I was raised and grew up in a Christian family. My mother was the first person in the family who came to know the Lord. I’d seen and witnessed her strong faith and on how she fervently prayed for the salvation of my father, uncle and grandmother. Few years after then, her prayers were answered and that opened my eyes on how powerful prayer was. I remembered that my mother even woke us up at 4:00 in the morning to pray, sing praises to God and meditate His words. At that time also, our church was two hours travel away from our town but I’d seen that it was never a reason for us not to go during Sunday. Not even storms or sickness hindered my mother to serve the Lord. Seeing her faithfulness, at a very young age of four, I came to know Him. Sunday school began a big part of my life but then, as I grew up my enthusiasm in the Lord started to decline.
As my relationship with Him and spiritual life got weaker, my physical body became very sickly. December of 1988, left alone at home, I asked myself of my true relationship to God. That very moment, He knocked at the door of my heart, and I asked for forgiveness of my sins and I accepted Jesus as my personal Lord and Savior. Summer of 1994, I volunteered in Summer Training Corps at Word of Life; it was there when I dedicated my life to Jesus. After then, my faith was test several times. There was even a time in my life that I became backslidden at heart but God made ways to revive my faith. Despite my shortcomings, as what He promised, He never leaves me nor forsakes me (Hebrews 13:5).
There was also one point in my life that I experienced lot of pains and difficulties; time that I almost wanted to give up, but God goodness and grace never left me. During that distressing and discouraging time, He taught me to trust Him alone; He became my best friend, my teacher, my counselor, my companion and my comfort. He kept me safe always and it was the time where I could say He even created miracles for me. His faithfulness was so great that I realized how much I wanted to be involved in His ministry. After some time, God gave me an opportunity to teach in Sunday school and for years, I was able to serve Him in choir ministry.
God gave me then a good job and a chance to study in graduate school but both of these made me busy that I lost hold of my involvement in ministry. My heart cried but I still did nothing about it until I got bored with my job and questioned God of what was His plan for my life. Few months after, He did give me a new responsibility at work as coordinator of our international exchange students. It was through this that the Lord showed me His leading in my life. One Sunday, our speaker talked that working with exchange students would be a privilege to be Christ’s tentmaker. Hearing that, I knew that God pointed those words on me. At that time, APMC Congress was near; God gave me burden to join it. It was there in the congress that God revealed to me that the ministry that I’d long been praying for was answered. I realized then that each phase of my life, God was using it to prepare me for His future plan. As a Christian, my highest priority has been to grow in my relationship with the Lord, to know Him more and be involved in His mission. I believe that the Lord has leading to my life, He will be the one to make a way for me.
