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This is a blog created for those of us that are Pentecostal living with HIV/AIDS. Please feel free to express yourself whether it be a prayer request, testimony, talk about medications, spiritual growth or anything else that may be on your mind. The purpose is to connect with others and hopefully support each other.
My name is Angel. I am HIV+ and I am Pentecostal. I am 29 years old and live in Louisiana, USA. At 10 years old my family became Pentecostal then we all backslid when I was 13 years old. During my teenage years I became very depressed and began using drugs. Eventually I ended up with an addiction to crack-cocaine for several years. Seven rehabs later and three arrests later for possession of cocaine I finally began seeking God to help me overcome my addiction. I got baptized in Jesus name and refilled with the Holy Ghost with the evidence of speaking in tongues according to ACTS 2:38 in the Bible. It was an awesome experience!! I began living a life clean and started building my relationship with God. Six months after that I was diagnosed with HIV and Hepatitis B. Now it has been over 6 years since my new life has began. I am in college, working part time and singing in the choir at the Pentecostals of Alexandria. I am happier than ever!! My T-cell count is over 1000 and my viral load is undetectable!! I am taking Norvir, Truvada and Reyataz. Please respond to me something about yourself.
Angel
My name is John and I too, am HIV positive and I’m Pentecostal. I’m 43 years old and found out I was positive in June of 1994. As of the last blood work, my Tcell count was 297 and my viral load was 15,000 but the viral load is high due to me being on the third med change this year. I am third generation Pentecostal but I backslid in my late teens and came out into the gay lifestyle. Along with the lifestyle came the drugs and I always said I could control them until I tried crystal meth. Within a year I had gone from snorting the stuff to using a needle. The sad part of this is I started using after HIV destoyed my immune system in 2001 and I was sent home from Ft Lauderdale to Ohio to die. I look back on it and now know God wasn’t done with me and I’m more than thankful He didn’t take me out because I would have died a sinner, lost and on my way to hell.
On January 28th of 2008 I found myself at an altar repenting of all my sins. One week later, on a sunday morning I was refilled with the Holy Ghost with evidence of speaking in tongues and that night I was baptized in Jesus Name for the remission of sins…to say my life changed is a gross understatement! Since Feb 3rd I’ve seen many miracles one being watching my now exboyfriend also repenting, being filled with the Holy Ghost and baptized in Jesus Name. We both attend the same church, Abundant Life Apostolic Church (UPCI) which is in Sidney, Ohio.
At the moment I take Norvir, Presitza,and Truvada. The Drs thought ealier this year I had chronic Hepatitis or worse, Liver Cancer. I had our church lay hands on me after several tests and the next couple rounds of tests found nothing and there is no one who can tell me the lab messed up. It was Jesus Christ and His Healing touch that intervened! I’m active in our church as the webmaster and IT guy and I built and now maintain a 70 plus site that recently won an award from Indiana Bible College. My pastor and others in our church (we are a small church compared to brother Mangun’s) know about my status and love me just the same. I was put on medical disability back in 2000 because of the HIV and now I’m going to college because I’m doing alot better and I want to return to work preferably in a ministry of some kind. In our church, there are two of us who are positive. I hope this blog networks not just Angel and myself but everyone else who are Apostolic Pentecostal who live with HIV.
John http://abundantlifeapostolicchurch.org
Hi my name is Jeffrey Zahn, and I am happy to see this blog come to fruition!!!
I am HIV positive (3 years now), also Apostolic/Pentecostal. I contracted this disease through I.V. drug use. I was using a dirty needle while shooting Crystal Meth before I was baptised in Jesus name and began going to church. I attend Abundant Life Apostolic Church in Sidney Ohio, where the Pastor, Mike Garber, has been litterally a Godsend.I informed him of my past the first day I came into the church, he, to my surprise, never chastised me for my previous life and is there whenever and for whatever I need him for.
I am not on meds right now, but had been for 2 years and am doing fairloy well without them. My viral load is undetectable and my t-cells are higher than a person without HIV.
God has worked wonders on me as I have M.S. and have had few relapses from that since attending church as well.
I actually went in on a walker one service, they prayed for me, and by the end of service, I CARRIED the walker to the car. I have not needed it since!
Praise be to God.
Jeffrey Zahn
Sidney Ohio
I am so glad the 2 of you are here!! I enjoyed reading your testimonies!! It has inspired me. Hopefully we will have the opportunity to read more and meet others. I also have a wonderful church family and am a proud member of the Pentecostals of Alexandria in Louisiana. Brother Anthony Mangu8n and Sister Mickey Mangun have helped my growtth so much and I am greatful for them. I wanted to share something that has helped me alot…recently i have joined a 24/7 gym that I can go to whenever I want and exercise…it is motivating me to get into better shape. I also take vitamins and drink plenty of green tea. Staying active in ministry and in life has helped me in dealing with being HIV+. The Bible says that we house the Holy Ghost, meaning that we house His Spirit ….we are the temple and we should treat our bodies the way God wants us to…with TLC.
I try my best to do that and I have noticed that my labwork is good when I am balanced and healthy. Remember, we have to love ourselves the way that God loves us. One thing that I have had to deal with is a process of forgiving myself for being HIV+. Because of my addiction I was a prostitute and that was how I caught the virus…this has caused me to be very angry at myself for the choices I made in the past. I fight the guilt sometimes still. But God has forgiven me and I must move forward. So, I am determined to not allow the devil to take up anymore of my time. I do my best to not dwell on my past negatively. Some days are better than others. But we are not alone. There are 3 of us so far and I believe that if we pray for each other and stay connected in unity we can support each other…especially since we are brothers and sisters in Christ. We belong to the same body. Bless you In Jesus Name and keep the comments coming!!
angelena cortello
Sis..and Bro Jeff,
We will have the oppurtunity to meet others and hear their stories because we three are NOT alone.I knew you were a part of a great family down there in Louisiana cause the Manguns ROCK! I agree excercising and watching what you eat and drink will make HUGE inroads towards good health. I tested positive in 1994 and by all rights I should be gone so I’m gonna add faith and spirituality to the list. Even as a sinner, I KNEW God kept His hand on me for some unknown reason even though at times I begged to die. Don’t get me wrong, I’m glad God didn’t listen to me because my life has changed dramatically in so many ways since coming to the Lord and like you Sis, Both Jeff and I have a wonderful little church we call home! I sit here before sunday morning service thanking Him for all His goodness and His grace.
Angelena..we ALL came short and our past is just that, the past. The devil wants to isolate us and remind us of things we have done but when Jesus sees us He sees NOTHING BUT THE BLOOD..period. If Jesus can forgive you or me, then we need to forgive ourselves and others! Without a doubt, all three of us have made bad choices in life. But Jesus is there to hold our hands, even carry us awhile in we need it! Don’t feel alone any longer when the past comes back to haunt you. You have Jeff, myself and most of all Jesus and we will all hold your hand and carry you till you can walk it on your own two feet!
You have a determined spirit about you and that is what its gonna take to make it. NOw the three of us are a little stronger because not only do we have Jesus, our home churches, we also have one another to lean on. The devil is a liar and wants nothing more to dig his claws back into each of us and pull us back to where we were or worse! So in Jesus Name I rebuke the devil and all his little minions…we three stand on the rock and nothing in hell will prevail against us by the authority of Jesus Christ!
Your crazy ONE GOD tongue talkin Brother and friend
John
I do not have HIV or Aids, never did drugs or whatever but still was a sinner & needed salvation. I am Juish & praised God I found it (salvation) in Jesus the Messiah.
“Pentecostals are psycho. I know, I was raised as one. The pentecostals I grew up with were extremely racist, homophobic, bigoted people. They are hypocrites by design. They’ll seem very nice…just don’t cross them. They are wolves in sheeps clothing…… Sarah’s (Palin) church also has an “ex-gay ministry”. There’s so much and yet so little to say about that sort of lunacy. It destroys lives….”
What has been your experience with Pentecostals in your respective Church? Are Pentecostals really psycho, homophobic, bigoted etc..?
I pray this blog gets lots of traffic & will visit it often to pray for you all. Blessings, Jocelyne.
I HOPE EVERYONE IS DOING WELL. I AM GREAT!! STAYING BUSY!! JOHN-I ENJOYED YOUR TESTIMONY SO MUCH AND HOPE THAT MANY WILL HEAR IT !! ALOT OF TIMES WHEN I THINK ABOUT HOW I CAUGHT HIV, WHICH WAS THROUGH PROSTITUTION…IT AMAZES ME OF HOW GOD CAN TURN EVERYTHING AROUND!! I WAS IN SUCH THICK DARKNESS BUT GOD PULLED ME OUT BY CAUSING ME TO BE TIRED OF LIVING THE WAY I WAS LIVING. THE WORLD OF PROSTITUTION IS A VERY DARK WORLD OF GROSS SIN…..AND ANYTHING GOES WHEN YOU ARE INVOLVED WITH THAT, IF YOU KNOW WHAT I MEAN. I DO NOT MISS IT AT ALL!!! I TOO AM SOLD OUT TO JEUS AND DO NOT WANT TO LIVE ANY OTHER WAY. IT HAS BEEN SIX YEARS SINCE THEN AND AT TIMES I DO NOT RECOGNIZE MYSELF AT ALL. BUT JESUS SAVED MARY MAGDALENE AND THE HARLOTS LIKE YOU SAID. HE PUT ME UP IN A CHURCH CHOIR AND PLACED IN ME A DESIRE TO LIVE A HOLY GODLY LIFESTYLE. I AM TRULY BLESSED!! I HAVE HAD THE OPPORTUNITY TO HAVE SOME VERY SPECIAL WOMEN IN OUR CHURCH SPEND ALOT OF TIME WITH ME SPEAKING LIFE INTO ME. SPECIFICALLY ONE NAMED MARI THAT TOOK A WHOLE PART OF HER LIFE AND SACRIFICED IT TO MINISTER TO ME. SINCE THEN I HAVE BEEN DELIVERED OF ONE THING AT A TIME AS GOD REVEALS TO ME EACH AREA OF MY HEART WHERE THERE IS HIDDEN SIN AND LEADS ME TO REPENT OF IT AND NOT TURN BACK. DELIVERANCE IS A PROCESS!! MY FAVORITE BIBLE VERSE IS REVELATION 12:11 WHICH SAYS WE OVERCOME BY THE BLOOD OF THE LAMB AND BY THE WORD OF OUR TESTIMONY!! WE ALL HAVE A TESTIMONY!!! AND I PRAY THAT PEOPLE EVERYWHERE HAVE THE BOLDNESS TO SPEAK IT!! WHEN GOD FIXES SOMEBODY, HE DOES IT RIGHT! AND THAT IS EXACTLY WHAT HE HAS BEEN DOING WITH ME!!! BLESS YOU ALL IN JESUS NAME!!
K.I.T.
Jocelyne,
Sorry its taken me so long to reply to your comment. ALot of people do not understand Pentecostals because we are an emotional group and they like to label us as Holy Rollers and worse. We are actually a tight knit group and look out for one another much like a family. There are some churches out there that do give us a bad name but you can find that in every denomination. After all, we are humans and not perfect…Jesus was the only perfect man to walk this planet!
My church loves me unconditionally and while we don’t believe that the gay lifestyle is acceptable we want them to know they are welcome to come to our church. My pastor caught flak over allowing me and Jeff into the church but he stood by us and still does. Angel can speak for POA but they are a loving church from all that I know about them. I will say 20 years ago it was different. But the church is changing and not picking and choosing who should be saved..which we should have never done. Alot of churches are meeting the issue of HIV/AIDS and peole struggling with being gay head on and doing it with LOVE!
I want you to know you are welcome here and it doesn’t matter if you have HIV or not. Feel free to ask any questions and one of us will do our best to answer it. You could tell us what its like to be Jewish and discovering that Jesus is the Messiah. I hope and pray that the Word opens up for you and you discover the hidden gems in the gospels.
As for us being psycho..I say visit a Pentecostal church. All of us here are part of the United Pentecostal Church International. You can go to upci.org and there is a church locator there! Experience first hand and then I think you will find your answer if we are crazy or not! I’m a little crazy but I was that BEFORE coming to know Jesus
Angel,
The wonderful thing about God is now He only sees the BLOOD….what we did in the past is washed away and was cast as far as the East is to the West. I’m like you, there is no turning back for me and I told Jeff I know I’m home now and I have peace and joy and I’m truly happy. Thank you for taking the time to listen to my testimony and I’m looking forward to hearing yours because you have a very powerful story to tell.
You need to let Mari know about the blog and have her join us!
Your brother and Friend in Jesus
John
Angel,
I think it would be great if you shared the info on the HIV/AIDS ministry at POA. It was a huge blessing to me and I think by putting it out here on the blog, you may be able to help other churches develop something similiar or give them ideas on outreach to people living with HIV/AIDS. I know that those of us who are positive are living longer lives due to the advances of medication and its not the death sentence it once was but there still is a stigma out there about the disease. Jesus went to the lepers and ministered and healed them and I truly believe that if He ame to earth today, He would be among the HIV/AIDS community doing the same thing. We, as a church, should always strive to do what Jesus would have done. Those of us on the board should discuss the medications we are on and any side effects that goes with them. The younger generation has it in their minds that they can go out there and if they catch it a pill will make everything better. I’m all for abstinance but we need to let others know the reality of the situation. The meds are toxic waste and there are nasty side effects. The meds DO NOT cure you and NO ONE knows the long term effects of the medications. I was on AZT for 11 years in one form or another and we now know that it cause neuropathy which is a very painful disorder where the nervous system is damaged (which I have in both legs and the pain level can get to 9 or 10 on the pain scale). We also know now that AZT causes the bones to become very brittle and I know of 40 something year olds having to have hips replaced because of it. AZT is the oldest drug developed so who knows what these newer drugs are going to do to our bodies. To anyone who reads this, take heed. There is no magic pill and HIV does and will change your life. There are some people out there who are not honest about their status so its best to wait til marraige as the Bible commands and get to know the person you love and be faithful to that person.
I also invite anyone who is interested to listen to my testimony. You can go to http://abundantlifeapostolicchurch.org/septservice.aspx and scroll down to Spetember 21 and click on John Brown’s testimony. I hope and pray that it helps some one out here not to make the same decisions in life as I did and I pray it helps other who do not have the disease to reach out to those who do. This blog is bringing those who are Pentecostals and living with it together and we exist to help those who are interested reach out to those who do especially the ones who are lost. Love the way Jesus did folks..it does wonders and I’m living proof as is Jeff and Angel. I want to personally thank POA and Abundant Life Apostolic Church in Sidney, OH. You all reached out to us with Love and 3 names were added to the Lamb’s book of Life
In Jesus Name,
Bro John
hello everyone, i am doing well. i got my lab results last week and i have a t-cell of 1072 and am undetectable still!! God is good and is definitely keeping me here for some reason!! a reason that i live by moment by moment. my experiences with the hiv medications have varied.the first that i was on was combivir which cause me o be severely anemic. while i was on combivir i was in and out of the er getting blood transfusions almost every month. it made me very weak and my skin was yellow. then i was on sustiva which made me very moody and irritable. it seemed like everyday i would have a nervous breakdown on that stuff. then it also caused my liver enzymes to jump sky high. now i am on an awesome set of medications. norvir, reyataz, and truvada..it was a mission getting used to these medications but now tha i am used to it , it has been a miracleworker!! i am very pleased with this regimen.
God has been awesome to me..merciful, faithful, patient and loving me unconditionally, i am truly blessed to know Him and have a relationship with Him. He means everything to me and without Him i am nothing and can do nothing. i am greatful to my King, Lover and Lord and to my church family.
well, jeff, where are you and how are you doing?
john, i am so glad we are friends!!
and i am glad you met mari!!
angel
Angel,
I know how the meds can be and sometimes I wonder if the benefits outweigh the side effects but I’m dealing with that at the moment and it settles down. Prayer really helped this time! I was on Sustiva and the dreams on that stuff were enough to drive me nuts. We tried taking it before bed..and the dreams would wake me up and then we switched to in the morning where I became useless for 4 hours each day. God has been good to me as well. I’m happy where I’m at in life and I thank Him for the friends He has sent my way. Looking forward to meeting Mari and other here
It is difficult enough having ONE potentially fatal disease (HIV), but for some reason God blessed me with two; I also have M.S.!
So when I get ill I don’t know which auto-immune disease it is, which makes it quite tricky when being sure what is causing it. My Dr. says that as far as he knows I am the first and onlyu case that has had the two.
However I go to school as often as I can, which is 80% of the time. I can’t work-Ihavre tried numerous times and it lasts for a week or so and then I succumb to exhaustion.
I urge those of you that CAN hold a job to do so for the simple reason you can’t live on disability only.
Yes I would love to work (I know, most people dream of retirement), all I have to say about that is this- -BED CAREFUL WHAT YOU DREAM OF OR ASK GOD FOR!!!! The grass is never greener on the other side.
I get 871.00 a month on disability and some days I can’t afford to eat luvkily I have been able to make it on one meal (if you can call it that) a day, and in the state of Ohio I am not eligible for food stamps because they say I make too much money a month.
Sorry this is such a downer entry but I guess I am just feeling sorry for myself.
I went and read City Woof’s blog. While obviously I dont agree with his perception of Pentecostals, back in the day it was common for some one who was gay with negativity. I dealt with it myself when I went out into the gay lifestyle. We don’t need to argue over this because arguing or debating isn’t going to do either side any good. Love is what will make the difference. I’m sorry he went through the bad experince and I hope we as Pentecostal have become more loving when it comes to gays or HIV because we need to think on how Jesus would have dealt with it. While I’m sure this might become fodder for anyone out there, I’m done with that part of my life and I’m more happy now than I ever was. Will I pray for City Woof? YES and I do hope one day He does find his way back to God. I know this doesn’t match up to what gays believe but God can and does change people and I’m living proof and I’m not the only one. I no longer have any desire to be a part of that community. As always we must meet anyone with Love. Judgement belongs to God..PERIOD! I’m exgay and yeah I know they do not believe its possible but it is!
jeff,
i am glad you have rejoined us. i hope you are having a better week this week. i can only imagine what it is like to deal with 2 major things in your life to deal with. just know that you have the support of john and i and tha our prayers are with you. i have been diagnosed with hepatitis b and hiv. i also have a history of being in and out of mental institutions for bipolar disorder. however, i do know that God can renew a right mind and i am on only 2 medications now for that…adderall and risperdal. the risperdal slows my thinking down so that my mind is not dealing with racing thoughts to where i cannot sleep and adderall helps me focus a little better.
i cannot relate to ms but i can relate to having multiple problems other that hiv. i hope that God will heal you totally of everything and that your church family can encourage you when you are down. i will say his..that not everyone will be able to relate to you but Godfully understands every part of your being…mind, body, and spirit. and God is still a healer. nothing is impossible for Him or too hard for Him!! Keep your head up and keep us updated here a he blog so ha we can continue to pray for you and so that we will not worry. God bless you in your journey!!!
angel
Hi guys (and gals)
LOL
I am doing better had a horrific cold this week, had to cancel 2 dr. appointments due to the long drive..it was not feasable to be able to do.
John recieved an email from a man by the name of Keith who is also HIV positive down Angels way, he found the site and was thankful for it.
See good things CAN come to every people!!
I hope he tells his story here, to give others strength. I personaly don’t feel comfortable telling others story so I pray he leaves a comment on the page.
Jeff
September 19, 2008 at 2:56 am |
This is a blog created for those of us that are Pentecostal living with HIV/AIDS. Please feel free to express yourself whether it be a prayer request, testimony, talk about medications, spiritual growth or anything else that may be on your mind. The purpose is to connect with others and hopefully support each other.
My name is Angel. I am HIV+ and I am Pentecostal. I am 29 years old and live in Louisiana, USA. At 10 years old my family became Pentecostal then we all backslid when I was 13 years old. During my teenage years I became very depressed and began using drugs. Eventually I ended up with an addiction to crack-cocaine for several years. Seven rehabs later and three arrests later for possession of cocaine I finally began seeking God to help me overcome my addiction. I got baptized in Jesus name and refilled with the Holy Ghost with the evidence of speaking in tongues according to ACTS 2:38 in the Bible. It was an awesome experience!! I began living a life clean and started building my relationship with God. Six months after that I was diagnosed with HIV and Hepatitis B. Now it has been over 6 years since my new life has began. I am in college, working part time and singing in the choir at the Pentecostals of Alexandria. I am happier than ever!! My T-cell count is over 1000 and my viral load is undetectable!! I am taking Norvir, Truvada and Reyataz. Please respond to me something about yourself.
Angel
September 19, 2008 at 11:13 pm |
My name is John and I too, am HIV positive and I’m Pentecostal. I’m 43 years old and found out I was positive in June of 1994. As of the last blood work, my Tcell count was 297 and my viral load was 15,000 but the viral load is high due to me being on the third med change this year. I am third generation Pentecostal but I backslid in my late teens and came out into the gay lifestyle. Along with the lifestyle came the drugs and I always said I could control them until I tried crystal meth. Within a year I had gone from snorting the stuff to using a needle. The sad part of this is I started using after HIV destoyed my immune system in 2001 and I was sent home from Ft Lauderdale to Ohio to die. I look back on it and now know God wasn’t done with me and I’m more than thankful He didn’t take me out because I would have died a sinner, lost and on my way to hell.
On January 28th of 2008 I found myself at an altar repenting of all my sins. One week later, on a sunday morning I was refilled with the Holy Ghost with evidence of speaking in tongues and that night I was baptized in Jesus Name for the remission of sins…to say my life changed is a gross understatement! Since Feb 3rd I’ve seen many miracles one being watching my now exboyfriend also repenting, being filled with the Holy Ghost and baptized in Jesus Name. We both attend the same church, Abundant Life Apostolic Church (UPCI) which is in Sidney, Ohio.
At the moment I take Norvir, Presitza,and Truvada. The Drs thought ealier this year I had chronic Hepatitis or worse, Liver Cancer. I had our church lay hands on me after several tests and the next couple rounds of tests found nothing and there is no one who can tell me the lab messed up. It was Jesus Christ and His Healing touch that intervened! I’m active in our church as the webmaster and IT guy and I built and now maintain a 70 plus site that recently won an award from Indiana Bible College. My pastor and others in our church (we are a small church compared to brother Mangun’s) know about my status and love me just the same. I was put on medical disability back in 2000 because of the HIV and now I’m going to college because I’m doing alot better and I want to return to work preferably in a ministry of some kind. In our church, there are two of us who are positive. I hope this blog networks not just Angel and myself but everyone else who are Apostolic Pentecostal who live with HIV.
John
http://abundantlifeapostolicchurch.org
September 20, 2008 at 1:53 pm |
Hi my name is Jeffrey Zahn, and I am happy to see this blog come to fruition!!!
I am HIV positive (3 years now), also Apostolic/Pentecostal. I contracted this disease through I.V. drug use. I was using a dirty needle while shooting Crystal Meth before I was baptised in Jesus name and began going to church. I attend Abundant Life Apostolic Church in Sidney Ohio, where the Pastor, Mike Garber, has been litterally a Godsend.I informed him of my past the first day I came into the church, he, to my surprise, never chastised me for my previous life and is there whenever and for whatever I need him for.
I am not on meds right now, but had been for 2 years and am doing fairloy well without them. My viral load is undetectable and my t-cells are higher than a person without HIV.
God has worked wonders on me as I have M.S. and have had few relapses from that since attending church as well.
I actually went in on a walker one service, they prayed for me, and by the end of service, I CARRIED the walker to the car. I have not needed it since!
Praise be to God.
Jeffrey Zahn
Sidney Ohio
September 21, 2008 at 5:09 am |
I am so glad the 2 of you are here!! I enjoyed reading your testimonies!! It has inspired me. Hopefully we will have the opportunity to read more and meet others. I also have a wonderful church family and am a proud member of the Pentecostals of Alexandria in Louisiana. Brother Anthony Mangu8n and Sister Mickey Mangun have helped my growtth so much and I am greatful for them. I wanted to share something that has helped me alot…recently i have joined a 24/7 gym that I can go to whenever I want and exercise…it is motivating me to get into better shape. I also take vitamins and drink plenty of green tea. Staying active in ministry and in life has helped me in dealing with being HIV+. The Bible says that we house the Holy Ghost, meaning that we house His Spirit ….we are the temple and we should treat our bodies the way God wants us to…with TLC.
I try my best to do that and I have noticed that my labwork is good when I am balanced and healthy. Remember, we have to love ourselves the way that God loves us. One thing that I have had to deal with is a process of forgiving myself for being HIV+. Because of my addiction I was a prostitute and that was how I caught the virus…this has caused me to be very angry at myself for the choices I made in the past. I fight the guilt sometimes still. But God has forgiven me and I must move forward. So, I am determined to not allow the devil to take up anymore of my time. I do my best to not dwell on my past negatively. Some days are better than others. But we are not alone. There are 3 of us so far and I believe that if we pray for each other and stay connected in unity we can support each other…especially since we are brothers and sisters in Christ. We belong to the same body. Bless you In Jesus Name and keep the comments coming!!
angelena cortello
September 21, 2008 at 12:59 pm |
Sis..and Bro Jeff,
We will have the oppurtunity to meet others and hear their stories because we three are NOT alone.I knew you were a part of a great family down there in Louisiana cause the Manguns ROCK! I agree excercising and watching what you eat and drink will make HUGE inroads towards good health. I tested positive in 1994 and by all rights I should be gone so I’m gonna add faith and spirituality to the list. Even as a sinner, I KNEW God kept His hand on me for some unknown reason even though at times I begged to die. Don’t get me wrong, I’m glad God didn’t listen to me because my life has changed dramatically in so many ways since coming to the Lord and like you Sis, Both Jeff and I have a wonderful little church we call home! I sit here before sunday morning service thanking Him for all His goodness and His grace.
Angelena..we ALL came short and our past is just that, the past. The devil wants to isolate us and remind us of things we have done but when Jesus sees us He sees NOTHING BUT THE BLOOD..period. If Jesus can forgive you or me, then we need to forgive ourselves and others! Without a doubt, all three of us have made bad choices in life. But Jesus is there to hold our hands, even carry us awhile in we need it! Don’t feel alone any longer when the past comes back to haunt you. You have Jeff, myself and most of all Jesus and we will all hold your hand and carry you till you can walk it on your own two feet!
You have a determined spirit about you and that is what its gonna take to make it. NOw the three of us are a little stronger because not only do we have Jesus, our home churches, we also have one another to lean on. The devil is a liar and wants nothing more to dig his claws back into each of us and pull us back to where we were or worse! So in Jesus Name I rebuke the devil and all his little minions…we three stand on the rock and nothing in hell will prevail against us by the authority of Jesus Christ!
Your crazy ONE GOD tongue talkin Brother and friend
John
September 22, 2008 at 5:11 pm |
Hi everyone!
I do not have HIV or Aids, never did drugs or whatever but still was a sinner & needed salvation. I am Juish & praised God I found it (salvation) in Jesus the Messiah.
I was looking for this site & ended up on a vitriolic blog/post (http://citywoof.com/2008/09/09/pentecostals-scary-sarah/) from a poor soul, full of hate, bitterness, sad individual who wrote & I quote:
“Pentecostals are psycho. I know, I was raised as one. The pentecostals I grew up with were extremely racist, homophobic, bigoted people. They are hypocrites by design. They’ll seem very nice…just don’t cross them. They are wolves in sheeps clothing…… Sarah’s (Palin) church also has an “ex-gay ministry”. There’s so much and yet so little to say about that sort of lunacy. It destroys lives….”
What has been your experience with Pentecostals in your respective Church? Are Pentecostals really psycho, homophobic, bigoted etc..?
I pray this blog gets lots of traffic & will visit it often to pray for you all. Blessings, Jocelyne.
September 23, 2008 at 5:43 am |
I HOPE EVERYONE IS DOING WELL. I AM GREAT!! STAYING BUSY!! JOHN-I ENJOYED YOUR TESTIMONY SO MUCH AND HOPE THAT MANY WILL HEAR IT !! ALOT OF TIMES WHEN I THINK ABOUT HOW I CAUGHT HIV, WHICH WAS THROUGH PROSTITUTION…IT AMAZES ME OF HOW GOD CAN TURN EVERYTHING AROUND!! I WAS IN SUCH THICK DARKNESS BUT GOD PULLED ME OUT BY CAUSING ME TO BE TIRED OF LIVING THE WAY I WAS LIVING. THE WORLD OF PROSTITUTION IS A VERY DARK WORLD OF GROSS SIN…..AND ANYTHING GOES WHEN YOU ARE INVOLVED WITH THAT, IF YOU KNOW WHAT I MEAN. I DO NOT MISS IT AT ALL!!! I TOO AM SOLD OUT TO JEUS AND DO NOT WANT TO LIVE ANY OTHER WAY. IT HAS BEEN SIX YEARS SINCE THEN AND AT TIMES I DO NOT RECOGNIZE MYSELF AT ALL. BUT JESUS SAVED MARY MAGDALENE AND THE HARLOTS LIKE YOU SAID. HE PUT ME UP IN A CHURCH CHOIR AND PLACED IN ME A DESIRE TO LIVE A HOLY GODLY LIFESTYLE. I AM TRULY BLESSED!! I HAVE HAD THE OPPORTUNITY TO HAVE SOME VERY SPECIAL WOMEN IN OUR CHURCH SPEND ALOT OF TIME WITH ME SPEAKING LIFE INTO ME. SPECIFICALLY ONE NAMED MARI THAT TOOK A WHOLE PART OF HER LIFE AND SACRIFICED IT TO MINISTER TO ME. SINCE THEN I HAVE BEEN DELIVERED OF ONE THING AT A TIME AS GOD REVEALS TO ME EACH AREA OF MY HEART WHERE THERE IS HIDDEN SIN AND LEADS ME TO REPENT OF IT AND NOT TURN BACK. DELIVERANCE IS A PROCESS!! MY FAVORITE BIBLE VERSE IS REVELATION 12:11 WHICH SAYS WE OVERCOME BY THE BLOOD OF THE LAMB AND BY THE WORD OF OUR TESTIMONY!! WE ALL HAVE A TESTIMONY!!! AND I PRAY THAT PEOPLE EVERYWHERE HAVE THE BOLDNESS TO SPEAK IT!! WHEN GOD FIXES SOMEBODY, HE DOES IT RIGHT! AND THAT IS EXACTLY WHAT HE HAS BEEN DOING WITH ME!!! BLESS YOU ALL IN JESUS NAME!!
K.I.T.
September 26, 2008 at 6:02 pm |
Jocelyne,
Sorry its taken me so long to reply to your comment. ALot of people do not understand Pentecostals because we are an emotional group and they like to label us as Holy Rollers and worse. We are actually a tight knit group and look out for one another much like a family. There are some churches out there that do give us a bad name but you can find that in every denomination. After all, we are humans and not perfect…Jesus was the only perfect man to walk this planet!
My church loves me unconditionally and while we don’t believe that the gay lifestyle is acceptable we want them to know they are welcome to come to our church. My pastor caught flak over allowing me and Jeff into the church but he stood by us and still does. Angel can speak for POA but they are a loving church from all that I know about them. I will say 20 years ago it was different. But the church is changing and not picking and choosing who should be saved..which we should have never done. Alot of churches are meeting the issue of HIV/AIDS and peole struggling with being gay head on and doing it with LOVE!
I want you to know you are welcome here and it doesn’t matter if you have HIV or not. Feel free to ask any questions and one of us will do our best to answer it. You could tell us what its like to be Jewish and discovering that Jesus is the Messiah. I hope and pray that the Word opens up for you and you discover the hidden gems in the gospels.
As for us being psycho..I say visit a Pentecostal church. All of us here are part of the United Pentecostal Church International. You can go to upci.org and there is a church locator there! Experience first hand and then I think you will find your answer if we are crazy or not! I’m a little crazy but I was that BEFORE coming to know Jesus
September 26, 2008 at 6:06 pm |
Angel,
The wonderful thing about God is now He only sees the BLOOD….what we did in the past is washed away and was cast as far as the East is to the West. I’m like you, there is no turning back for me and I told Jeff I know I’m home now and I have peace and joy and I’m truly happy. Thank you for taking the time to listen to my testimony and I’m looking forward to hearing yours because you have a very powerful story to tell.
You need to let Mari know about the blog and have her join us!
Your brother and Friend in Jesus
John
September 27, 2008 at 12:58 am |
Angel,
I think it would be great if you shared the info on the HIV/AIDS ministry at POA. It was a huge blessing to me and I think by putting it out here on the blog, you may be able to help other churches develop something similiar or give them ideas on outreach to people living with HIV/AIDS. I know that those of us who are positive are living longer lives due to the advances of medication and its not the death sentence it once was but there still is a stigma out there about the disease. Jesus went to the lepers and ministered and healed them and I truly believe that if He ame to earth today, He would be among the HIV/AIDS community doing the same thing. We, as a church, should always strive to do what Jesus would have done. Those of us on the board should discuss the medications we are on and any side effects that goes with them. The younger generation has it in their minds that they can go out there and if they catch it a pill will make everything better. I’m all for abstinance but we need to let others know the reality of the situation. The meds are toxic waste and there are nasty side effects. The meds DO NOT cure you and NO ONE knows the long term effects of the medications. I was on AZT for 11 years in one form or another and we now know that it cause neuropathy which is a very painful disorder where the nervous system is damaged (which I have in both legs and the pain level can get to 9 or 10 on the pain scale). We also know now that AZT causes the bones to become very brittle and I know of 40 something year olds having to have hips replaced because of it. AZT is the oldest drug developed so who knows what these newer drugs are going to do to our bodies. To anyone who reads this, take heed. There is no magic pill and HIV does and will change your life. There are some people out there who are not honest about their status so its best to wait til marraige as the Bible commands and get to know the person you love and be faithful to that person.
I also invite anyone who is interested to listen to my testimony. You can go to http://abundantlifeapostolicchurch.org/septservice.aspx and scroll down to Spetember 21 and click on John Brown’s testimony. I hope and pray that it helps some one out here not to make the same decisions in life as I did and I pray it helps other who do not have the disease to reach out to those who do. This blog is bringing those who are Pentecostals and living with it together and we exist to help those who are interested reach out to those who do especially the ones who are lost. Love the way Jesus did folks..it does wonders and I’m living proof as is Jeff and Angel. I want to personally thank POA and Abundant Life Apostolic Church in Sidney, OH. You all reached out to us with Love and 3 names were added to the Lamb’s book of Life
In Jesus Name,
Bro John
October 1, 2008 at 9:23 pm |
hello everyone, i am doing well. i got my lab results last week and i have a t-cell of 1072 and am undetectable still!! God is good and is definitely keeping me here for some reason!! a reason that i live by moment by moment. my experiences with the hiv medications have varied.the first that i was on was combivir which cause me o be severely anemic. while i was on combivir i was in and out of the er getting blood transfusions almost every month. it made me very weak and my skin was yellow. then i was on sustiva which made me very moody and irritable. it seemed like everyday i would have a nervous breakdown on that stuff. then it also caused my liver enzymes to jump sky high. now i am on an awesome set of medications. norvir, reyataz, and truvada..it was a mission getting used to these medications but now tha i am used to it , it has been a miracleworker!! i am very pleased with this regimen.
God has been awesome to me..merciful, faithful, patient and loving me unconditionally, i am truly blessed to know Him and have a relationship with Him. He means everything to me and without Him i am nothing and can do nothing. i am greatful to my King, Lover and Lord and to my church family.
well, jeff, where are you and how are you doing?
john, i am so glad we are friends!!
and i am glad you met mari!!
angel
October 2, 2008 at 3:32 am |
City Woof..not sure what you are talking about. Could you please clarify
October 2, 2008 at 3:49 am |
Angel,
I know how the meds can be and sometimes I wonder if the benefits outweigh the side effects but I’m dealing with that at the moment and it settles down. Prayer really helped this time! I was on Sustiva and the dreams on that stuff were enough to drive me nuts. We tried taking it before bed..and the dreams would wake me up and then we switched to in the morning where I became useless for 4 hours each day. God has been good to me as well. I’m happy where I’m at in life and I thank Him for the friends He has sent my way. Looking forward to meeting Mari and other here
October 2, 2008 at 3:51 am |
It is difficult enough having ONE potentially fatal disease (HIV), but for some reason God blessed me with two; I also have M.S.!
So when I get ill I don’t know which auto-immune disease it is, which makes it quite tricky when being sure what is causing it. My Dr. says that as far as he knows I am the first and onlyu case that has had the two.
However I go to school as often as I can, which is 80% of the time. I can’t work-Ihavre tried numerous times and it lasts for a week or so and then I succumb to exhaustion.
I urge those of you that CAN hold a job to do so for the simple reason you can’t live on disability only.
Yes I would love to work (I know, most people dream of retirement), all I have to say about that is this- -BED CAREFUL WHAT YOU DREAM OF OR ASK GOD FOR!!!! The grass is never greener on the other side.
I get 871.00 a month on disability and some days I can’t afford to eat luvkily I have been able to make it on one meal (if you can call it that) a day, and in the state of Ohio I am not eligible for food stamps because they say I make too much money a month.
Sorry this is such a downer entry but I guess I am just feeling sorry for myself.
October 2, 2008 at 4:01 am |
I went and read City Woof’s blog. While obviously I dont agree with his perception of Pentecostals, back in the day it was common for some one who was gay with negativity. I dealt with it myself when I went out into the gay lifestyle. We don’t need to argue over this because arguing or debating isn’t going to do either side any good. Love is what will make the difference. I’m sorry he went through the bad experince and I hope we as Pentecostal have become more loving when it comes to gays or HIV because we need to think on how Jesus would have dealt with it. While I’m sure this might become fodder for anyone out there, I’m done with that part of my life and I’m more happy now than I ever was. Will I pray for City Woof? YES and I do hope one day He does find his way back to God. I know this doesn’t match up to what gays believe but God can and does change people and I’m living proof and I’m not the only one. I no longer have any desire to be a part of that community. As always we must meet anyone with Love. Judgement belongs to God..PERIOD! I’m exgay and yeah I know they do not believe its possible but it is!
October 7, 2008 at 10:30 pm |
jeff,
i am glad you have rejoined us. i hope you are having a better week this week. i can only imagine what it is like to deal with 2 major things in your life to deal with. just know that you have the support of john and i and tha our prayers are with you. i have been diagnosed with hepatitis b and hiv. i also have a history of being in and out of mental institutions for bipolar disorder. however, i do know that God can renew a right mind and i am on only 2 medications now for that…adderall and risperdal. the risperdal slows my thinking down so that my mind is not dealing with racing thoughts to where i cannot sleep and adderall helps me focus a little better.
i cannot relate to ms but i can relate to having multiple problems other that hiv. i hope that God will heal you totally of everything and that your church family can encourage you when you are down. i will say his..that not everyone will be able to relate to you but Godfully understands every part of your being…mind, body, and spirit. and God is still a healer. nothing is impossible for Him or too hard for Him!! Keep your head up and keep us updated here a he blog so ha we can continue to pray for you and so that we will not worry. God bless you in your journey!!!
angel
November 1, 2008 at 3:29 pm |
Hi guys (and gals)
LOL
I am doing better had a horrific cold this week, had to cancel 2 dr. appointments due to the long drive..it was not feasable to be able to do.
John recieved an email from a man by the name of Keith who is also HIV positive down Angels way, he found the site and was thankful for it.
See good things CAN come to every people!!
I hope he tells his story here, to give others strength. I personaly don’t feel comfortable telling others story so I pray he leaves a comment on the page.
Jeff