I'm a Brazilian man born in Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, but raised in Bom Despacho in the same state. When I was 12 years old, my mother brought my sister and I to the United States. The year was 1976, and I have been here since. The cultural differences were frightening and I wanted to go back to Brazil so badly.
After my first year here in America, I started attending school, but I did not like it. My clothes were different and I was different from the other children and because of that I was the joke of the class. They made fun of me in all the opportunities they got. I got very sad and depressed. I tried to dress up like the other kids, bought new clothes to try to fit in. But it did not help. I continued to be the joke of the class. I felt lonely and gave up in trying to be accepted by the crowd until one day I met this nice guy, who was always around. One day he approached me and he was smoking marijuana. He offered me and we smoked that joint together. It made me feel good. I finally started to be accepted by the crowd
My life took off in the wrong direction. After a while marijuana was not enough and I engaged in heavier drugs. I used cocaine and drank too much and became a party animal. Parties every weekend. I also got involved with a wrong type of girls having sex outside marriage.
I could feel my life was slipping away from my control and I was sinking deeper and deeper. After my high school years, some people that I respected start talking about God, but I was not ready for Him. I then turned around and called my party friends. We had a lot of cocaine that day. After this party I went home and felt empty inside. I knew I was missing something and did not know what it was. No one in my family knew about my addictions and troubles. I felt afraid to let my mother know to not hurt her feelings and betray her confidence.
One night after I had enough cocaine to knock a bear out, I climbed up onto the roof of the apartment building we use to live. There was my safety corner and started thinking about all things I have done so far, destroying my life. Suddenly I saw a spot light looming in my direction from far away. I thought it was the police car pointing the light at me. I was very frightened. I felt like my heart could stop beating at any minute. I was very high because of the cocaine and could not discern if it was really happening or if it was hallucination. I ran so fast and climb down from the top of the roof and went straight to sleep. The next day I woke up and thought about what those people had told me about God, He loved me and had plans for my life. I knew of a Christian Church that stood on the street below where I used to live and told myself to go there and check it out. (Analyzing these events now this was really a call from God).
I walked into the church with my skateboard at hand. I walked toward the two people who were greeting everyone. When they saw the skateboard they told me they had a place to park it. They were kidding with me, naturally. I felt very well inside the Church, truly safe, loved and accepted.
I said to myself: "Wow, these people are so kind" I sat and listened to the message that the pastor was giving. It was as if God was talking to me. I remember just have asked God to forgive me and come into my life at the end of the meeting
I grabbed my skateboard, stepped outside the church and started walking home. Felt like a feather in the wind, like very heavy stone had been lifted from my shoulders. I felt peace in my heart like never before I felt.
I remember going back now where II lived and talking with my old friends about what had happened to me. They thought, at first, that I was crazy and that my new way of life would not last. They saw how my life turned around. These persons with whom I shared Christ and came with me to church, two months later accepted Jesus as their Savior. One of them is Assistant pastor in Las Vegas today. As Jesus has changed my life, He can change your’s too.
After my first year here in America, I started attending school, but I did not like it. My clothes were different and I was different from the other children and because of that I was the joke of the class. They made fun of me in all the opportunities they got. I got very sad and depressed. I tried to dress up like the other kids, bought new clothes to try to fit in. But it did not help. I continued to be the joke of the class. I felt lonely and gave up in trying to be accepted by the crowd until one day I met this nice guy, who was always around. One day he approached me and he was smoking marijuana. He offered me and we smoked that joint together. It made me feel good. I finally started to be accepted by the crowd
My life took off in the wrong direction. After a while marijuana was not enough and I engaged in heavier drugs. I used cocaine and drank too much and became a party animal. Parties every weekend. I also got involved with a wrong type of girls having sex outside marriage.
I could feel my life was slipping away from my control and I was sinking deeper and deeper. After my high school years, some people that I respected start talking about God, but I was not ready for Him. I then turned around and called my party friends. We had a lot of cocaine that day. After this party I went home and felt empty inside. I knew I was missing something and did not know what it was. No one in my family knew about my addictions and troubles. I felt afraid to let my mother know to not hurt her feelings and betray her confidence.
One night after I had enough cocaine to knock a bear out, I climbed up onto the roof of the apartment building we use to live. There was my safety corner and started thinking about all things I have done so far, destroying my life. Suddenly I saw a spot light looming in my direction from far away. I thought it was the police car pointing the light at me. I was very frightened. I felt like my heart could stop beating at any minute. I was very high because of the cocaine and could not discern if it was really happening or if it was hallucination. I ran so fast and climb down from the top of the roof and went straight to sleep. The next day I woke up and thought about what those people had told me about God, He loved me and had plans for my life. I knew of a Christian Church that stood on the street below where I used to live and told myself to go there and check it out. (Analyzing these events now this was really a call from God).
I walked into the church with my skateboard at hand. I walked toward the two people who were greeting everyone. When they saw the skateboard they told me they had a place to park it. They were kidding with me, naturally. I felt very well inside the Church, truly safe, loved and accepted.
I said to myself: "Wow, these people are so kind" I sat and listened to the message that the pastor was giving. It was as if God was talking to me. I remember just have asked God to forgive me and come into my life at the end of the meeting
I grabbed my skateboard, stepped outside the church and started walking home. Felt like a feather in the wind, like very heavy stone had been lifted from my shoulders. I felt peace in my heart like never before I felt.
I remember going back now where II lived and talking with my old friends about what had happened to me. They thought, at first, that I was crazy and that my new way of life would not last. They saw how my life turned around. These persons with whom I shared Christ and came with me to church, two months later accepted Jesus as their Savior. One of them is Assistant pastor in Las Vegas today. As Jesus has changed my life, He can change your’s too.
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