.Testimony of
Terry Waller
Tennessee Terry . He's been with the Saloon since day one, and is one of our speakers and staff members. This will be one of the most incredible testimonies you'll ever hear.
So:
From shooting heroin and living on the streets, to riding his Black Road King for the Cause of Christ … here's his story.
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Born in the 60's at Fort Campbell, KY. Terry was a military baby. He has very few recollections of his father, other than he was scared of him. His father was very physically abusive and an alcoholic. He does remember being locked in a basement along with his mother and brother, where he was told that there were a bunch of rats. He remembers being terrified.
But by the time Terry was 3 or 4 years old, his father left, and he's never seen him since. He later learned he left after being arrested for beating Terry's mother. It was an opportunity to escape, and they went to South Carolina, and later returned to Tennessee to raise her family.
Terry's mother married several times, and everyone was a carbon copy of his father, “all abusive and all drunks”. There was never a father figure in his life that he had any respect for, and this fueled a lot of resentment and anger, which resulted in rebellion.
From 2nd grade to 5th grade, Terry and his brother lived in a State Children's Home, because his mother could not afford to raise them.
It was here that he got his first experience with religion. He remembers going to vacation bible school on a couple of occasions, and had a house mother that use to pray with them. There was no conversion story here, but he did develop a belief in God.
After returning home from the children's home, trouble soon began and escalated. There were behavior issues at home, and in school, as well as a few run-ins with the law, for things like vandalism and theft. He started skipping school on a regular basis, and hanging out with others doing the same thing. There was nothing good and productive with anything in his life.
Around age 13 or 14 he started experimenting with drugs. He started with marijuana, but shortly after, was doing a lot of pills, Quaalude's, LSD, PCP, or whatever was around. It was all very accessible, and Terry would do anything he could get his hands on.
As Terry got deeper into drugs, he also got deeper into a life of crime. He needed money for drugs, and started breaking into houses. He found a connection in Chatanooga, who traded him dilauded for guns. Narcotics and Heroin became his drug of choice. He was now bootin' (injecting) heroin and by the time he was 15 he dropped out of school. He just couldn't function there anymore, as well as at home. So he got an apartment and started dealing. He became friends with a 1% biker named Dennis, who he did drugs with, and use to hang out at the clubhouse. There was nothing he wanted more than to have his own Harley, and ride with the club, but every penny went towards buying drugs.
About this time Terry's mother had found God, and use to talk to Terry about it. Terry had developed faith in God, so all this talk just scared him, because he knew the life he was living was wrong, and all God wanted to do was to sentence him to hell. At least, that's what he thought. So he avoided these conversations, or anything to do with God. Of coarse Terry's mother never stopped praying for her son, and it's well known, of the endless miracles that have occurred, due to the power of a praying mom.
He continued in his life of crime, drug dealing and using. But there was a voice inside him telling him that if he didn't change...he would die. His biker friend Dennis was killed in a wreck, and this just fueled his thoughts more.
About this time he finally got caught, and was looking at doing some time. When his case and several others were thrown out due to overcrowding in the jails, he went in the Army. It was a way to escape his current lifestyle.
Terry had good intentions going in, but soon found himself using again, and after getting caught a few times, the Army threw him out.
It was back to the trailer in Tennessee, crimes and drugs. Terry started traveling, and after getting arrested in Daytona and El Paso, he and his brother found themselves in San Francisco.
San Francisco was a whole different world. A whole community of people just like him, and an unending supply of drugs. Terry was indulging himself heavily, using heroin and also crystal meth. He was living under bridges, abandoned houses, cars or wherever he could find shelter. Food was not an essential for him, but what he got to sustain himself was from the local Rescue Missions. Although the food was free, he did have to listen to a sermon, or some sort of spiritual message. And it was here that all those thoughts of life, God, and eternity returned. Terry's brother was arrested, and was sent to prison. His friends were OD'ing and dying all around him. Two of his friends were murdered during drug deals, and Terry knew that this was his future if he didn't escape somehow.
So he started running, but only found himself in the same situation everywhere he went. After running for a few months, he returned to San Francisco, to meet up with his brother, who was being released from prison.
Upon his arrival in San Francisco, he had no idea of the spiritual battle that was about to take place. On this day, he would experience a consuming feeling that he needed to find God, or else he was going to die. He truly believed that this was going to be his last day on earth.
After taking several hits of acid, the first person he met up with was an old acquaintance named Richard. Terry was aware that Richard had a long family history of occult activity, but was never exposed to it in any form, until this day. Richard took Terry into this park and started telling and showing him, of all the riches in the world, and that they could all be his, if he gave his soul to the devil. Richard spoke to Terry like some sort of psychic, speaking to him of his past, and things he had no way of knowing, including the death of his biker friend Dennis. Terry was terrified by Richards power, and wanted to escape, but there seemed to be some force that kept him there.
Richard then told Terry to follow him, and followed him across the street, and into the path of an oncoming car. The vehicle slammed on it's brakes, and nearly hit him. Terry was convinced that Richard, and the devil, were trying to kill him. Now, with the car between the two of them, Terry felt this was his chance to get away and he chose to run in the opposite direction. He had never experienced such fear in his life, and has never since.
As Terry fled he felt God ask him to choose, this day, who he was going to serve. Terrified and believing he was going to die, he started asking people randomly to help him find God. People were frightened, and annoyed by Terry, and no one offered him any real help. One gentleman who said he couldn't help him, did hand Terry a small New Testament Bible, that he had in his possession.
Terry then found himself desperately trying to find someone who could help him. He made his way to a local library, and began pounding on the door which was locked, hoping that someone inside might be able to help. But, the library was closed.
He then sat on the steps, and began to cry, holding his bible in his hands, with his face in his arms. He then was startled by a voice that was behind him, and turned to see this old man in a robe. Terry's first thought was that he had died, and was facing God. But the man told him not to be confused, and that there was a reason why he was here, and that there was more to life than what he had been experiencing.
All of a sudden, the wind began to blow, and the pages of the bible he was holding began to turn, and as quickly as the wind began, it stopped. When he looked down he found the bible had opened to the Gospel of John, chapter 1. Terry started to read, “ In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God ”... After reading a few verses, Terry turned to see the old man, or now looking back, was it an angel of the Lord? But he was gone. A peace instantly consumed him, and the fear suddenly left.
Feeling better, Terry walked back to the street, and observed all the people walking around. Suddenly a strange thing happened, and his spiritual eyes were opened. He was able to discern each person's spiritual condition. He could see the darkness in their lives and knew they were lost. He then looked upon this other man, and could tell that he was different. Strangely enough, the man had the appearance of a hardcore biker, long hair, beard, and tattoo's sleeved his arms. But, Terry knew that this was the person that could help him.
Terry approached the man, and asked him if he would pray for him. He recalls the man's shock, as his mouth dropped, and said “how did you know to come to me?” Terry advised him he wasn't sure, but asked him to pray for him. The man told Terry, that he had come to the right person. They then prayed right there in the doorway of the Double Rainbow Ice Cream Shop, on Haight St. When Terry opened his eyes, he had become a new person. The fear, the guilt, the burdens of his life had all disappeared. And he's never been the same since.
Long since, Terry has been delivered from his life of drugs and crime. He is now a musician, speaker, and Staff Member of the Salvation Saloon Ministries. He is an example, of the extent of God's Love, for those who the world would say, are not worth saving.
Terry's tattoo (“ Sick Boy ” Luke 5:31-32 ) says it all. “They that are whole, need not a physician; but they that are sick. I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance”.
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