TESTIMONY: Keoma Daponte

I had a rough upbringing and as a result I was an angry child with a short fuse and a bad temper. Getting expelled in the second quarter of 9th grade due to marijuana use was the beginning of a downward spiral for me. I decided I didn't need school and I was going to get a job instead. I started to work 3rd shift cleaning restaurants for a janitorial company and started drinking heavily as well.  I was out of control causing my parents to kick me out of the house.

I was not a good person.  I was drinking every day and just didn’t care about my life at all. I hurt many people. Later on in life something happened that hurt me very deeply. This caused even further drug abuse and destruction for the next 12 miserable YEARS. I tried countless rehabs and programs, but I just couldn't STOP!!! I would find myself at the same place over and over again, causing me to try to commit suicide.  What I didn't realize then that I see now is God was with me even in my darkest times.  

I didn't believe in God and I used to call myself an atheist. I would even persecute people for believing. But even so God’s grace was somehow covering me and somehow I  ended up going to the Salvation Army for rehab. It had to be God who led me there because I started to believe in Jesus. But I didn't build my house on Him and slipped back into drugs. I wasn’t yet changed and ended up going to prison twice after that. 

When getting out of prison I started a construction company. It was always my dream to have a family and a construction company, but when it happened it wasn't enough!!! Something was missing and I again slipped back into drugs. This caused me to lose my family.  But I hung onto the thing that was killing me the most, the money! 

In the next year of my life I was in the deepest darkest place imaginable. Being high for an entire year straight, I isolated myself completely and lost my company.  All my money went to staying high. I was numbing myself to avoid my inner pain. I didn't want to feel anything at all!!! I was in hell and was letting demons possess my life. 

About two years ago, while being awake for 4 days straight and in the middle of using, a TV program came on with Pastor Steve Boyce preaching a sermon. I would usually change the channel right away for this type of program, but I just kept watching while using.  God was speaking to me through the Pastor’s sermon. God was trying to reach me. I would love to say I never used again after that. but that's not how the story goes. It was a long hard process, but I truly believe in my soul that's how God planned it. 

I would talk to some people from my church, Legacy Church, about my issues and they would tell me how God delivered them from drugs/alcohol. They would say He took away the urge. I could see the reality of their testimony, but I didn't understand it. I doubted. I truly thought I would be addicted and enslaved the rest of my life. 

I never understood what people meant by "crying tears of joy." I never experienced that. I cried because I couldn't bear the weight of my guilt and pain, but never from joy. But now I do understand! I can now say, by the grace of God, I also have been delivered from addiction and pain. I now cry in church services because of gratefulness and God’s grace and mercy and not because of guilt and shame. I now know what the love of Jesus feels like and have experienced it personally. I thank Jesus Christ for delivering me from PURE EVIL and I thank God for the love and prayers of my Legacy Church family and for never giving up on me. I cry tears of joy! AMEN! THANK YOU LORD.

Matthew 9:20 My Salvation

Matthew 13:24 My life

Jeremiah 29:11 My faith

These are my favorite verses. Every time I hear them I get chills to the day!

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