Fourteen years ago, I was baptized and gave my life to Christ. When I first arrived in the U.S, I was afraid of the dark due to having lived in a place where witchcraft is common practice. Every night I would shut the blinds and close the door so that the spirits wouldn't be able to get in. At the time I shared a room with my younger sister who didn't like the door shut, which made it a struggle at times. This went on for some time and no matter how many times my parents told me how safe I was, I always resorted back to shutting the door and the blinds. A few months passed and my dad took me to a church in the area and had some of the people pray for me after the service was over. At that moment, I sort of felt different. I felt free. Later that day, we went to our home church, and the pastor announced that baptisms were happening.
After service, we went to the pool, and I watched people being dipped in the water from a distance. Since I had only been in the states for three-four months, I didn't quite understand what was happening. After watching a few people, I went to my mom and tugged on her arm and pointed to the water because I wanted to try what the others were doing. She asked me a few questions and I shook my head yes to them. She still didn't think I was ready because I didn't fully have a grasp of what was going on. I wasn't willing to take no for an answer, so she told me to go talk to my dad. The few important things I remember from that conversation with my dad was "are you sure you want to be baptized and do you accept Jesus into your heart?" I shook my head yes and he prayed with me. I was baptized that day and was a different person from that moment forward. I stopped being afraid of living in fear of the demonic spirits and darkness that had consumed me.
Since then, the Lord has been working in my life and has made me a new creation. Being part of God's kingdom is the best thing that has happened to me. You can be part of His kingdom too, all you have to do is accept it. I thank Him for sending His Son to the cross and for welcoming me into his kingdom. I also thank my parents for guiding me in taking that step forward. Although I may not have understood it all, I understood enough to know that God had changed me that day. I wasn't the same person I was the day before.
Acts 3:19 Repent, then, and turn to God, so that your sins may be wiped out, that times of refreshing may come from the Lord.
Vagline Trotter
- Mercy International Intern
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