Before I believed in Him, I had heard a lot about Him, but I felt that He was very Holy and unreachable. As a child I often liked to be by myself and because of this I never had many friends, also I felt that my parents didn't love me or understand me.

When I am alone, three questions bothered me.

1. Where did I come from?

2. What is the meaning of life?

3. Where will I go after I die?

For me the second question was the most difficult. I remember one time asking my friends and teachers what the meaning of life really was. Some said it was to earn money, others to carry on the human race and others said it was to be happy. But if I wasn't happy did it mean that my life had no meaning.

But God is amazing, when I needed Him the most, He came looking for me. I met a group of Christians, I felt that they were always happy and they had love. They told me that God loves me very much and that Christ died for my sins. They explained to me that the meaning of my life was to love God and to experience His love for me. Also because of this love, I can love my parents and those around me.

In the beginning my parents didn't say anything about my belief in God. But when I started to go out more often and refused to worship my ancestors, my father became angry. He forbade me from attending the meetings. But I knew that attending the meetings were very important and it was what God wanted. I continued to go out and tried to explain to my father about my belief, but he was stubborn and didn't want to listen.

Each time I returned from the meetings, he would shout at me and also at my mother. Saying that my mother didn't know how to rise children. Once when I returned from a meeting, my father was angry. He cut up my clothes and threw them out of the window. He kicked me down the stairs and pushed me out of the house. I didn't even have time to put on my shoes. Barefoot I went to the house of my friends. They consoled me and tended to my bruises. We prayed and after several days they persuaded me to go home. They also suggested that for the time being I didn't attend the meetings.

I was very unhappy, each day I prayed to God, asking that He changed the heart of my father. One day while praying, the Holy Spirit spoke in my heart. It said that even though my father didn't like me going to the meetings, I needed to attend, I needed to listen to God and He will bless me.

I started to attend the meetings. God gave me strength, peace and faith. I prayed everyday and slowly the heart of my father changed. Finally he understood that I had decided to follow Jesus and it didn't matter what he did or said. I would continue to believe in God. God is powerful when we pray, He listens. If we listen to Him, He will bless us and give us much more than we ask!

                                                 -------Typist : Carman