I don’t know if it will be of any help, but I am going to tell you what happened to me before I accepted the Lord Jesus in my life.

I used to live in the underworld of marginality (consumed, sold and robbed). I no longer lived with my family because I was afraid of what could happen to them. My father was and still is an assistant till this day, at the age of 78.

I remember when he came to my house one day, saying that he heard I had died. He gave me a little white stone and said: “This stone represents your life”.

Bishop, I could not throw out that stone. I’d buy a new wallet, but the stone was always placed inside the new one.

One day, the police were looking for me. I fled, but they arrested me. They asked for the weapons that were in my possession, but I told them I did not have any – I had thrown them in the woods. I told them I had drugs, but had thrown them away. When they raided my neighbor’s house, they found marijuana on the floor. They put me in the car and took me to a deserted area, everything was dark and there was nobody around. They talked about how they could finish me off.

But they weren’t able to do anything and the white stone was still with me, in my wallet. I thought about what my father had said. They took me to his house, even though I was already an adult. My father said: “He’s my son, and I’m an assistant of the church. His life is on the wrong side of the tracks, but he’s going to change”.

The police left me at my family’s doorstep. I felt ashamed of how they treated me in front of my family.

After two years, I came to the Church, and the first person who greeted me was my father.  I came from behind and touched his shoulder. When he turned around, tears flooded his eyes.

Dilma was already an assistant and later, she told me about a vow that was made for a family member – the purpose was for the family member die for this world. So, I remembered when he came to my house, and said that he heard I was dead.

A lot more has happened, there were so many other moments when God delivered me. As assistants, my father, sister and deceased brother, fought for me. I always told them that when I decided to come to Church, I would never leave.

A vow was made…

I was consecrated to the Lord. I belonged to Him and didn’t even know it.

Regards,

Pastor Francisco Silva