My name is Inuk and I am 23 years old. I started drinking and smoking when I was 16 and it took me only a few months to become a slave to these habits. One day I went for a party and kept on drinking continuously for about 12 – 13 hours, and eventually I passed out. During this time I used to live down the airport road, and had to pass several security barricades to get home. Since I was not conscious, my friends had to call my parents and ask them to pick me up. My friends had to carry me and put me into my parents’ vehicle. When we reached home both my parents had to carry me inside, undress me and put me to bed. This incident was symptomatic of the way I lived during  my schooling years.

The next year , I left school and joined an institute to study for a degree. Throughout this time I constantly clashed with my parents. I used to argue with them all the time, and demand the freedom I thought I should have. At the age of 17 I walked out of home. However, my mother wanted me back and because of her tears I came back. By this time drinking and smoking had become mere kid's stuff and I had started smoking things other than cigarettes.

When I was 21 my father passed away and suddenly our main source of income dried up. Soon after that, one of my uncles offered me a job and I started working for him. My cash flow increased and I could now afford to take fun to another level. I started clubbing and partying with my friends. My daily routine became working till 10.30 or 11 in the night, and thereafter I would meet up with my friends and go clubbing and be there till about 5.30 – 6 in the morning. I would then comeback home, shower and get back to work. I started doing this about 2-3 days at a stretch. I thought that I led a cool life and was very proud of all the crazy things I was doing.

With time, I began to have differences with my uncle. It soon came to the point where I could not work with him any longer. I quit my job and soon after that I went on a holiday to Australia. While I was there I did more crazy things and I got used to smoking “weed”. Shortly after that I had to end my holiday and return to Sri Lanka as I had to sit for an exam. Upon my return, I got back to my usual routine of doing all sorts of crazy things.

On the 29th of April 2006, I was with a few friends at a hotel in Colombo. On my way back home I realized that I would be passing St. Peters College. I remembered that my mother had asked me to come for a retreat that was being held there (my parents had been a part of the Community of the Risen Lord for the last 20 years or so). If I attended the retreat for a few minutes, I knew that I could get my mother off my back for the next 2 weeks at least. So I decided to drop in at St. Peter's for a short while.

When I entered St. Peters, everyone was outside as it was time for a tea break. I spotted one of my friends there, and went to say "Hi" to him. I never intended to talk to him about my problems, but something made me. I spoke to him for almost 1½ hours, which is something I would not normally do. Now I realize that it was the Holy Spirit working in me. I was not going to come for the retreat the next day, because I had promised to help a cousin, who was shifting houses that day. However, my friend told me that I needed to spend sometime listening to some praise and worship. The next day when I woke up something was disturbing me. I went into my room and shut myself in. I listened to the “Take me Higher” CD. As I listened to the CD something happened and all my past sins and all the people I hurt started coming into my mind. I couldn't take it any longer, I just broke down in tears. Now I know that I was being forgiven of all my sins at that time. As soon as I finished listening to the CD, my cousin phoned me and informed me that he was not able to shift houses that day, but instead will be shifting the following Tuesday. I was amazed and I was able to attend the second day of the retreat.

Every word that Lalith Thattha spoke that day, I thought was spoken directly to me. I was like almost in a trance. Words cannot express what I was going through. I was thinking am I worthy? There are so many good people out there, but the Holy Spirit took control of me. When I went home that day, I found that I had developed a huge thirst for God. I shut myself in my room and read the Bible. I listened to whatever praise and worship music I could find. On Tuesday when it was time for me to leave for school, I was still reading the Bible. So I took it along with me. This is something that I normally wouldn't dream of doing. When my friends saw me they were amazed. On Friday I got drunk with them and on Tuesday they see me with a Bible. There was only one thing that I could tell them; some power had hit me. God took complete control of my life and turned it upside down.

Most of my friends are Buddhists, Muslims or Hindus. They could not understand what had happened to me. However, they knew that I would not do something stupid and that whatever I did made sense. The following Wednesday some of my friends joined me for the Wednesday prayer meeting. Not only has the Lord changed me, but is now reaching out to my friends through my conversion. Today I serve the Lord as a full timer at Tabor, the administrative center of the Community of the Risen Lord.

Praise the Lord!