Good morning. My name is Flora and I'm currently a second year at UCI and this is my testimony. I was first introduced to church at age four, just a couple months after my father passed away. This is when my mom, sister and I began to attend a church back home in San Francisco.

I remember being a difficult child at church and in life. When I was put in the nursery, that meant I was apart from my sister who was two years older than me. I cried and caused so much trouble that the teachers just let me be with the older class to quiet me down.

This self-serving attitude didn't stop there but continued on into Sunday school classes where I would bring books to read so I could avoid talking to people. In learning of the many Bible stories, my heart and heart stopped me from understanding anything past the point of gaining head knowledge. I couldn't dwell on the implications of God's love and mercy because I didn't see how his love, mercy and goodness was real.

At this time, I was realizing how different my life was from my friends in terms of family. They had both their parents while I only had one. And while I can say this now that my mother is one of the greatest blessings in my life, as a clueless child, I didn't see this as enough.

I saw the happiness in my classmates' faces when they saw their fathers pick them up from school and their joy made me angry. They would go on and on about how they had fun times with their parents, how they learned things about their dad and from their dads and the general exuberance that came with childhood bliss.

But I saw how my mom struggled every day to raise two young daughters on her own. It came to a point where I was not just missing my father but I missed having a father in general. I continued to be a difficult child, stealing my sister's things and disobeying my mother.

I even snuck out of the house sometimes because I didn't want to be there. My self-serving attitude blinded me and this also led to overall anger towards God. I was learning how God was good, loving and merciful but how could a God with those attributes do this to me and my family?

As I entered middle school, my mom forced me to attend youth fellowship and although I reluctantly obeyed, I began to develop relationships with people that showed joy in learning about God. Their joy in spending time with me and showing love to me was what confused me the most. I didn't understand why everyone was being so kind and friendly to a person that all throughout elementary school wanted nothing to do with them.

One of my advisors explained to me that the love displayed towards me comes solely from Christ because Jesus Christ loved the very people who hated him so much that he died and was resurrected for the forgiveness of their sins. My sins meant that I was destined for hell but Christ and his loving kindness saved me from eternal destruction and in this I desired for forgiveness of my sins and reconciliation with God.

Ephesians 2, 1 to 3 says, "And you are dead in your trespasses and sins in which you formerly walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air of the spirit that is now working in the sons of disobedience. Among them, we too all formerly lived in the lust of our flesh, indulging the desires of the flesh and of the mind and were by nature children of wrath even as the rest.

By nature I'm so sinful but and it is only by God's grace and because of his rich mercy that he softened my heart to be able to see the depths of my sins. I began to understand that my actions towards my family and everyone else was sinful, that my angry heart against God was wrong and that I was ultimately disobeying him.

I prayed to God for forgiveness and mercy in my transgressions against him and I put my full faith and trust in the death and resurrection of Christ. The greatness of God's goodness and mercy and love became clear to me. Just because my father was gone does not mean that God does not love or care for me.

In fact, it shows his love for me even more because it allowed me to come to know him according to a sovereign plan. Knowing that God ordained every moment in my life brought immense comfort because losing my dad as a little girl only brought me closer to God. I was no longer angry or bitter because I know his plan for me is greater than anything I could have wanted for myself.

I don't have a physical father here but God is my father in heaven and because of this I can have full faith, trust, and joy through all circumstances. I no longer yearn to live for my own selfish desires but to glorify him in all that I do. My eyes were opened and I sought to obey Jesus as Lord over all aspects of my life and I truly believe that this is when I was saved.

So I was sprinkled at my home church four years ago as an outward expression of my faith and devotion to Christ. Since then I've grown immensely in my love for God and in my desire to live by his commands, especially throughout my first year of college. I was reminded of the necessity of reading and wrestling with scripture so that I may correctly practice my faith and live according to the word.

Because of this, today I'm choosing to be baptized by immersion in response to what the Lord has made known to me in scripture and to fulfill all obedience to his command in baptism. Psalm 73, 25 to 28 says, "Whom have I in heaven but you? And besides you I desire nothing on earth.

My flesh and my heart may fail but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever. For behold, those who are far from you will perish. You have destroyed all those who are unfaithful to you. But as for me, the nearness of God is my good. I have made the Lord God my refuge that I may tell of all your works." Ultimately it's my desire for my faith to be biblical and backed by scripture, to live a life completely obedient to God's word and to be used for his glory and works.

Thank you.