It's Supernatural

Sid: My guest by way of telephone at his home in Lincoln Park, New Jersey is Robert Inguanzo. Now Robert you had unfortunately what’s becoming more and more typical type of life with the drug culture but you were fully addicted to things like heroin and cocaine by the age of 21. If you had wanted to stop at that point could you have?

Robert: Sid I tried everything to stop I went through a drug program, I went to a psychiatrist and there was really nothing. I would stop for maybe for like a year, or two years on the methadone program but then I would always go back.

Sid: So how did you support your habit?

Robert: Well thank God I never really had to steal or anything like that I always had a prosperous business and that’s one of the reasons why my habit grew so much.

Sid: Did you have any close calls where you almost died? You hear about drug overdoses or mixing things.

Robert: Yes well one time I remember I did just cocaine and it was so much cocaine that I felt like my heart was freezing; I felt like I was going to go crazy. And I remember all I did was just get into bed and cover myself and I don’t know if it was that I passed out or went to sleep but I know that God delivered me from that that day, that would be the only time.

Sid: How did you start?

Robert: I started with marijuana at the age of 17.

Sid: Do you believe that there is a connection between smoking marijuana and then going to more advanced drugs?

Robert: Oh definitely, definitely, definitely. It’s you know, you start on marijuana and then you want more you want something strong you want something new. And that’s when I started taking pills like mescaline and things like that. Then somebody introduced me to heroin and I shot it and it felt so good I would only do it like Friday or Saturday evening and then it was Friday and Saturday. And then before I knew it it was Friday, Saturday, Sunday, Monday and little by little it kept more and more. And I always thought I would have control over that because I never liked being under control I always wanted the control but never had anything control me but this was something that nothing could help me with this.

Sid: Was there a point that you wished that you had never opened that door and never been addicted or did you just enjoy it the whole trip?

Robert: No no it got to a point I would have to shoot heroin just to get straight it wasn’t even to get high it was just to not get sick.

Sid: Weren’t you afraid of losing your life or getting AIDS?

Robert: Sid when you have a habit like that you don’t even think of it. I mean my life I would walk up in the morning and the first thing that I would think of how to get high where to get it you know and things like that.

Sid: Were you afraid of getting arrested?

Robert: Well you really don’t think of it.

Sid: Huh.

Robert: You really don’t.

Sid: What’s your heritage? Were you born in America?

Robert: I was born in America my parents are Cuban.

Sid: Okay but well how did you get free of this horrible monkey on your back?

Robert: Well like I said I tried everything I was on methadone for so many years; I would get back on using drugs, I tried a psychiatrist, I tried even a drug program for a year and I always would go back. One day my cousin who used to drink a lot was an alcoholic I found out that somebody prayed for him and he was delivered instantly. I honestly didn’t believe it and so I had to seem him and when I saw him he said “Robert it’s true, it’s true I have no more desire to drink.” I asked him what happened and he told me what happened and who prayed for him. And to myself I said “I have to meet this lady and maybe she can do something with me.” I was desperate Sid, I was desperate to stop but it was stronger, the addiction was stronger than I was I was under total control it was like my whole life revolved around using drugs.

Sid: So did you go to this woman?

Robert: I went to this lady I remember they told me about a church that she went to and I went there on Friday and I told her about the problem. And she said “Robert I understand your problem I’ve dealt with a lot of people with the same situation that you are in now.” And she started to explain to me about demons and all of that and she said
Come Monday night to my house and we’re going to pray for you.” And I thought to myself “Well if I go to her house and she tells me to stand on my head for 5 hours and I will, I’ll do anything to get off drugs.” And you know I mean anything that anybody would tell me that would have delivered me I would have done. So I remember that Monday night I went to her house and it was there and it was her, her son and her daughter. They told me to sit down and relax don’t even pray just be quiet and just meditate on Jesus. I accepted the Lord of course and as she was praying I remember that it was not a prayer like I used to hear on TV or on the Catholic Church like I used to go every once and in a while. But she was actually talking to Jesus and she would ask Jesus for holy angels with swords of fire and all of this and then she started talking to the demons. I remember it’s funny now but I remember that she started talking to the demons of addiction and all of that. And I’m thinking to myself “Oh no what did I get myself into you know.” And I remember thinking “If the demons answer her I’m out of here.”

Sid: (Laughing)

Robert: (Laughing) But thank God I stayed I remember it took us 4 hours there was a manifestation I remember I tore my shirt because I felt something inside my chest trying to explode or come out.    

Sid: So why did you tear your shirt?

Robert: Because I was like…it was like trying to help it come out it was such a pain, something very strange in my chest I felt like something trying to come out so I tore my shirt you know. And I remember I fell to the floor and I started crying and crying and crying. As I’m crying I’m listening to a noise like (imitating sound of wind blowing) like that, like a wind very strong wind and I remember seeing even a black shadow I remember that. And after that they took me home and I went right to bed I was so like exhausted I didn’t even take a shower I didn’t even change my clothes I just jumped into bed and went to sleep. And when I woke up in the morning Sid everything looked different. My room looked like cleaner, I felt different and the first thing I really noticed was I didn’t have those thought on using drugs, how to get it or if I didn’t have it or you know…

Sid: What about I mean physiologically your body was craving, was your body craving this at all?

Robert: Sid that was the first miracle and that’s why I know that Jesus is for real. When I woke up when I used to wake up the first thing I would feel was like nervousness and like a sweating sometime and I woke up in such a peace it was incredible. Not only did the Lord take away the desire to use drugs but I had no sickness, no withdrawal symptoms at all nothing at all. And I know it was a miracle I know that it was God because if I stopped just for half a day I would start getting sick. And here I went I slept through the whole night without using drugs and I woke up and I had no desire and no sickness at all.

Sid: Now explain that wind that you felt there was like a war going on as you explained it going on inside of you and a wind… what happened when that wind hit you?

Robert: Well now I understand more after the next day I saw this lady and she explained to me exactly what happened because she would see all of these demons coming out.

Sid: She actually had the gift to be able to see them.

Robert: She did…yes, yes.

Sid: Hm.

Robert: Yes definitely.

Sid: And what did she tell you?

Robert: Well she told me that exactly what happened that it was demons that come inside a person, and as the devil came to you know to steal, kill destroy and all of that. And he wants to destroy my life. And that the Lord wanted to use me and He was going to help me use what happened in my pass to help other people.

Sid: So you became a believer, you sold out to the Lord you were set free, you met a wonderful Christian woman you got married in the church you had a baby she’s pregnant with the second baby you would define your marriage as a great marriage. You defined your marriage as being one of the happiest men in the world and then you had a minor surgery and they gave you a blood test and what did they find out?

Robert: Well they called me up like a week after the blood test because they had to take a blood test because they want to make sure that if I had any disease that I wouldn’t blame them afterwards so they wanted to make sure. So after a week they called me up and they said there was a problem with the blood test and they wanted to see me so when I went over there they told me that I was infected with the HIV virus with the virus that causes AIDS.

Sid: What was the first thing that crossed your mind?

Robert: I didn’t believe it I said to myself “God would never permit something like this here I am serving God, here I am with my wife who’s parents were pastors you know she grew up in the church I mean God would never permit me to die because of my wife and have her die because… and my girl die and the girl that wasn’t even born yet because my wife was 6 months pregnant.”

Sid: So they thought the whole family would have AIDS. Hold that thought we’ll pick up right here on tomorrow’s broadcast…