Equipped to Serve Others

I would like to thank God for never removing His grace and mercy from my life.

I thank God for placing people in my life that believe in me. God sent me some wonderful people in my life—Dr. Clifton and Edie Purnell.

I was born in North Little Rock in a community called Dixie. I started out at a young age doing everything wrong under the sun. I was stealing from my parents, robbing, and breaking into homes. I was living a life totally out of control and heading for disaster. I even tried to take my own life twice.

Finally I found myself being sentenced to the Arkansas department of corrections for 75 years. After doing 19½ years my godparents told me about a program called InnerChange Freedom Initiative (IFI). While in IFI I really came to know God and his love for me.

I am very grateful that (IFI Arkansas director) Scott McLean saw some good in me and was willing to give me a chance to get my life back on track.

I have a personal relationship with my Lord and savior Jesus Christ and have became a totally different person. My life with my family has been restored. I want to take the tools that I have learned here in IFI and apply them to helping others in life. I want to tell them that through God only we can change from within.

I thank God for sending me to IFI. Scott McLean and all the other counselors have helped me more than they can imagine. Now I know that I am a changed person and I can go out and witness to others about what God has done for me.