Charlie (testimony series)

     With my remaining time here at Hogar De La Roca swiftly coming to an end I thought it would be good to take a break from my thoughts and let the house speak for itself a bit.  In this short series we will be looking at a few of the men who are living here at the ministry and allow them the opportunity to share their story and where they believe God is taking them.  This will be in their own words and the only editing will be in the translation from Spanish to English.



Charlie:
                

      " I grew up without parents and without knowing what a mother's hug means.  But the orphanage where I did grow up was really wonderful and they took care of all my physical needs.  But I had a lot of emotional problems.  It was hard for me to love somebody..."share love".  It was especially hard for me to talk to girls.  There was a big whole in  my heart that couldn't be filled.  And like a coward I began to hide in drugs and alcohol or any substance that could take me out of my reality.  I ended up living in a garbage dump for many years completley alone.  My dining room was the garbage place, my living room the sidewalks, and my bed-room the parks.  What I drank most of all in these times were little bottles of pure rubbing alcohol because they were the only things i could afford and they worked the strongest.

     Yes the Lord tried to talk to me many times by sending people to help me but I had a stone heart.  I couldn't trust anyone.  Finally I decided to give myself and others a chance by trying the place called "Hogar de la Roca."  In this place the Lord Himself talks to me even though I don't deserve it.  And When I say He talks to me I mean he does it directly!  The Lord also talks to me through the people he has placed here with me.  He is changing me and it is hard and it hurts too much but it is for my own good.  For example, this story I wrote is just one thing He is changing in me because now I can say that i can share love."

      Charlie left us once when he was only about half-way through our year long program.  He returned to the garbage dumps of Antigua and almost died twice from alcohol poisoning as he was rushed to the hospital by ambulance.  By the grace of God Charlie has returned to us and is almost half-way through the process again.  Charlie has a lot of hard work ahead of him but with our prayers and God's grace the sky is the limit for this very special individual.