Sophia is seated on the right wearing the dark shirt.

Sophia's Testimony

Before I trusted Christ, there were many things I thought were right or okay that were wrong. I had a negative attitude towards a lot of things and I was mean to certain people. I had patience but it never seemed like enough. I got stressed out easily because I allowed everything to bother me. I was easily agitated and fast to anger. I never saw anything wrong with my behavior. I talked about any and everything with my friends and I watched any and everything on television; I had no discretion.

I came to understand the Gospel and trust Christ through attending church and Sunday school every Sunday and talking with Christian friends. I had a Christian friend who was my inspiration because he was so bold about his relationship with God. He always talked to me about God and about what God was doing in his life. He never pressured me into making a decision; he always told me I had a choice. Since no one in my household was a Christian, I grew up only hearing the basics about God at home. My parents always told me about Christ's death on Calvary for our sins and about His love for us. At a Youth Rally on March 28, 1999, the Minister who gave the message asked the youth at the end of his message to close our eyes and picture Jesus dying on the cross for our sins. For the first time it hit me. I always knew Christ died for me but that day was different; that day that fact meant more to me. I realized how much God really loves me. I heard this voice talking to me and I went straight to the altar. At the altar I prayed and acknowledged that I was a sinner and asked God to forgive me and I told God that I was going to trust Him from that day onward and told Him that I will confess with my mouth and believe in my heart. My life has not been the same since that day.

I felt a change after leaving the altar; there was a joy within that I couldn't explain and I felt like telling the whole world what Christ had done for us by dying for us. I went home and told my family and friends and they were happy for me. I made a promise to God on that day that I intend to keep forever. The serenity prayer became my motto; I prayed it constantly. At first it was really hard for me because only one of my friends was a Christian (at least that I knew of but I found out differently afterwards) and the others weren't too interested in talking about God in school. Over the past years since that day, I prayed a lot and read my Bible every day and rededicated my life several times but for some reason I didn't feel like I was growing spiritually even though I thought I had God first in my life; I felt stagnant. I asked God to put me in a place where I would better understand His word and grow more in Him and get closer to Him. My negative attitude had changed but I wanted more than that. I was able to distinguish right from wrong because the Holy Spirit lives with in me but I wanted more. I asked God to surround me with people that would help me to grow more in Him.

I came to FIU and was taken by my friend Kelly to Campus Bible Fellowship. That was the best thing that has happened to my spiritual life besides my conversion. CBF staff have helped me to grow more in two years than I've grown in the four years prior. I feel so much closer to God and I know so much more about Him and His word. I am a lot more patient and it takes a whole lot to stress me out. God has been blessing me. especially over these past two years and He has allowed me to meet so many great Christian friends. I don't doubt what the Lord can do for me because I know the impossible is made possible in Him. The joy of the Lord has become my strength and my hope is built on nothing less than Jesus' blood and righteousness. I know I will spend eternity in heaven because of my trust in Jesus Christ alone. For the remainder of my walk on earth with Christ I promise to make what is first with Christ, first with me and make each day an investment in eternity. I will be bolder about spreading His word. I will continue to live my life in a way that people will see me as different. No one is truly living until he/she is a child of God. The Christian walk is a journey not a destination; change doesn't happen overnight but once you trust in Christ alone and keep Him first in your life, there will never be a reason to worry.

Sophia