TESTIMONY OF KAREN COON

            Three A.M. and I was cooking one last batch of meth to sell, so I could bring my daughter home for Christmas.  A line of police cars came up the driveway.  I fought and cursed as they took me to jail.  They thought they had the biggest drug dealer in the county.  They didn’t know how tormented I was. Just a few years earlier I had been riding high. In Prague, Ok.  I owned two bars, a nice vehicle, and was providing well for my daughter.  Then I started taking methamphetamine.  I went into a downward spiral and lost everything.  My life had been heading in this direction since childhood. My parents were alcoholics.  Having a belief system void of any knowledge of God allowed me to throw off all moral restraints.  I became and alcoholic and drug addict by the age of 15.  My older sister overdosed on drugs and died. I joined the military at the age of 17.  After many failed relationships, I was hardhearted and bitter.  In 1993 I left the military and bought the town bar in Prague.  Everyone knew I carried a gun and I knew how to use it.  On the outside I was tough and self-assured.  Inside, I was a different Karen.  I couldn’t drink enough to get rid of my pain and guilt.  Money was my god.  But my life was falling apart and I didn’t know why.  That’s when someone told me meth would solve my problems.  When I first tried meth, I felt like I could accomplish anything.  But meth soon became my master.  I started hunting the drug all the time.  Tormenting voices made my life a nightmare.  I couldn’t sleep.  I thought people were following me.  I even distrusted my friends and family.

            My addiction only became worse.  I sent my daughter to live with her father.  I didn’t realize that meth was a door for demonic voices.  Thoughts of killing myself and someone else filled my mind.  After losing everything, I moved in with a friend and we learned how to cook meth.  So there I was, cooking a batch to bring my daughter home for Christmas, when the police busted in the doors.  I was looking at 20-years to life. In lockdown I slept for days, waking only long enough to complain and eat.  I started reading what I thought was just another book, a New Testament.  The more I read, the more it began to draw me.  I would put the Bible down and think to myself, there’s no way I can do what it says to do.  Soon I’d pick it up to read again.  Pains started coming on me similar to labor pains.  An intense pain hit me that was so bad; all I could do was curl into a fetal position.  I covered my head to hide my tears.  “God, it would be a good time for You to show up”, and I prayed.  I noticed I wasn’t hurting anymore.  I slowly stretched my legs and jumped up.  All the pain was gone. God had my attention.  This was the beginning of my relationship with the Lord.  Karen, are you ready to make Jesus the Lord of your life Chaplain Pete asked.  My mind was still in torment.  I wanted to be free from the voices.  Brother Pete led me in the sinner’s prayer.  I repented and asked the Lord to come into my heart, making a full surrender of my life to Him.

             A power I cannot explain came over me and moved down deep into my stomach.  Something forceful and physical came up out of me.  The Holy Spirit not only filled me with God’s power, He also delivered me from the demonic power that had taken residence in me. I was given a 10-year sentence.  Upon appearing before the judge, he changed it without notice to three years.  God was at work.  I was released from prison after one year.  The Lord led me to return to Prague.  My daughter was restored to me.  God has called me into prison ministry and opened doors for me to become a licensed minister in the Assemblies of God. Jesus, all Jesus. How blessed I am!