Baptism Testimonies from Baptism Sunday

We had the privilege of hearing 3 people share their faith journey on Sunday. .  Let these stories encourage you as you hear what God has done in their lives and the decisions they made!

Meadows Church is a church in the community, for the community, located in Langley, BC.  We want you to know that you're welcome here!

Transcript

SPEAKER_00 0:02

You're listening to audio from Meadows Church in Langley, BC. For more information about Meadows Church, go to Meadowschurch.ca.

SPEAKER_02 0:15

My name is McKenna. I go to Peter Europe Middle School and I'm in grade six. I play soccer in Langley and I like to take my dog Bailey for walks. I love to go to church and youth groups. I love to read, and my favorite series is Warrior Cats. My favorite food is pierogi is burgers and pierogies. I've grown up in a Christian home and believed at a young age, but as I got older, I took more notice of the world around me, and I started to doubt God. I felt like he wasn't really with us and felt like he was ignoring the problems in the world, like pollution and sin. One day I was praying and writing in my journal about how my day went, and it was a really bad day. I felt God come to me and speak to me, and I felt comfort. After that, the Bible says God doesn't always come in the big stuff, but I always thought he did. Just like in the Bible, he came to me in a whisper. When I was reading the Bible, it became clear God went through so much pain for me. My parents and youth leaders, Becca and Levi, have really helped me. They've made me comfortable at church and helped to show me how fun church can be. I felt God show me love through people at Meadows Church, showing me love and acceptance. I have had a hard time making friends, but God has helped guide me. I want to be get baptized because I want to be with God for an eternity and thank him for all he has done. I want to help more people know that he is true. I know I am a Christian because God showed me every step to be here through the camps we ran and people coming to know him. I know he died on the cross, and I know that to be true because I can feel it. God has proved it. The Bible tells us that God loves me, and the Bible doesn't have lies in it. The Bible tells us about Jesus and what he did to love us. John 3 16, Psalms 51, 10 to 13 are verses I really love, and it's one my that my parents gave me and sing often. I'm glad I know Jesus because without him I would be lost and would be in a bad situation and wouldn't have love for other people. Jesus has changed my life. I've been a part of Meadows Church because it feels really nice to be in a community that is right there and that is welcoming. God is close just like our community is. I always feel like I make mistakes and that I am far from perfect. When I started reading the Bible, I saw how Jesus was perfect and God forgives me. That makes it easier to talk with new people and be myself. I want to be baptized because I want to display my faith to the world and I want God's peace in my life. I want to be closer to God coming out of the water, and I want to be renewed with a new life with God. I also want to tell others all that God has done so that humans can come back to what they were made to be without sin with God.

SPEAKER_01 3:15

My name is Mabel Erickson. I'm a very competitive soccer player. I love to score and achieve goals. I also snowboard and mountain bike. One of my favorite topics is gym because sometimes it's hard for me to be patient and sit still, as I enjoy always doing hands-on activities. I'm always willing to try new things as long as it doesn't involve food. I grew up in a church. For a long time, I was just following my family's footsteps. When I got into middle school, I got more mature, and I realized that I couldn't rely on my parents' faith anymore. As I started attending church, more often, like youth events, I realized all kinds of nice people who are around that go to church, like Anna, Ray Lynn, and McKenna. They are a part of a community that I want to belong to as well, with the same beliefs I have. I started to build a relationship with Jesus, and during this time I finally understood that God's love isn't just about following rules, but it's having a personal relationship with him. I came to Jesus and I finally understood that he came to die so that we would get to live internally with him. For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only son that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have internal life. John three, sixteen. This verse is one I will always remember because it really stood out to me and it's one I felt connected to. Another Bible verse is we love God because he loved us first. First John four nineteen. As I'm committing my life to Jesus, I would like to acknowledge how he has changed my life. The relationship with us has grown a lot stronger through honesty, forgiveness, and habit. It's no longer, let's go, Mabel, it's time for church. Instead of I have been asking my parents in advance if we can go and be part of a church and the community it brings with it. As I enjoy learning together and hearing others' thoughts and opinions, I want to be baptized because I believe in God and I want to follow his path. Show my faith and keep growing. Today I'm getting baptized to publicly declare that Jesus is my Lord and Savior, and I am choosing to live my life for him.

SPEAKER_03 5:39

Living with a vision impairment, I have faced many challenges throughout my life. By God's grace, however, I was able to complete my secondary and post-secondary education. A few years later, I was offered a position as a public servant, working for the federal government. I married my spouse about 14 years ago, and together we have two boys. Three years ago, we moved to Langley, and I find this is the best place I've ever lived at in Canada. I enjoy soccer, traveling, politics, cooking, and I especially enjoy walking in nature and visiting different farms in our community. I was born in a Shia Muslim country, and my family was Muslim, though not particularly strict. Growing up, my family often spoke of how socially and religiously free Iran was before the 1979 revolution during the reign of the Shah. I believed in Islam and I was a somewhat practicing Muslim. When I was 19, I felt more deeply connected to Islam after researching it and believing to be the truth. My faith in God helped me throughout many difficult moments, including my parents' separation, immigration challenges, financial challenges, and relationship difficulties. Despite this, I found it hard to connect with Muslims in my community. Many held Shia beliefs which I struggled to accept, and others belonged to sects which I found to be extreme. Over the past several years, I began to question my religion more seriously, especially as I reflected on troubling aspects of Islamic history, theology, and practice. I remember that my father had rejected Islam many years earlier, and I always defended my religion during our discussions. Yet over time I began to ask the same questions myself. This was the beginning of my spiritual awakening. I realized that my prayers had become more routine than relational. I could no longer justify prayers in words that I could not understand, and they no longer felt like a genuine connection with God. I also struggled what I perceived to be contradictions in the Quran and Islamic history and events in the Islamic history that troubled my conscience. A significant turning point when my older son expressed his faith to Jesus. We respected his choice and he brought two Bibles from Meadows soccer camp and started reading stories and verses to us. Later, his attachment to Meadows Church drew us closer week after week. I always remembered two Christian youth who had helped me when I was 15 years old. After I moved from Toronto to Vancouver to a new school and without knowing anyone. I also remember other positive experiences I previously had at various churches. After my son began to attend church and soccer camp and began to learn about Jesus and the Word of God, I became more curious and more open. In the spring of 2025, I went through a very difficult personal situation. As I was introduced more deeply to Jesus, I believe Meadows Church played an important role in beginning to move forward and heal. I started praying to Jesus, and God intervened in a situation that I once believed could never be resolved. To me, it felt like a personal miracle. Through Pastor Mike, the Alpha program, reading the Bible, watching the chosen, and having meaningful discussions with fellow church members, I began to understand who Jesus truly is. I also continued studying both Islam and Christianity, which only deepened my conviction that Jesus is the truth. I realized what I had known or taught about Jesus in the past was inaccurate and incomplete. I came to believe that our loving God cares about all of his children and that Jesus is a living God. Through faith in Jesus and what he accomplished for us on the cross, our sins can be forgiven. Jesus in the scripture also affirmed what I had been learning in recent years about prayer, reflection, and a transforming power of a relationship with God. I'm still on this journey, and there is much more for me to learn. But I know that I desire to be the part of the kingdom of heaven with Jesus in the life to come. For assurance, I hold firmly to this verse by John 11, verse 25. I am the resurrection and the life. The one who believes in me will live, even though they die. I know I am a Christian because I want to spend the rest of my life in a relationship with a living God who listens to me, walks with me, and answers my prayers. With Jesus, I no longer feel alone. I believe he is powerful, compassionate, and still working miracles in our lives. I feel Jesus in my heart, and I desire to serve him faithfully. Several other verses from the Bible deeply resonate with me. Mark 11, 23 and 24 says, Truly I tell you, if anyone says to this mountain, go throw yourself into the sea, and does not doubt in their heart, but believes what they say will happen, it will be done for them. Therefore, I tell you, whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it and it will be yours. This verse demonstrates the power of prayer. Since coming to know Jesus, I have found greater peace and resolution in my life. When I feel myself slipping back into old habits that once brought confusion and struggle, I return to Jesus and his teachings. I now feel stronger, more hopeful, and genuinely happier. I believe this is just the beginning of my journey and that Jesus has many more plans and blessings in store in my life. What makes this journey more meaningful is my spouse's growing faith and her love for Jesus as well. I appreciate the wonderful community and open arms of our brothers and sisters in faith. I desire the rebirth that Jesus and John the Baptist spoke of. I know I have been cleansed and I want to follow Jesus for the rest of my life. I also want a clear reminder of this milestone, something I can remember in moments of despair. To remember who Jesus is and what he has promised me. I hope I can help others who don't know much about Jesus to experience the freedom I feel by coming to Jesus.

SPEAKER_00 14:52

We're so glad you chose to join us today. To find out more about Meadows Church and how you can get involved, connect with the pastor or how you can partner with us in ministry. Go to Meadowschurch.ca.