I was born into a Christian family; therefore, from childhood I heard the Word of God. I was always a good daughter and student, but there came a point in my life when I felt empty. I desired something more than what I already had. What I was missing was Christ. Ecclesiastes 3:11 says that God put eternity in the heart of man. Christ is the eternal One, and only He can satisfy the desire in our heart. From the time I had a personal experience with the Lord, my life has never been the same. Before, He was a far away God to me, but since I became saved, He came not only to be a part of my life, but all of my life.
In 1985 my parents met some Christians who met with the local church. At that time they decided to leave the denominational group and organization to practice the church life as seen in the Bible in the books of Acts and the Epistles.
Since I was saved, a genuine love came forth from my being for the brothers and sisters in Christ. My physical family isn't very large, but in the Lord I gained a family that is from all over the world. Wow! My experience in the church life is very positive, unlike those who say that to serve the Lord is unprofitable. The brothers and sisters in the church have shared a part in my growing up. They have not only been an encouragement and pattern to me in my spiritual life, but they have also helped in the development of my human character. In regards to the Lord, they always encouraged me to love the Lord, read the Bible and pray.
Something that I'm very thankful to the Lord about is having found in the local church, Christians so given that they inspired me to love the Lord more. One brother I really admired was Witness Lee. God greatly used him to reveal the riches in the Bible to the people of God. His books have helped me much in my spiritual growth. Today by the Lord's mercy, and by the testimony and love of the hundreds of Christians that I've met throughout my life, I am who I am.
Sarai Gonzalez
(Puerto Rico)