other side of the
cross, there were only two roads, two choices.
I asked God to forgive my sins, and surrendered my life to Jesus. That was 19
years ago. Jesus truly changed my life, He gave me a life worth living.
JD,
A Thankful Sinner, saved by grace
Rescued
Shortly After I returned from Viet
Nam I was diagnosed with Schizophrenia.
I drank and used until I heard about Jesus in the early eighties. I did pretty
well until I back-slid in 1992. A friend told me about a church close to where I
lived. I was in pretty bad shape when I got to the church. Besides the drugs and
alcohol, the mental illness and post traumatic stress disorder were causing a
lot of other problems. I started working on my relationship with God and
enrolled in a program called S.A.F.E.
The S.A.F.E .program is
for people with drug & alcohol, as well as mental and, or emotional problems.
When I graduated from the program my heart was filled with Gods word, and Gods
promises, I finally had hope. Being clean and sober was just the beginning. In
spite of the Schizophrenia, I became a working member of society. I got married,
bought a home, and became a Father. The Lord rescued me from a living hell and
brought me into a life I never imagined. I could never repay what Jesus has done
for me.
Ron H.
Sent To Save My Son
I have been fighting a battle
trying to keep my oldest son out of trouble. He would do well for a time and
then fall, but he would always pick himself up and start moving forward again.
It has been very difficult for me as a mother and has taken a toll on my overall
health. Just before Thanksgiving my son left and didn't come home. We had
planned a trip to Oregon to spend Thanksgiving with my family and we did, but it
was very hard for me to leave not knowing where my son was. When we returned
home he came back, but things had really changed in him. Within two weeks he was
gone again. He is and has been using drugs and now the drugs have him. I still
see him and I know where he is staying. I am thankful that given the
circumstances, my son and I still have a good relationship.
I wish there was something
I could do to make him see what is happening to him. But he is so blinded right
now. I pray a lot, and my heart aches, but I know my God is big and he will take
care of my son. I would like to share with you what God did to show me that he
is and always has been in control.
I started working on a
latch hook rug back in October, I call it my prayer rug because as I worked on
it I would pray and praise God. One night about 9pm I was working on the rug and
I kept feeling like I was being urged to go out and find my son. In my mind I
was thinking “this is crazy.” It was late and I didn't like to be out at night,
but the feeling wouldn't go away. This went on for about 30 min until finally I
heard in my head loudly "GO NOW." That was all it took. My shoes untied, I was
out the door. I felt the need to go downtown; a 20 min drive. The entire way I
was questioning God and thinking this is crazy. As I was driving I was urged to
call someone that knew my son. I told him where I was going to look and he told
me to go to the bus depot and ask for a kid named Lester.
When I got downtown there
were groups of kids everywhere. “Where do I start” I thought. I got out of my
car and walked over to the closest group of kids and asked if any of them knew
my son or a boy named Lester. One of the boys in the group spoke up and said
"I'm Lester." (WOW!) I told the boy who I was and I was looking for my son. The
boy told me that my son had just gotten on a bus to one of the worst parts of
town.” Oh great “I thought, not only is it late but now I’m off to the bad part
of town. I drove over there not exactly sure where to look. Just as I rounded a
corner I saw my son coming over the fence of a motel. He had just been beaten. I
could hear the others from the motel parking lot calling out to each other as
they were getting into their cars. Someone said "come on, let's go finish that
fool!" I knew right then God sent me to save my sons life!
You would think that night
was a wake up call for my son, it wasn’t. It sure woke me up though, to just how
Awesome God is! Not that I didn’t already know but it helped make it more real
for me. It has been hard for me as mother to really let go and let God, if you
know what I mean. I wanted to fix everything and make it all better. It has been
very hard to accept that there isn’t anything I can do for my son except pray,
and let God do the rest. I appreciate all the emails you continue to send to me,
they really brighten my day so please don't ever stop!
Praying Mom
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