This is Melanie's Testimony: Hi everyone, my name is Melanie (28) and I live in the coastal town of Port Elizabeth in South Africa. I am married to Graham (32) and have two daughters Lisa-Marie (10) and Kayleigh (5). I was brought up in a Christian home by my parents who did their best to be good examples to my two younger brothers and I. We did all the regular things like going to Sunday school and church every Sunday, getting confirmed, etc. I felt very comfortable. As they say complacency is extremely dangerous when you are dealing with eternity. At the age of 15 I began a serious relationship with a boy that lived in my neighbourhood this against my fathers wishes as he believed I shouldnt have a serious boyfriend at such a young age I thought that he didnt know what he was talking about. He spent the majority of our relationship doing compulsory military service away from home. We wrote letters and declared our un-dying love for each other and had a wonderful time together when he came home on pass. I thought Id met my soul mate. When he had completed his service and came home for good I realised that all was not as it seemed to be. At first I was flattered by his jealousy and possessiveness, however as time went by it became unbearable. I was not allowed to have friends or even spend any time with my family the reason being that I didnt need anyone else if I had him. He was controlling and even dictated the clothing I wore. We fought continually and I was often in tears. My parents were devastated and tried to convince me to break things off I still didnt listen even thought the writing was on the wall. Needless to say we were having a physical relationship at this stage and I was really as far from God as I could have been. At the end of my last year at school (I was 17) I had, had enough of the relationship and finally ended it I was going to go to Technikon, study tourism and start a new era in my life. I felt free for the first time in a long while. To cut a long story short, while I was writing my final examinations I discovered that I was pregnant. I was devastated and didnt know what to do one thing I was sure of was the fact that I didnt want to marry my childs father. When he found out he wanted to get married and went straight to my parents, thinking that my father would force me to do the right thing. My parents were bitterly disappointed in me, but told me that they would support me totally. I decided that I would keep my baby but not get married. I didnt have much to do with him or his family during my pregnancy, although they tried to harass me constantly. On 21/07/1991 I gave birth to my little Lisa-Marie. It was a very difficult task being a single parent, I would have been totally lost if it wasnt for my family and of course God. The last time I saw my childs father was when she was three years old she knows about him as I have always been honest with her and she has all his pictures. It took me a long time to realise that Jesus was my only answer and I had to learn many lessons along the way. I was fortunate that God sent me a wonderful husband that accepted and adopted my baby (she was 4 when we got married) we have had a few rough patches and he isnt as close to the Lord as Id like him to be, but I do believe that he was given to me for a reason. Basically I am still a work in progress and find myself taking more steps backwards than forwards. I just believe that God will complete the work he started and I will end up fulfilling his will. If it werent for my Lord I wouldnt have everything that I have today. I just thank God that abortion wasnt legal in our country back then. One feels so desperate when you are in that situation you really dont know where to turn, even if you have a loving family it takes a lot to get through all the hurt and disappointment not to mention the everyday practicalities. I have such a burden for girls in this position and encourage them to trust in God and believe that everything happens for a reason. God knows that little person inside them and he has a plan for that babys life. We all need to trust God for everything and not be amazed when our prayers are answered, but rejoice that we are one of his children and he wants to bless us. Thank God for his blessings especially our children.