2017 Confirmation Testimony - Joseph Yeo
Hello everyone, my name is Joseph Yeo and I’m in grade 10. I was born into a Christian family alongside my two brothers. Prior to Mokmin, my family had switched churches multiple times because the Pastors had left to go preach back at home in Korea. I believe that the earliest of the blessings I had received throughout my Christian life and continue to be thankful for, are the people I had met at this church.
For example, when I had first arrived to this church, I came across a young-boy who was no older than me. He had a very odd and “cool” personality; I didn’t really like him. And I was very shocked to hear the next week that I had my first house church meeting at this cool guy’s house who I really, didn’t like. Long story short, that person who I hated, became the person who I consider to this day, to be my best friend.
For the most part, in church service as a kid, I was always misbehaving and I was talking way too much. And then came along EM, now known as The Seed. It was quite intimidating and uncomfortable at first because at that moment, I had moved up to a new environment, where there were different members and a different pastor as well. But I quickly learned, just how fun and exciting it was to attend the service every week. Although I had continued to misbehave and talk during service at first, I continued to mature, little by little. When I had made the decision to actually make an effort to listen to Pastor Caleb’s sermon, I began to hear the tender and sweet words that God was delivering through Caleb to myself. I experienced that, at times when I had a deep concern, or I had reached a fork-road throughout my life, those issues would be the overlying topic of Caleb’s sermons. Whatever bumps I came along on the road, there was just something that would be said during the sermon that really stuck to me, a solution that I could apply it to all the problems I faced.
I believe that I had the greatest experiences that changed my life were through the retreats. The retreats were not only fun, but I always learned something very important. I had learned something new about myself every time and I felt God’s presence as He was speaking to me so vividly, something which I had rarely experienced.
From the GPS (Gospel Presentation Session), a passage that really stuck out to me, was Revelation 3:20. “Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with that person, and they with me.” This helped me because whenever I was put in frustrating situations where I had felt that God wasn’t there to help fix it, and I would ask God, “Why?”, I would remember this verse because God was always there for me. Often-times, we all encounter tough trails, where we all may feel that God isn’t there for us; but really, it is us who are reluctant to let Him into the doors of our heart. Through these moments, I began to try to let God take control of them, and I would open the door to my heart.
However, I had still felt like a horrible Christian, because I would still ignore God at times. But through the sweet sermons, I learned about God’s love for all of us and I decided that I would do the same. Spreading my love for as many others as I could and walking through more and more intimidating paths, has only made me stronger in my faith, because I knew that I could do all things through Christ.I would oftentimes let my distractions take control of me, but I wanted to put God first now. When I began to put my life in God’s hands, joy and happiness was what I got from it. It took me a long time to realize it, but we are all imperfect, and the best road to walk on in life, is the perfect one that our Father gave to us from the beginning of our lives. I have only started to grow in the Lord, and I have so many more years to live, but that is why I plan to live the rest of my life, walking through the righteous path He had created for me.
