You could call my conversion experience as a comeback from a backsliding state, but the reason why I don’t refer to it that way is because, as of the time of my first encounter with Christ prior to this time in 1984, the experience though very real and genuine but did not last long before I went back deeper into sin and eventually got hooked up with cocaine/heroin business and addiction to these deadly hard substances (and others) which almost took my life. On the other hand, the welcome voices I heard from that dream encounter that says that I am back later makes meaning to me that I was actually in a backsliding state because while I was following multitude to trace the direction of the music, ‘the Voice’ said that I know where the song is coming from (meaning, from the Heavenly Church). Connecting that with the welcome greetings in Heaven, this conclusion was made.

           The following morning after the dream which was on a Sunday, I decided to look for a church I could attend because “Praise the Lord!” “He is back” that I heard from the dream is not a language from the Mosque or any other religious group other than the church. The person I was sharing a room with eventually agreed to lead me to a church but I had no particular denomination in mind to attend. Surprisingly, the first church we visited that morning happens to be one of the branches of the Deeper Christian Life Ministries (a.k.a., Deeper Life Bible Church). Without doubt, I am sure it will be correct at this time to conclude that, the Divine Hand is behind all this.

          It wasn’t until the 24th of December which was the same month that I arrived in Chad that I was restored to Christ. December 24th is usually the eve of Christmas celebrations and Chad was not left out. Being a French colonized country, and apart from Islam, the next religion is Christianity but predominantly, Roman Catholic denomination. It’s usually the custom of the Deeper Life Bible Church to use such festive occasions to gather their members for a retreat because the church doesn’t celebrate Christmas for many reasons and in particular, festival celebrations of any kind is not what the church embraced.  I was present at the retreat when suddenly a preacher was introduced as the main guest preacher that night. This time around, I remember vividly the title of his sermon which is, “Qualifications to Enter the Kingdom of God.” At the end of the sermon when he made altar call, I could not wait to raise my hand in response because, the messages of the sermon were too direct at me. Immediately I left the church that night, my new experience was tested. The friend I stayed with invited me to a public video club. I have been there with him on one occasion but this time, he wanted us to go as part of the celebrations for the Christmas. Although, I did not turn down the invitation except that he offered me a cigarette which I rejected. Prior to my conversion, we smoked cigarette, marijuana and alcoholic drinks and many other things we did together. And he wouldn’t see any reasons for such a sudden change of mind about not wanting to smoke cigarette nor drinking alcohol this time around.

         At the club house, after he had succeeded in persuading me to have my last smoking because, in his excuse, “God won’t be happy with me if I do not smoke the cigarette”, he bought it with his money for me. Because I didn’t want to offend God, I accepted it. Fortunately, as I was about to accept the light from him to light the cigarette, I heard ‘the Voice’ that spoke to me in my dialect saying: Son! You have been delivered! Do you want to go back to bondage again?” I then gave him back the cigarette and left the club instantly and unspeakable joy filled my heart instantly and ever since then.