Jasoanna

I was raised by my mom in Jamaica. We went to a church where I was told not to do this or eat that, but I never understood what any of it meant. As a child I always loved going to church with my family and loved the Lord. In middle school I moved to Florida to live with my dad. Since he didn’t go to church and I was older now, I had more of a say in whether I attended, and I slowly stopped going. A few times after that I went to church with a friend of mine, but only to see friends. I would not retain anything from the sermons, either from not paying attention or just not having my whole heart in it. In August 2019, I moved to USF to attend school. I had this idea of escaping my family life and enjoying living on my own without strict parents around to tell me what to do or what not to do. That same month, I was approached by a campus minister and I filled out a survey with her. One of the questions asked whether I believed I would go to heaven if I died that day. I truly believed that I would because I believed in God and I tried to do good. But she shared with me the Bible’s way to heaven, through what Jesus did on the cross. I went to Cornerstone for the first time that Sunday and started doing a Bible study weekly. At the end of October, I gave my life to Jesus and got baptized a week later. All of this happened in about ten weeks or so, which might sound crazy for a Freshman, but it was really life changing! It’s great to see what the Lord can do in each of our lives, even if it’s the little things that you notice the most. Looking back, I can see how I was really living in the world. I wasn’t partying or anything wild, but I was living with sinful habit patterns that I thought were okay, which were not. Learning about and experiencing life with Christ showed me that you’re no longer living for you, the Lord is the one that leads you in everything! I can ask Him before I go and make decisions, big or small ones. I also experienced a lot of transformation through forgiveness from things that happened in my childhood and throughout my life. I am a Junior in college now and rooming with some girls from our church. I am grateful for everything the Lord has shown me and brought me through. I know He has much more planned for me and I am excited to go through all those life changing moments! ~Jasoanna