Good morning, Bishop!

My name is Romer de Freitas, I am a member of The Universal Church in Aguas Bonitas (GO) – Brazil, and I am 42 years old. Since we are having The Strongest Dose event for the fight against addictions on Sunday, the 20th, I would like to talk a little bit about my experience with addiction and the world of crime, as well as to tell you how I was able to overcome.

I was born in Belo Horizonte (MG) – Brazil, and started using drugs at the age of 14. At first it was marijuana, which I used out of curiosity. In the beginning it was good, but over time, I felt the need for something stronger, so I started snorting cocaine. To get a quicker effect, I started injecting it into my bloodstream. I was a user and a dealer. I also used hashish, ecstasy, and crack, during the beginning of the crack era.

When we injected drugs, we would share the same needle. I was arrested several times while I was still a minor. At the age of 18, I was arrested for armed robbery and sentenced to prison for 5 years and 4 months. I saw horrible things in prison. I was locked up for two years and then was given probation, but a year later I went back to committing the same crimes – that is when I was sent to a maximum security prison, where I lived through rebellions and circles of death (a draw to choose which prisoner from a cell should die. In truth, there isn’t really a draw because someone has already been chosen to die. The same name is written on all of the papers).

During one of the rebellions, they took a rapist, cut off his head and played soccer with it, a true horror! I took advantage of the rebellion and fled to Espírito Santo (ES) – Brazil, but in 1998, during the last game of the World Cup, I was shot in the back. Thinking that I was going to die, I cried out to God, telling Him that if He allowed me to survive, I would leave that lifestyle and surrender to Him. So once again God delivered me from death. I had been involved in shootings with the police and rival criminals, who shot at me at a very close range, but the gun jammed.

Once I recovered from the bullet wound, I returned to Belo Horizonte to meet up with my sister, who had been attending an evangelical church. She found me a recovery center in Brasilia.

Through the bus window, I tossed out my cigarettes and worldly music CDs. I was hospitalized for a year and a half. I left the halfway house with a bag of clothes, and without a home, job, or family. I left there with nothing and walked into a Universal Church of the Kingdom of God. That is where I found true happiness. I found a job at a glass factory and rented a small room to live.

I met my wife, who is now an assistant, during a Therapy of Love meeting. We were married and bought a house in 2000. Today, I have two cars (a Savero jeep and an Omega) and a motorcycle. We had a son, who is now seven, and I was able to rebuild my life, which was once a nightmare, a living hell.

One day, during a blitz, the police approached me and saw that I had an arrest warrant. They handcuffed me and took me to the police station. My wife and son were in shock. I remember my wife saying, “You’re not going to stay in jail, my love. God will not allow it!” After we arrived at the police station, one of the police officers noticed that my warrant was from Minas Gerais, and the other officer said:

“Let’s take him to the nearest city in Minas.”

The other officer said: “We don’t have enough gas in the car. So, now what do we do?”

His friend answered: “So, let’s just let him go. His warrant isn’t from here anyway…”

So they let me go and I left, thanking God. I had three arrest warrants, but God did a great miracle in my life, through purposes, Israel challenges, our faithfulness, our partnership, our commitment and our intimacy with God. None of those charges against exist any longer; they have all been filed away.

I hired a lawyer to take care of those charges and today I am free. Fourteen years ago, I met a wonderful God, who had compassion on me. Today, I have peace. I can lay my head on the pillow and sleep in peace, with no accusations whatsoever.

I found “The Strongest Dose” at the Universal Church of the Kingdom of God: The LORD JESUS.

One day, I made a list with the names of thirty former friends from back when I lived a life of crime. I crossed off the names of those who had died. When I was done, besides myself, only one was alive. The other twenty-eight had died.

It’s not worth entering into the world of drugs and crime because you will either end up in prison or the cemetery.

Romer de Freitas

Today, I am a member of the Church in Aguas Bonitas (GO) – Brazil.