Confirmation Testimony - Lois Yoo
Hello, I’m Lois. I’m up here today to share how I learned to trust God and become knowledgeable of his love for me. I think it is pretty important to mention that I was born and raised in a Christian family, so attending church on a weekly basis was a norm. My friends often complained that their parents dragged them to church, but I personally enjoyed it as I was pleased to make friends. So, I never in my life thought that I would complain and avoid wanting to go to church. Unfortunately, during my senior year of high school (grade 11) everything began to go downhill.
I had initially gone to GPS wanting to get confirmed, but instead of becoming more confident in my relationship with God, I began to question my beliefs. I realized that because I never took the time to get to know God, I was struggling with my faith. In addition, my desire to succeed academically was a huge barrier. I pressured and stressed myself so much that I began to feel anxious. During much of my time, I was worrying that I would not reach my academic goals. I compared myself with others and felt low in confidence. This led me to think that my time at church should be spent at home to study for the next test or to prepare for the next presentation. I haven’t been going to the monthly YHC home gathering anymore and as time flew by my willingness to attend church disappeared.
However, gradually, I began to become aware that God was reaching out for me. God was talking to me through other people and expressing his love for me. First off, during the last few months there have been sermons that seemed to be directed for me. One of the most impactful sermons was about a “Storm”. Caleb mentioned that Jesus does not save us from the storm but through it. I noticed that no matter how much I struggle academically, God will help me through it. Even during GPS, there was a verse in (Ephesians 2:8–9 NIV) that says,“For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, itis the gift of God—9 not by works, so that no one can boast.” I felt a sense of relief knowing that God will never judge us based on our failures nor success on earth.
Another way that God has reached out was through team ministry. I don’t know if all of you notice, but often there’s a girl in front of The Seed building that says “Hi” or “ Welcome” and gives you a jubo. Um, that’s me. I’ve actually been in Welcoming team since grade 7, so it’s been around 5 years already. It’s the best decision I have ever made. I love welcoming people with a smile and making them feel like they belong. Knowing that I have a responsibility makes me feel extremely proud and I feel like God is using me to share his love to others. Finally, my YHC helped me to forget my worries during the monthly gathering and during sharing I felt a sense of comfort. I’ve also realized how honest I’ve become in front of my YHC shepherd, Joy, and she has become one of the people I can trust the most. God showed me his unfailing love through my YHC and now I feel confident about my faith in God.
Now that I know that God is always there for me and leading me to the right path, I am no longer as anxious about my academic success and I decided to trust in God instead of questioning my faith and beliefs. When I pray I always thank god for holding my hand and navigating me to follow the plans he has for me. I enjoy attending Church more than ever before and I am always thankful that I get to be part of such a great community. I will continue to welcome people to the kingdom of God through the welcoming team. I will also continue to share God’s love with my new YHC. Lastly, I would like to thank my YHC for always making me smile, Pastor Caleb for the amazing sermons, the Yoo family for the support, and my YHC shephard, Joy, for the best three years in Bihar. Thank you!
