Hi! My name is Engel and I’m a junior in high school. Let me just say that as a young kid, I was not good at following rules. I was such a savage child before I accepted Christ. Back then, I wanted my life to be exciting and crazy, full of adventures and treasures, but I had no direction at all. Sure, I knew Jesus was a good person whom we pray to, He is the speed-dial number you call when you realize that you just painted the piano with sparkly green nail polish and there is no way to escape punishment. But I had no clue that He would be the one vital part of my life that I was truly missing.

I grew up here at Chinese Grace Bible Church (CGBC) where I learned the Bible stories and tried to recite the memory verses. Back then, I knew of God but I didn’t know God. I accepted Jesus as my Savior and repented, but I still continued to sin. I always thought that there was no way to be as perfect as Jesus, so I didn’t try to be. In all honesty, at that time, I thought church was so boring. I didn’t see the point in coming every Sunday, wasting my time, when I could be watching TV, hanging out with friends, or sleeping in. So, when I was in seventh grade, I faced some real temptations of worldly desires, which pulled me away from my faith and postponed my walk with Christ.

I had just recently gotten into playing basketball, and that became my life. During this time, my mentality was: grades > basketball > church. If I could, I would always choose to skip church to go play ball, and so I was absent from church for a long time. I think at one point, I didn’t come for three months straight, which brought a sort of tension at home and within myself. I kept wondering why I wasn’t satisfied with basketball and school and friends even though I was succeeding in them. My mom hated the fact that I was never home and that I would find excuses to miss church. It got to a point where she would physically drag me out of the house, drive up to CGBC, kick me out of the car, and leave me at church for Sunday School. At first, I was so irritated at her for doing that. But sure enough, slowly, and by the grace of God, something changed. I found that worship songs became stuck in my head. I made some really cool friends at youth group, and I discovered the blessings and support of fellowship. In time, little by little, I forgot about wanting to go home to watch that random movie or going to play at every single basketball game. Little by little, I fell in love with the Lord, and realized that He was not only my friend, but also my Savior; not only my God, but also my Father. Looking at my life, I saw that I wasn’t living it for His glory. In the summer of 2015, Pastor Glenn visited my house at the request of my mom, sat down, and would not leave until I confronted my faith. This was the first time my conviction broke my heart, and I bawled at the weight of my sins. I realized that my relationship with God had been nothing before, and that I truly need Him in my life.

I won’t lie to you. It’s hard. You don’t just accept God and wake up a different person. I struggled with my sins from the past, from rebelliousness, impatience, worldly desires, and prioritizing. But in the process, I was mentored and encouraged by the church body, as well as my parents. I began to read my Bible. I prayed honestly, and I finally realized that Jesus didn’t return to my life — He had always been there. Temptations distracted me, but in the end, I was the only thing hindering me from eternal salvation.

Now, knowing Christ, life is different. Christ guides my life and gives it new direction, and He commands believers to take this step of baptism. Acts 22:16 says, “And now why do you wait? Rise and be baptized and wash away your sins, calling on his name.” I put off my decision to become a Christian because I feared my desires for the world, but now I stand before you, satisfied in Him alone.