"I gave my life to God in the cell of a police station. I did not see a bright light or hear an audible voice, but I knew it was a turning point."
I never had a problem making money. It started with selling sweets to my classmates in school, after that I got my brother to copy CDs and games, and I sold those too. Eventually I moved on to selling weed.
When I left school I went for an apprenticeship, qualified and was earning well. But it was not enough for me. Money was a massive part of my life and I wanted more.
I was dealing alongside my work, and life got gradually more chaotic, more violent and more out of hand. I honestly didn’t care if I lived or died, so I was reckless. Eventually I stopped working altogether and just dealt drugs, facing all the madness that came with it.
I gave my life to God in the cell of a police station. It was during a time in my life when I was constantly getting arrested and was truly at the end of myself. I did not see a bright light or hear an audible voice, but I knew it was a turning point.
"Even so, after that moment life didn’t get better straight away. In fact, I was sent to jail, and it was after prison that I went to Walk."
When I first met Simon I did not like him. When he told me I was going to do voluntary work I was furious, but I knew in my heart I should be there. In fact, one of the biggest lessons I learned at Walk was through volunteering. I had next to no money at this point, but I had never been so rich. I had a family, people around me that truly cared for me, and I started to see what was really valuable in life.
What does life look like now? The alarm goes off at six every morning and I’m up and out, building up my plumbing and heating business - the one Simon helped me set up. Now I have really grown to love Simon and I don’t think there’s anyone in my life who has done more to help me. He has sacrificed for me in unbelievable ways and I can now see that going to Walk was exactly what I needed. I have got the confidence to grab life with both hands, and now I know all things are possible with God.