How I Came to Christ from Agnostic to Christian
I came to the USA 3 weeks before my 5th Birthday from the oppressed communist country of Cuba. At a very young age in the 1960’s I told my dad that I wanted to look like Steve Reeves the screen Hercules and be a black belt. As child I was raised catholic yet did not like going to church. I was a small, sick kid. I was the last one picked in sports. Around Jr. High, through high school and college I was brained washed by the school system and the media and became super liberal and agnostic. Imagine how my parents felt who had left communism.
In the winter of 1980 I enlist in the Marine Corps Reserves. Before I went to bootcamp I met a guy Mario Lima that had been in the USMC and had gotten out with a medical discharge. He had gone in to avoid going to prison. He told me how hard it was to survive USMC bootcamp and that when I got there I would get close to God and read the Bible they gave me. He told me that I would be anxious to get my Marine Corps issue Bible. Granted this guy was not a Christian or was living a Godly life when he told me this. I laughed thinking it was a joke. Yet, it did stick in my mind. On Dec 2, 1980 I get to bootcamp and it was hell. They call Marine Corps training center in Parris Island S.C. “the land that God forgot.” Yet, that is where I started believing in God again. I was anxious to get my Bible and read it everyday. I went to the Catholic service in Bootcamp, it was the only church I knew. I did not miss a day of church. I promised God that if I made it through bootcamp I would never miss a Sunday in church. I graduated from bootcamp and did not go back to church. At least I now had my faith back.
Around 1982 some of my bodybuilding friends accepted the Lord and began going to a Christian church. One day I went to the toilet to do number 2 and blood came out. Even thought this had happen before in bootcamp I panicked and though that something terrible was happening to me. This incident drove me to put on the TV to the Christian station and accepted the Lord Jesus Christ. The next day I called my friend Richardo Velez (who resembled Arnold face and physically) and told him what had happened. He invited me to a Baptist Church. My parents were not happy . My mom was a devoted Catholic who was going to be a nun until my dad got in the way. My father didn’t go to church much but he was more into idol worshiping. My mom called my crazy Marine Corps Reserves friend who we called psycho to talk to me. He told me how concerned my parents were and that he knew I was not happy and I was not the same person he knew. I spend 3 months going to church and back slid. I believed in God knew I needed to a relationship with Jesus Christ yet did not want to give up my life of partying, womanizing and going to the beach.
I was a shy very guy and a slow gainer when I started bodybuilding. Yet, by now I was getting bigger and my body became my facade. Girls would come to me and start conversations. My life was Wednesday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday to the disco club. Saturday and Sundays to the beach. Monday to Friday to the gym. I couldn’t hold a steady good job. Because of my lifestyle priorities. I competed in 1983 and placed 3rd in both the Miami and Jr Florida Bodybuilding Championships. I had an illness in 1984, which set me back. I made a comeback and competed again in 1985. In 85 I put together a bodybuilding show with my bodybuilding friends and we would perform in discos, events and we even performed in the Collegian Bodybuilding Nationals. Life was what I dreamed of since I was a small child, girls, muscles and fame.
I started doing martial arts again while I continue bodybuilding. I had done martial arts on and off yet bodybuilding was my love and priority. I enter a tournament in 1986. While sparring I partially dislocated my shoulder. I continue to fight and partially dislocate my other shoulder. I still continue to fight. When your adrenaline is going you don’t feel the pain. I lost the match 3 to 2. Now when the match was over I was in so much pain that I could not take my Gi top off to change.
I was told that I should never lift weights or do martial arts again because my shoulders will get worse. A few weeks later I come to the gym yet there was a lot of exercises I can not do. I also lost strength. My facade was my body and it was now shrinking. I had a crazy girl friend that would say that she was a white witch. Imagine that a guy that had accepted the Lord ended up with a witch. I lost my part time job at a liquor store because she came to my job and started an argument with me. This was a few months before I dislocated my shoulders. She started seeing a bodybuilding friend of mind who was also in my Bodybuilding show behind my back. She broke up with me. To top it off my car blew its engine. I thought that I was living a great life before this happen. Yet, I was a complete failure. Now I’m feeling depressed looking at my life, no car, no job, no girl friend, losing my body and living with my parents at 29 years old.
By now my mom and dad were going to a Christian church. Even though I backslid I had planted the seed in my family. The Monday after the 4th of July 1986 I told my mom that I wanted to go to church with her. From there, there was no turning back. I feared going back into the world and my old lifestyle. I do not count my past encounters with God as how long I’ve been a Christian, because I was not born again. I consider my walk with Christ from 1986 to now.
When you give your life to God he will in return give you way better things that you could imagine. I prayed that the next woman that came to my life would be my wife forever. I also always dreamed of marrying a woman that was a virgin. I met my wife in church. My wife was the first and only person I dated since I truly gave my heart to Christ. We dated for almost 3 years we did what the Bible says and did not have a sexual relationship until we got married. My wife was a virgin. Our dating life was church ministries. We been married for 30 years. We have 2 sons and a grandson.
After becoming a Christian my life changed. I started working as a corrections officer at a prison for 10 years 1990 to 2000. I earned numerous black belts. I opened a martial arts school in 1998. I been teaching for 21 years now. I started competing again and won 2017 South Florida Bodybuilding Championship 60+ Overall. In 2019 I was the runner-up in the North American Bodybuilding Championships 60+ Lightweight and the Florida State Bodybuilding Championships 60+. I have written a book “Anta’s Ageless Warrior Fitness” and have been featured in numerous magazines and newspapers and have appeared in over 100 TV shows. God has made my childhood dreams come true.
In my opinion I go to the greatest church CDA (Casa De Alabanza) Miami in the City of Doral, Florida. I have the best, most caring, loving pastor Bobby Cruz Jr. Bobby is also a close friend of mine. Today, my wife and I have ministries in our church. I am a leader in my church CDA Miami. I am the head of the Safety Team Ministry. My youngest son and his wife also serve in ministries in our church. I am blessed by God. If you are looking to have a great relationship with God I invite you to my church.
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