DOROTHY

♥ FAVORITE VERSE:
Your beauty should not come from outward adornment...instead it should be that of your inner self, the unfading beauty of a gentle, and quiet spirit, which is of great worth in God's sight.
-1 Peter 3:3-4

♥ TESTIMONY:
I had grown up in a Christian family for almost my whole life. I would spend Sundays learning about God in Sunday school, memorizing bible verses, without a lot of significant meaning.

God first really entered in my life when I was twelve years old. It was one of those really quiet nights at Camp Beracha where everyone was crying and each person had a different encounter with God. When I close my eyes, I couldn't explain the calm feeling of reassurance that God told me. I just know it was his will to put my life in his hands and let him take care of the rest. Let him have all the burdens. People couldn't tell on the outside that sometimes I was a social misfit. That I was shy, awkward, and uncomfortable about personality. When I gave my worries and burdens to him, all those conflicting emotions that I struggled with before, he truly entered in my life. Even though I didn't have a total crying out like tears streaming out moment, I knew he was there.

The next summer, I reassured my faith by getting baptized at Camp Wenatchee when I was thirteen years old. I had to say a verse and the verse I chose was John 3:16 ( For God so loved the world he gave his one and only son and whoever believes in him, will not perish, but have eternal life). I wouldn't say my life became perfect after having Christ in my life. But I know that it is something that I will not regret. God gives me the will to live, breath, walk, talk, and do things for him every day. I am really passionate of what he has for me in store for the future. Through serving, I have learned that even small things can make a big difference and I hope that I can do that for people around me.

However, following God has not always been easy. There were times when I faced many struggles, what I like to call the "scars" that I have to remind me of the hurts that I have faced. When I was in the seventh and eighth grade, I struggled with eating and dieting. I always looked at myself and thought that my body was never ideal enough, at least to the girls that I considered that a perfect, ideal skinny body. I also struggled with my self-esteem and friendships. However, I have learned recently from all those years of struggles that God is the only one that can fill my empty heart with his love and satisfaction. He is the rock that fits perfectly before I put all the necessary "soil and food" for my living body to grow.

God has created such a meaningful impact in my life that now I look around at others to see what I can do for them. I want to make a difference, reflecting my actions to show my "saltiness" to the world. And I hope I can through serving him and becoming his servant. That is truly what it feels to me to be content and living out my life for Jesus.
3.20.11