When I was 12, I began to dress and feel like a boy. Gradually, I began to only hang out with boys. I acted like a boy and even started kissing girls. When I was about 13 or 14, I came out as a lesbian to my parents.

My mother kicked me out of the house. So I moved in with my father, who also ended up kicking me out. I went to my brother, but he didn’t accept me either.

I was about to live on the street when I found a job at a computer store, in the slums. I received $6 a day and was constantly being humiliated.

My friend invited me to live at his house. There, no one knew I was a girl, except my friend. To everyone, I was Danilo. But things got worse. I lost control. I started going out more and had all the girls I wanted. When I transferred to a new school, I convinced the principal to use the name ‘Danilo’ in the roll call; not even the teachers knew the truth.

The problem was that I was still suffering very much. Though I had many girls and was constantly surrounded by “friends” because I often paid for drinks, I was sad, felt empty, had depression and panic attacks. I didn’t stand being in the dark, I was scared to death. Some of my friends manifested with evil spirits and they would threaten me with death. This made things worse.

I used drugs, smoked cigarettes and drank. In the eyes of the world, I lived the dream life of any boy. Everyone wanted to hang out with me, but nobody knew the other side of the coin. I spent many nights crying and thinking about killing myself, because that would put an end to all my problems.

I wanted to speak to my mother and see her, but my stepfather would not let me near her. My father didn’t care about me at all. I kept sinking deeper and deeper.

One day, while I was on the terrace, which was under construction and had no protective wall, I thought about throwing myself off the side, because I had it all on one hand, but nothing on the other. People only approached me with second intentions.

I felt a surge push me and fell off the side. But I fell on the downstairs apartment and started crying.

That’s when my friend’s mother, who is a member of the Universal Church, saw me lying there and invited me to attend a meeting. She believed me. At first I thought it was boring, but she encouraged me to continue going and I felt better every time I went.

I would arrive at the meetings heavy burdened and destroyed, but left feeling as light as a feather. My deliverance took a while, because though I wanted Jesus, I also wanted to use drugs, go out and sleep around with girls. So, I still felt incomplete. Until I got tired of that situation and made a prayer before going to Church: I asked God for direction or else I wouldn’t return home.

Nearing the end of the meeting, the pastor spoke about making a definite decision. Either we chose God or the momentary pleasures of this world. I knew that God had answered my prayer. After the meeting, I went to speak to the pastor.

The first thing I did when I got home was call my mother, apologizing for everything and telling her that I was really going to change my life this time.

She did not believe me; she didn’t think I was going to change. Gradually, I was able to rebuild a relationship with my mother. The Holy Spirit transformed me little by little and the urge to use drugs and to be with girls began disappearing.

Shortly after, I went to live with my mother again and continued to attend the Universal Church meetings.

Everything was changing. The more I surrendered to God, the more He transformed me, inside and out, until I was completely transformed. I started to let my hair grow and have a more feminine attitude and appearance.

One day, I went to visit that friend who took me in, but almost everyone there thought I was a boy. That moment was the turning point in my life, because though I was already walking in faith, I was still embarrassed to face the past.

A total change happened when I asked the girls from my past and all the people I deceived, making them believe I was a boy, for forgiveness. Some people who wanted to reveal my real identity blackmailed me, but I decided to tell the truth, so they no longer had anything to talk about.

Before, nobody wanted to be near me because I was said to be a bad example. Today things are different. My mother, who didn’t want anything to do with me, is now proud to have me as her daughter and sees Jesus in me. People see me and have me as an example. I was freed from the homosexuality, drugs and depression.

Today I am a new person, totally transformed and completely happy. But all of these changes were only possible after I had an encounter with God.

Dayane