My Testimony

My name is Arron Long, also known as D.O.C. # 112095. I am a former inmate and former “menace’ to
society. Here is my testimony.

Former to crime- I was raised in Russell to blue collar parents. I grew up in the church and at 9 years old I
was “saved”. I moved to Olathe, KS at the age of twelve. I did not grow up in a bad environment, but it
did have its ups and down. My Dad started a plumbing business and was successful for a while. Both him
and my mother loved to drink and was prescribed pills. The older I got, the worst they got. They ended
up adopting my little brother and sister and brought them in to our unstable environment. I ended up
smoking weed everyday to numb out the craziness. My mother ended up leaving and taking every dime
from my family’s accounts leaving my dad broken and broke. This is when a darkness swept over me.

In a panic my siblings and I were on our own. My little brother was still in high school, my little
sister just had my oldest niece, and my older brother took control of our families business trying to save
it by not taking any income and putting everything into the accounts to save it from repurchased. There
were a lot of things going on for a 19-year-old. I was working for free for my brother, going to a
rent-a-week motel to give my father food since he was drinking all day, taking pain pills and Xanax. I also
worked on weekends as a bouncer at biker bar on weekends to make any income which is what helped
feed my younger siblings. All of the sudden my little sister came to me crying. My niece had an eye
infection and she had no insurance since she didn’t qualify for government assistance so she could not
afford it. It was $140. My nieces dad was not there for her yet and so I made a call to friends I knew
about selling weed. I ended up selling weed, and was introduced to harder substances. I ended up
making $500 in a few hours. I instantly fell into a lifestyle of distribution. That ended up leading to
addiction, which ended up to 36 months in prison. At 26 I got out and tried my best to stay away but the
first moment my Parole officer put me in a tough spot I used all my new,” friends”, I met in prison to help
me get set up back in the lifestyle I just went to prison for. I ended up absconding and got introduced to
the real deal. I was rolling through Northeast KCMO and ended up setting on St. John’s Ave and Denver.
During this time I was shot at, I was stabbed, I died twice from over-dosing, and was in a dark deep pool
of sin and darkness. I finally got caught driving a stolen truck in Kansas City, KS after fleeing from Bonner
Springs police. At the time of entering Wyandotte County Jail, I remember calling my Dad and telling him
happily that the most I will do is 8 months in D.O.C. and I was content with that. Thinking back on it I
can’t believe I was so systematic that I was okay with going to prison.

My Salvation and Rebirth

I was in my jail cell one night and was deep in my thoughts. I hopped off my bunk and picked up The
Bible. I opened up Matthew Chapter 6 and started reading. Matthew 6 25:34- These words from Jesus
were my saving grace. I ended up crying and fell to my knees, see even though I grew up in church I
never actually knew what being saved meant. On my knees crying I looked up and asked Jesus to take
care of me, I surrendered all of m evil deeds and told him I surrender my entire self to him from now
until I enter the gates of heaven. I smelt a floral fragrance during this time that was so strong,
goosebumps were all around me, and right then I was flooded with the Holy Spirit. Instantly everything
changed. How I thought, how I talked, and my demons were gone. I was free from the bondage of the
devil and was released from every sin I previously committed. I ended up getting probation instead of
the prison sentence and when I was released, I moved into an oxford house and started filling my cup. I
went to church, I went to NA meetings, I went to bible studies, I went to doctrine classes. This was all
after working at a call center. I knew I needed to immerse myself in a new lifestyle so that when I got
home, I would be so filled up in the word that I would lay down and sleep. I woke up every morning with
scripture. I isolated myself from all social media for 6-months and was solely focused on building my new
life that was given to me from the sacrifice of Christ our Savior. I ended up moving out of the oxford
house and into my own place. I had a bank account, credit score, and was even paying rent consistently.
To most people that is normal, but to me this was all new and very rewarding. I took baby steps and
knocked little things out one at a time and that was also new to me.

God blessed me with a promotion at my job and I taught myself how to use Microsoft Excel and learned
how to build pivot tables that could show statistics from my team members. This led to another
promotion where I was one of 5 Supervisors. I ended up being blessed by God that I found a job where I
had natural skills and ideas that propelled me to developing professional and personal relationships with
successful people. One of which was my boss at the time. He became a mentor to me, and we gelled
well together. He ended up putting in his two weeks and called me asking me to make a position where I
would lead an entire division at his new job where he was the Chief Operations Officer at. Just like that,
in two years, God blessed me with a promising career, a fiancée, two boys who call me Dad, redemption
and respect from my family, and most importantly a discipleship.

Prophecies

After I was saved, I had two dreams in jail. One was me passing out jail jumpers with First Samuel
stamped on every jumper. The next Day I woke up and read First Samuel not knowing what to look for
but trusting God. I ended up at 1 Samuel Ch. 22, this is where David first ran away from Saul. David
ended up with his first vanguard of 400 men. These men were all outcasts from Israel for various
reasons. Right then I cried because God shown me a sign that even if you committed acts that made you
feel outcasted by society, God still has plans for you if you seek him.

My second dream was an outreach called ‘The Unreachable Outreach’. God told me to go back to the
neighborhoods I committed sins in and disciple to everyone. He told me that the system is broken and
that he will provide me a way to provide transportation to prisoners to take them to their parole officers,
work, and provide housing away from the environment they were lost in. I still need a few more years
but God will provide because he always comes for us who feel unreachable and lost. He sent Jesus to be
the ultimate sacrifice for all sinners. He sent Jesus for you! Just seek him and you will receive blessings
and be redeemed. You must surrender in your prayer my brothers and sisters. Surrendering your past life
is the only way to redemption. The beauty is your past life will also be a testimony to save others who
have been where we have. You have a testimony that can save others. I will end with this I am praying for
all of the lost sheep to seek their shepherd and be found and reborn. Jesus is a miracle worker and can
change your entire life if you ask. I love you all and believe that you all will become great disciples.

- Matthew 7:24-27
24 “Everyone then who hears these words of mine and does them will be like a wise man who
built his house on the rock. 25 And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and
beat on that house, but it did not fall, because it had been founded on the rock. 26 And
everyone who hears these words of mine and does not do them will be like a foolish man who
built his house on the sand. 27 And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and
beat against that house, and it fell, and great was the fall of it.”

Entering your new life remember that the solid rock is going to be God and yourself. Anything of
this world can not be a foundational piece of your life. Your family, your work, your ministry all
comes from God so always seek him first. When you make God your foundation then nothing
can crumble your house. God bless you all.