"HOOKER FOR JESUS"

WARNING DISCLOSURE: If you are under 18, please ask permission from your parents to read this story.

What??? Did I read that right? What is a "Hooker for Jesus?" This is a real honest and powerful testimony of X-Hooker Annie Lobert. Please read this story and witness the enduring mercy of God, and the power of salvation in Christ Jesus.

EVERYTHING THAT WE KEEP HIDDEN HAS POWER OVER US!!!

I was a prostitute in the escort services in LAS VEGAS, (the public calls it "HIGH CLASS CALL GIRL") in the casinos, on the street, and I was an exotic dancer in the clubs. I did everything that you can imagine, saw and met people that I would never have thought would have even "ordered" a girl. MANY of them were very famous stars and influential people in society... I lived this lifestyle for over 11 years... and it just didn't happen overnight.

It all started when I was a little girl. I never felt really loved; there was abuse in my family that lowered my self-esteem to the degree that I became desperate for love. I tell you, I felt very rejected and broken-hearted all the time. When you are told a certain thing you are as a child, you tend to believe it. Point blank, I couldn't love my self, or anyone else for that matter--I didn't feel that I deserved it.

My first sexual experience happened with a close friend of mine when I was eight years old. I didn't know this was abuse at the time, but the truth of the matter is that I was violated. As a "family duty" I went to church every week, but because of the hypocrisy in the church and in my home, I couldn't really believe God was real, so I hid my secret and feelings inside me. I could not trust anyone.

Relationships? Huh!!! Couldn't manage to keep ANY because I was so messed up on the inside. As I grew up, I went to seven different schools because our family moved around so much. It was very difficult, and coming to each school as the "new" girl wearing garage sale clothing...well let's just say that kids back then could be very cruel if you were not rich, popular, and "perfect." When you are brokenhearted, what is your definition of love? My self-worth was defined by looking for love in all the WRONG places, in WRONG people. You get the picture--nightclubs, drinking/drug parties, hanging out in bad parts of town--listening to wrong (sexually perverted) types of music and TV, reading "fashion" magazines. (This had a HUGE influence on me.) I was the "party girl"! This is when the first of many rapes happened... In the process I became even more hurt, bitter, angry, rejected, LONELY, but most of all, more desperate to find the TRUTH.

I was always chasing just to belong, hungry for acceptance, just to be loved. If you told me I was beautiful, I wouldn't believe you. I didn't see that when I looked in the mirror. I had to wear a mask continually... pretending everything was "okay." My belief was that I just needed to put on a pretty smile, and everything would be alright. But it wasn't. I kept burying my pain deep inside me. I just kept searching and experimenting, no matter WHAT the cost.

I might not look like it, but I did it ALL, I tell you the truth! Prostitution,(street & high class call girl) exotic strip dancing, nude modeling, drugs of every kind, sex addiction, cutting, abortions--yes and miscarriages...................read more

.....................I finally found the TRUTH, and it was not in some man, materialism, drug or fantasy. It is in a man that will never leave you nor forsake you. He is faithful, merciful, graceful, kind, but most of all he loves me for ME and NOT who I used to be!

His name is Jesus Christ. You see, I never really knew WHY I went through the pain I did until I received this revelation, that our God is so merciful, full of grace--that he really does love us, and He just wanted a relationship with me. He wanted me to ask Him for forgiveness, for if we do that, then we can FINALLY FORGIVE OURSELVES! I forgave myself from all the terrible things that I had done, and the yoke of bondage and guilt was "lifted" from my back>>>>>>>>click here to read the rest of the story

What a Living Inspiration!

My name is Nick Vujicic and I give God the Glory for how He has used my testimony to touch thousands of hearts around the world! I was born without limbs and doctors have no medical explanation for this birth "defect". As you can imagine, I was faced with many challenges and obstacles.

"Consider it pure joy, my Brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds."


....To count our hurt, pain and struggle as nothing but pure joy? As my parents were Christians, and my Dad even a Pastor of our church, they knew that verse very well. However, on the morning of the 4th of December 1982 in Melbourne (Australia), the last two words on the minds of my parents was "Praise God!". Their firstborn son had been born without limbs! There were no warnings or time to prepare themselves for it. The doctors we shocked and had no answers at all! There is still no medical reason why this had happened and Nick now has a Brother and Sister who were born just like any other baby.



The whole church mourned over my birth and my parents were absolutely devastated. Everyone asked, "if God is a God of Love, then why would God let something this bad happen to not just anyone, but dedicated Christians?" My Dad thought I wouldn't survive for very long, but tests proved that I was a healthy baby boy just with a few limbs missing.


Understandably, my parents had strong concern and evident fears of what kind of life I'd be able to lead. God provided them strength, wisdom and courage through those early years and soon after that I was old enough to go to school. The law in Australia didn't allow me to be integrated into a main-stream school because of my physical disability. God did miracles and gave my Mom the strength to fight for the law to be changed. I was one of the first disabled students to be integrated into a main-stream school.


I liked going to school, and just try to live life like everyone else, but it was in my early years of school where I encountered uncomfortable times of feeling rejected, weird and bullied because of my physical difference. It was very hard for me to get used to, but with the support of my parents, I started to develop attitudes and values which helped me overcome these challenging times. I knew that I was different but on the inside I was just like everyone else. There were many times when I felt so low that I wouldn't go to school just so I didn't have to face all the negative attention. I was encouraged by my parents to ignore them and to try start making friends by just talking with some kids. Soon the students realized that I was just like them, and starting there God kept on blessing me with new friends.


There were times when I felt depressed and angry because I couldn't change the way I was, or blame anyone for that matter. I went to Sunday School and learnt that God loves us all and that He cares for you. I understood that love to a point as a child, but I didn't understand that if God loved me why did He make me like this? Is it because I did something wrong? I thought I must have because out of all the kids at school, I'm the only weird one. I felt like I was a burden to those around me and the sooner I go, the better it'd be for everyone. I wanted to end my pain and end my life at a young age, but I am thankful once again, for my parents and family who were always there to comfort me and give me strength.

Due to my emotional struggles I had experienced with bullying, self esteem and loneliness, God has implanted a passion of sharing my story and experiences to help others cope with whatever challenge they have in their life and let God turn it into a blessing. To encourage and inspire others to live to their fullest potential and not let anything get in the way of accomplishing their hopes and dreams.




One of the first lessons that I have learnt was not to take things for granted.


"And we know that in all things God works for the best for those who love Him." -Rom 8:28

That verse spoke to my heart and convicted me to the point where that I know that there is no such thing as luck, chance or coincidence that these "bad" things happen in our life.

I had complete peace knowing that God won't let anything happen to us in our life unless He has a good purpose for it all. I completely gave my life to Christ at the age of fifteen after reading John 9. Jesus said that the reason the man was born blind was "so that the works of God may be revealed through Him."



I truly believed that God would heal me so I could be a great testimony of His Awesome Power. Later on I was given the wisdom to understand that if we pray for something, if it's God's will, it'll happen in His time. If it's not God's will for it to happen, then I know that He has something better.





I now see that Glory revealed as He is using me just the way I am and in ways others can't be used.

I am now twenty-one years old and have completed a Bachelor of Commerce majoring in Financial Planning and Accounting. I am also a motivational speaker and love to go out and share my story and testimony wherever opportunities become available. I have developed talks to relate to and encourage students through topics that challenge today's teenagers. I am also a speaker in the corporate sector.
















Contributed by Ogochukwu Eze

Why Did I Survive?

One second I was partying. The next, I was fighting for my life.
by Austin Atkinson, as told to Christy Heitger-Casbon

The strong smell of cleaning agents and the repetitive sound of beeping monitors filled the air. My eyelids fluttered open as my pupils struggled to adjust to the bright light. I'd just had the most bone-chilling nightmare, and my foggy mind fought to make sense of where I was.

Then I heard a woman's voice softly say "hi." I turned my head and saw that she was wearing a nurse's uniform.

"Am I in the hospital?" I asked with a sore, scratchy throat.

"Yes," she answered. "You've been here for three weeks."

As I stared at my bandaged body, scenes of the accident flashed across my mind. Alcohol. Gasoline. Flames. Smoke. Screaming. It was no nightmare. I had been on fire.

Getting Crazy
The night started out innocently enough. A few friends and I were hanging out playing video games. Then my buddy Pete* showed up with some vodka. Within an hour we were all pretty wasted and our small "party" had gotten out of hand.

Josh cranked the music and then grabbed his lighter so we could all try "breathing fire." We took turns spitting vodka and tried lighting it on fire as it left our mouths. With each attempt we kept moving the lighter closer to our faces. But no one could do it.

For some reason, and I'm not really sure why, Josh thought it would be cool to get in a circle, pour gasoline in the middle and make a "circle of fire." So he ran outside and picked up a can of gasoline. We watched as Josh doused the gravel driveway with fuel.

"You need more over here!" I shouted. I grabbed the container of gas away from Josh, carelessly drenching my shirt and pants.

"Man, you reek!" Pete laughed.

Josh knelt down on the gravel and clicked his lighter several times.

Foop, foop—sssssshhh.

Our ring of fire was born. We high-fived one another and celebrated by opening a second bottle of liquor.

Feeling pretty wasted from the vodka, I plopped down on a chair.

"I've got a killer idea," Josh said.

He then poured gasoline all over the plastic chair sitting beside me. A moment later I heard the flick of Josh's lighter, then swooosh! The chair was ablaze.

I could feel the heat of the flames. I started to get up so I could move away from the burning chair, but just then I looked down and saw flames ignite my gas-soaked shirt and pants.

Panicked, I jumped up and started screaming and running. No matter which I way I turned, red-hot flames chased me.

"Drop and roll!" Josh yelled.

I rolled for what seemed like an eternity. Then I heard Josh shout, "You're good! It's out, man!"

It didn't feel that way to me. I felt like I'd been swimming in a sea of bubbling lava. That was my last memory until waking up in the hospital.

So Much Pain
The nurse told me that I had been rushed to the hospital three weeks earlier with 35 percent of my body covered in third-degree burns. During my 21-day medicated coma I had fought off life-threatening pneumonia and had endured three surgeries to help repair my burnt, blistered skin.

Over the next several weeks, physical therapy tore me apart. My leg muscles were so weak I couldn't walk. In one session, tiny beads of sweat formed at my temples as I strained to pick up a paperclip. I winced in agony each time my finger grazed the clip. I couldn't believe this simple task could be so excruciating. I was in so much pain and full of so much anger, I wanted to rip the room apart. But I couldn't even pick up a paperclip.

Why me? I screamed inside my head. And why now? The day of the accident I had landed a part-time job—one that I'd get to drive to once I passed my driving exam, which I had been planning to take the week after the accident. Now all of my plans were ruined.

I knew I had messed up big time. It was totally stupid both to drink and to mess around with fire. But why was I the only one paying for our stupid actions?

Was God Punishing Me?
Along with regular visits from my parents and friends, my friend Michelle dropped by the hospital several times. We usually talked about movies or music. But one afternoon the conversation turned in a different direction.

"You're gonna be OK," Michelle said softly.

"How do you know?" I asked.

"I've been praying for you," she said.

I leaned my head back on my pillow and looked at Michelle. I guess I had an idea she believed in God, but we'd never talked about it. So it kind of surprised me when she said she was praying for me. Maybe I should have been thankful, but I blurted out, "Have you been praying for a miracle? That's what I want! I want to turn back time and make it so that night never happened."

"I know it's hard," Michelle said. "But try to concentrate on the future."

"Easy for you to say!" I snapped. "You're not living in constant pain. Your skin still looks and feels normal. For the rest of my life the first thing people will see when they look at me will be these stupid scars!"

Awkward silence filled the room.

"Next time you talk to God," I told Michelle, "ask him why he's punishing me."

"I don't believe God's punishing you," Michelle said slowly.

"It doesn't feel that way to me," I shot back.

"What about your eyesight?" Michelle asked. "Didn't the doctors expect you to go blind? But, you're looking at me, aren't you?" Michelle said. "Maybe you can be grateful that all you might need is a stronger prescription."

"Whatever."

"Honestly, I don't blame you for feeling hurt and mad. But maybe there are things to be thankful for."

"Who in my condition would be thankful for anything?" I asked.

"Austin, you almost died," Michelle nearly whispered. "But God has given you another shot at life—a chance to make better choices from now on."

I sighed and looked away. I didn't know what to think. As Michelle stood up to leave, she placed a Bible on the table next to my bed. "If you want, I can read a little to you the next time I see you," she said.

Would Life Ever Be Good?
When she left, I stared at the Bible. I don't know why she brought that, I thought. It's not like reading a Bible will fix me. Besides, I can't even pick it up. I can't pick anything up!

Without thinking, I pounded my fist on the bed and a fiery jolt shot through every fiber of my hand. I fought back tears as I looked out my window at people walking, talking, hugging, laughing. I wondered how long it would be before I could do those things again. When would I get to give or receive a hug without pain shooting through my body? Would life ever be good again?

As I stared down at my red leathery hands that just weeks before had been so smooth and strong, a tear slid down my cheek. Then suddenly, almost against everything I was feeling and thinking, I remembered what Michelle had said about God giving me a second chance.

Why did I survive? I suddenly wondered. Maybe there really was a God out there who not only gave me a second chance but who actually loved me.

A New Direction
Through physical therapy over the next several months, I made great improvements. I learned to walk, write and even drive. On the one-year anniversary of the accident, I hopped into my car and headed toward Josh's house. It wasn't like I wanted to see him. He'd visited me a couple of times in the hospital, but we'd hardly talked since the accident. I just had to look at the place where my life had changed so much.

Driving with my windows down, inhaling the crisp, fresh air, I thought about everything that had happened. A year earlier I was mad at myself, mad at Josh, mad at my body for not healing fast enough. And I was scared I'd never feel happy or normal again. But then Michelle helped me see that Christ could change my life, and slowly things did change. When my hands started to heal I did something that surprised even me—I picked up that Bible Michelle had given me and started reading it. Soon after that I dropped by Michelle's church, just to check it out. Everyone there was so friendly. And the more I learned about God's love and goodness, the more at peace I felt. With time, my heart softened and I was able to forgive both Josh and myself for the stupid mistakes we'd made. And as my fears faded, I began to see that a caring God had not only saved me, but he had also stuck with me throughout this difficult journey.

As I pulled my car in front of Josh's house and sat there in silence, horrific images flashed across my mind. My stomach knotted and my body shuddered as I tried to shake off the memories. Then I took a deep breath and bowed my head in prayer, thanking God for my second chance at life and for my new life with him. Suddenly my anxiety melted away and I was filled with peace—the kind of peace that only God's love can bring.

It's been a year and a half since Austin's accident. It's unclear whether he'll need more surgeries in the future, but he's happy putting his life in God's hands. After he graduates in May 2007, Austin plans to go to college and triple major in criminology, psychology and photography.

*names have been changed

Copyright © 2006 by the author of Christianity Today International/Ignite Your Faith magazine.