Changed Lives

Marcia

"I came all the way from South Africa to find Him"

I came all the way from South Africa to London to find “Him”. My life has never been the same. It has increased in such abundance of peace and happiness. For the first time in my 34 years of being on this earth I can say I have found God and I have a personal relationship with “Him”

JESUS my Father, my Saviour, my Friend.

I come from a family where the Hindu culture is very strong. Strong believers. I had no faith to embrace this belief when I was Hindu. I had to do many things because I was told to do it, not because it came from my heart. Many times I would make mistakes and felt that I was not worthy enough or any good to be loved by God. Scorned with shame. I felt like nothing, I felt worthless. Living in this darkness for so many years, when was anything going to change for me. It seemed like everything I did never really worked out. It was living a life without faith, no hope, and it was hell for me.

I used to live a life where status, money and material things were what were was important. My career, what I wore, whom I dated, who had the bigger house and who was wearing the smartest sari. When weekends came all we did was party till the early hours of the morning. Intoxicated with alcohol, not too mention the amount of money wasted on gambling, expensive dinners and more alcohol. At the end of it all I was even unhappier than the day before.

I had many problems as a child. I had been in denial for so many years now, blaming my parents for all the wrong I did. Blaming my family. It was so wrong. Instead of seeking forgiveness, I found excuses for my wrongs and blamed others. I had all this sadness and emptiness inside. I was never satisfied. I longed for something. I did not know what it was. Such emptiness in my life.

I must have done something right somewhere along the line. I must have prayed to “GOD” and asked for help. God had a purpose in drawing me to London and little did I even realise that. I came to London with my son in the year 2000. I was offered employment in the UK through my meeting with the UK manager in Israel.

London was a lonely place for my son and I. I met many wrong friends, got myself into so much financial trouble and wrong company. If I thought my past was hell, it was 10 times worst in London. Many nights I would cry from loneliness and day after day struggling for an answer, waiting for the light to shine in my life. This place was darker then the one I came from. Keeping friends knowing in my heart they wrong for me, but the mere thought of just having company. Not being alone.

During those many lonely nights when I cried out to “Him”, GOD heard my prayers.

Through my son’s school I met many parents who are members at CCC. The day my father passed away I was in England and I was invited to church to receive prayer. I ended up at CCC that Sunday. I sat there wondering what was I doing here. I felt too shy and uncomfortable having to clap my hands and sing songs of praise that never meant anything to me. What was I doing here? I looked at all these people and said to myself, why don’t they get a life. But somehow that morning, the Holy Spirit touched me, not even knowing I was touched.

That’s when it all began. CCC was holding an Alpha course and also salsa dance classes. A friend from CCC invited me to be a partner for the salsa and I was excited as I thought, oh this will be good, another party, another dance. Little did I realise, it was through dance that I became a devoted Christian.

It was great fun to see people of the church being “normal” people, doing normal things. As a Hindu I always thought Christians never had a social life and did not know about fashion and eating out and going to a parties or having fun. I attended the salsa class. After the salsa class the Alpha course started. As my friend was part of the Alpha course too, I had no option but to wait. I sat there and listened and found it interesting to find that there were other people like me with the same questions and same thoughts and problems and feelings, I was not alone.

Soon after that I got myself to church, got involved with the weekly church group meetings. I remember my first group meeting. I loved the thought that I could gather with some friends and share my weeks troubles and just load off all my problems knowing I was going to feel 10 times better and less stressed. It was like going into therapy and being cured. I was amazed that people I’d never met before would care so much about my son and I. They were so encouraging, caring; they treated us like their own. I felt so loved, so wanted, so at home.

The meetings gave me a chance to talk about my hurts and pains and just getting a taste of what its like to be loved through GOD. I felt needed, I felt loved, and I felt like I belonged somewhere. When I said something wrong they did not look down upon me, but they would rectify me and show me love, kindness, care, and friendship. A new family is JESUS name.

Funnily enough, even as a Hindu, I always kept a Bible, one of which I bought in Israel in Bethlehem. So in my unconscious, although I did not know Him personally I always had hoped somehow and believed somehow. So you see JESUS was taking care of me, He was calling me, all I had to do was open the door of my heart to Him. He came knocking and I was afraid, afraid to let Him into my heart.

Becoming a Christian, moving from Hinduism to Christianity was no easy journey. Many obstacles came my way from the devil, trying to take me back to that dark lonely place I use to live in. Yes at first when people from church even uttered the word “devil” I was so scared, scared to hear his name because my faith was week at the time. I closed the door in my belief to Hinduism and opened my door to Christianity. I have seen and experienced the work of the devil in my life especially whilst crossing over to Christianity. But I kept with my prayer and made sure I attended church every Sunday and had Christian fellowship. Its like taking a car for a service, or going to the petrol station to fill up so that you could get through to week to come. We all need prayer and fellowship and support when becoming a Christian.

I have seen and felt the power of being a Christian. I don’t think many Christians born into Christian homes realise the power of this belief. Through prayer & fasting I had peace of mind, GOD listened to me and answered my prayer.

I used to be a smoker for many years but could never quit. One day I sat in a cell group meeting and I prayed to GOD asking him to help me stop smoking. I coughed a lot in the prayer meeting that evening. Little did I realise it was GOD doing His work in me. My prayer had been answered. I have given up smoking and have not even craved for it once.

God showed me what He could do for me through prayer. However, God had lots of work to do in me, my journey had only begun.

For many years now I had kept this hurt and pain inside me. I also kept many things I had done wrong to others, pain and hurt I have inflicted upon others, blaming others for my mistakes. Through many foundation courses I attended at my church, I learnt that through forgiveness your path will be opened and you will get closer to GOD. I have had many spiritual encounters with GOD and felt his presence and healing through tears and prayer. I recently attended a Freedom in Christ Day course where I received healing for forgiveness. I realised that all these years I blamed my parents, yet they are the ones that loved me and everything they did for me was out of love. Yet I blamed them. After the course, when I got home, I called every person on my list that I had hurt and blamed for so many years and asked for forgiveness. I tell you I am now one more step closer to GOD. I feel like a million dollars to have this weight lifted off my shoulders.

Since then I can say my life has been blessed and I am honoured to know JESUS and privileged to know how He cares for my son and I. The work JESUS is doing in my life, is amazing. Since then I have had many encounters with the Holy Spirit and many visions and healing at CCC.

It’s all about loving one another, being there for each other through GOD. Finally that emptiness I had in my life for such along time is filled. My entire life has changed, so at peace, so happy, so hopeful. Just a little love, faith, prayer and so much hope.

I have seen the changes in my home, the warmth and the financial changes. The company I keep and the social life I live. I cannot say thank you enough to JESUS, there are no words to thank GOD enough. I continue to see how GOD is working in my life, how GOD is working in my son’s life and how He continues to work with us, never forsaking us.

I would like to dedicate this testimony and forgiveness to my parents whom I have inflicted so much hurt and pain upon in the past. GOD has shown me a way to the truth, to be healed through forgiveness.


Thank YOU JESUS, my Father, my Friend, and my Saviour.