Good morning. My name is Eddie Kim and this is my testimony. Growing up, there were many painful moments I faced in life. I grew up in a single parent home since my birth mother abandoned my older brother, me, as a child. Thanks to my aunt, I grew up in the local church during my childhood.

Church was nothing more than an activity I did twice a week with occasional retreats and outings. Whenever things grew tough in my life, I would go to the basketball court seeking refuge. However, the storms grew stronger and basketball could no longer provide the comfort that I needed. On a church retreat in eighth grade, I decided to go to the cross to lay my burdens down.

I felt an urge and need to tell God all my worries and pains I had experienced. At that very moment, I dedicated my life to Christ, or at least that's what I told myself. I went back to living life as if nothing had changed, but with a false perspective that God would surely bless me now that I dedicated my life to Him.

My relationship with God was surface level and shallow at best. My childhood continued to be unstable, and at times I had no place to call home. As the years passed into my adulthood, my main priority was worldly riches so I could build a life and future that was much better than the childhood in hopes that my anxiety and fear would slowly fade.

When things started to look brighter, I would put God on the back burner and focus and prioritize my pursuit of success as my hope was placed in achieving the next goal. I was blind and conditioned to believe that there was no one I could rely on but myself. In order to be happy, I thought I had to take control of my future and be successful for a better tomorrow.

However, tomorrow always changed, and happiness was temporary. My hope was falsely placed in man and this world. I realize now, no matter how hard I tried, nothing was ever in my control, and success was just an illusion. A distraction from the truth that my hope is in Christ alone, but was too prideful and stubborn to accept.

There were many storms from being bounced from home to home when my father was absent to him passing away from brain cancer, but nothing compelled into comparison to losing my brother who recently passed away. The one person that was a constant figure throughout my entire life and whom I love so ever deeply.

At my breaking point, I was humbled before the Lord and he showed me that even in the challenges he has been with me every step of the way, I could feel God's love and presence and was overwhelmed with gratitude. It was a familiar feeling I had experienced many times before, but chose to ignore.

How could this great God continue to love an unworthy sinner like me? I could no longer ignore God's calling and response. I dedicated my life to Christ, but this time it was genuine. To be clear, I am not saying that my life is now perfect without any pain, suffering, or sorrow.

What I am saying is that God revealed his goodness in each step of my journey. I can clearly see and recognize that God's hands were in all things as nothing was in my control. Through these challenges, God graciously and mercifully sanctified me to see that the storms will always come and go, but God's promise and hope are everlasting.

Prior to this realization, any challenges were reason to be angry with God, but now they are reason to praise God for all his goodness, even through the darkness. While I am still processing my emotions and deep sorrow for my brother's passing, I find joy knowing there is hope in eternity through Christ.

I am getting baptized today to publicly profess my faith and submission of my life to Christ, in obedience to his will, and dedicate myself to be anchored in him. Thank you. >> Thank you.