Kermit's Testimony

This is a very important post, so I am posting it on the main page (Kermit posted it as a comment), so that our team will be sure to see it. Thank you so much, Kermit, for being open and sharing your story with us. Praise be to God.

"Thanks a ton Megan for setting this up. I just want to let everyone know alittle more about me. I am not much of a public speaker so I hope this blog helps me get over that. I am going to Uganda to share my story with others so it might help others stay away from the type of life that I had. As some of you know I am a recovering alcholic and drug addict. I have been an alcholic since I was a teenager this led me to using drugs also. I dropped out of high school and my father told me if I quit school I would have to move out of their house. I did this at an age of 16 I moved out and started supporting myself from this point on I joined the AirForce 3 days after my 17th birthday and went in on active duty six months later. this was heavan for me I was getting payed 318.00 a month to get drunk on needless to say I didn't make it through the technical school that I had signed up for because of my drinking I still denied that I had a problem, the AirForce gave me a choice from there I could become a plumber a cop or a civilian. Well I didnt want anything with being a cop and civilian life didn't look to good to me so I became a plumber. I was sent to Travis Air Force base California, and begain my career as a plumber. I met my first wife a few years sfter I went out there we dated for a few months and I thought I was in real love so we got married and had 2 children, God was in the background of my life at this time I believed in god but I had put him in the background of my life. durring this time I was drinking heaver than ever I had bought a motorcycle and thought I was the badest thing on the base. Well let me tell you alchol and motorcycling don't mix I wrecked my bike 2 different times both times I had been drinking and speeding over 100 miles an hour well let me tell you God takes care of fools and drunks and I was both I walked away form both of those accidents with a few scratches. I still kept god in the background of my life durring this time. I went to Korea IN 1983 and did nothing but drink heavier I was having trouble with my marrage at this time but I was stuck over there well this gave me an excuse to drink heavier needless to say my carrier in the AirForce ended that year I was discharged for being a drunk. I came back to the states divorced my wife and drifted for awhile I got a job as a door to door salseman selling magizines I did this for 18 months and went through 42 states durring this time still drinking very heavely and now I was drugging also. Oh I am sorry I left out that I had already been through 2 alchol treatment programs by this time but I didnt go for me I went to save my job then my family failed bith times. back to the sales job I met my 2nd wife durring this time we were in Austin Texas and she got fired from her job selling well I thought I was in love again so I quit and we moved to Myrtle Beach South Carolina we got married later that year and of course I was drinking and druging heavier than ever well things didnt work out with me and her so we split up and I dove head first into the pile of cocaine I started doing alot of stupid things durring this time and needless to say I ended up in front of a judge. This judge saw that I had a problem with drugs so instead of sending me to prison he sent me to another drug and alchol treatment program to get my act together well this lasted long enough for me to get out ot trouble with the law. I then dove head first into the drugs and alchol I joined up with a few old friends or I thought they were we started doin alot of stupid stuff well we ended up in Virginia Beach Virginia both of my so called friends ended up in jail and I was on my way. Then one morning in 1990 I had made up my mind that I was going to either go rob someone or go and get help for my problems I went to the edge of the highway and stuck out my thumb to hitch hike I told myself that I would give myself 30 minutes to get a ride to get some help if I didn't get a ride in this time I was going to go rob someone inorder to get high again that day. well let me tell you God was on the highway that day he had me by the back of my neck and took me to the VA hospital within 30 minutes from the time I started out I know it was him because I was exactly 30 minutes away form the VA hospital and the man that picked me up wasn't going that far but decided to take me all the way to the front door. Well I met my lovely wife during this time she was at that hospital to hae back surgery, I spent the time and effort that was really necessary this time and got my act together. and now its 18 years later I am clean and sober I married that woman that I met in the VA and I now have God in my life all the time. Granted there have been some bumps along the way these last 18 years but I wouldnt trade them for anything.

Well thats my story and I am sticking to it, I hope that it enlightens you alittle into my life.

peace
Kermit Silcox"