FINDING LIFE IN CHRIST
Helped by a Church Small Group to Find Joy and Contentment
I'm Lien I've been in my Church for over 5 years now and belong to a Young Families Life Group and I want to share my testimony with my Journey with Christ.
Most of my childhood, my family were in Papua New Guinea with my parents focused on running our business, and I grew up with a paid nanny. I became very independent and emotionally detached from my parents that time.We went back home to the Philippines during my high school years. After graduating from university, my life began to take a different path. Because I had been estranged from my parents, I began to seek affection in different areas.
I got close to a girlfriend who was a lesbian, in time we had a relationship together. I knew it was wrong, but I was lonely and all I thought about were my feelings. In my mind I wasn’t hurting anyone else. As a Catholic, I would go to the priest and confess my sins but never confessed the relationship I was in – I was so ashamed. We were together 12 years and lived a life as normal and yet I knew it was a sin. We broke up and I was heart-broken but had to move on. God had saved me from a sinful relationship but didn’t realize it at that time.
I took a job back in PNG and that’s where I met the man of my life! I never dreamt I would get married and we had a daughter born in PNG.
We worked with the same company where I handled large amounts of money for a bar and restaurant that I managed, and it was dangerous at times. Noel & I worked with a policeman, and one day, he got shot and killed in front of us. We continued to work, until we heard news that I was their next “target to kill” because of the money I handled. This was the turning point for us, to leave PNG and migrate to New Zealand. We applied and in two months, we were granted a Permanent Residence visa straight away. We weren’t Christians that time so for us it appeared to be luck rather than us being blessed. But now we realize that it was a great blessing from the Lord.
We stayed with a family we knew from PNG for a month. They were Christians and invited us to their Life Group. We felt welcomed, accepted, loved, and encouraged, they helped and us in so many practical ways. That is why Life Group at our church means so much to us.
But the enemy had been attacking me, whispering condemnation and unworthiness for the past mistakes of my life. That’s when we joined our Church where we go now. The Pastor shared about forgiveness and how the blood of Jesus has saved us from our sins, and we are now as white as snow. My husband and I cried so much, and we gave our lives to Christ. We thank the Lord that he has brought us to this church. This is where God has molded and prepared us as we have grown in our Christian life. Just last year, when we finally stepped out of our comfort zone and totally surrendered to the Lord, our Life Group prayed for us and we witnessed miracle breakthroughs in our lives. He fixed our finances, our relationships, and he blessed us with a home and just recently He made me witness my whole family getting saved!
Galatians 2:20 says, “I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.”
With all my past experiences and love I longed for; I truly believe that God has held on to my life for His purpose. I am here right now sharing my life not to please people, but to glorify God for what he has done in my life.
Noel and I look after several Life Groups focused on Young Families. These are amazing groups. Our heartbeat is to give our overflowing love and share with others what we personally experienced from Life Group when we first came to New Zealand. Life Group is all about taking care of Family! I hope that anyone longing for love, care, and encouragement, and who’s not yet connected with connect to a Christian Life Group, I pray that God has stirred and spoke to you right now to join one. Because first, you will find a family, and second, this will change your life!
With boldness, I have Peace, Joy and Contentment and all I long for is to serve Him back with all my heart through this Ministry. My life now only belongs to him and his purpose, to God be the Glory! God bless you all.
