Testimonies

Rav. Nate’s testimony in an interview on Oxana Eliahu’s radio show:

Currey Purvis is currently congregational leader of our Messianic group at Tecumseh State Correctional Institution.

My name is Currey Purvis and this is my testimony and statement of faith. I was born November 22, 1987. I was 2nd of 3 sons. My mom raised me and my brothers because my dad was in and out of prison my whole life. So far, he has been in 6 times due to alcohol and drugs. My mom and dad have divorced since I was around 8 years old.

I was expelled from school at age 10. I started to smoke marijuana at this time. Then I got sent to a shelter until a foster home took me in. I was there from age 11-15 until I got kicked out. Then I got sent to move back with my mom. Around this time, I started getting into Neo-Nazism and White Supremacy. I fell victim to it due to one of my cousins, internet, movie, American history, and false propaganda. I started a group at this time. I would hand out hate literature to people and we would fight Mexicans.

Then when I turned 16 years old, I stopped going to school and I went to a place called Job Corps in Chadron, Nebraska. I only stayed there 3 months until I got my GED and state social services caseworker told me they were releasing me from their caseload. I was very happy. So I started to smoke pot again and decided to leave Job Corps.

I came back home to Hastings, Nebraska. I kept smoking pot every day and got a swastika tattoo and some other white power type hate tattoos when I was 16. My daughter was born when I was 17 years old in 2005. I thought it would be good to name her “Aryan” because of the supposed master race.

I started to use cocaine when I was 18, then meth at age 19 and started to inject it also. I’ve been in and out of jail in different states since I was 18. When I was 20, I got charged with selling meth. They sent me to work ethic camp in McCook when I was 21. I was also put on probation for 5 years. About the same time, I got to selling drugs and had burnt a trailer home down. I didn’t get charged until almost 2 years later while on probation.

At this time, I was under a lot of stress and pressure. I crumbled and started using drugs again selling, shooting up, and carrying a gun around.

I lost my job making $16.35/hr. For the next 1½ years, I kept using drugs. I ended up in the mental hospital 2 times and once in treatment. I would wake up in the mornings and cry because I couldn’t stop shoving a needle in my arm even though it hurt and made me possessed by something evil. I remember praying for G-d to somehow help me even if I had to go away.

Well, He heard me and I ended up in a mental hospital to wait to go to long term treatment. While I was there, I had to go to court for 2nd degree arson and they had to resentence me because I had violated my probation. The judge sentenced me on March 26, 2012 to 10-15 years.

Wow I thought G-d answered prayers but not always the way you may have thought or expected. G-d answers prayers even if you are a sinner and don’t believe yet! I ended up in processing at DNE in Lincoln on March 28, 2012. I started reading the Holy Bible because a guy had talked about stories in it. So I read it like a book every day. I also read a book this guy wrote about Revelation and how he had visions. I remember telling G-d that would be really reassuring if I could have a vision in my sleep some time in my life. Well, I did that night and I woke up and I remembered my dream and went right back to sleep and I was right back with Yeshua! I only told a few people about it, but I really believed and I didn’t expect for Him to answer right away my prayer. I kept reading the Bible and going to Catholic mass. I came to Tecumseh State Correctional Institute in May 2012. I finished reading the Bible front and back in 3½ months approximately around July 2012. I stopped going to Catholic services in July or August 2012 because I didn’t agree with them.

Well, I kept reading the Bible and my faith grew and as I read Leviticus, it was like G-d told me that I needed to start being obedient to Him and His Torah. I read a few Messianic books and reread the Petah Tikvah Rav Nate had given me.

I knew Yeshua was calling me to Messianic Judaism, but I didn’t think what people are going to think about this. The L-rd had a sense of humor at this time and He had set before me life and death. I choose life. I may not be a Jew, but I am Jewish, that means Jew-like! I have been ridiculed here at prison due to my faith and because I choose to wear a kippah now (and because my tattoos). I have even been told by a guard that other guards were making jokes about me.

I’ve given up my old ways and views because I choose glory from G-d over men. I have received salvation through Yeshua my Jewish Savior. He has shown me how I fall short and how satan has led me astray. I now proudly stand with Israel and proclaim faith in the G-d of Avraham, Yitzchak, and Ya’akov. The G-d of Israel and the Messiah of Israel Yeshua!

If G-d can do a thing like this for me, He can do it for anyone, if they just accept the faith and don’t harden their hearts. I went from Neo-Nazi, White Supremist, satan worshiper, drug addict, to being a believer in Yeshua and a practitioner of Messianic Judaism.

Hello!

I hope this note finds you, your family, and your team all doing well. I would like to share something with you.

My wife has this friend who gives her a hard time about all this Jewish stuff we are always talking about. She is in her eighties and has been going to church her whole life. Jayne asked me, “What should I say to her?”. I thought about that question and decided to write down my thoughts in kind of a Bible study we could share. I’m not finished with it, it is not polished at all. I just wanted to get some of my thoughts written down.

We weren’t able to watch your service live, so we watched it this morning and I was blown away! I promise I wrote all this down over a week ago, but it seems almost like it was in reaction to your teaching.

Needless to say, I am very encouraged and inspired by your teaching. I know I don’t have it all figured out yet, (A life time pursuit), but after listening to you I feel I am on the right path.

I have a Master’s degree in Theological studies, but I have learned more truths of the Bible from Messianic Jewish sources than I ever learned while earning that degree.

I hope it encourages you to know your teachings really do make a difference in people’s lives. We have been watching your streaming service, but hope to join you all in person soon!

Thank You!

Ken & Jayne Durfee