We've been together off and on since 1978. We started off as teenagers with no guidance or direction and our lives reflected it. We both began drinking and using drugs at an early age. What started out as occasional drug useage became more frequent over the years and the drugs began to change also. Marijuana, LSD, and PCP began to evolve to Heroine and Cocaine. Needless to say our lives began to fall apart quickly and our children began to suffer. I had already been spending more time locked up than out on the streets or at home.  Because of my absence we began to resent each other and we put the kids right in the middle of it. As time went by Mona decided that she'd had enough of the drugs and she quit. I wasn't ready yet to give them up and so this brought even more enmity between us. Then one day a good friend of mine named Syl came by and told me how Jesus had changed his life and how Jesus wanted to do the same for me. Even though I did notice a change in him I wasn't ready to give up my foolishness, so without missing a beat I continued in the same old things. A few weeks later some friends and I were in a garage shooting drugs and for the first time I actually realized how lost I really was. I made up my mind that night, no matter what it took, I was going to seek out the Lord Jesus. I conveyed that to those friends in that garage and they obviously didn't believe me. I waited a few days and then called my friend Syl and began to tell him about the decision I had made, he then led me in the prayer of salvation. A couple of days later he took me to his pastor's house who explained to me about the Holy Spirit and His purpose in our lives. He laid hands upon me, according to Acts 19:6, and I received the gift of the Holy Spirit. At this time my wife and I were separated so I waited about a week and then I went to her and told her about the prior week's events. I took Mona to the same pastor's house where she also made Jesus the Lord of her life and received the gift of the Holy Spirit. Since then, our lives and the lives of our children, have not been the same. The Lord has and continues to do marvelous work in our lives and we are very, very grateful for his grace and mercy .

~ Tommy and Mona