 I grew up in a home where my father was always very abusive, not only physically, but emotionally. Growing up was really hard. It was actually pretty scary even coming home to him. My father not only beat my mom, but beat us as kids as well. To where as a kid, I always wanted to be out in the streets trying to avoid him. When I was eight years old, my parents split, which was really hard for me to understand. Not having him in the picture was hard. Despite the way he was when he was with us, I didn't have that father material in my picture anymore. I grew up getting affiliated and doing drugs. When I was in kindergarten, I met this boy that I grew up with all the way till we were freshmen in high school. This took a huge impact on me because he was killed by an opponent or as you would call a rival gang. It was a huge impact on my life to where if I didn't change the way I was living life, I was going to end up dead the way he did or behind bars. I didn't know how to take it honestly because this particular person was somebody who did everything with the good and the bad. Till I stepped foot in a funeral is when I finally said yes, it's him. As soon as I stepped foot in this church, the worship just hit me. Not only the worship, but when the pastor did his preaching, it was like he knew about my life story. He knew about what I've lived growing up. That same year, there was a deliverance that took place. I was very, very nervous when I was up there. But I remember just having this thirst and this hunger for God and knowing that I needed a change and I needed to be different. I just let it all go at the stage. And as soon as they set hands on me, something inside of me got triggered to where I was manifesting. Demon taking over me, you know, all this time, guiding me in the wrong direction. What else have you done to me? I have been here since he was eight years old. OK. OK, who are you? You have a name, you demon. Lord, see that you love me. OK, what else have you done? What else have you done in him? I don't make him succeed in life. OK, so I want to ask you, demon, what have you been using? How have you been using him to operate? I make him isolate himself from everybody. OK, and what else? I make him a street dog, bro. How did you enter him, Lucifer? How did you enter him? I started taking him since he was eight. OK. He hurt me. You took him when he was eight? Yes. You, Lucifer? It doesn't matter how long you have been in him. You are coming out. That is very touching, honestly. Just to go back to everything I was fighting with, I was dealing with the darkness and to see what God picked me up out of. There's not a thing I can do to ever repay him. And these aren't tears of sadness, but of joy, you know? Joy of what God can do to many of us, you know? His love is just so unconditional. I was told several times that whenever I acted different, that wasn't me. That was somebody else taking over me. And those people telling me weren't wrong. The joy I have inside, man, I just can't contain it inside of me. I want to shout it to the world. Everybody seeing me here or live, I encourage everyone that is struggling with anything, whether it's something like me or any other testimony or whether it's your own ups and downs, look for help. Don't isolate yourself because that's the worst thing that you can do. Seek help, find a church, and fight a battle together. Don't fight it on your own because, look, what happens when you do? That's a very special moment for me. And I remember going up on stage and being asked that if I had slept like a baby that night after my deliverance, I honestly was so happy with God's grace over me. I wish I did sleep like a baby, but in reality I didn't. I had so much joy inside of me that I just wanted to shout it to God. Up all night just praying, praising God for everything He did for me. Removing that bondage, removing those chains, and setting me free. Something that I desired for the longest. Now I join the Watchmen services here. I've been a member of the church for four years. I can tell you all that I have never felt any way better. God is so merciful and so loving. He will never point a finger at us and judge us for who we are. He loves us all unconditionally. His love is so, so amazing. You know, I have no words honestly. Just that my life has been a whole 180. My name is Ricardo and this is my testimony.