Dustin loved violence. He fought as a cage fighter and as a boxer. “I lived to overpower my opponents,” he explains. He even referred to himself as “god.” 
By 18, he was addicted to alcohol and had already been to jail for beating a man.
“I began seeking direction in my life,” Dustin remembers, “because I knew I was on a path of destruction. I asked my friend to teach me about God, and he did the best he could, but my trial run with the Lord lasted only about six months.”
For the next ten years, hard work, heavy drinking, bar fights, and jail stints characterized Dustin’s life. He got married and had a couple of kids, but his high-paying job—and the fighting—kept him away from his family.
The Fight
One night, Dustin was headed home for the birth of his third child. On the way, he stopped at a bar to celebrate. After hearing his accent, local gang members started harassing him. “We’re going to gut you!” they taunted.
Outside, the gang came at him with knives and chains. “I’m going to gut you all!” Dustin screamed as he charged at the men. Soon, Dustin had overpowered all five of them. A passerby caught the fight on video. “It added to my glory,” Dustin says.
But Dustin’s wife was furious at his lifestyle. She said, “I never know whether you’re coming home alive or dead!” She gave him an ultimatum, “Either come home and be a father—or get out of our lives.” And then she left with the kids.
Dustin was deeply unhappy. “Eventually, I called my wife and asked her to come home and read the Bible with me,” he says. “I knew there had to be answers in there.” But the Bible made little sense to him. His study experience grew worse, so one day Dustin gave God an ultimatum, “God, if you exist, if you’re real, you’ve got to speak to me in this book. I’ve got nothing else.”
God answered that prayer, speaking to Dustin through Genesis 1. “That passage lit a fire in me that has never gone out,” he explains. Shortly after, he went online for answers—and found Amazing Facts broadcasts, which you make possible every day to seekers. “I was blown away by the simplicity of the presentations. Pastor Doug was relatable, and I loved how the ministry offered free materials. It was like they genuinely wanted people to know the Word of God.”
A Miraculous Healing
Pastor Doug’s sermon on tithing also made a deep impression on Dustin. Amazing Facts seemed like a logical place to support since the ministry gives so much away. He started donating regularly.
Soon Amazing Facts reached out with thank-you calls and emails. For months, Dustin ignored the calls while continuing to study the Bible. He was so enthusiastic about what he was learning that he soon had 30 people studying the Bible with him every Saturday.
About this time, Dustin’s two-year-old daughter began to limp. Doctors explained that her condition required immediate, 12-hour surgery. Dustin prayed, “Lord, if she could just touch the hem of your garment, she would be well. Please heal her.” He shares, “A peace came over me as I’ve never experienced before.” And the surgery lasted only 30 minutes. “I knew that God had healed her,” Dustin says. “That’s when I gave my life fully to Him.”
A Rocky Connection
Dustin eventually returned that call to Amazing Facts. He reached Winfield Scott, who asked Dustin a question he’d never heard before, “How can I pray for you?” Dustin began telling his story, but the call was interrupted, and Scott promised to call him back.
A lot of time passed, and Dustin fumed, “That’s what I get for trusting church people!” Eventually, however, Scott called back and apologized for the delay. Now able to fully connect, Winfield invited Dustin to a Sabbath-keeping church.
“I showed up with nearly 15 friends the next Saturday,” Dustin recalls. “The congregation welcomed us and made us feel at home.” Dustin started Bible studies with the pastor and, within a few months, he was baptized!
God’s Warrior
For a time after becoming a Christian, Dustin still considered pursuing professional boxing. “I’d glorify God by dominating in the ring,” he says. But God made it clear that violence was not His way. Dustin walked out of the gym and has never been back.
The desire to dominate others no longer rules Dustin’s life. “I’ve had people treat me like a dog, but I have no need to lash out at them anymore.” Instead, these days, Dustin is fighting other battles. “‘You’re a born fighter,’ God told me, ‘and I have called you to fight for me.’ He keeps calling me to churches to speak. My goal is to reach as many souls as humanly possible with the message of Christ and His righteousness. I will not stop until Jesus returns or I’m laid to rest.”
That’s a job that we are all called to do. Thank you for fighting God’s battles through your faithful donations to Amazing Facts!