Testimonies of SDJCC Members, May, 1998
Number 8 = Table of Contents =
| God Is Wonderful | Kimiyo Estigoy |
| Since I Was a Child | Benny Ignacio |
| In His Hand | Katsumi Ignacio |
| Journey In the Faith | Guy Kiyoi |
| Live with Faith | Daniel McDonald |
| God's Work In My Life | Yukiko McDonald |
| The Home of My Soul | Hideko Piazza |
| The True God | Sachiko Takuwa |
Mrs. Inosanto always told me about God, and invited me to church, but there were so many things I wanted to do that I did not go. Nevertheless, I have not been able to drive myself since a year ago, and every time I needed to go somewhere, I asked Mrs. Inosanto to help me. Thus, when Mrs. Inosanto invited me to church, I could no longer tell her that I have to go somewhere else. Mrs. Inosanto took me to church whenever she could.
Eventually, I began to forget many things because of my age, and I wanted to have an assured faith while my mind was still working. Hence, I studied the Bible with Rev. Nakao using special textbooks, and I learned these three things: God, sin and salvation. I also learned that the true God is not just a God of Christianity, but the Creator of this world, and the God of every man. Therefore, God is also my God. However, for many years, I did not even try to get to know him, and I challenged myself to live by my own strength. That was a sin. Furthermore, the Son of God, Jesus Christ died on the cross for my sin. The Bible says, "That if you confess with your mouth, 'Jesus is the Lord,' and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you confess and are saved" (Romans 10:9-10). I prayed to God, "Lord, I am a sinner. I believe that Jesus was died for my sins and resurrected from the death, so he is alive now. Please forgive my sins, and please save me." With this prayer, God gave me the assurance in my heart.
Until now, I tried understanding God through my mind, but He wanted my heart, not my brain. Now Jesus is living in my heart. I may begin to forget more things because of my age. Nevertheless, Jesus is not living in my brain, but in my heart. Thus, I know I will never forget Jesus, and God will never forget me, either. "Even to your old age and gray hairs, I am he, I am he who sustain you. I have made you and I will carry you; I will sustain you and I will rescue you" (Isaiah 46:4). I praise God as He is truly wonderful.
At age of 21 I went to Japan as a pianist, and met my wife Katumi. We got married at the church where I served as an Altar Boy in the Philippines. My wife and I spent two years in Japan, and came to the Unite States five years ago. We have experienced a lot of toils and difficulties, but God was always faithful in times of trials, and answered prayers as my love grew stronger for the Lord.
It was April 22, 1997 that I knelt down and prayed for two hours in our home praising the Lord and cried into Him asking for the forgiveness of all my sins, On that day, I accepted Jesus as my personal Savior and asked Him to be the Lord of my life.
"But if we walk in the light as He is in the light, we have fellow ship with one another, and the blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanses us from all sin, If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness."(1 John 1:7-9)
I realized that I can nothing without Him. After that experience, I attended LSS(Life in the Spirit Seminar)last May. I learned how to live in the Spirit not to live in flesh. Through the seminar, God really changed my life. "but the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, long suffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law. And those who are Christ's have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires.(Galatians 5:22-24)
Last June, we moved to a new apartment. We asked the manager if there was a Japanese living there. She introduced us to Tom and Mayumi Wallish. They visited us and we knew they were Christians and members of SDJCC. Tom told me that they needed someone to play piano for the praise team. I said that I would try to play piano at his church. It was Friday. And we came to SDJCC next Sunday. I December 1996, I wrote down my petition to the Lord on my note. It was prayer that I wanted to be closer with my family. God wonderfully answered my prayer. God sent us Mr. and Mrs. Wallish and guided my wife and me to SDJCC. We can learn the Word of God both in Japanese and English. This is God's wonderful providence for us. God has been guiding my life since my childhood up to the present time.
I want to put God first in my life because God loved me that he gave his only and only Son Jesus Christ who died and rose again. I also want to read the Bible regularly and learn it more. "Let the word of Christ dwell in your richly in all wisdom, teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord." (Colossians3:16)
I really thank the Lord because of the talent He gave me. I want to give Him back the talent by praising His name in music. Praise the Lord."
One day, a stranger came to our front door, gave me a book and left. I think I talked to him, but I can't remember what we talked about. I didn't understand anything in the book, so I didn't touch it after that. When I was in high school, I enjoyed tarots, horror movies, and predicting my friends' futures. I also believed that our fortune is affected by the bearing of things and the number of characters in one's name. Soon after I started working, an Asian fortuneteller told me that I may only live ten years after I got married or until I was forty, if I didn't get married. That thought stuck in my mind and kept coming back to me so that I couldn't concentrate even on my job. I thought I didn't have a future and I despaired.
One night in the early summer of 1990, I prayed for the first time on my bed in my room. "God, please prove that you really exist." It was right after that time that I met my future husband. He was from the Philippines working in Japan as a pianist. It was a coincidence that I went to the place where he was playing and met him there. After we talked for a few minutes, he told me that he wanted to go someplace with me. It was a Catholic church. As I stood and looked around from the entrance, I noticed a statue of Jesus on the cross in the center of the empty sanctuary. I didn't know who that was or why that was there. I felt like I was in a different world. When I entered inside and sat down, I felt very settled. After awhile, he gave me a rosary and a prayer card and said, "Let's pray." I hesitated because that was the first time to pray in English. But I prayed for one hour after him. I felt satisfied like I had never felt before. After that he told me about Jesus, but I couldn't understand it well that day. I also wondered what he meant when he said that he loved Jesus deeply. I wondered why he prayed to someone in history whom he had never met, and adored Him as Lord. But I also was attracted to the Christ in whom he believed.
As I started praying the Rosary from that night and learned Jesus' life through the prayer, I became interested in the Bible. I remembered the book that was given to me when I was in elementary school. I found it easily when I looked for it. It was a Bible written in English and Japanese. It was very useful when I read the Bible with him. As I studied the Bible, my heart started opening up a little by little. I understood that the gods to whom I offered things were only stone or wood and had no power. I also learned that Jesus died on the cross for my sins. I was very moved. I repented that I had followed statues and accepted Jesus Christ into my heart. Jesus Christ is not only a historical character, but He is alive and is with us right now. "Formerly, when you did not know God, you were slaves to those who by nature are not gods. But now that you know God-- or rather are known by God-- how is it that you are turning back to those weak and miserable principles? Do you wish to be enslaved by them all over again?" (Galatians 4:8-9) "Though you have not seen him, you love him; and even though you do not see him now, you believe in him and are filled with an inexpressible and glorious joy, for you are receiving the goal of your faith, the salvation of your souls." (I Peter 1:8-9)
My husband went back to the Philippines after he completed his eight month contract. I went to the Philippines even though my parents were against it. His parents were very religious, had a chapel on their property, and had many people over for evangelical meetings every week. I was welcomed warmly into his family, and in March 1991, I confessed my faith and was baptized. I also got married. We lived in Japan for two years after we got married and were blessed with a daughter.
When my husband's parents moved to America, they told us to come to America, too. When my husband said, "Let's got to America," I protested, crying. Meanwhile my husband's eye developed problems, and he couldn't read music sheets well. Because of this, I thought maybe it was God's will for us to go to America. We prayed together and came here in 1993.
I thank God even though we had many hardships during these past five years. God is always with us, blessing us, and allowing all three of us to live together. I especially thank God that we met the Wallishs and were led to this church. I also thank God that we met brothers and sisters in Christ who accepted us as family members. My husband and I always look forward to listening to Reverend Nakao's messages. I hope to attend Bible studies as much as possible, apply what I learn, and live a faithful, fulfilling life.
But let all who take refuge in you be glad; let them ever sing for joy. Spread your protection over them, that those who love your name may rejoice in you. For surely, O LORD, you bless the righteous; you surround them with your favor as with a shield. Psalm 5:11, 12
Lets go back to the beginning. I grew up in a Christian family I was the youngest. My parents and my sister and four brothers were all baptized. Some of my earliest recollections as a child were that of attending the Modesto Holiness Church, one of the prewar churches of our Conference. My mother died before I was two years old, and I dimly recall an occasion when my father dropped me off somewhere while he delivered produce to the markets. I realized later that that somewhere was the church and my baby sitter was the pastor, Rev. Sakuma, who was a bachelor at the time because his new bride was still in Japan.
Later, when the Sakuma's were transferred to the San Lorenzo Holiness Church, I spent one summer living with them. Some of you here may remember that the Holiness tradition during that depression era was ultra conservative. Young ladies did not wear make up or jewelry, no perms, no movies. Rev. Sakuma had a reputation of being the strictest of disciplinarians. By contrast though, Mrs. Sakuma was one of the most gentle and loving persons that I have ever known. So you see, I had some good beginnings as far as training and example were concerned.
Needless to say, Sunday School was central to our lives. Early on I accepted the fact that "God so loved the world that He gave his only Son, and that whoever believes in Him would have eternal life." I also expected that I would be baptized at an early age. But what I didn't realize then was that this was just head knowledge and that I did not know what accepting Christ as Lord really meant. I just looked at the Christian life as a bunch of do's and don'ts.
But before I was able to be baptized, World War II began, which caused a drastic change in our lives. We Modestans wound up in the Amache camp in Colorado. There, family life ceased to exist, and being a sophomore in high school at the time, I reveled in this new found freedom. Shortly, a church was started, but in spite of the fact that my sister was one of the teachers in the Sunday School, I can only recall attending once.
I left camp and finished high school in Boulder, Colorado, and soon after graduation, I was in the Army in a specialized training unit. We were fresh out of high school and at a time in our lives when we thought we knew everything. We were in an academic environment, and I recall a few philosophical rap sessions in which the topic of religion and God would come up. But later I realized that we never talked about Jesus Christ even though most of us had a "P" for Protestant on our dog tags and had come from Christian homes.
But as things go in the Army, the unit was disbanded after 6 months, and I eventually wound up with the Occupation Forces in Germany. Those of you who served during that time know the kind of an environment you find in a typical military unit, especially overseas right after the war ended. To make a long story short, I just went with the crowd. At that point, I was at a spiritual low and you might say, in the pig pen with the proverbial prodigal son. But unlike the son, my return to the father was a long journey.
It wasn't until much later, after I was married that I was reconciled to Christ. We had moved to Hayward, about a mile from the San Lorenzo Church, and though I knew the pastor, Rev. Dan Shinoda, and some of the people there, we avoided going for a long time. But Rev. Dan found out that we were there and paid us a visit. A short while later, a visitation team consisting of three teenage girls just barely out of high school called on us. Both of these visits impressed us; their friendliness, sincerity and enthusiasm left their mark, and we soon found ourselves attending church. And, mostly through Rev. Dan's adult Sunday School class, we came to grips with the person of Jesus Christ and accepted Him as Lord as well as Savior. My wife and I were baptized together on Easter Sunday, 1962.
As I said, my walk was a slow one, even from that point. But I can say that it was one that was marked by a gift of service. A verse that has held me in good stead in this regard is Philippians 4:13: "I can do all things through Christ which strengthens me." I can also say that the Lord has truly blessed us with the abundant life: a life of much joy and happiness, free from want; a life without any hardships or major difficulties except, perhaps, my wife's bout with cancer a while back. And even that has caused me to appreciate much, much more, and not take for granted, His blessings. Which brings to mind the verse from Galatians: "But the fruit of the spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self control: against such there is no law." And I might add "against such there is no equal." For these, I have learned, are the true and lasting blessings of the Lord.
My mother tells me that at the age of three I asked to receive Jesus into my heart. She was teaching the children's Sunday School class at a small, country church. At the end of the lesson she asked if anyone would like to accept Jesus as their savior. I said yes. Later, when I was six years old, during our family Bible study time, I prayed and asked God to fill me with the Holy Spirit.
During the seven years that I lived as a young child in the mountains of Colorado, I witnessed firsthand the way God provides for our every need. After leaving Florida, my family was very poor. We literally lived by faith. However, God in his goodness, made sure that we never missed a meal. God provided for us just as it is written in Matthew 6:31-33 which reads, "So do not worry, saying, What shall we eat?' or What shall we drink?' or What shall we wear?' For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. But, seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well."
God spoke to my parents again and instructed them to leave Colorado and move to Kentucky. This was to be a training mission, and they would be returning to Colorado to continue their ministry. God told my mother that she was to attend Asbury Theological Seminary in Wilmore, Kentucky.
After my family had lived in Wilmore for about a year, we began to attend the Free Methodist church there. This church became my home church and the place where I grew as a Christian and was nurtured in my faith. From the time I was ten or eleven years old until I graduated from high school, I was very active in the church. I participated in the youth group activities like Bible quizzing, the puppet ministry, youth choir, and youth prayer breakfast. From these activities, from the friends I made there, and especially from the youth pastors I had, I learned to love the Lord, to trust in him for all my needs, and to seek his will for my life.
Throughout my teenage years, my mother continued to play a strong guiding role in my life. When I was fourteen years, I decided to start studying karate. My mother, however, insisted that I should be baptized before I begin. I had already committed my life to Jesus, so I was eager to be baptized. I was baptized that year in the swimming pool at Asbury Theological Seminary. Two years later, when I turned sixteen, I joined the Wilmore Free Methodist Church as a full member. During my last year in high school, my mother encouraged me to visit Greenville College in Greenville, Illinois, to take part in a scholarship competition. As it turned out, I won the scholarship and decided to go to Greenville College to study.
The theme of my life has always been, "God provides for me." When I think back on it now, it seems that God's reason for taking me to Greenville College was to meet my wife. I attended Greenville College for two years until Kiko and I got married. Then, I transferred to Asbury College where I finished my degree. Both of the colleges I attended were Christian schools. Attending chapel three times a week for four years together with the required Bible and Christian theology classes helped me to gain a deeper understanding of my Christian traditions and beliefs. I learned how the Bible, Old Testament and New Testament, tells the single greatest love story of all time. A verse that I memorized as a child took on deep and real meaning to me:"For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life." John 3:16.
From that time until today, God has continued to provide for me as he promised. "And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose." Romans 8:28. I applied to ten different graduate schools, and I was accepted only to the one school I did not want to attend. As it has turned out, the work I did at that graduate school was very instrumental in bringing me to San Diego. When I look back now I can see that the hand of God was directing my life.
And so, I live each day with confidence knowing that the Loving God, Master of the Universe, is watching over me, caring for me, preparing the way for me. "If God is for us, who can be against us? He who did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for us all-how will he not also, along with him, graciously give us all things?" Romans 8:31-32.
When he was six months old, he got the Hong Kong flu, had a high fever, and lost his hearing. He was diagnosed as deaf when he got into preschool. From that time, my parents sacrificed everything for my deaf brother, and I was neglected most of the time. My parents were very strict to me and physically punished me throughout my childhood. Because they could not spend a lot of time with me, physical punishment was a quick way for them to discipline me. I felt distrust toward my parents and jealousy toward my brother. When I was alone at home, I would sit and pluck out my hairs one by one. I thought that if my parents found my hair they would scold me, so I hid my hair in various places. No one noticed my abnormal behavior. I remember being so lonely.
Taking school entrance exams made my loneliness worse. I have taken entrance exams for elementary, junior high, and high school. I worked very hard to get into high school. According to the standardized scoring system, however, I was already classified as a drop out. I became lonelier than ever. I started working time, and only went to school to meet the graduation requirements. I skipped school as often as I could, and did the things that I liked. It did not matter who my boyfriend was. Anyone who was nice to me I really liked. No matter how much I did the things I liked, I was empty inside. Constantly, I felt restrained. I started thinking about going overseas to be free. It was naive for me to think that if I only knew English I could live overseas away from the restraint of Japanese society. I started going to English language school with the little savings that I had.
My English teacher was a twenty-nine year old British missionary. He was a very calm and gentle teacher, but I felt uneasy about him. I felt a bit strange about him. The teacher had a Bible study once a week after class. Only a few students showed up. I was one of them. By attending the Bible study, I thought I could learn English. Needless to say, I did not understand the content of the Bible study, but I always felt peace when I heard my teacher praying.
A year later, I decided to go to an American college. At that time, leaving Japan was actually more attractive to me than studying abroad. The school I applied to was a Christian school. During the application process, they asked me to turn in a reference letter from either a pastor or a deacon of a church. I had never been to a church, so I consulted my English teacher, and he gladly wrote a reference letter for me. He showed me a copy of the letter. It was written so well to my amazement, that I felt as if it was written for someone else. I felt for the first time that someone had complemented me. Due to this, I decided to do well in school so I would not let down the teacher who wrote the letter.
I first came to America when I was 21. I began to think God had planned everything in my life, because things were going very smoothly without much of my effort. I attended a Free Methodist youth camp that summer. I felt bored during the week at the camp because I was not a Christian. On the sixth night, I was impressed when there was a large prayer meeting for about 2000 Christians. During the prayer meeting, I became bored so I opened my eyes and looked around. I saw a large number of people seriously kneeling and praying to God. I was very sad to realize that I was the only one who had my eyes open. God's presence was too far away from me. I felt paranoid that I was the only one whom God did not accept. I began to wonder how God would accept me, so I decided to open the Bible. I knew there was God who created all things and loved us. I thought God would not accept me because I ignored God for 21 years, I denied myself, I hated my brother and my parents, I was selfish, and made others worry.
In the Bible I found a verse that said, "For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him. Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because he has not believed in the name of God's one and only Son." John 3:16-18 (NIV). In another verse I found, "This righteousness from God comes through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe. There is no difference, for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God and are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus. God presented him as a sacrifice of atonement, through faith in his blood. He did this to demonstrate his justice, because in his forbearance he had left the sins committed beforehand unpunished." Romans 3:22-25 (NIV).
Just believing in Christ my sins could be forgiven, and I could receive eternal life. I was surprised to know that God had such authority. Most importantly, I found that God even loves a person like me. Actually, it was me who had to accept him. So I decided to declare Jesus as my personal savior. My heart felt lifted and filled with joy. It was like a lead ball that had been hanging over me for years fell off. For the first time I felt I was free. What had been restraining me was not my parents nor the Japanese society, but it was my sins. By the grace of God I was changed. I began to care more for my parents and decided to pray for them. As a result of this prayer, God sent me a wonderful Christian husband. My family used to be so cold was transformed to a warm family when my husband became part of my family. Suddenly a silent family became more lively. I was overjoyed.
I am currently praying that God will save my family and friends by showing his love through us. Together with my husband we would like to continue to thank God, live a life acceptable to him, and praise his name.
During the last forty years of my life, many things happened to me. I met my husband, got married, and then we came to the United States. Nevertheless, there were many hardships, and I almost died from an illness several times. I suffered for many years. My doctor told me he would do his best, but there was no guarantee for my life. He also told me it was all up to God if I could survive. So I prayed to God, "Lord, my life depends on you. Please do as you are pleased." The Lord has helped me, and to this day, I am living safely in His hands. The doctor always mentioned that I was a lucky person because God protected me from my illness. Like the doctor, I believe that God is the One who has helped me. For the last ten years, I have been very busy with my job and with things around the home, and I barely thought about the Bible and God. However, I did believe in God, and that my life was up to him.
One day, my old friend Sumiko passed away, and her daughter telephoned me to ask where she should have the funeral. I recommended her to contact Christian church. At that same night, Mrs. Michiko Peters called me, and told me that she knew Sumiko and that she had been to the Japanese church. Mrs. Peters said that Rev. Nakao was going to hold the funeral, and she wanted me to be there. Unfortunately, I had to work that day, so I arrived at Sumiko's house after the funeral. That was the first time I met Rev. and Mrs. Nakao, and several members of this church. Rev. Nakao and Mrs. Peters invited me to come to church, but I replied to them, that I did not like a church services. Now, I feel embarrassed to think about what I said then. Later, Michiko telephoned me again, but I kept refusing to come to church. Even though I complained on the phone, Michiko listened to me patiently. For the following weeks, I wondered whether I should go to church. Then, Michiko called to invite me to a concert by a Japanese musician the next Sunday. When I tried to decline her offer, she said to me, "If you do not like church service, you can just come to listen to the music." Thus, I told her that I would go. That Sunday morning, though I woke up to go to church, I got lost on the way, and I came in late. Then, Mrs. Peters lent me her hymn and Bible. As I was listening to Rev. Nakao's sermon, I felt peaceful, like my heart was washed. And I felt like I had finally came to a place I was seeking for a long time. I regretted that I did not come here earlier.
Since then, Sundays became something to look forward to. I wanted to learn the Bible, and get baptized, so I attended a baptismal class. In the class, I was assured that Jesus died on the cross for my sin. "God made him who had no sin to be sin for us. So that in him, we might become the righteousness of God."(II Corinthians 5:21). I confessed my sin to the Lord, and invited Jesus into my heart. God forgave my sins, and accepted me as His child, and gave me eternal life. Today, the peace I feel at the church is much stronger through Jesus than the first time. There is a hymn that says:
My soul in exile was out on life's sea, so burdened with sin, and distressed, Till I heard a sweet voice saying, "Take me your choice." And I entered the haven's rest. I anchored my soul in the haven of rest. I will sail the wide seas no more. The tempest may sweep over the wild stormy deep.
In Jesus I'm safe ever more like this hymn, I am filled with joy that I have returned to the place where I belong. My soul is at home with God home of my soul. There is nothing happier in my life than returning to God.
"Seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. Therefore, do not worry about tomorrow for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own." (Matthew 6:33-34). From now on, I want to remember this verse always, and I want to continues to walk with the Lord.
During my first worship service, I saw a video of the following story: "A famous woman in Japan married a Christian man. While having many struggles in her mind, she felt that she wanted to believe in the God that her loved one believed. Although she suffered from cancer, she drew cartoons about the Bible that were easy to understand and spread the gospel. She had a fulfilling life and enjoyed a natural life span." I was so moved and really felt ashamed of myself because I learned of a person who was able to live a wonderful life in spite of her illness. I was startled by the lively and shining eyes of the Christians around me. A few days later, I received a call from a devoted Christian woman whom I met at the Korean church who spoke Japanese very well. She told me, "The reason why you came to the U.S. was to have an opportunity to become a Christian. God is guiding you, and the time has finally come." I was startled by her innocent words and thought that I was not here by accident, but by God's plan. Since I started attending church, I prayed daily, "Please, God, let me realize your presence." I requested salvation from God.
I left my parents' house when I was sixteen years old and lived with my aunt. I respect and trust my aunt who brought me up like her own child. One day, I called my aunt, my parents, and my friend to talk about becoming a Christian. As my family and friend were not Christians, I was afraid of their reactions. My aunt was the first to agree with me and said, "Believe as you choose. It is your faith, and Christians are not a problem." I was astonished and relieved to hear that because although I knew that there was something to believe in, I had some doubts in my mind; however those doubts were removed. I was filled with an indescribable relief and had confidence that it was Jesus Christ in whom I should believe. From that day, my hesitation disappeared.
Since I came to the church, I have met a lot of Christians. I began attending a home Bible study and I also studied sections of the Bible in a baptism preparation class. Through the Bible class I have learned that Jesus Christ died on the cross for our sins. Nothing can separate me from Jesus Christ anymore. I believed that I could do anything, as I had done everything by myself, until now. I realize that I have no power, and I am incomplete in the presence of God. Even for an imperfect person like me, Jesus died for my sins to accept me as a child of God. I am not perfect, but God loves me as I am, whether good or bad, so I am released from unnecessary responsibilities. "Our old man was crucified with Him, that the body of sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves of sin. For he who has died has been freed from sin." (Romans 6:6,7)
Last year, my mother suffered from the cancer of the large intestine. During her second hospitalization, I realized the closeness of death and the fragility of humans which brought much fear, since I did not know God at that time. But now, I am not afraid because I believe in Jesus Christ Who has risen from the dead. I was born again through His resurrection. "Now if we died with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with Him, knowing that Christ, having been raised from the dead, dies no more. Death no longer has dominion over Him." (Romans 6:8,9) I had been looking for something that will not change but will last eternally though time. Now I have peace knowing that I have eternal life that is given to those who believe in Jesus Christ. The first time since I was born could I have true confidence. God gave it to me. I did not get it by my knowledge or spiritual awakening. I was led by God. I was ignorant about the Lord Jesus Christ, but God led me through His Holy Spirit. From my heart, I really appreciate God's plan. I regret that I had not known true love, faith, freedom and hope before, but I am so happy because I have met Jesus Christ who covers me with His eternal love.
I wish to study the Bible daily, repent of my sins, and grow in receiving nourishment from His Bread of Life to continuously become a better Christian.