Memoir: My Testimonies

By Kevin L. Antoine

Are you ready for the journey of life? Follow me as I narrate the story of my life.

In this book, I share some of the amazing, supernatural, and even unbelievable things I have experienced, so far, in the first half of my blessed life.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Trilogy Christian Publishing
• Release date: Dec 22, 2023
• ISBN: 9798890415868

Kevin L. Antoine

Kevin L. Antoine is the President of the Benevolence Foundation and holds a master's degree in human resource management and bachelor's degree in business administration from Wayland Baptist University. In 2016, Kevin began developing the vision for the Benevolence Foundation and subsequently began serving the homeless and volunteering at a local homeless shelter in 2017. Kevin is a retired Air Force officer and a disabled veteran who served three tours in Afghanistan, Qatar, and Saudi Arabia. He is the Senior Itinerant Pastor at Family Fellowship Church Ministry and was a spiritual leader for a megachurch in San Antonio, Texas. He is originally from Lake Charles, Louisiana and is a fraternal member of Phi Beta Sigma, Incorporated. Kevin is the proud father of five blessed children.

Book preview

INTRODUCTION

On April 9th, 1969, I, Kevin Lanal Antoine, was born in St. Patrick hospital at 4:38 p.m. in Lake Charles, Louisiana. My unwed mother, who is now deceased, was barely eighteen years old when she gave birth to me. My biological father, also now deceased, remained estranged from me throughout my life, however, he did make contact with me a few times before he passed away. I was never great at anything, but I was good at a lot of things. Everything that is happening in my life, God is orchestrating, despite all the mistakes I am making!

Early childhood trauma caused me to be fearful and angry at times. Having courage helped me to counteract my bouts with fear and anxiety. My enemy has done all he knows how to do, which is to steal, to kill, and to destroy me, but nothing has worked on me because no weapon that is formed against me shall prosper.

FOLLOW ME AS I TAKE YOU ON THIS JOURNEY THROUGH THE AMAZING, SUPERNATURAL, AND UNBELIEVABLE LIFE OF KEVIN L. ANTOINE.

DEDICATION

This book is dedicated to the loving memory of my wonderful Mother, Eva R. Antoine-Fontenot who taught me to be the strong, hard-working man I am today.

I also dedicate this book to the loving memory of my amazing Grandparents, Louis Antoine, Jr., and Marie Alice Antoine, who loved me unconditionally, some might even say they spoiled me.

Finally, I dedicate this book to my children, Kevin, Kyle, Kailyn, Jazmin, and Kaleb Antoine. I thank God, He chose me to be your father, but more importantly, I thank Him that He chose each of you to be my children. I pray that each of you continue the legacy God is establishing through us.

CHAPTER 1 – THE CHILDHOOD YEARS

Proverbs 22:6 ESV

Train up a child in the way he should go; even when he is old, he will not depart from it.

I RECEIVED MAJOR BURNS ON BOTH MY ARMS

When I was a toddler, just learning how to walk, I burned both my arms.

I received major burns on both my arms as a very young child (obviously I don’t remember this story, so I’m just sharing what was shared with me). We were living in the projects at the time, we had a floor heater to keep the apartment warm and as I was attempting to walk, I fell on this floor heater and suffered major burns to the inside of my left arm and my right arm. Thank God I don’t remember this at all, because I’m sure it was quite painful, and, of course, I still bear the scars of those burns.

I ALMOST DROWNED

When I was a preschooler, I almost drowned.

My stepdad, who happens to be my sister’s father, took us to the Second Avenue public swimming pool. I remember he wasn’t dressed to go swimming, but my sister and I had on our little swimming suits. We went to the pool, and he set us on the steps in the shallow end and specifically told us to stay on the steps. He began talking to someone, but he was right there standing behind us on the ledge while we were sitting on the steps of the pool. Well, I decided to get off the steps and I got into the water, not realizing that I was not gonna be able to stand up and I didn’t know how to swim. So, I was stuck under water, and I can remember being at the bottom of the pool, looking up and seeing him standing there talking to that man. I don’t know how long I was under that water, but someone got his attention and I remember him reaching down and just pulling me right out of that water. I was spitting up water and coughing, so I almost drowned right there in the sight of my stepdad and the person he was talking to and my sister who was still sitting on the steps. I don’t know why she didn’t say anything, she just kept sitting on the step. Was she just gonna let me drown?

I WAS STABBED IN THE CHEST

When I was kindergarten age, I was stabbed in the chest.

I was five years old, and I was outside of our apartment in the projects with some other kids. We were waiting for the bus to come and pick us up to take us to school. Some kids and I were out running around and playing and there was a parking pole that was jaggedly pointed and rusted on one end. Unfortunately for me, I ran right into that jagged edge pole, and it stuck me right in my chest. I pulled myself off and of course blood was pouring out of my chest, but then the bus pulled up and I started to get on the bus, bleeding from my chest, The bus driver noticed it and of course they had to go get my mom and I ended up being taken to the hospital. I still have the scar from that stab wound today.

THE STORY OF MR. ERNEST: COURAGE OVER FEAR

I used courage to overcome fear in my childhood.

When I was about six years old, we were living in the projects. My sister, myself, and a friend of ours wanted to go to a neighboring apartment to get frozen cups. Unfortunately for us, there was a very scary man, named Mr. Ernest, who terrorized the kids in the projects, and we had to pass by his apartment to get the frozen cups. The three of us were terrified as we approached his apartment, hoping that he would not be outside. But sure enough he was there. We saw him, he saw us, and he yelled at us not to pass in front of his apartment, otherwise he would cut off our ears. We all took off running in fear and went to the back of his building. So now we were behind his building, trying to figure out how we could get pass Mr. Ernest. Our friend said, Let’s just go around the back way, but I said, I’m not going around the back, I’m going around the front. Not sure where that courage came from because I was afraid of Mr. Ernest, and he was outside waiting for us. The girls were almost in tears as they shouted to me, No, Kevin. Don’t do it. He will cut your ear off; he’s going to kill you! I replied, Well, he is just going to have to kill me. I was determined to face my fear of Mr. Ernest, so I went around the front. Mr. Ernest saw me and said, Boy. what did I tell you. Come here. Now he was upstairs, and I was downstairs, so I could have just run past him and gone on my way. I decided to go face him. I went upstairs where he was, and he was huffing and puffing and threatening to cut off my ear. He pretended he was getting out his knife and proceeded to touch my ear as though he was cutting off my ear. I had officially called his bluff and faced my fear of him, so he just let me