My Testimony

Growing up my desire was not to attend church on Sunday mornings. That was not my idea of fun. Actually my mom made us go with her, so we did. So I guess you can say that I grew up in a semi- Christian home with a Christian mom and a non- Christian father, who by the way was an alcoholic.  I remember being in a Sunday school class as a 10 year old and listening to the teacher give the lesson, but the only thing I recall from that lesson is when she said if we wanted to go to heaven when we died. That to me was appealing. I didn’t want to go anywhere else but heaven. So that day I made the decision to turn away from my disobedience to God.  I was actually expecting to be different instantly, not realizing that it didn’t work that way.  

So time passed by, went to church as always but there wasn’t much change in me. I knew the right things to do and the wrong things I shouldn’t ever do, because that was the way I was taught. To do good and be good. As a Junior in High School,  I loved going to parties every weekend if possible and be with friends and found satisfaction in getting attention. I would also get very upset when my parents wouldn’t allow me to go. There I had my first real crush on a boy and fell in love with him. He was the type of guy that would abuse alcohol and smoke. Wow, what a catch, right. We dated for 3 years, but I decided to brake up with him because he was not faithful in our relationship. My parents of course didn’t approve of him, but they knew that it was best for my own sake to see him at my house instead of any other private place.  I knew deep down that I was making the right choice, although I was hurting tremendously, because I had fallen in love with this person, I knew he wasn’t the one for me.  After braking up with this person, I began to search, and attend church more. I was feeling lonely and wanted to be different. I didn’t want to get hurt again. So I kept attending church and I remember the pastor saying toward the end of his sermon, if we have been rejecting God in our lives and if we wanted to make a decision to turn away from the way we were living. And to admit our wrong and to ask for forgiveness. So that day I asked the Lord to forgive me for rejecting Him for so long. To forgive me for living a life that was not bringing Him glory.  The next year in January of 1998, a group from the U.S came to my home church. They were in need of translators. I was debating on weather or not to do this, because of my availability but also because of going out with the group sharing the good news about Christ's purpose on earth. But most of all feeling rejected by my friends who would see me.

This group was formed by  Seniors in  High School and young college students like me. Some had given up there Senior trips to come share their faith with others. They were excited, joyful, happy, not one bit boring. I remember thinking that I wanted that for my self. So I decided to use my gift of being bilingual and helping out. I also began to go to classes at church to learn more about baptism. I knew I had to do this as a step of obedience and my faith in Christ. Through the group that came to my home church, I met my husband. Ever since, my life has been different and the Lord has blessed me in a great way. I was trying to find pleasure and satisfaction in temporal things. Things that only lasted hours, and then I was the same. But He had a plan for my life, as I was willing to leave behind the things I thought would satisfy me and I found satisfaction in Him.

He also has a plan for your life. Are you willing to follow Him and trust Him today? I pray that you would. My life has not been the same ever since, it is better because of Him. I'm not saying that I don't have struggles, but I can go through those tough times, because I have Jesus to lean and depend on. I don't have to live life alone, I can live it with great company - Jesus. Blessings!