EX-PRISIONER TURNS OVER A NEW LEAF

My name is Aporosa Navugona from the village of Vatukarasa in the province of Tailevu, Fiji Islands. I was born on the 3^rd of December, 1961 and third in a family of six children.

I was a ruthless and self centered during my teenage years and I often got into trouble with the law.

I was brought up in a family where my father was an alcoholic and my mother was a staunch member of a religious cult group. My life was torn apart as I had to go through these two extremes of life.

My father was the only bread winner and we were very poor. Getting an education was a privilege and I was only able to attend school until class 6 (grade 6, elementary school). We were living in poverty and there was not enough to eat everyday.

My life was full of miseries, condemnation and rejection as I was the black sheep of the family. I ran away from home thinking that it would solve my problems, little did I know that it was a doorway I opened for Satan to destroy me.

My life was in pieces as I struggled to survive. I turned to drugs at the age of 13, living on alcohol; stealing and street fighting. This was how my basic needs were met. My troubles got me the first taste of life behind bars by the age of fourteen.

I had a weird and twisted view of prison life and thought it was wonderful to be there. I got acquainted with prison life 14 times and in a lapse of 12 years.

I once escaped from prison and this horrible experience sustained me a lot of injuries during my recapture. I went to the extent of rolling my bible pages to get tobacco because I had no sense of belonging.

There was no fear of God in my heart and these were the darkest periods of my life. However, in 1990 things changed. I can still remember how it happened. A friend of mine decided it would be nice to attend a service at the Fullgospel AOG in Lautoka.

The preacher was talking about a man in the Bible whom God punished by making him eat grass for seven years.

And then the preacher talked about Psalm 23. That was when I found out that someone really cared for me. The rays of a new sun shun in my life and I found hope in believing God.

It was from jail to the pulpit. From being one of the damned to one of the chosen ones to preach the Gospel of Jesus Christ and his saving grace. I became committed and was baptized in water.

After 3 years of helping out in church, I joined the church choir which toured to The United States of America, Australia, Singapore and Malaysia. Traveling was another miracle considering my police record.

Somehow, I was cleared by the Immigration Officials and got my visas stamped. Amazed at the wonder, I believed God was able to do more than I could think of or ever imagined. I wasted no time but got myself enrolled at the Assemblies of God Seminary at Wainadoi, outside Suva.

After 3 years of hard study, I graduated with a Bachelors of Arts Degree in Biblical Studies. The three years in college was over and putting into practice what I was taught really mattered.

I was later sent by my Senior Pastor to pioneer a church at Nabouwalu in Bua and the other was at Malolo in the Mamanuca (mamanutha) group. At times things got tough, I almost gave up but in persevering, I forgot the pains and hardships I went through.

In 2001, I got married to this beautiful wife of mine who teaches in elementary school by profession. We have adopted a sweet little girl and we count it as a joy. We together pastored a church in the Yasawas for four years. Extensive traveling was done in these four years helping out the pastors within that circuit.

In 2005, God called us to greater works and so we left Nacula (Nathula) for Lautoka to pastor the Western Division Youths of the Assemblies of God.

This involved more traveling and evangelizing as we tried to target the drug concentrated areas and the remote places. I am also working with Prison ministries and right now an inner ministry has just exploded from within the city of Lautoka.

My heart is burning for the Lord and I’m working to do more for his Kingdom. I’m going back to the streets now, preaching and challenging the youths to arise and conquer the lost for Jesus.

I have a dream to guide me and I am seizing every opportunity to reach out.

Thank you and let the God Almighty be praised.

RELATIONSHIP WITH GOD DOES TURN OVER A NEW LEAF.

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WHO KNOWS, IT MAY JUST BE GOD'S WAY OF USING YOU TO TOUCH SOMEONE WHO IS GOING THROUGH A SITUATION YOU HAVE COME OUT OF.