This is the testimony I did for my Wednesday night church services at camp. It led to many people coming to talk to me about their own relationship with God and faith journey. God is good!
4 Mains parts to a testimony – According to PDL
1. What my life was like before I met Jesus
2. How I realized I need Jesus
3. How I committed my life to Jesus
4. The difference Jesus made in my life
Start with my life before Christ
Born in Iran
Culture – wild wild west – no rules
Strict religiously – only Islam – only Theocratic country –
Lying, stealing was normal.
Good parts too – Food, hospitality, Social
Family – parties – Dad – always be happy. Never show sadness. So we Deflect – humor
Mom – Spiritual – Watching videos of Mohammed – Strong warrior
8 – Escaped from Iran – brother getting drafted into war – whole another story – Mom’s story – very brave – could of died – Refugee status in 82 come to US
Got here – Iran not in good terms with US – tell people we’re Italian – worked better with the girls too
Dallas – Cousins opened French restaurants – we worked there – nothing French
Best way to describe my family – Goodfellas, but switch the spaghetti to kabob and take out the killing
Cousin – Godfather – imagine tony soprano but with a beard and hair
Main values – pride, respect
Nobody messed with our family – Cousin fight – push his head through glass – then the whole family went after him
Alcohol – Everybody drinks – parties – 22 shots of vodka in one hour with my Dad – sign of manlihood
the good part – no problem getting into my fraternity
Most people DWI – did they something bad – our family – right of passage
Cousin and my environment as a kid with Role models – Rich people are crooked
Coming to America – becoming Successful was #1 goal
family – youngest of 3 – 2 older brothers
Oldest brother – went back to school with me and got a degree teaching
I wanted to go become a lawyer – liked it – good paying job and support the family
Middle brother and mom – supports us through college
Law school – 22 – failed 1st class – couldn’t make it up – failed out of law school
God’s 1st miracle – Feather story
Got my masters degree in Software engineering – Learned how to solve problems and do it as efficiently as possible
Came out of college – no jobs – where’s the American dream???
Read rich dad poor dad – Business, not school, is how you get rich in the U.S.
Didn’t have money – Network marketing – Ex. Herbal Life – personal development – started learning everything I could
Sales, marketing, business
Met a mentor – Nader – Promoted a bunch of Cos that would getup and crash
Give me a co we can build that will last – Melaleuca
We were good at marketing – 4 months – Senior director – Company event – Met my 1st wife there
1 yr mark with Melaleuca – trying to make executive director before event – Mentor – fake clients
Another person cutting corners like my cousin
Kept doing this for next few months to qualify – Company cut our checks
Went from big checks to waiting tables again
prayed to God
2nd miracle – night – work up on the floor – had a book – you want to live a right life, live one with integrity
Started attending church through friends
A lot of these personal development quotes were from Jesus but I always felt, it was outdated – listened to society
Opportunity – investment firm
Used my skillsets I had learned from Network Marketing – Build referrals
I needed $15k for a wedding – did it my 2nd month
I was making outrageous money
Taking care of my family
Sending money to my dad back home – helped my oldest brother with his down payment for a home
Cousins competing – all had kids doctors, lawyers, successful
That was my identity – the provider, protector, savior
How I saw myself – Atlas Shrugged
Until the investment firm shut down too
At this point, cut a long story short (too late 
), this happened again two more times.
Investment network – rise and fall
2011 divorce – no commonality – changed her mind about wanting kids
2014 – met my wife – Azy – fateful night in NY – meeting her proof of existence of God – perfect match for me
Saw the next big market being internet marketing
Started doing really well
Partnered up with 2 other guys to launch our own biz opp
Lessons from before – focus on compliance – so I thought at the time
Control – solve all the problems, save people
I’ll do everything myself
Originally had a lot of success but we lost our way when things kept growing, kept trying to solve it and couldn’t keep up with the growth
Civil case with the government – 2019
This was the turning point – watched any suffer and my family and realize I have a pattern
Started living my life based on 2 values 1. Bring value to the world and 2. Do no harm
Moved to Vancouver in Canada – wanted to have a family – Azy’s family there
Azy – reinstating law license – helping others
God – Be fruitful and multiply – having kids – IVF – adventure
At the time – helping others, pregnancy great, living a peaceful life
Asked God to be closer and what can we do to fulfill your plan for us
Be careful what you ask for!
2. How I realized I need Jesus
Crossing the border – two days before twins are born to pick up baby presents
Find out there’s criminal case – our lives about to drastically change
44 days in detention center transported from Seattle to Denver
Once there – got a lawyer – didn’t have anything else to do – started reading through the new testament
Lessons – Judgement – we all have different sins. But we think other peoples sin is so much worse. Asked God – All Sin is separate from me.
After that – God kept saying – Read the word and listen – going through the new testament – kept touching my heart and speaking to me
ex. Share what your have – meet the guy who was a Christian and knew all about facilities
Matt Daniel and I – stated bible studies each night
Ex. Deep and simple – impersonal love – Jesus – Practice it – Opposite of my beliefs – family is all you care for
Ex. Lessons of the debtor – the bigger the depth of forgiveness, the more they’re grateful and the bigger the transformation
Ex. Be vulnerable – man with crippled arm – in front of Pharisees – matt – wanting a mentor
Kingdom of heaven is at hand – The gold we’re seeking is not some tangible shiny object. Gold we’re after is people’s hearts. and it’s priceless!
Guilt and Shame – family – before – keep problems to yourself – protecting other from hurting and sacrificing yourself is honorable – Devil only wins in the darkness
Shine the light – sharing our suffering can help someone – not let it fester up and makes us feel we’re not alone – AKA tonight’s testimony
1st service in that detention unit over 2 years
the entire energy of the unit changed
Funny story – Old Mexican man
Getting out in itself was a miracle – same day
once out – plugged into church
It’s funny how when you walk towards God, how he starts showing up for you
2005 – year of sentencing – year of surrender
Jesus in a ship, storm, look at me, you’re going to be all right
Choose a small group at church – met couple at Starbucks – learning to surrender
All I hear in response to prayers – read my word – 7 months
Dallas – prodigal son is returning home to Dallas
Twins being born – biggest blessing – full time dad – being in the present
And then, Miracles after Miracles
Getting Immigration paperwork
Wife’s baptism
Couple at Natural Grocer
Prayer for the Case – PO, not attorney or judge – so we knew it was him
forgiveness – co-defendants – love your enemy, forgive, bless – God knows your heart
Bible studies – Wednesdays
Praying for others – And watching one miracle after another
Sister in law – complete recovery
Honor vs. Respect – lifting people up
Even our abilities to sin are God given. They’re just being misused or abused.
Chris and Ken – CIA – Christ in action – no judgments – felt comfortable telling them about my case
Near death experiences – 7 million – studied thousands – Same pattern – light, tunnel, life memory, over 50% saw Jesus
This world is temporary – temporary assignment
purpose hack
2 months before sentencing – Fill in the Gaps
Day before sentencing-scared- filled my heart with so much light
next miracle – judge took the recommendation of PO – gave minimum time
After case – sad – you’re grieving
Would get angry and my old thoughts of I need to control this and figure out a solution
But then God is like “That’s why I had you read my word. So you can focus on me during this time. If I hadn’t done this you would still be trying to control everything. You prayed that we would be closer. With you this is the only way it was going to happen. Put you in a position where you have no control and all you can do is focus on listening to me. That’s why I had you read my words. To renew your mind and allow you to have my thoughts vs your own”
You focus on your failures whenever you think of things.
Start thinking of how much you’ve grown.
The key is your moving to God with every step. So you’re going the right path.
Not all things feel good at first but it will be used for the greater good.
Feather
Always saw it during memorable times in my life
Going to get IVF
At our 2nd ultrasound outside my car in the city
At LA fitness after sentencing when I felt hopeless – saw one in my backpack
Found a few at the yard whenever I’m praising God
3. How I committed to Jesus
Read Bible in a year plan
biblical studies – associates degree
– The Israelites is my story
– Joshua – Always consult God before making any decision
The past
– Jesus only mentions one woman in the bible – Remember Gomorrah – Turned into pillar of Salt
– Prison minister – reminding people they are not their past – but who they belong to – Jesus Identity
God is just:
– Moses – didn’t enter the promised lands
– David – Child died and family rebelled against him
– Saul – lost his kingship because he wouldn’t listen to God
Future – Ministry
Before I came, God said get ready to work – I didn’t realize the work I’d be doing is on me.
This place – perfect training grounds – Every person is a test or a blessing. And if you pass the test, it becomes a blessing. If you don’t, you’ll get tested until you do.
Have a problem with someone – Bless my enemies
Ask God – Why am I going through this? What do you want me to learn?
God said – if you want to go into ministry, you have to let go of yourself completely and become like me. This means stop trying to understand them; just accept them!
Realized my life is not be the savior. My job is to get people to him!
4. The Difference Jesus has made in my life and something I can definitely sad about God
Sum it up, I want you to remember where we started, before Jesus my focus was
Lieing, pride, control, always be happy, hurting others, holding on to things in secret
After Jesus, I learned
Compassion, vulnerability, love, forgiveness, light, and sharing with others.
How to have a personal relationship with Jesus – That’s all I really need
Few things I want to end with:
1. Thank people
Ron-consistency
Greenlaw – biblical knowledge and encouraging me as a father
Sisco – ministry
Doc Padilla john – humor – laughter so important – that’s one thing our family did well
And for all of you who have to deal with me during this transition, I want to apologize: As God says, we’re doing a new thing!
So E for having to suffer as my roommate
Me being joyful, here of all places, because that’s what God requires of me – be joyful in all circumstances
I kind of feel like a multiple personality guy right now going from me to being like Jesus. So I appreciate you dealing with the crazy til we get there, God willing.
End with 2 things
one for you and one for your mission
For you – God desperately wants your heart. He’s been reaching out to you, pleading, feeling all that you feel, watching us make one mistake after another, forgiving. All he wants is for us to turn back around and face him, knowing it will be all right.
Mission – one more for Christ
Alex Dee
4/23/25
