|
Growing up it was just me, my mom and my sister. The three of us moved to Iowa City when I was 5, the only family we had in Iowa City at the time was my uncle Raul. Raul is my mom’s younger brother. Raul, his wife and son were Christians. We started going to church with them and at a young age I accepted Christ.
I lived the Christian life all through high school; we would go to church almost every Sunday even though we attended a church in Cedar Rapids. I wanted to live on campus here at the University of Iowa as a freshman and I wanted to fit in. On the first night I was in the dorms I met the guy living next door to me and he invited me to a party. I said yes and that’s where I went downhill. Freshman year was a typical non Christian freshman year, parties, drinking and girls.
One day I was doing laundry and I forgot my fabric softener in my room so I ran up to the room to get it and when I walked it there were two guys talking with my roommate. They invited me to join in on their conversation. The two men introduced themselves, that’s the day I met Ben Newton and Zach Gatton. Ben and Zach were with Campus Crusade for Christ and were talking to my roommate about God and how to have personal relationship with him. Being a “Christian,” I knew all the answers to the questions when they asked me. I started attending CRU weekly but at the same time kept up with my non-Christian friends and roommate. It took a toll on me and I needed to get back to myself and get my relationship with God back to where it was.
Campus Crusade has a conference over spring break down in Panama City Beach Florida called Big Break. Ben Newton had been pursuing me and challenged me to go to Big Break, I didn’t have the funds to go and it was going to cost around $500 for a weeklong trip. Ben challenged me to call family and friends to see if they would support me and send me on this trip. The catch was the dead line was three days way and I had to have all the money up front.
Through a series of events my uncle Raul wrote a check so I could go. In so doing played a big role in my relationship with Christ.
On that trip God worked in me and opened my eyes. Panama City Beach is one of the hot spots for spring breakers to go. It was a challenge seeing all the parties going on but God was able to use me to share my story on the beach to others and lead them to Christ. While doing this I rededicated my life to Christ. Since I’ve rededicated my life I know Romans 8:1, “Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus” to be true. I am free from my bondage and my sins have been washed clean.
There have been ups and downs in my life but I always know that God is there for me and I know I can turn to him. I was baptized August 22nd 2010 as a way for me to show I have given my life to God, I am a son of God and I promise to live my life to the fullest and show the world how much he means to me and what he has done in my life.
|
|
|