He lost everything—his job, family, and friends—through drug addiction. But God turned the tide. This is the story about a man from an Iban ethnic race who originally lived in a nearby longhouse on the outskirts of Miri City, Malaysia. His name is Terrivisita. He is 42 years old and married with three children.
Though born in a Christian family, Terrivisita usually refused to go to church with his parents and siblings. Instead, he started casually taking illegal drugs when he was young. Friends encouraged him to have fun and a live wild life, like them. Curious and wanting to try new things, he did not care about the consequences. He never thought about God as he embraced a wild and unruly lifestyle.
As an adult, Terrivisita had an excellent job with a well-known oil company. But it wasn’t long before his life ended in ruin and jeopardy. His downfall started when his casual drug use became an addiction. “I took drugs and became addicted to the point of no return,” he says. “I lost everything—my job, my family, and my friends. I lived in total spiritual darkness.”
He joined a gang to help support his addiction, which led to his arrest for illegal activities. He was arrested and imprisoned twice.
Though he always thought he was a Christian, he soon realized that he didn’t even know Jesus Christ, much less have Him reign in his heart.
After his release from prison, he entered a Christian rehabilitation center in northern Borneo for 14 years. The center uses a number of Christian programs to help patients—including Bible League’s Project Philip Bible studies.
“Through the Project Philip Bible study, I came to understand the Bible,” he explains. The more he learned about God, the more his addictions waned. “I realized that, though I was a very sinful person, there is Jesus who came to earth and gave His life to die for me because of His great love. Therefore, I accepted Him as my Lord and Savior with all my heart. Now my temper, impatience, and self-centeredness left me because I know and feel His love,” he continues.
“I want to thank you for introducing this program to us. Now I am ready to tell my family and friends what Jesus did in my life. I am now addicted to God and His Word. Praise God for taking me out of the darkness.”
