Marino Restrepo was born in rural Colombia on a coffee plantation and moved to Bogota in the 1960’s when he was fourteen years old.

He and his family were devout Catholics, but things changed when he moved to the capital city.

He lived a hippie lifestyle far from God and was involved in drinking, drugs, and free sex. He lived in mortal sin and never attended church. He got engaged and moved to Germany. They split up and he moved to California where his fast lane lifestyle continued.

He was in the music and art industry, and was successful materially, but he was far from God.

Many years later, he decided to visit his sisters in Colombia as he had lost several family members in a short time.

What happened on Christmas day 1997?

During that trip home, he was kidnapped by Colombian rebels who were in the drug trade.

They moved him to the inner jungle where conditions were deplorable. During that confinement he had an episode with the Creator with an illumination of conscience. He saw what God had planned for his life, and how his choices had squandered God’s love. The growth of his carnal appetite had brought serious consequences to his life. He experienced hell, purgatory, and heaven, and saw how our actions on earth bear eternal consequences.

The Lord led him through the most extensive teachings of his life. To this day his encounter with the Creator is as vivid as the day it happened, and he remembers everything with astounding clarity.

A movie was created about his life. It was a very painful experience for Marino to watch.

Released and then what?

Although at times during captivity he felt he was surely going to die, he was eventually released.

Since that experience and for nearly 25 years, Marino has traveled the world telling of his mystical experience and the illumination of his soul. He encourages all to convert and return to God.

He knows God and the devil, and heaven and hell exist; God is love, and every sin is an absence of love, meaning the absence of divine perfection.


His book, From Darkness into the Light, is a fascinating read, available at Amazon.com.