I grew up in a Buddhist family in Thailand and studied Buddhism in school. Even at a young age, God allowed me to get a glimpse of Him. My mom’s aunt who was a Christian invited us to visit her church, Emmanuel. My mom took my brother and me there several times. I remembered that the songs they sang were peaceful & beautiful and made me happy in my heart. I heard about God in their Sunday school class but nothing stuck with me. For some reasons, we stopped attending the church. When I was in junior high school, my dad left us. It was not a big shock since we rarely saw him even when he lived with us (he was hardly home).
When I was in high school, I started to take an English class at New Vision Baptist Church. On December 15, 1985, my brother and I went to the Christmas celebration at that church. They set up lots of exhibitions that presented facts about Christmas. A Christian man named Daeng (Thai name meaning red) took time to tell us about Jesus and salvation and he read from the Bible the relevant verses. My brother and I listened and asked questions. Later that night, when a preacher finished preaching, he gave an altar call and asked us to raise our hands while closing our eyes if we would like to ask Jesus into our heart. My brother and I did. At the time, I decided to ask Jesus into my heart because I realized I was a sinner and I needed a Savior so that when I died, I could go to Heaven, instead of Hell. I thought it would be crazy not to take this great offer. That’s pretty much it...I just wanted a free pass to Heaven since I could die any moment. I felt peace about my decision.
Sadly, my life wasn’t changed after that, except I attended the church on Sunday. My heart wasn’t changed because I still continued to live in sin and live to have fun and to please myself. No true repentance. No desire to live for God. No desire to pray or read His Word. No full surrender to Jesus’s Lordship. However, God was so merciful to me; He didn’t leave me alone in that lost state. Somehow (by God's grace), in my senior year in college (1988), I got involved with Campus Crusade for Christ (now called CRU). I helped the American students who came to my university to share Christ's love and message with the students as a translator. I became more enthusiastic and open about me being a Christian. I was encouraged by several Christians who seemed to be excited about sharing the Gospel with non-believers. The Lord led me to meet Eric, my future husband (he was one of the American students who served during summer with Campus Crusade for Christ). He has been my biggest influence in my walk with Christ. His life demonstrates what being passionate about God and faithfully following Christ look like. When I came to America to study for my master's degree in 1989, I was separated from my family, friends, and familiar culture/society. It turned out to be a blessing from the Lord. Eric was my closest friend then (and still is). He took me to church. He exemplified Christlikeness. I spent more time reading the Bible and praying because Eric constantly read the Bible and prayed.
I don’t know when exactly but I do know I finally placed my trust in Jesus Christ not only as my Savior, but also as my Lord. I desire to please and honor Him in whatever I do. I have failed many times and still fail at times. But God is my Guide, Strength, and Joy. I now love what God loves and hate what God hates. I delight in Him and in His Word. It has been a journey that every time I look back, I can never thank God enough for watching over me, for pursuing me, and for His relentless love, grace, mercy, forgiveness, faithfulness, and abundant blessings throughout my life. Forever grateful!
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