MY TESTIMONY Since a long time I had been praying for the gospel truth to be revealed, and for a long time I was living a normal Christian life.  My background, as most know, is a Catholic by birth.  I lived a very conservative life.  The views of my parents’ too were very conservative.  I grew up believing and being taught that God was helpless against the powers of witchcraft, and there was turmoil and chaos in the family all the while.  My childhood too did not experience the normal childhood that one would experience, all I knew was hatred and misery.  I didn’t grow up in love and always longed for love and always had a lack.  Even my dad was ill-treated by his brothers and one day my dad’s brother called my dad over the phone on his birthday and started laughing.  On enquiring the reason for the laughter, my uncle, my dad’s brother, stated that he had once wanted to see my dad as a beggar on the street.  Just think of that.  I am not ashamed of sharing my story, cause I love Jesus too much to be ashamed.  In the same manner, when I was still young, my dad called me an orphan and stated that I didn’t have anybody but God.  Since then, whenever my parents would scold me I would lock myself in my room crying, “My God, I have no one but you.”  There are many other sufferings I went through that would shock some of you, but I wouldn’t want to at this time.  I even tried to commit suicide at one point of time in 1997, but I heard His unusual, but calm voice, saying, “My son, do not do this, I am with you. Do not be afraid.”  This drew me to more despair, cause I had heard the voice of God.  But, the more I tried to pray, the more sinful I felt, and instead of helping me, it blew me out of my mind.  I told God, “You will not allow me to live nor die in peace.  You either answer me now or I will take some drastic measure.”  I really did not know what I would do but I was prepared to take rat poison, it was then, amazingly, that a friend invited my own dad to an AG Church, who in turn asked me to pay a visit.  I still don’t understand how my dad allowed me to go there, but I readily went.  When I reached the Church in July 1997, it was a Sunday, and they were singing my favorite song, ‘You are my hiding place’ and the message was about the relationship of God and man and what Jesus had done.  Since then I have seen amazingly my life and situations change, even though I still had struggles.  I have been able to forgive my dad, whom for years I couldn’t, but by the revelation of His love I was able to do that.  Today, that same dad states that 50 years of his life has been wasted and that I have brought peace in the family.  Wow!!! What an amazing God.  This dad of mine has been touched by the same teachings that I am writing to you.  I pray that you too might experience the power that has been granted to them that believe in the pure and precious Word of God. PRASHANTH J