Troy

My name is Troy, but my name has been changed for security reasons. I was born and raised in a crime-ridden city in Central Asia. I grew up mainly with my grandparents. My mother was trying to establish her personal life since she had divorced my dad, an alcoholic, when I was five years old. From a very early age, I started smoking, drinking alcohol and using drugs. When I was 16, it turned into a serious addiction and from that moment on my life was a nightmare.

When I was in critical condition, my relatives sent me to a Christian center for rehabilitation. There I heard about Christ, studied His word, and listened to worship. God touched me through worship and gave me the revelation to undergo rehabilitation to the end. After rehabilitation, I was given the opportunity to serve at Young Life Capernaum camp for children with special needs. That was my first introduction to Young Life and at camp I made a firm decision to dedicate my life to the service of God. Now in a small village, I have started a new Young Life team and dream of further developing this region.

I will be the first in my family to graduate from university. Because I live in a predominately Muslim country, I need a diploma to officially become a church pastor. As a Developing Global Leaders scholarship recipient, I am studying at a theological seminary. I love God and know that He is the source of true joy. Having gone my own way for so long, I see that people are always in search of something, and the only and best thing I can bring to people is the Gospel.