Kester's life was in the gutter: "I was in a real dark place with no love or friendship," he recalls. Kester was homeless and addicted to drugs.

But then the Jesus Army stepped in, gave him somewhere to stay and organised help for his addiction.

"A new life warmed in my heart," says Kester, who has now been baptised by the Jesus Army.

"I am now looking forward and feeling really good."

Hi. This is my testimony.

My name is Kester. I was homeless and on drugs and stealing to feed my habit. I was in a real dark place with no love or friendship.

I didn't have a warm place to go to eat or wash properly and forget about what I was doing, and stay in the warm.

I really needed help, until my friends told me about a little shop that the Jesus Army had at the top of the Wellingborough Road where I could get something to eat and drink and find someone to talk to.

I visited and met a volunteer who talked to me a lot and made me feel welcome and loved. It was nice to find someone who cared.

After many visits I was invited to come and stay at a Jesus Army house, so I did and met a whole family of people who talked to me and loved me as a person instead of a number or for what I had done in the past, and trusted me.

I then went away for a while travelling around and abusing drugs. But something inside me said 'Sort yourself out. You can't keep going like this'.

At this stage, the new Step Up [at the Jesus Army] was being opened. I felt a strong pull to go and visit the volunteer who'd talked to me. So I did, and she helped me write letters to the council and Job Centre so I could get an ID and somewhere to live. Life started to get much better. The doctors helped me with a prescription for Methadone and pills for a mental health problem. That was pretty much it for a year getting back on track.

Then one day at a Jesus Army meeting, part way through I was thinking about all the bad things I have done. I just started to cry and feel so guilty and dirty.

It was time to change. I felt as if I had the sins of the world on my shoulders. I was ready to be Baptised: just the thought of being clean and a new person. A new life warmed in my heart.

So, on the 21st August 2005 I was Baptised and received into fellowship with the Jesus Army Palm Tree. I felt so good and free.

I know all I now have to do is get a detox. I wanted DTTO to get off of the Methadone. At first they said no. I was not able to get it. But the Church prayed for me and I was put on a Drug Treatment and Testing Order. When I went to Court they placed me on the scheme and ever since I have had clean tests.

I am now looking and feeling really good. If it wasn't for the Jesus Centre, I wouldn't be here today.

Thank you. Lord bless you all.

Source: BBC Northamptonshire