I grew up in Manchester and my early years in life were quite difficult. As a teenager, I had a really low view of myself which meant that I was unhappy for most of the time.

I first heard about Jesus when I was 18. I went to church but I really only went because I thought it was the right thing to do. I said I was a Christian but didn’t live my life as someone who followed Jesus.

There were many distractions around me and I started using illegal drugs in my late teens. Although I had a good job I lost it as my lifestyle became more chaotic. I became more dependant on drugs and my habit escalated to taking Class A drugs. I involved myself in criminal activities, ended up spending some time in prison, being homeless and living in hostels at various times. After many years of substance misuse my mental health was affected and I sometimes felt deep despair and even suicidal.

Years later, a friend invited me to go to a church and I committed to following Jesus fully in all areas of my life. I started to meet with a church where I lived and they became a family to me. They welcomed me, loved me and helped to get my life sorted out. A couple allowed me to live with them for 3 months and my life started on a journey of being transformed by Jesus.

Jesus gave me the confidence to look for work and the church found me a job in a local shop. I had been unemployed for over 12 years before I took this job on. Working in a shop really helped me and I could see that Jesus was giving me back all the years that drugs, loneliness and despair had taken away from me.

I met an amazing lady in our church who became a great friend to me and we were married a few years later. Jesus enabled me to find a job where I could help people be rehabilitated and free from drugs. I moved on to working with vulnerable adults helping them move into and maintain their own accommodation. Recently I have been promoted to manage a temporary accommodation service. This involves me overseeing the running of three homeless hostels. I used to live in a hostel; I now help to run three of them! This is the impact that Jesus has had on my life.

My wife and I are now happily married, have two amazing children and live in a lovely home. Jesus has completely changed and restored my life far beyond what I could have ever asked for or imagined. Whatever your life story so far, He can change your life too – for good!

Gary

In 2003, I had a seizure, was diagnosed with epilepsy and started taking daily medication. Over the next few years I had several full seizures, and after each one I couldn’t drive for a year. Everyday I would get symptoms like twitching, feeling sick, going blank mid-conversation and completely forgetting what I had just said.

At the end of a church meeting in June 2008, God spoke to me really clearly and told me not to dash away because He wanted to heal me of epilepsy. At the same time God spoke to one of our church leaders who announced in the meeting that God wanted to heal someone who had epilepsy and was on medication. My hand shot into the air and I went to the front of the meeting so I could be prayed for.

Two ladies from the church prayed for me and God completely healed me of epilepsy. I haven’t had a single symptom since then, even though there have been situations where in the past I would have experienced physical symptoms.

God’s timing was amazing. My husband and I wanted to have another baby and the drugs I was taking would not be good during early pregnancy. So that month I was to finish my 8-month medication programme, which meant I could have suffered symptoms.

God is really good and as if healing me of epilepsy wasn’t enough, He did more! The same two ladies that prayed for my epilepsy also prayed that I wouldn’t have any problems having children in the future. With our first child, Noah, we had 10 lots of fertility treatment over two years. Standard IVF didn’t work for us because of the medication involved. God spoke to one of the ladies who told me I would have a baby within a year.

God doesn’t lie and always follows through on what He says. Within two months I was pregnant, having had no fertility treatment whatsoever! My husband and I were absolutely delighted with the arrival of our second boy, Theo which means ‘a gift of God’.

We have two miracle children, and not a day goes by that we aren’t grateful to God for his love and kindness to us. God is so good!

Emma

In Nigeria, I was raised in a church-going family, went to Christian schools, read the Bible, was baptised in water and took part in Christian activities. I did all these things, but I didn’t know Jesus.

I lived life on my own terms, thinking it was normal and I was plagued with wasteful spending. My earnings as a medical doctor went into a bag with holes. I was bearing grudges, blaming destiny, and wondering if my life on earth had a purpose as I felt tossed about.

I started going to church more, but I was comparing myself with those who preached, thinking their lives were no better than mine, if not worse. I read books on eastern and western philosophies, positive thinking and magnetism. You name it, I read it, but I still found no solution.

At the age of 37 I met someone who made me realise I was living a life that wasn’t best for me and didn’t please God, a sinful life. I realised Jesus is real and alive, and if I stopped living life on my own terms and followed him He would take away my sin, heal my finances and give me peace.

I committed to following Jesus in all areas of my life and was filled with joy and peace in a way only Jesus can do. The Bible came alive to me and I discovered that it is God’s love letter to lost people like me. I realised I was created to fulfil God’s purpose on the earth and so is everyone else. My heart was not filled with bitterness and grudges anymore. I realised I needed to deal with my finances responsibly and honour God with them.

Soon after, my wife also committed to following Jesus and our marriage became strong because it had Jesus as the foundation. I realised I needed to love her like Jesus loves me. She is precious to me and together we have brought up three wonderful children and have seen them come to know and follow Jesus.

Over time God spoke to us about a change of environment and to move abroad to Manchester. Although it was difficult to find employment as I needed to do two professional exams to practice, Jesus was faithful and against all odds He provided a job for me. We now don’t have any lack. Praise God!

Anietie

I grew up in a Christian family, went to church all my life, got baptised in water and participated in Christian activities, but I didn’t know God. Church to me was routine and a social activity. I wasn’t even sure Jesus was real.

I came to Manchester at 18 for university, and it was a difficult time. I found it hard to make friends and became very lonely, confused and depressed. A flatmate invited me to church but I only went occasionally.

I was more interested in going to clubs, having fun and trying new things, but they didn’t make me happy. I soon spent my time drinking alcohol and pursuing relationships. By the second year of university I had completely messed up and didn’t know what to do with myself.

One afternoon I woke up and God spoke to me saying: “I will take care of you.” I knew it was God even though I had never heard Him speak before. I didn’t think God knew what I was going through but He did and He wanted to help me. That afternoon, I committed to following Him and decided to stop living life my own way. I let Him take charge and allowed Him to do what He said He would.

When I lived my own way I was stubborn, rebellious, filled with low self-esteem and self-hate. I did things that damaged my life. Jesus freed me from my bitterness and problems.

I had to face the consequences of the bad decisions I had made, but He helped me to overcome the issues. I started having a sense of right and wrong and lost the desires for the things I once liked that damaged my life. God placed me in a church who are my family. They love me, encourage me and pray for me; it is more than just routine.

God did not bring me to Manchester to mess up and be a failure. Last summer I graduated with a 2:1 in my degree. He also provided thousands of pounds for me to train in journalism and gain experience with the Manchester Evening News, the Guardian and the BBC. It’s more than I could have hoped for or dared to imagine.

Deciding to stop living life my own way and to follow Jesus, is the best thing I have ever done. Without Him, I had nothing. With Jesus, I have everything.

Wan Phing