by Lt. LaToya Surratt*
I grew up not knowing my parents and living with extended family members and in foster homes. Life was hard. I suffered physical and mental abuse. In the last foster home, I learned to get high, sell drugs and steal. Four kids later, my lifestyle landed me in jail, then prison. Upon release, I longed for a better life and moved to a different state to find it. Instead, it eluded my grasp as I experienced homelessness.
Eventually, I had a place to live and began to attend worship at the Minneapolis Parkview, Minn., Corps. Hearing God’s Word preached, I became aware of who God is. I attended family camp, then women’s ministries and Bible study. Step-by-step I drew closer to God until I was living committed to Him. I was enrolled as a soldier and became involved in ministry.
I finally found the better life for which I’d been longing by being reconciled to God. The generational curse in my family has been broken. I no longer crave alcohol, drugs or all the material things I had desperately wanted earlier in life. I no longer worry about what others think about me but am comfortable with who I am, knowing I am enough in Him and that He has my back. As an officer, I want to help others find a better life, and eternal life, which comes from being made right with God through Christ Jesus.
*Written by Major Christine Poff
