Kevin’s story is a testimony of God’s grace and faithfulness through seasons of deep hurt, loss and uncertainty. His journey has not been an easy one, but through moments when he felt forgotten and without hope, God placed people in his path who reminded him that he was loved and that his life had purpose. We share Kevin’s story with his permission as a reminder that God sees us in our darkest moments and continues to bring healing, restoration and new beginnings.
My Name is Kevin and This is My Story of Salvation
As a child, I grew up in a home where there was no affection. Love and hugs were never given, and the word love was never mentioned. As a young boy, I was often hit to the extreme that I could not sit down for days, and I experienced mental abuse until the age of ten, when the welfare took me away from my family. I never knew my mother, and my father was always working. At boarding school, I was all alone and had to stand on my own two feet. I had to learn from my mistakes and defend myself.
At that stage, my relationship with God was not yet real. I knew of God, but it was while I was in boarding school that I started going to church and was baptised. After completing my Matric, I joined the Army. My dream was to become a chef, so I chose to stay in the Catering Corps and complete my two years of military service and chef training.
My first encounter with God happened when I lost everything. I had what seemed like it all — a house, a well-paying job, a car, and all the things money could buy. However, after many years of working my way up to a high-paying position, I had a nervous breakdown and ended up in rehab because of the pressure of work. I also became addicted to prescription drugs. During the two months I spent in rehab, I learned that God is real. He loves me for who I am, and that is where my journey with Him truly began.
I had managed to save a large sum of money, and I thank the Lord for that, because in the end I lost everything. I was alone, with no friends and no family, and all I could think was, “What am I going to do now?” My money started to run out, and before long I was left with nothing but a bag of clothes over my shoulder, standing at Krugersdorp train station.
I cried for days, feeling depressed, alone, and as though God had forsaken me. I had R4 000 in my pocket and nowhere to go. At that point, suicide began to feel like the only way out of the hell I felt I was in. At that stage, I did not belong to a church. While I was thinking about taking my own life, my cellphone rang. It was a private number. Without thinking, I answered it. It was a pastor. His voice sounded warm and caring, and he said, “I know what you are about to do.” I was stunned. How could he know? I did not know any pastors. Through my tears, I listened as he said, “Get on the train and come through to Witpoortjie train station. I will pick you up there.”
My heart was broken, but I did as he asked. I stayed with him and his family for a while. During that time, he prayed with me and slowly taught me that God has a purpose for my life. It took me a long time to heal, but little by little, I did. Later, I went to live with a kind lady who was also part of the church where this pastor was ministering. As the years went by, I met a couple who needed someone to manage their business. I was offered a live-in position, and that became the next chapter in my journey of healing and salvation.
Little did I know that I would come to regret my decision to go and work for this family. In the beginning, I was treated well, but later everything started to fall apart. I was working without getting paid and had to clean their house, prepare meals, wash their clothes, and do all the dirty work they did not want to do. Because I felt I had no choice, I did it. I had an investment that paid out a certain amount of money every month, which only began when I turned 55. They told me that I had to pay them to live under their roof, and it left me with very little to spend on myself.
Slowly but surely, their kindness began to feel like abuse all over again. I stayed in a small room at the back of their house, hardly ever went out, and slowly began to fall back into self-loathing and depression. The investment I had made years before eventually paid out a lump sum of money. With that, I bought myself a bakkie. Little did I know that these people were going to use my vehicle for their business. I was told that they would drive it, use it whenever they wanted, and that I had to keep quiet. I felt used, and as life with them grew worse, I asked God to please help me to get out of this hell hole. After months of praying, God opened the door for me, and I left with my bakkie and the few clothes I had. The pain I endured while living there left me so depressed that I once again considered taking my own life.
My life felt empty, and as I drove to Krugersdorp, dark thoughts kept circling in my mind. I parked my bakkie at Krugersdorp Lake and looked at the little money I had left, feeling overwhelmed, hopeless, and deeply alone. In that moment, it felt as though the world was against me and that everyone only wanted to use me. Out of nowhere, a gentleman knocked on my window and asked me to roll it down. I did, my eyes red from crying, knowing very well that I could not hide it. He smiled at me and said, “I think God has sent me to you. No, I do not know you, but I know what you are about to do.”
My heart skipped a beat, and I asked him, “How?” He simply replied, “I just know.” Before I could say anything else, he gave me the number for the Salvation Army Family Care Centre and said, “Phone them. They will be able to help you.” With a heavy heart, I called, and Major Mel answered the phone. Major Mel asked me to come in for an interview the next day. For the first time in a long while, it felt as though there was hope for me after all.
I spent the night sleeping in my bakkie and went for the interview the following day. There I met Major Mel and Martin Clark, and after a long interview, they accepted me. I paid my contribution and moved in that same day. I had to share a room with another man, but both the Major and Martin made me feel welcome and safe. With all the rules and duties I had to follow, I decided to work in the kitchen on a full-time basis, as cooking was my passion.
I had a lot of anger and pain to deal with and work through. Debbie Clark was always ready and willing to listen, and as time went on, I slowly started to heal. My life began to feel real again. The people I had escaped from started to harass me through my cellphone, so I blocked them. They then began calling me from private numbers and kept sending me threatening messages. This happened daily. I changed my cellphone number to cut them off, but then they contacted me through Facebook. Once again, I had to block them, and in the end, I deleted my Facebook account to get rid of them.
Martin was always supportive, and even when the people I had left came looking for me at the Centre, he stood by me and prevented them from having access to me. I grew stronger, and my faith in God became stronger too. For the first time in years, I felt truly happy again. I worked in the kitchen for a year before I was employed as a staff member. Now everything in my life has meaning. The staff I work with feel like family, and I love what I do each day.
Cooking has always been my passion, and I feel blessed to have found a place where what I do is not only for people, but first and foremost for God. I want to thank Martin and Debbie, and Major Mel, for opening a door for me to become myself again. They are amazing people with hearts of gold, and through God’s grace, they helped me feel that I belong.
May the Salvation Army Family Care Centre in Krugersdorp North continue for many years to come to be a blessing to many more homeless, troubled and broken people who need help to get back on their feet and live full and happy lives again.