I was pretty much raised in the catholic church. We went their until I was about 12 or 13. My parents stopped going when they didn't really like the teaching or for some reason like that. My dad in the time being had become a believer in Christ. During this time my dad was always pushing his faith unto the family and me. It good get pretty annoying at times. After leaving the catholic church my parents started going from church to church trying to find the right one. Eventually we stopped going all together and would just go on Christmas and Easter.

One day while my mom was out and my dad had some program on it caught my attention. I was about 14 or 15 and the guy was talking about how we are all sinners and we were going to go to hell unless you said some prayer. Not completely understanding it I said the prayer. I would love to say that at this point my life became wonderful because I had began my walk with God. But it didn't. If anything my life was worse. I for one didn't want to tell anyone about Jesus because I wanted to be cool and fit in. And believing in Jesus wasn't cool. So to fit in I would just tell people that I was catholic because that was what they were. I had such a dirty mouth too. It was pretty trashy and disgusting. I also at that age began to suffer from depression. I was never clinically diagnosed but I went through periods where I hated going to school. Of my own choosen I didn't always have people to sit with at lunch mainly because I didn't like the people who made fun of others. I would rather sit alone then fit in with that crowd.

At that time I had a few times thought about suicide but never went through with it because I was afraid I would go to hell.

At the age of 19 I began working at Burger King and met this guy. He seemed cool and he said he was a christian. We began dating and little did I know that this decision would be the thing that really pulled me down. After about a month or so my parents began telling me I couldn't see this guy and because of that I ran away and moved in with him and a friend of his. It was a dumb decision and during this time my depression got worse. Their were times when I didn't want to get out of bed and my relationships with friends and my family suffered. After about 6 months we were kicked out of the apartment we were staying in because the guy I was seeing wasn't paying rent. I moved back in with my parents and he went to the City Mission. Not so wonderful.

During this time my parents began attending services at Victory Christian Center. They took me and began having me get counseling from the Senior Pastor of the church. At first I thought the church and the pastor were crazy. They talked all about Jesus and all of this other stuff. I had it in my head to get back with my boyfriend but in my heart I knew that I needed help. That help eventually came from my continuing to go to the church and meet with the Pastor. I knew that my heart was empty and that I was in need of something, of love and that love came from Jesus.

In October of 2003 I truly gave my life to Jesus and my life was transformed. I was healed from my depression and instead I began to experience joy and peace. Jesus has totally and has completely made me into a new person. I am not the person I used to be. Instead my old self is dead and I am now alive through Christ who gives me strength. All of my relationships with friends and family have been restored but more importantly I know have this amazing unending relationship with Christ.

I hope this testimony helps others and makes them realize who it really is that we need. Jesus is the only who can fill the empty void in our hearts.