My name is Lilian Coelho Santos. I’m 20 years old and I would like to tell you my testimony. It all started when I was a child. My father had drinking problems and was violent towards my mother, and so I became a rebellious child—that’s how I grew up. At nine, I wanted to kill my father because of the things he did. He beat my mother, my brothers and me too. There were eight of us at home, and I lost two brothers to crime. I’d plan how I’d kill him, but because of all our suffering, I ended up running away from home when I was 11. That was when all hell broke loose: I learned to use drugs and lived on the streets.
I was on the streets for four years. At first it seemed like everyone was my friend, because I was always high on drugs. I’d never remember that I had a mother who was suffering at home. I was beaten by the police, I sniffed glue, I used crack, ether spray, marijuana, and cocaine. To support my habit I became a prostitute, selling my body in exchange for drugs. There were nights when I’d sell myself for $30; sometimes I’d steal to buy drugs. Even though I was so young, I’d shoplift and then sell what I had stolen in order to buy the drugs my body craved. From 12 to 16, I couldn’t study anymore. Whenever I tried to go to school, I’d get into trouble, get into fights, and many times I’d be suspended.

During those four years, I returned home several times. I’d stay home for a few months but then I’d go right back on the streets again. I couldn’t stand it at home, and so I’d go out on Friday night only to return on Monday—and there were times that I didn’t even bother to go home.

At 14, influenced by people I thought were my friends, I began hitching rides on top of trains. At the time, I thought it was cool—the adrenaline rush, the wind on my face, the ability to balance on top of a moving train… until the day I fell off and the train ran over my leg. The driver himself helped me; I believe it was God who did it. I was in the hospital for 2 months and 15 days, yet I did not give my life to God.

After losing my leg, things became worse. I’d say to myself, “I’ve lost my leg, now it’s time to lose my life.” And with that thought in mind, I dove head first into alcohol and drugs because I thought I had nothing left to lose. I’d go out with married men, I didn’t care about anything anymore—and believe me, I was on crutches, but nobody could stop me.

At 16, I reached rock bottom. Even though I had done so many things that were wrong, I had never tried to take my own life.

My brother, who is now an assistant, had been threatened with his life at that time, and so he decided to go to Bahia to get away from those who wanted to kill him. My sister, who was already an assistant, was there and helped him a lot. I stayed in Sao Paulo where I attempted suicide. I tried to slit my wrists and was always thinking of how to kill myself.

After some time, my brother returned from Bahia completely transformed. He was a man of God, and it grabbed my attention. My brother, who was a drug addict like me, suddenly became a different person with no fear of whoever wanted to kill him, and with a peaceful look on his face. He was another man and he witnessed to me—rather, he challenged me, saying that if I surrendered to God, I would change. But if nothing happened, I could keep the life I had. He said that right as I considered my life to be a lost cause.

I visited the Universal Church of the Kingdom of God in Carapicuiba (Sao Paulo), and there my deliverance process started. For one month, I attended church every day, from Sunday to Sunday; I was thirsty and needed to seek God. I was baptised in water, I had a true encounter with God, and was baptised with the Holy Spirit.

I know that God knows our hearts, and He did everything in my life. He knew that without Him, I could not give up all that I did, and so He sealed me with His Spirit, and I’ve never been the same again. Today, I am a young woman with a blessed spiritual life, I have two brothers who are assistants, my mother attends church, and my father, who was the cause of my pain, is going to church too. I know God will finish the work He began in my family, because only He could have accepted me. He opened the doors for me to be able to use a prosthesis. Today I serve God as an assistant, even though I wear a prosthesis. I do that so that everyone knows that neither our God nor our church discriminates against people.

Every day I serve my Lord with pleasure, and He in His infinite mercy, uses me to save others.

I have a strong desire to serve Him on the altar and be married to a man of God. I know He will bring this about at the right time.

Thank you for the opportunity to post my testimony for the honour and glory of the Lord Jesus. I’m an assistant at the Cathedral of Santo Amaro (Joao Dias Ave, 1800—Sao Paulo) and I’m a member of the Victory Youth Group (VYG), where I try to help other youth through my testimony.

May God bless all the areas of your life, and like you always say, “We will set the world on fire!”

Lilian Coelho Santos