A Man Praying

Before and After I Met Jesus

My name is Peter Vergara and I am a man on fire for God. I have been through some amazing things in my life to get me to where I am today. I will share my testimony with you and beseech you to help me further the kingdom of God.

Pete Vergara, a Minister of the Gospel. I have been discipling teens about three years now. I was a gang member, drug addict and alcoholic for over twenty-eight years.

I was born in 1963 and raised in New York City; in the Projects of Lower East Side Manhattan. I was born to a drug dealing father who later on died of an overdose in Alphabet City. At one time this was one of the most drug and gang infested areas in Lower Manhattan.

I was selling and using drugs all my life, that’s all I ever knew. I never got past the ninth grade and was involved in a gang, the Hell Hill Boys, for over fifteen years. All I knew was violence, death and destruction. My family was in and out of jail for many years even to this day I have a brother in prison serving 9 to 18 years.

There is one thing that I can say now that I always felt protected. I didn’t know from who or what or even why; but I was. I was the only member of the gang that never got in trouble with the law and because of that I always said that I was lucky. The other members of the gang went to prison for many years, but I was always protected. I witnessed murders, overdoses and many other things in my life, but was always “lucky.”

At the age of 40 I was so tired of living that way; I just didn’t care anymore about myself or anyone else. I tried to stop using drugs many times but always went back to it. I just couldn’t do it on my own, and one day I just had enough.

I never could get out of that environment until November 23rd, 2003. I went to Arizona for a week to visit some family members that were Christians. I wasn’t very happy about going there either, because I never knew anything about God. I just knew I had to get out of the neighborhood, or I was going to die, just like my father did. So, I went to visit there, and they asked me to go to a Church with them.

They worked with this Church for many years and so I went with them because I wanted to try something new, and I didn’t want to disrespect them in their home. So, I went to the Church and said to myself, “yeah ill just sit here and listen to these people out of respect for my family.”

The worship team was singing at the altar, and I was so touched by the powerful worship. I just started to cry like never before, and then the Pastor, Bobby Torres started to preach. I forgot what it was about, but it really convicted me. Then the Holy Spirit just hit me like a bat, and I fell to my knees. I just couldn’t stop crying, that very night I met Jesus Christ.

I was delivered of all my addictions; I had no desire to do anything of my past ever again. I was redeemed and cleansed, I felt like I died and literally was born again. I was finally healed from an addiction that was so bad, that no doctor or drug counselor could have ever helped me overcome. Jesus Christ healed me in one minute, from an addiction I had for over twenty-eight years. God is the doctor of all doctors, and now I know why I always felt protected, because Jesus had a plan and purpose for my life.

God spared me and had mercy on me. I have been all over the United States sharing my testimony in many Churches. I also teach youngsters about God in a Christian discipleship program in Phoenix. I ran a boys’ home for over 24 months. God has worked so fast in my life, and he has given me an anointing to share my passion for God to other lost souls. The Bible says to preach the Word to all the nations and I have taken that to heart. I now have a desire to share the Gospel all over the world.

God has taken me, a heathen man and transformed me into a believer and teacher of the Gospel. I have become an assistant Director of a school of ministry called Elijah Generation International with my Pastor and Director Cecilia Torres. I also have a vision of being a missionary to the Philippines. I have visited the Philippines to share my testimony.

When I went there, I was blessed to see how much they loved the Lord there. The presence of the Lord was strong there; it was incredible. When you go to another country and see the power of God, you begin to realize how lucky you are to know Him. These people literally have nothing, but God and they are the happiest people you have ever seen. They are rich in Christ, and I now know what I want to do and what God has planned for me. That is to become a missionary for Jesus Christ.

I have already begun missions work in the Philippines. I have adopted a family who had a palpable need for the spirit of God to be in their lives. I support them monthly with $250 which covers rent, groceries, and all other bills.

When I first met them, they were Catholic I had the opportunity to evangelize to them and encourage them to attend a Christian church. They did and had an encounter with the Living God. They now serve Christ Jesus with an unshakeable faith. I am very blessed that I was the vessel God used to minister to this family and I know that God has called me to be the vessel for many other families in the Philippines.

I have become a God Chaser and a Hell Hater; I have been blessed to become an intercessory prayer warrior. I also have been gifted by the Holy Spirit for speaking in tongues, evangelism and pastoring young people. My Pastors Bobby and Ceci Torres have told me often times how much of a blessing I have been to this ministry.

The life I used to live was a very dark and tiresome one, but all of the experiences I went through have brought me to where I am. I am here to tell you that my troublesome past was not in vain,

“And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love Him, who have been called according to His purpose.” (Romans 8:28).

I know that it was not God’s will for the sin in my life. God is using what the Devil intended to damn me with, to envelope those who hear my testimony with trust and hope in God that He can overcome all circumstances.

All of the young disciples whom God has called me to teach His ways for the past five months, I have had the privilege of watching them grow into young men and woman of God. It gives me great joy to know that they have a great calling in their lives, and I know God is going to do great things in their lives.

I have a vision to have an Orphanage and a school in the Philippines. To teach those about Jesus Christ, who don’t know Him. To teach the fatherless children that they are not alone and that they do have a father in Heaven. I want to take in kids and share the gospel with them, to tell them that there are good people in the world that care about them.

I want to start up a missionary team and school of ministry, in the Philippines. I want to bring up and train people here in the states so they can go and impart to the youth in the Philippines about Jesus Christ. I want to have teams all year round to go for a few weeks at a time to build churches, schools and homes for the misfortunate. God is love and that’s what the vision is to spread the love of God to the lost and to help them understand that God is there for them.

I want to open a home as soon as possible for these children in need of God, families and a safe home environment. I believe that we as Christians must stand in the gap for one another and rise up our next generation to be Disciples of Christ. These children will have the capability to start their lives over as leaders and ministers and experience all that God has for them. They can and will be the generation to prosper and stop the circle of poverty and dysfunction that has plagued their homeland for many years.

We know that God has a plan and purpose for these children and their families. They just need to be put on the right path. As Christians we want to give them the same hope and love that God has given us and direct them to where God wants them to be. You can help us be the vessels that God uses to put them on their path of prosperity. We as children of the Lord have to help our brethren in any way possible.

I am planning a trip to the Philippines in 2007. I would like to locate a building and to start the necessary paperwork to birth an orphanage with your help. There I plan on planting the first seeds of my no OUR ministry and finding land to start an orphanage. Also find young men and women who will be willing to work with me in the orphanage.

However, I have been at my wit’s end as to where I will ascertain the funds. God has shown me that I cannot accomplish the task he has set before me on my own strength. I am going to need financial support to do what I know God wants me to do. God is my ultimate provider and I know that he will take me to where he has called me to.

If the Holy Spirit is tugging at your heart and you decide to give know that your money will not return void. If you feel led to help me start the Lord’s ministry, then please contact me, Peter Vergara via Phone or E-mail. Any amount will be greatly appreciated, and I thank you for taking the time out of your life to read the story of a man who was changed, by someone who was obedient to the voice of the Holy Spirit.

God Bless you and may you always prosper in everything that you do,

Peter Vergara

Acts 10:31 – “Cornelius, thy prayer is heard, and thine alms have been remembered in the sight of God.”

petevergara at gmail dot com

Cell # 602-722-0600

3 Comments

  1. katjones 12/2/2007
  2. Peter 3/26/2008
  3. nicholas gekas 6/18/2011

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