I have always had a life of misery where nothing would go right for me. I was constantly in debt and asking people for money. I worked hard, but it was never enough. Despite my financial limitations, I came to the UK in the hope of bettering my life.

One of the first things I did was to enrol in an English course to learn the language, before I started applying for jobs, but I couldn’t get one because my level of English wasn’t very good. I didn’t let this discourage me but I also had to do something. I approached a pizzeria and offered to work for free; I just wanted to learn and get experience so that I could then get a job. There, I got my first job, and I stayed for two-and-a-half years. The money that I would earn there wasn’t enough to pay my bills, so I decided to take a risk. I started to deliver parcels and documents, but that didn’t go very well either.

I was already attending the Universal, where I was taught not to accept my situation nor conform to the circumstances. The Independence Project meetings on Mondays really boosted my faith to believe in something better. When the Challenge of Faith came around, I was all in. The confidence I got from it pushed me to take the initiative and I opened my own courier company. Although it wasn’t easy in the beginning – I had no financial conditions to start a business and it took quite some time for it to grow – I didn’t give up and today my company is prospering. Consequently, I was able to improve my living situation here, so much so that I no longer live in a rented room and I was able to buy a BMW.

As I saw the results of my faith in action, I also decided to use it for other areas of my life, like my love life. I wanted to be happily married and have a beautiful family, and today this is my reality. My wife completes me and we have a beautiful daughter. We don’t lack anything.’

Erandi Olimpio de Melo da Silva