I was brought up in a denomination.  In 1993, a friend of mine took me to a Christian group.  One night we had a group fellowship and the leader was preaching the story about the widow who offered two coins with all her heart, and that that was all she had to live.  That night I did not care about my friends who were sitting with me.  I felt that the Lord really touched me.  I did not bother to ask them what was happening,  I felt that I was totally a different person and that feeling was sweet.

 I enjoyed the Lord then but I was not satisfied and I felt that I still searching for the Lord.  In 1995, I came to New Zealand.   My family in New Zealand. wouldn't let me go to any Christian fellowships.   Every night I prayed to the Lord and most of the time I cried and asked the Lord to help me.  I remember one night I prayed "Lord I believe that one day you will take me to a church that is so real and where people really love you".

 I just really thank the Lord that He brought me home

  At the end of 1997, a friend and I decided to go somewhere else to study.     We went to the international office to find out information about different Universities.     We were given a list of universities to choose from. I was attracted to Waikato University.  I said to my friend, "Let's go to Waikato" and she said, Do you know where it is?  I said "no"     She said, "It is close to Auckland"  Before we came, I prayed, "Lord I am finally living by myself and I can make my own decisions now.  Lord take me to a church".

  We had a school orientation and I met a Christian brother.   I went and asked him if he goes to any church and he said, “yes.”   He took me to a denomination but I was not satisfied.   I was still searching for something.   I asked him if he knows of any Bible study in Hamilton and he told me that there was one at the university.  I asked him if he could take me there.  This group study was the one from the church in Hamilton.   They mentioned something about the New Jerusalem being their goal.  A friend was sitting next to me and asked me what I enjoyed and I said to her, "Sorry, I don't understand the New Jerusalem but I believe that I will go to somewhere in heaven".  I went home and felt that I needed to understand this New Jerusalem.    I started to go to their group meetings.  At the end of the year I stayed with a Samoan sister, and she explained to me all the different words in my language (Samoan).  

 I came to a meeting and people were speaking about river crossers in the book of Hebrews and I felt that I really needed to get baptised.   I read a book on baptism which said you need to be baptised.  That night I got baptised.   I went home and told this sister that all my worries and  anxieties about my future, life and about my family had all gone away I don't know what did the Lord did to me.   That prayer I had about going to a real church suddenly came back into my head after my baptism.   I felt that these people in the church were my real family and this was the place I was searching for.   The more I enjoyed this wonderful Christ, the more I understood that this Christ is living in me and He is so real in my life.    He was the one that was in me and He preserved me through all these years.    I thank the Lord that he brought me home.   The more I fellowship with other believers the more I see that the New Jerusalem is my goal, my ultimate consummation and it is not somewhere in heaven.

SF