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Writer's pictureThe Blazing Holy Fire

The Testimony of Joaliza: From an Alcoholic to the Bride of Christ

My Testimony - How I Came to God


I'll always cherish in my heart and live to tell the world about Jesus! What He did for me, In my marriage, In my kid's life, in my husband’s life…There’s so much to tell you, I feel like that I could write a whole book about His goodness!


Many of us desire for happiness in our lives but when we come face to face with problems, we tend to give up easily. No one wants to go through the pain. It’s an uncomfortable feeling but there is a way out. The only way is through Jesus. He is real and only Jesus has the power to turn our joy to everlasting joy. I'm talking about the kind of joy and happiness which remain even when we are going through the worst. We may cry, get upset etc.. but deep within, there’s hope, peace and that feeling of not wanting to give up. To me, It doesn't mean to walk away from those trials, but still walk through the storm.


I'm sharing my experiences and I'm here to testify of how God changed my life around and I pray this evidence is a blessing to you all in the name of Jesus Christ.

While I share this, you might need some popcorn, a cup of coffee/tea and do not allow distraction! Just you and God’s glory in my story.

An Alcoholic


It truly began between the years of 2019-2020. I was at a point where I had nowhere to turn to. Everywhere I turned, I was met with a dead end. My first time hearing the Gospel was back in 2014, When I first moved from Hawaii to Denver Colorado, with my husband and our 3 months old son William. I became alcoholic and so addicted. It went from every weekends/events to everyday; it got to 2-3 straight days of drinking non-stop. I'd sleep for couple hours and wake up and continue drinking again. It got to the point where my husband even told me to quit but I couldn't help it but God was in the back of my mind. What opened my eyes to realize that I truly needed God was when I was put in jail.


In Jail


In jail, many emotions came to my thought. First, it was about my kids. Is this the life my kids will follow? What am I doing here? Between the hours I spent there, I had much to think about but I didn't want to let go of drinking. I’d remember the people who told me about God. I began to think about it and realized they looked so happy, the kind of happiness I didn't have. The only happiness I had at that time was only temporary. I wanted the kind of real happiness with God in it!


At that time my relationship with my husband was falling apart. My husband and I could be around people showing love, smiling, laughing, joking... but behind closed doors, deep inside of me, there was much anger, unforgiveness and hidden past sins and arguments.


Covid hit. There was a problem that stirred in our home between my parents, my husband and I due to drinking. I remember that I looked at my surroundings, told myself that night, “God is nowhere near, I need God now! We all need God now! That’s It!” Since that day, I started seeking the truth.


First step, I went to Walmart and bought me a Holy Bible. I even started calling some catholic churches telling them that I wanted to work for them but it did not feel right.


Repentance

There were Christian churches 2 miles away from where I lived and I started going there but it only lasted 2-3weeks. I went to another Christian church across our old apartment called Elevation; I even signed up for the Bible study there but that was another dead end. To me it felt like my spirit needed more, so I just stopped going to church. I remember one night, I asked God in prayer to find my family and I a suitable church. My husband's drinking got intense, there would be nights he'd not come home until the next day. I didn't mind at first because I was so focused on seeking the truth.


One day we went grocery shopping at Sam's club. I happened to walk down the book aisle and noticed a book that stood out whose title was, “Demons and Angels” by Mary Kay Baxter. I read the back of the book and it caught my interest. I got home and finished my chores. I got my kids to bed that night and start reading the book. My response was that I was shocked!


I went on my knees and started repenting for my sins from my ancestral line and generations after generations, husband's, my neighbors, everything, everywhere and anywhere, repenting for whatever came into my mind. I started crying as if someone was dying. I Woke up the next morning and sat up, I felt so different within me. I looked around I couldn't explain the feeling, it was a positive emotional feeling, felt as if sprinkles were being sprinkled on me. It was an amazing revelation that morning. I looked up my closet, seeing all the alcohol bottles there were Alize, Heineken, corona, captain Morgan, Rossi, etc..I would save them because right after I’d get my kids to bed, I'd drink to sleep but that morning was different. I had no desire at all. I took all the bottles in my closet and emptied them all in the sink and trashed the bottles. A couple days later, my husband asked me what had happened to all the bottles, I told him that they were trashed. He was so upset but at that moment, having no desire to drinking in me, I trashed them without even thinking about my husband that he was still drinking. I just said, “It all just need to be in the trash.”


Hunger & Thirst for God & Seeing God's Miracles

Anyways, I went back to Sam’s club to look for more books by the same author, there was none. A week passed by, I went back and still could not find any new books by her. I had to ask the employees if they had any other of her books stocked and she told me the book I took was the last of it and that they don't sell them no more.


Months went by. My husband's drinking habit got even more intense. I started having a problem with it. There are times I'd cry to sleep, venting to God "I want to give up on my relationship, It's not going anywhere. All he does is drink and drink." But at the same time, I had that positive feeling within and I committed to pray for my husband and so I prayed almost everyday.

One morning I woke up to my usual routine to drop our oldest to school, my husband had started to warm up the car and he left it and ran inside the apartment to grab something to eat. I was sitting in by the sliding door, feeding our youngest when all of a sudden the truck drove away so quick by itself. I was shaking in fear, I yelled out "The he truck is…!" My husband ran down but it was too late. It was the most horrible feeling, again there was that little feeling of peace within me, a small voice that told me to pray and so went into my room got on my knees and prayed to God. The truck got stolen 7-8am and later was found at 4-5pm of the same day by 2 police officers who were doing their daily routine on a house where people did drugs. I spoke with 1 of the officers and said they were just doing their daily drive by routines and they had seen lots of cars outside the drug house and they noticed a red expedition. They just happen to run the license plate on it and it reported back stolen. They waited for the thief to get in the car. The moment he went in the car to drive off, they stopped him and arrested him. I remember that moment I told my husband, “That prayer works, God had heard my prayers and answered!” Since that day, my husband became curious of God.


Revival & Giving My Life to the Lord

In the month of April 2021, a sister in Christ updated me that there was going to be a revival held in Seattle, WA on the 16, 17 & 18. All sorts of emotions were coming to my thought because I was also due to give birth to our 5th boy in the same month. I had 2 weeks left, how bad I wanted to go to this revival. I was so determined to go outside, walk and run just to speed up my contractions. On April 12, I gave birth to our son Titus Misa and 3 days later, the revival was to take place.


I told my husband that I was no matter what! I was rushing from the doctor’s when they discharged me so that I can drive the next day to to the airport to book my ticket to Seattle WA. There was a problem the ticket agent told me I can't take my new born on the plane because he was only 2 days old. I broke in tears because I was also breastfeeding and I just wanted to hold my baby everywhere I go! But I was thirsty for God, I was so determined… so badly that went ahead and booked my ticket and left my newborn baby to his dad!

The next day after being discharged, I was on my flight to Seattle. My breast was filled with so much milk and I was in so much pain from giving birth; Everything in me was so weak but I did not care. In my mind, all I could think of was “how can I get to God!” I went and I gave my life to Jesus Christ.


May 1st 2021, there was an evangelist by the name of Torben Sondergaard who was traveling from state to state, preaching the Gospel, the good news of Jesus Christ. He was baptizing people and again that sister in Christ updated that he will be in Greeley Co. I was so excited! Our plan that day was just kids and us mothers but to my surprise my husband wanted to come along. That day my husband had gave his life to the Lord.


Finding a Home Church


One day I was cleaning out my closet and trashing all the papers. I stumbled unto a church directory booklet, which had the phone numbers of every churches in Colorado. I called most of the churches but one name of the church that stood out was of Blazing Holy Fire ministry. I called this church. A voice of an African woman responded. We exchanged a few words and planned to meet face to face that day at their night prayer meeting. I had never met this woman nor heard of her, It was our first time meeting but when I met her it was like my three questions I had asked in prayer, God answered all 3 questions at once, in one sentence! How fascinating, I was just shocked!. That’s when I learned to always remember what I pray for.


Two things that stood out were: God used this female pastor to answer my prayer. I’ve been wanting to know about my relationship with my husband. I had been wondering, should I keep going on? I had prayed but my prayers were done in the secret place, I never told anyone about this prayer not even my own husband, it was only between God and I. To be honest, meeting pastor that first, I felt like I was comfortable around her like a sister. She excused herself, went somewhere and came back to talk to me. We started conversing and she said, " You have been wondering but God put you both together. You both were meant to be together and our church will join you in a holy matrimony." So I was so amazed at how God answered me through her. And I knew then not to give up on my marriage.


The second that also stood out to me was that a couple days after meeting the pastor, she invited me to her home. For the very first time in my life, that night, I was filled with the Holy Spirit and received the gift of speaking in tongues, when the church laid hands on me. In the church sanctuary, there is a big picture always hanging at the front, it stands behind her when she preaches. So before I met her face to face I had a dream where I was going up on the stairs and the stairs look like the one in that picture. So I was walking up on these amazing stairs that led to a beautiful mansion. The dream was so vivid and it looked so real and so beautiful.



When we came to this church, I had completely forgotten all about that dream and that picture but when I came to the pastor’s home, she invited me to come to the prayer sanctuary in her home. I went downstairs and I sat down. I looked around and straight ahead, at the front of the sanctuary, there was that picture hanging. The very same picture with the stairs leading to a mansion I had seen in my dream. It is then I knew this is where God wanted me, it is then I knew this was my home church. It truly felt home and I told the pastor, “my family and I will serve the Lord through this Blazing Holy Fire ministry.” That night, pastor prayed for me to receive speaking in tongues and I got it! Hallelujah!



All my children one by one received healing and deliverance. My husband was also delivered from smoking and all addiction of 20+ years. A few weeks later, we got married and it has been three years now, we have learned a lot, walking with the Lord and serving Him wholeheartedly.


May God bless you and it is my prayer that each one of you find God, obey Him with all your heart and walk with Him all the days of your life.


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