Testimony received from Oleg Merkulov, National Field Officer, Ukraine

Vladim was in prison. He was HIV positive and suffered from tuberculosis.
 
Because of his incarceration and serious illness, Vladim decided to commit suicide. He asked one of his cellmates to get him a sharp knife so he could cut his veins and put himself out of his misery. A short time later, someone left Vladim a small package on his bunk, which he assumed to be the knife he had asked for. However, when he opened the package, he flew into a rage—instead of a knife, he found a Gideon New Testament. He put it aside, not wanting to even touch it.
 
Aware of the prisoner's severe depression, a prison doctor came to Vladim's cell expecting to find that he had killed himself. When the doctor saw that Vladim was still alive—and apparently happy and at peace—he was astounded. The doctor asked the prisoner in the next cell, "What did you give him?" The cellmate answered that he had given him a New Testament, and that Vladim had talked to God the entire night.
 
Vladim told the doctor, "I received Jesus into my heart!" It was evident that God had stopped death and healed Vladim. That doctor, a high-ranking officer, fell to his knees and prayed, "Only You could do that, Almighty God!"
 
God strengthened Vladim physically and spiritually while he was in that prison, and when he was set free, he returned to his village and joined the local evangelical church.
 
One day, Vladim saw a woman sitting on a bench, obviously drunk. He shared the Gospel of Jesus Christ with her, told her that only God could change her life, and then invited her to church. The woman repented and became a member of the church, and later became Vladim's wife. Praise the Lord!
 
This testimony can be at http://blog.gideons.org/2013/01/only-god-can-change-a-life/