I consider it a blessing to share testimony of how God has changed my life. I am originally from Richmond, Virginia, where I spent the first 31 years of my life. My mother and father divorced when I was 6 and I have one sister who is 4 years older than me. My mother remarried and I had a stepfather from age 7 until I was 15. From age 15 on, my mother did her best to teach me right from wrong and to raise me on her own. Like most 15 - 16 year olds, I was very hard-headed and I became very rebellious, not listening to my mother’s advice. In the early years, my life seemed to be okay. I played baseball and football for our local youth program. We lived in a nice brick home with a pool in the backyard so I was very content with life and seemed to be headed in the right direction. Little did I know that my life would soon take a different path.

As I reached middle school and began to lose interest in sports, I found myself with other interests such as girls and trying to fit in and be “cool”. This was also about the time my mother and stepfather divorced. I started hanging around people who were doing the wrong things and before I knew what hit me, I was entangled in a life of sin. I made some very bad decisions as a young teenager, decisions that would change my life completely. I was so easily influenced by the people around me that I began to do the things they were doing in order to be accepted by them. What I didn’t realize was that the people I was trying to please and be accepted by didn’t care anything about me or my future. As I reached high school, things continued to spiral out of control. My loving mother, bless her heart, tried to educate me about the things of this world that do nothing but destroy lives and relationships. Nevertheless, I thought I knew what was best for me and the harder she tried the more I rebelled against her. I often wonder now why it was so easy for me to hurt the ones I loved most and the ones that loved me most. As I hit my freshman year in high school, I began to use drugs and alcohol, starting off slowly using marijuana and drinking. From there, as I grew, so did my need for harder drugs. Living where I grew up, drugs were as accessible as a loaf of bread. From pot and alcohol, I moved to harder drugs. The devil had completed his mission.

I never intended on developing a drug habit but for the next 10 years I couldn’t stop using. My first marriage ended after only 2 years. I couldn’t keep a steady job. All that mattered anymore was how I would get my next fix. My life had hit rock bottom. I ended up stealing to support my drug habit and also ended up serving 6 months in jail facing a 20 year prison sentence for various crimes I had committed.

Finally my will was broken. I knew I had to change or I would soon be dead. That’s when my sister began to tell me about Jesus. She herself was born again at the age of 18. I was broken, willing to try anything to change my life. I began to listen and the more I heard about Jesus, the better I began to feel. He was already starting to work in my heart. She told me about a place called Bethel Colony of Mercy, a ministry designed specifically to reach the addicted men of America. She told me they have a 65 day program that teaches men that their addiction is sin and the only answer for sin is Jesus Christ. She explained that all I needed to do was call for more information, so I did. They told me they could take me in about 2 weeks. God had already begun to open doors for me. Two weeks later I arrived at Bethel Colony located in the foothills of North Carolina.

Leaving Richmond and arriving at Bethel was like moving to another planet. I was scared and alone. My family was no longer around me for support. Men were walking around praising the Lord and hollering “Hallelujah!”. I didn’t know what I had gotten myself into. This was all new to me because I had never been around Christians like this. I settled in and began my journey. They taught me about God and His love for me. One night while I lay in bed reading my Bible, God really began speaking to me through His Word. I closed my Bible and my eyes and began to cry to my Father in Heaven. I will never forget that night. I told Him that I was done, that my life belonged to Him and that if He would forgive me I would follow Him. I started to grow closer to the Lord through weekly counseling and daily Bible teaching. One day during one of my counseling sessions I shared my heart with my counselor. He was so happy about my decision to live my life for Christ and he prayed with me and assured me of my salvation. I ended up completing the 65-day program and volunteered to stay on as a staff member. Fifteen months later, God was leading me to move on and begin my new life outside of Bethel. Little did I know He would keep me in Lenoir, NC.
God was answering so many of my prayers and showing me how much He loved me. He was giving me my life back. I was now walking around hollering “Praise the Lord!” and “Hallelujah!”. I called a local furniture company and they told me to come right on up. I filled out an application and they hired me the same day. What a wonderful God we serve! Soon after I started working there, I met a wonderful girl who was so sweet and nice and also loved the Lord. Eventually I made her my wife. That was all 11 years ago. We now have 4 children, 2 girls and 2 boys. More evidence of God’s faithfulness and His love for me.

What an important decision I made that night in my room at Bethel! My life is totally different now. Not because I don’t have problems or run into trying times. No, those things still happen, but not as often. Simply because Jesus has taught me that He is there with me through it all and He will bear the burden; I don’t have to. I’m no different from you. The only difference may be that I have received forgiveness for my sins - past, present and future. Forgiveness not because of anything that I did, but for what Jesus did. Don’t wait for tomorrow to receive this free gift of salvation. Tomorrow may never come. Don’t think you have to wait until you’re a better person. Jesus says come just as you are. So, I invite you today on behalf of my Savior. Come just as you are.
 

Thank you and to God be the glory!

Donald Gurnsey
Bethel Graduate,
Bethel Board Member

(1994 - currently)