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Destined To Win Fresh Start TestimoniesGiven by... Norman Kinard  This life style caused me to make new friends, the type that could help me with my new found addictions. They taught me to break the laws I once was taught to observe. By the time I reached 17 my addictions became worse, and I moved away from those that restricted me doing drugs and carousing with my new found friends. After around six months of total freedom I ended up moving back home in an attempt to break the hold this life style now had over me. But this did not work I ended indulging more into this type of life of drugs, and unprotected meaningless sex.
After a few years I cleaned up and got married, but by this time I already had 2 daughters and I wanted to provide for them. I worked as a jockey for a stud farm, and I was injured at work so I could no longer meet my commitments to my family, or my extended family. After Six months of being out of work and I had fallen behind on the child support for my first daughter The court system put a warrant out for my arrest, and I was picked up and sent to jail. When I was released even though I still was in a lot of pain from my injury I found a job working as a mechanic in an attempt to get myself of the hole that I was in. But it didn't happen the way I wanted, the harder I tried the further I fell back into the hole. My marriage fell apart and my wife was having relationships outside of our marriage. I realized that no matter what I did my wife and I were not going to make together, so I moved out with my daughter, and since that time I have been living a double life I would be a father during the day and use drugs at night. Slowly I became less of a father as I put my daughter more on my family and let the drugs rule over my life. I tried to stop on my own but every time I failed. I finally realized I couldn't do this own my own. I needed help. My family tried to help me but every time I thought I was breaking through I would fall back into the hole. My pastor told me about the Destined To Win Ministries, Fresh start program but I still felt I can do this own my own. I finally realized I could not and two weeks later I asked God what I needed to do. The next week my father came and told me about the same Fresh start program my pastor had told me about. I knew this was what I had to do because my father did not know my pastor. Since I have been in the destined to win Fresh start program I have become more positive in what I need to do in my life. I soon discovered I was living for all the wrong reasons. I now see a future for myself and family a reason to live and keep pushing on. God is showing me that I can't keep the weight of the world on my own shoulders, and that I have to give my problems to him. It is getting easier every day and I thank God every day for giving me a loving family and sending people like Pastor Wayne and all of the people working with destined to win to help me and others like me. |  |
Johnathan was sentenced to ten years jail for violence and drug dealing, the price he was ordered to pay society for the lifestyle he had led up to his capture. However in the first year of his sentence Jonathon found Jesus as his savior. This experience led him to build a relationship with Chaplin Briggs who helped mentor Jonathon into Christianity who in turn would become one of her assistants within the prison ministry. After serving five years Jonathon was paroled and Chaplin Briggs referred Jonathon to Dr. Wayne C. Gwilliam to complete his ministry training. Jonathon is now on staff with Destined To Win and plays a key role in supervision to the fresh start program. He has earned the respect of all his peers and those he pastors within the fresh start program.
I came to Destined to win after a life in the armed forces serving in several different countries. I am a husband, father and grand father, and after a family breakup found myself homeless living on the streets with a major drinking problem. This led me to a program run by His place in Columbia SC where I was able to rediscover my spirituality and regulate my drinking. I found myself wanting more through prayer and a friend I was led to Destined to win and it is here I am understanding the source of my spiritually as well as developing my leadership ability’s. I lead one of the work teams and every week I get stronger as I forget about my own problems and help others through theirs praise The Lord. And I am looking forward to completing a course on counseling so I can truly help others that have found themselves in a situation similar to the one I was in. God bless you and thank you all for helping myself and many others be supporting Destined to win. Walter, Ps My Family also thanks you.
After many years of living on the streets sleeping up under a bridge with several friends I have found my way back to a warm bed three great meals a day, and most of all hope. Because a group of people call Destined To Win loved me, they listened to me, they cried with me, they gave me a job, they gave me a home, and they prayed with me. They got me hooked up with a great church called Cornerstone in Sandy Run SC. I guess what I am trying to say is they never told me about Jesus, they showed me who Jesus is, and I really like that Jesus; No I love Him. It is also great to be sleeping in a bed again, going to work everyday, having money in my pocket that I earned, being sober and enjoying life. For this I give thanks to Jesus every day. God bless, and a big thank you for coming to find me.
I remember many a night sitting with my little sister in the other room crying to God to please stop the arguing, fighting and abuse in the other room. Alcohol stole my family from my sister and me leaving us to grow in to adulthood without any real family supervision. I began self-medicating with drugs, alcohol and any other outlet I could find to temporarily make my hurting go away. I remember many times entertaining thoughts of suicide; because it seemed to be my only way of escape.
And even though I hated this type of life I turned out to be my father’s son, and the same thing that stole his destiny and mine was now threatening to steal my sons. However this was not acceptable to his mother even though she loved me very much. She informed me she would not allow a co dependent lifestyle of drugs and alcohol to steal, her or our new born son’s life. I refused to listen to her and she left, taking my son with her.
After she left I was self-medicating in a drug house when I realized I was really going nowhere. I had received my paycheck on Friday and could not even afford a cup of coffee on Saturday. I wanted my family back, and did not know where to begin I prayed to God for help, and he sent John and René Bolas who were my employer and they told me they would pay my fines to keep me out of jail if I would enter a program offered by Destined to Win Ministries. 
When I turned 13 I was confronted by the same decision as all young teens. What will be my image? What group of people will I hang with? How do I want people to see me? And like most I made the wrong choices and started hanging with the wrong crowd; I soon found myself rebelling against my parent’s direction for my life. School was no longer a place of learning it was a place to meet and hang out. Teachers were no longer educators they became just another authority trying to stop me from expressing myself. By the time I was 16, I was using marijuana to gain acceptance from my friends. This caused the authority figures in my life to apply more pressure to bring me back to what they believed was the correct path for my life. Now I was torn between two opinions of right and wrong, my friends on one hand and my family and educators on the other. This caused me to enlarge my use of marijuana, and other drugs as an escape which led to more partying and uncontrolled behavior. I did whatever I wanted to and no one could tell me otherwise. Eventually, I moved on dealing and began to sell to support my habit. I would be out all night when I used cocaine, and I started breaking into homes to support my habit and found myself in jail for 60 days. I posted bond and 3 weeks later was back in jail for stealing a car. Eventually, I moved in with a friend and my life completely fell apart. I used drugs and alcohol every day and sold them. Since this broke my bond agreement, I was arrested again and eventually placed under house arrest and my license was suspended. It was around this time that I met a family that really cared for me the Bolas family I started to hang with there son Sam, and before long found myself part of there extended family. It was at this time I found Christ as my Savior, and my life turned around in many ways but I could not get set free from using drugs. We all agreed that I would enter the program with Destined To Win at Boone Street Columbia South Carolina. Since entering I have tested clean gained a deeper knowledge of salvation, and have developed a new attitude towards work and my circle of friends. I now look forward to a great future because of Christ’s love that was shown to me through the Bolas family and Destined To Win. 
I am a 52 year old male born and raised in the Columbia, SC area. I enlisted in the United States army at the age of 23 to serve my country and to see the world. After being honorably discharged in 1978 I began a downward spiral of self medication and drinking. From here things only got worse for me due to my lifestyle. However, when I wanted to give up living I came to a crossroad that led me to find Jesus as my personal savior, and during this period of my life I tried to build a family centered on my understanding of salvation. I also become a youth minister in our church, a position I held in high regard and loved working with the youth, but ever growing problems within my own family caused me to start self medicating I, once again, became involved in drinking and taking drugs. During this time of wandering I spent time in the county jails, as well as, a short time in federal penitentiary. Needless to say, I was lost. Upon my release from these institutions I still continued down the same path trying to overcome the guilt of my failed life I tried programs that worked for others but found no help for me. I panhandled to support my habits and become homeless living in the bush like an animal, wanting to die but scared of meeting God, I was ashamed. This continued until one day I met what I considered to be an angel a beautiful young woman. Out of the blue she approached me asking me if I needed help, she showed both love and compassion. As I tried to avoid her she kept coming back and asking are you alright can I help. I knew it was not her but the voice of The Holy Spirit and I was scared when I heard His voice just like Adam was in the garden I wanted to hide. She left me contact information for the pastor of Cornerstone Church. I tried to put the voice out of my head but it kept calling me so I placed a phone call to the pastor expressing my wanting of help and my needs. He stated he would find out if there was any assistance that he could provide and asked me to please phone him again in 2 – 3 hours. So, at the appointed time I phoned him once again and he introduced me to Dr. Wayne Gwilliam of Destined to Win Ministries. He spoke with me briefly and told me help was on the way. I was picked up within the hour, brought to a house and given food, drink and fresh change of dress, and then led to my own room, a beautiful room. Since this time I have been able to share my testimony with others, and even now have a room mate to share my room at the intern house with. Christ has become a reality once again in my life. I no longer self medicate, drink or smoke. Since becoming a part of the Destined to win family I have been healed in my life. I have replaced the old bad habits with new ones such as reading the bible, praying, and working in various projects involved with this ministry. Some of the projects include restoring the discipleship house and building bunk beds for a new youth program that Destined to win has started recently. I have a hope for my future again. I feel that my life is on the right path again, as I have found purpose and fulfillment through the Lord. PRAISE GOD.