A powerful testimony can shine light in a world full of darkness. Being able to come back and give back from such a low place is an amazing thing. Being such a simple man who has gone through so much. Since he was a young boy, he grew up in the church, but sometime around the age of 15, he abandoned his faith, which took a toll on him. Throughout most of high school, he was without faith and mostly into college as well. He had dreams of becoming a doctor, and shortly into med school, he finally broke; his world had crashed and burned it into a downward spiral. One day, he was invited over to a friend’s house, and this was not a good man, but he didn’t realize that until it happened. It wasn’t just a couple of friends ready to hang out, it was a party, and not a good one. Drugs were upon him, and he became addicted. Eventually, the school found out and was shocked by how such a good student could spiral so low. They sat him down and asked him, “Do you really wanna be here?”

This forced him to make the hardest decision of his life. Is this really what I wanna do?

And from then on, he dropped out of med school and moved back in with his faith-loving parents. This opened a new door of recovery and hope. He traveled around the world, mostly to Asian countries, to spread the gospel to those who may not know. This opened up a new version of himself. He was kind and compassionate, caring and loving. After he came home, he fell in love and started a family, but, along with that, he started giving back and serving in a community where he felt was home. He became a small group leader at a youth group and has shown so many young boys and soon-to-be men that they can do whatever it is that they wanna do. His story is powerful, mammoth, and unlike any other. Wherever he is, he brings joy, he is the life of the party. All of this is unmatched by his ability to mentor the youth. He brings peace and solutions to those in need. His voice when he sings touches the hearts of others. He has the compassion of no other man. He has helped many kids and young men, including me. He shows people they are not alone, no matter what they are going through. He has made a difference to his life, and it shows. He went back to college and got his degree in microbiology. This led him to his job at Pfizer, where he is a microbiologist who studies different diseases and bacteria. He always reminds me “You are never alone, no matter what you are going through”.