I
n 1984 my Muslim
father and Christian
mother were divorced.
In 1985, I took my first
plane ride to Califor-
nia to live with
my father, who
required me
to study the
Quran and
pray five
times a day.
My grand-
mother on my
father's side, a
practicing Catholic, helped my father by babysitting
my brother and me while he worked. She lived in
Compton, one of the most dangerous neighborhoods
in southern California. She did her best to keep us
separated from gang activity, and allowed us to say
grace and eat pork. All during adolescence I was
on a religious roller coaster
between Catholicism and
Islam.
When the massive
1992 California earthquake hit, I crawled under
my bed and began praying first in Arabic, then in
English. I told God I was sorry for serving two Gods.
Then I asked Him to put me in a household where I
could serve the one true God. I vowed that day that
I would only serve Him.
That summer I went to visit my mom in Houston,
Texas, gave my life over to Christ and never returned
to California. I met Jeniaya, who became my girl-
friend, and I became active in church. Looking back,
I thought everything that had happened was due to
coincidence. I would learn later that nothing was a
coincidence.
My mother remarried. My stepfather struggled
with addictions. I was left with no real role model. I
graduated from high school and started down a self-
destructive road. I became heavily addicted to pre-
marital sex, watched pornography, drank alcohol and
smoked and sold marijuana. I surrounded myself
with sinful, like-minded people. I moved up to selling
ecstasy and cocaine.
One day I was pulled over for an expired inspec-
tion sticker. I had over 150 pills in my back seat. At
the time offenders received a sentence of 10 years
per pill. I prayed "Lord, if you get me out of this, I
promise I won't sell any more drugs." The officer ran
my license and said I had warrants. He handcuffed
me and put me in the back seat. I continued praying
and repenting for everything I had ever done wrong.
After about 15 minutes the officer told me
my warrants were pending, wrote me a ticket for
the expired sticker and let me go. I immediately
returned the pills to my supplier and told him I
wasn't able to move them anymore.
In April, 2008, my brother Aaron suggested
I move to East Texas with him, where I could
"become richer than ever." I assumed he meant
financially, so that June I took his advice. In April
2009 my girlfriend and I renewed our commitment
to Christ and were baptized.
In July 2009, Jenayia be-
came my beautiful wife. In
2010 we had our first child,
Love Grace, and we are expecting another baby girl
this November.
As my relationship with Christ grew stronger,
so did my desire to work for a God � centered orga-
nization. Thankfully, my corps officer, Major Ben
Lawrence, saw my potential. I am now the manager
of the Salvation Army family store in Tyler, Texas
and hope to become a Salvation Army officer.
I am grateful to God for saving me and preserv-
ing me so I can proclaim to others that "Christ died
so we can live!"
I have learned that it is not the Christian in
the world but the world in the Christian that con-
stitutes danger. Anything that dims my vision of
Christ, takes away my taste for Bible study, cramps
my prayer life or makes Christian work difficult is
wrong for me, and I must turn away from it.
Cadet
Testimonies
............
DRUGS TO RICHES
by
KARIM TALIB SHUAIB II
42
The War Cry | NOVEMBER 2014
"It is not the Christian in
the world that constitutes danger."
42_HowIMet_WCNov14WRK2.indd 42
10/16/14 8:10 PM