Your Story Matters

Through sharing the small or big things that God is doing in your life, we believe that this is able to also build others faith. If God can do it for someone else, He certainly can also do it for you!

David's Testimony:

When I walked into church at the River of Life Ministry, I had no idea what it meant to feel worthy of God's love. I was broken and beaten down entirely. I was a slave to drugs and alcohol. I felt lost and lonely, and as if I would remain lost in the world. I carried all my sins and shame on my shoulders and felt them crushing me down. I saw no way out of this impossible situation. Luckily for me, there is no impossible with God. I found out that day that I didn't have to get better and then go to God. I found out that I go to God and then get better. Jesus didn't come to this world to save us because things were going great for mankind, He came because we needed a savior. If He would have waited until we got better and righteous...He, and we, would all still be waiting. There is no "right time" to come to Jesus. The time is now. Once I made that first step towards God with repentance, God RAN to greet me! He longs for the prodigal son and daughter to return to His loving arms. Don't wait. Freedom is just a "yes" away.

A Testimony from Kayla:

For most of my life, I suffered from mental health problems which eventually led me right into addiction. Something I was fooled into believing would make me feel better ended up being just a temporary fix that turned me onto a very dark path very fast. Surely the enemy had ahold of me and from there, my life took a major turn for the worse.

2019 I lost my home, family, and custody of my children. That’s when I found myself homeless, alone, just trying to find my next high and to make matters worse feeling stuck in a toxic abusive relationship with another addict that at the time I was married to for 4 years.

Things only continued to escalate from there. On July 22 of 2019 my grandmother (Nana) passed away unexpectedly after a surgery that was meant to help her. My Nana was my absolute world, so saying I was upset is an understatement. I was completely distraught, hardly able to function. At this time I was living in a woman’s domestic violence shelter and although doctors had me prescribed a lot of medications I was remaining clean from street drugs. The same week my Nana passed I ended up back with my abuser and relapsed.

Things continued to spiral from there. In 2020 we were both heavily using drugs living in motel rooms and our vehicle. At this time we weren’t supposed to be anywhere around each other due to a PPO the judge ordered from a domestic abuse and strangulation charge. In May 2020 he ended up fleeing a 3rd domestic and absconding from his felony probation.

Anyone who has been in any type of abusive relationship can understand how difficult it is to free yourself from your abuser. So I chose to flee with him, fooled into believing he was all I had left.

Our Destination ended in Springfield, Missouri. A place that was a literal nightmare. I spent 4 months fighting for my life. I was at my weakest, scared that I wasn’t going to make it out alive and all I could think about was my children. By God’s Grace, He restored my strength to get me home safely to my family and children and I did so SOBER.

On October 16, 2020, I was reunited with my children clean and sober. And since then God has done such wonderful work in my life. I am 2 years sober from all substances including prescription medications, my relationships and life with my family and children are restored and better than ever before, and I am a newly wedded wife to an amazing Godly man whom the Lord has blessed us all with. But most importantly I have my relationship with the Lord and can say He’s been by my side every step. He was just waiting with His right hand out for me to grab onto and allow Him to lead me onto the path He had planned for me.

There is always a light at the end of the tunnel, and it’s Jesus. By the Grace of God and Jesus Christ, I was saved! And every day I am reminded that no matter the past roads I went down, what’s important now is that God delivered me from it all! He can deliver anyone whether it be addiction, mental illness, or sin. God is the Almighty healer and we are ALL made in His image. Praise God! And Amen!

A Testimony from Emily:

God saved my life! I was living in a continuous cycle of depression and addiction.

Addiction to pain medications, relationships, others validation, people pleasing, and more. I was angry, hurt, and living a selfish life. Jesus found me at my rock bottom. Just out of a long term relationship, where I once again got hurt, and where I was trying to numb any feelings of pain with drugs. He gave me the courage to ask for help, and I met people on that journey that introduced me to Jesus and His Word. It was in a mental health facility I found Him and for the first time, felt His presence and heard Him speak to me. My whole life changed after that point. Family even noticed I was happy, I wasn’t swearing, I was clean, I started to believe I was worthy of a better life. I would love to say after that point everything was perfect, but there were times I fell or I chose to not listen to God and instead do what I wanted to do, but every time He was there, waiting for me, waiting for me to realize I cannot do this life without Him and that I need to trust Him. Looking back, I don’t recognize who that person was. Today, I am a new creation in Christ and I am so blessed I don’t have to live like that anymore! I have my own family, a great career, my own home, amazing friends, free from pain medications, and most importantly I have Jesus in my life, guiding me where to go.

Jadeyn's Testimony

From man's approval to God's approval!

A lot can happen in just a year, to say the least.

On July 25th, 2022 I stepped on stage in a bikini for a bikini bodybuilding competition and allowed others to judge me based on my appearance. At this point in time, I was so broken that I couldn't see that I already had the only approval that mattered.

On July 25th, 2023, I chose to get baptized. It wasn't until after that I realized on the same exact day a year prior I was on that stage. This opened my eyes and made me realize just how much God has transformed my life. He completely cleansed me and because of Him, I never have to fear judgment of man or seek the approval of man again. I have the approval of the Most High and that is all that matters to me. He searches the heart and my heart is set on following Him wherever He may take me!