Articles

Hello My Name is Andres Ariza. I was born in Mexico and My Parents brought me to New York when I was eight years old.

Life was ok there, but I was scared of the drugs and gangs. In 1997 my cousin and best friend were killed when I was only fourteen years old. After that incident I decided to move to Minnesota. Unfortunately, I started doing all the things I was running from in NY... I became a gang member, sold drugs, partied, used women, materialistic, and getting into fights with people.

I was working in real estate for almost five years, and I was very successful at it. But on the inside I was full of hate and thinking I was better than every body else including my parents.
I met a girl and she moved in with me. We had a son and she left me after four years. She left me because I was selfish and doing things that hurt her. I also had a similar incident with another woman and we had a daughter.
I do still have a fruitful relationship with my beautiful daughter, but things with the woman didn’t work out either.  When my daughter’s mom left me in 2007 I lost everything after that: my business, cars, boat, home, all my material things were gone. I was very depressed and I though about suicide.

But I heard a voice calling me from my brother’s room. He was a follower of Jesus and lived with me for three years. He always prayed for me and shared about Christ, but I always rejected Him. When I went into his room I started reading the Bible for the first time in my life and started reading Psalms 40. Jesus heard my cry and then drew me out from the pit of destruction. I felt peace with God and experienced great joy. He cleansed my heart and speech. I wanted all of God and received the baptism of the Holy Spirit in 2009. For the first time I could pray the perfect will of God.


I felt God’s peace and love as He wrapped His arms around me. I felt secure.  Since then I turn away from things of this world, and now I’m a Christian businessman in St. Paul Minnesota. I follow God and do what He says. I trust in Him. He is my Provider, and I don't want to be separated from Him. He Loves Me and the Good news is that He Loves You too!

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