8/3/2019 Faith Essay C.O

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Cara Orji

Faith Essay

My dad is a pastor and I have been going to church for as long as I can remember.According to my parents, I accepted Jesus as my Lord and Savior when I was about three

years old . . . this, of course, I dont remember. Regardless, I had always considered

myself a Christian and I didnt see the need to question what I believed to be a reality.It wasnt until I was eleven years old or so that I finally got some assurance. In the

summer of 2005, my family went to Streams in the Desert, a denominational

retreat/convocation that consisted of camps for Christians of all ages. The camp that Iattended was called Flashflood and was hosted by youth leaders from St. Clements

Church in El Paso, Texas. Although the first day was really awkward for me not

knowing anyone there and still getting used to the idea of living in a desert I eventually

made some friends and began to feel more comfortable around the leaders. Each day ofthe camp was full of games, worship, and study that gave me a chance to learn more

about God and what it meant to be a Christian in a secular world.

On the last night that I was able to attend the camp, the leaders had the youth

come for a worship service that would end with small group Bible study. During theworship, I started to sing somewhat shyly at first, but then began to sing at the top of my

lungs (within reason, of course). I think it was while we were singing I Want To KnowYou More (by Delirious?) that I choked up and began to cry. I was slightly bewildered

and I couldnt figure out why I was crying, nor could I stop. Eventually I gave up on

singing and just cried until one of the youth leaders came up to me and began to pray for

me.I cannot recall what she said exactly, but I felt that it was right. Until then, I had

assumed that I was a Christian, but I didnt really know it for sure. I am very grateful for

that moment and especially for that leader. I thank God that she was there for me and thatI can now look back and pick a specific moment that represents a significant turning

point in my life. Without it, I might still be wondering, Did the Holy Spirit really changeme? That experience has also created a desire in me to help people struggling with theirfaith and with their identity, but I have felt somewhat powerless to do that. What if they

dont want to listen to the Gospel? Is it too late for the people I want to help? Am I strong

enough?There is also the issue of glorifying God in everything I do. How does being a

musician and possibly going into the medical field give God glory? It is my hope and my

prayer that the Leaders in Training program at Pioneer Pacific will help me understand

better what I can do with the skills that I have, as well as the ones that I hope to learn.