Brother Otto came to the United States from Puerto Rico when he was seventeen-years-old...
Today, he shared his poignant and gripping story in church.
Before coming to the mainland, Otto, due to a heroin addiction, found himself homeless. His family, with the exception of his grandmother, had pretty much disowned him. They vowed not to let him return to the house he'd grown up in until he overcame his habit, which he said he was unable to do.
Overcome by heroin as a teenager, Otto had to eat out of trash cans to stay alive. But in a desperate attempt to hopefully break the cycle of addiction, his beloved grandmother made arrangements for Otto to relocate to New York City to live with relatives.
However, it was not long before Otto was again getting high. Once in the City, he said, Otto had even easier access to the drug than when he was in Puerto Rico. And once again, he found himself homeless and unwanted.
Wandering the streets, Otto resorted to stealing to obtain money for drugs. This caused him to land in jail many times. Finally, having gotten caught committing an armed robbery with a handgun and firing it inside the premises in the process, Otto was off to do a long stint in the State's prison system.
Now age 31, Otto told us that he received the Lord while attending an evangelistic service at another correctional facility. Later he was transferred to Sullivan, where I first met him.
Thankfully, Otto has been staying faithful to Christ, and since coming to this prison he has continued to grow in the grace and knowledge of the Lord. Thus, he was able to testify not only of God's goodness and mercy, but also about God's power to break the chains of sin.
So it was encouraging to hear his story of hope. Rail thin and weighing far less than what would be considered normal for his height, Otto unfortunately has to deal with some serious health issues that are related to his years as an addict. Truly, he's a survivor!
Yet the best part of Otto's fifteen-minute talk was when he told his audience that God doesn't hate you. Rather, he hates the sin that is in us. This spoke volumes to me.
D.B.
Before coming to the mainland, Otto, due to a heroin addiction, found himself homeless. His family, with the exception of his grandmother, had pretty much disowned him. They vowed not to let him return to the house he'd grown up in until he overcame his habit, which he said he was unable to do.
Overcome by heroin as a teenager, Otto had to eat out of trash cans to stay alive. But in a desperate attempt to hopefully break the cycle of addiction, his beloved grandmother made arrangements for Otto to relocate to New York City to live with relatives.
However, it was not long before Otto was again getting high. Once in the City, he said, Otto had even easier access to the drug than when he was in Puerto Rico. And once again, he found himself homeless and unwanted.
Wandering the streets, Otto resorted to stealing to obtain money for drugs. This caused him to land in jail many times. Finally, having gotten caught committing an armed robbery with a handgun and firing it inside the premises in the process, Otto was off to do a long stint in the State's prison system.
Now age 31, Otto told us that he received the Lord while attending an evangelistic service at another correctional facility. Later he was transferred to Sullivan, where I first met him.
Thankfully, Otto has been staying faithful to Christ, and since coming to this prison he has continued to grow in the grace and knowledge of the Lord. Thus, he was able to testify not only of God's goodness and mercy, but also about God's power to break the chains of sin.
So it was encouraging to hear his story of hope. Rail thin and weighing far less than what would be considered normal for his height, Otto unfortunately has to deal with some serious health issues that are related to his years as an addict. Truly, he's a survivor!
Yet the best part of Otto's fifteen-minute talk was when he told his audience that God doesn't hate you. Rather, he hates the sin that is in us. This spoke volumes to me.
D.B.
