Growing up in a Christian family, I was always told and believed that Christ is my savior. As a little girl, I went to church on most Sundays and was christened as a toddler by my grandfather, who was a pastor in Jamaica. Following the example of my grandmother, who is a prayer warrior, my family and I always pray before every meal, game, exam, vacation, and big move, so I never really missed out on worship and felt connected with God.
I didn’t always like going to church because I knew I had to wake up early in the morning, put on a pretty dress with stockings and a pair of white or black, high-heeled shoes. To make matters worse, the church services would always take forever and end up putting me to sleep. As a result of moving a lot, I have been to several different churches and each of them was the same, old-fashioned church that I was so used to attending.
In 2014, my father received a job offer in the United States, so we decided to move away from our little island and start a new life in Georgia. The change was tough, but we were able to manage through lots of prayer and support from family and friends. Upon arriving in Georgia, we began to look for a family-friendly church, and my auntie Beth suggested St. Paul’s Episcopal church. Her husband, Robert Wright was also the Bishop of the Episcopal church in Georgia. This church was amazing, and it felt like home, but unfortunately, it was far from where we lived so getting to the church was challenging.
After staying with St. Paul’s for a few years, my grandfather, who christened me, was diagnosed with cancer. This tragic event sent my entire family into shock and we all rushed to visit him in the hospital. He was in extreme pain. He couldn’t walk, talk, or eat and it saddened us to see him in such pain and discomfort. As expected, we prayed and prayed, time and time again for his recovery. After much prayer for his healing, I began to ask the Lord to take my grandpa home with him. The next day, we found out that he had peacefully passed away in his hospital bed. We mourned his loss, but deep down, I knew that his departure was the best thing for him.
In 2018, my family bought a house in Suwanee, Georgia, so we ended up having to move churches again. We stumbled across a few, small, traditional churches until our neighbor recommended North Gwinnett Church. At first, we were a bit skeptical because we weren’t used to going to big churches, but we decided to give it a try. On the first day, we were warmly greeted by guest services and were surprised to see such friendly people dressed in casual clothing and really excited to be at church. What was even more surprising to us, was that it seemed that everyone in this huge church knew one another by name. We immediately fell in love and quickly attached ourselves to both the church and community. Now, because of North Gwinnett Church, I find myself excited to go to church on Sundays. I don’t have to wake up very early, I don’t have to dress up, and most importantly, I have the wonderful opportunity to get involved in worship while having fun with those around me. I also volunteer at the church as a small-group leader for toddlers in a program called Waumba Land. The highlight of my Sundays is walking into a room to greet, take care of, and play with these tiny bundles of joy who learn to know that Jesus loves them no matter what.
The Lord has carried my family and I through a roller coaster of challenges and experiences, and I believe that without Christ, we would have never gotten to where we are today. I am finally happy with the church that I attend, and I will forever thank God for providing my family and I with his many blessings.
“Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows” (James 1:17).
I didn’t always like going to church because I knew I had to wake up early in the morning, put on a pretty dress with stockings and a pair of white or black, high-heeled shoes. To make matters worse, the church services would always take forever and end up putting me to sleep. As a result of moving a lot, I have been to several different churches and each of them was the same, old-fashioned church that I was so used to attending.
In 2014, my father received a job offer in the United States, so we decided to move away from our little island and start a new life in Georgia. The change was tough, but we were able to manage through lots of prayer and support from family and friends. Upon arriving in Georgia, we began to look for a family-friendly church, and my auntie Beth suggested St. Paul’s Episcopal church. Her husband, Robert Wright was also the Bishop of the Episcopal church in Georgia. This church was amazing, and it felt like home, but unfortunately, it was far from where we lived so getting to the church was challenging.
After staying with St. Paul’s for a few years, my grandfather, who christened me, was diagnosed with cancer. This tragic event sent my entire family into shock and we all rushed to visit him in the hospital. He was in extreme pain. He couldn’t walk, talk, or eat and it saddened us to see him in such pain and discomfort. As expected, we prayed and prayed, time and time again for his recovery. After much prayer for his healing, I began to ask the Lord to take my grandpa home with him. The next day, we found out that he had peacefully passed away in his hospital bed. We mourned his loss, but deep down, I knew that his departure was the best thing for him.
In 2018, my family bought a house in Suwanee, Georgia, so we ended up having to move churches again. We stumbled across a few, small, traditional churches until our neighbor recommended North Gwinnett Church. At first, we were a bit skeptical because we weren’t used to going to big churches, but we decided to give it a try. On the first day, we were warmly greeted by guest services and were surprised to see such friendly people dressed in casual clothing and really excited to be at church. What was even more surprising to us, was that it seemed that everyone in this huge church knew one another by name. We immediately fell in love and quickly attached ourselves to both the church and community. Now, because of North Gwinnett Church, I find myself excited to go to church on Sundays. I don’t have to wake up very early, I don’t have to dress up, and most importantly, I have the wonderful opportunity to get involved in worship while having fun with those around me. I also volunteer at the church as a small-group leader for toddlers in a program called Waumba Land. The highlight of my Sundays is walking into a room to greet, take care of, and play with these tiny bundles of joy who learn to know that Jesus loves them no matter what.
The Lord has carried my family and I through a roller coaster of challenges and experiences, and I believe that without Christ, we would have never gotten to where we are today. I am finally happy with the church that I attend, and I will forever thank God for providing my family and I with his many blessings.
“Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows” (James 1:17).