Each week we share a story of how God has been at work in someone's life, in particular we are hearing stories of how people came to faith. These stories can be really impactful in building faith in others.
This week Yona shares the story of her faith journey...
My father was raised in the Anglican tradition and my mother as a Catholic. However, at the time they met, neither had experienced a personal awakening to their faith. It wasn't until two years before my birth, in 1979, that my mother committed her life to Christ, which led our family to become regular churchgoers. We explored various congregations, seeking one that resonated with us, until we found our place in a holiness movement church when I was around four years old. It was there that I grew up, and at the age of nine, I responded to an altar call to publicly affirm the commitment to Christ I had been contemplating in private.
During my teenage years, we moved to a different branch of the same church, where I joined a youth group for the first time. The group was led by a couple whose dynamic faith and dedication were truly inspiring. Their evident love and commitment deeply influenced us, igniting a more profound passion for Christ within our young hearts.
My spiritual journey took a significant turn in boarding school when, in Year 9, a Christian teacher arrived to lead our Christian Religious Studies. Her teaching opened my eyes to a level of biblical understanding I had never experienced before. An in-depth study of the Book of Acts revealed the awesome power of the Holy Spirit to change lives and change the world. As a student leader in a pioneering Bible study group, I was part of a spiritual revival that swept through the school, bringing about a new era of commitment to evangelism and righteousness. This period saw many of my peers dedicating their lives to Christ and maturing in their faith, and my own devotion and courage as a Christian flourished.
This fervour sustained me throughout university, where my faith remained a cornerstone of my life. I began serving in the children's ministry from my first year and have continued to do so ever since.
When I met my future husband, Franklin, in 2003, our distinct spiritual journeys highlighted the importance of deepening our biblical knowledge. We needed a deeper knowledge of the bible to support each other's growth. Amidst the prevailing "Christian" movements, I discerned several false gospels like the Word of Faith movement, yet I lacked clarity on where to find the unadulterated Truth we craved.
In His grace and mercy, God guided us to sound Bible teachers—those who stood firmly on long-established biblical interpretation and faith traditions. We delved into the works of C.S. Lewis, A.W. Tozer, G.K. Chesterton, R.C. Sproul, Martin Lloyd-Jones, Tim Keller, and others. Their teachings, coupled with the Holy Spirit's work, fortified our faith.
God also led me to The Bible Project, where I encountered the profound concept that the Bible is one cohesive story—from Genesis to Revelation! Today, my trusted teachers include Tim Keller (still!), Jackie Hill-Perry, Femi Osunnuyi, Jen Wilkin, Melissa Kruger, David Bowden & Seth Stewart (of Spoken Gospel), Nancy Guthrie, John Piper, D.A. Carson, Conrad Mbewe, and Ken Mbugua. Armed with the right tools, studying the Bible now brings me immense delight. I've had the privilege of reading the Bible from start to finish multiple times, and I intend to continue until my last breath. Truly, there exists no more potent catalyst for transformation than the Word of God.
I pray that ultimately my life will echo what Paul says in Romans 1:16, "I am not ashamed of the gospel; it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes."
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