My name is Antonio and I am from Spain. I was one of the millions of lost people on this earth. When Teen Challenge found me I was 29 and I had been taking drugs when I was 15. I then started using cocaine at 16 and heroin at 17. I also used to drink a lot.
Why was my life a mess? Well, I was an unhappy person. My father was a violent person and my parents got divorced when I was 10. I grew up with a very confused perception of what was good and bad. I became very violent too. I used to worship Satan I enjoyed all the wrong things. He was my god. I had made up my mind that I was his slave and he made me blind to the truth for a long time. I was in the cage of my own mind. My soul and spirit were empty and ill.
In 2002 I was living on the streets in Kings Cross, London. I was really lost. I was sick and I didn’t care about my future. It was dark in front of me. In that time Teen Challenge found me (Jesus with them!), they told me about the Lord and I said “Yeah, right! Whatever! Just give me the sandwich and shut up!”. They never left me and every Friday they gave me the sandwich and they told me about the Lord and about Wilkerson House. One day I accepted the invitation to go and see the centre. I said to myself, “Um, free food, a bed and a shower! Yes, I will go for about a month and after that I will go back to the street!” That was not the plan God had for me. After a couple of days somebody slowly and carefully preached the gospel to me. For the first time in my life I saw myself dirty before God and I knew that Jesus wanted to clean me and give me a new life. He forgave me my sins, opened my eyes and a new life started in front of me.
After four months in London, Javier decided to send me to Spain to another Teen Challenge to carry on the programme. I finished it. My life now is blessed. I have a job, I have a beautiful wife called Vanessa and we are expecting a baby. I love God and His word and we give thanks to Him and His Son who saved us because He took us from the darkness to His light.
Thank you Jesus and thank you Teen Challenge! Thanks Javier because you gave me my first Bible and you showed me the love of God and thanks to all the staff members!