My name is Maristela, I’m 23 years old, and before I had an encounter with the Lord Jesus, I was an empty teenager. I felt alone even though I was surrounded by many “friends.”

At the age of 13, I began to have symptoms of depression. I cried a lot, I wouldn’t eat, I didn’t want to leave the house, I could see myself hitting rock bottom. This was when I was introduced to alcohol and drugs. I used marijuana and cocaine for almost 3 years hoping to fill the void I felt.

I got to a point where I suffered an alcoholic coma. At that moment I felt like nothing else made sense, it just seemed like I was wandering aimlessly. I was not living anymore, just surviving!

That’s when I learned about self-mutilation. I started with a few cuts here, some there, and when I realized it I had almost cut through my tendons. It was horrible, but I thought it was awesome! He lived in ecstasy for a few minutes, and then came the feeling of guilt, of being powerless, of weakness. I tried to commit suicide several times by cutting my wrist, drinking poison, etc.

In 2014, I found out about the Youth Power Group – YPG. Unlike other people, they did not judge me, they were not afraid of what I was, but they accepted me.

It was in YPG that I met the Lord Jesus, I had an encounter with God and the greatest and best experience in the world! Today I am a completely different person. I no longer need to drink or use drugs. I don’t need to hurt myself anymore. Today I am happy and filled with a love that I was only able to find in the Lord Jesus. I am an assistant, the YPG coordinator of my city, and I help other young people overcome addictions and complexes by giving their lives to Jesus.