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Growing up in a Christian family, I was surrounded with a religious environment. I grew up listening to stories from the Bible and attended a private Christian school. Basically my life was just following the pattern of my parents who struggled to live the good Christian life. Due to the seeking in their hearts, they met with many different Christian groups. As far as I can remember, we met with Baptists, Presbyterians, Brethren groups, free groups and non-denominational groups, all of which never completely satisfied them. When I was around nine years old, my parents began to meet with the local church. At this point, I knew I was a believer and had been baptized, but that was all I knew. From the point of view of a nine-year-old the practices in the children's meeting were different. My parents met with the local church weekly, so I tagged along every week, but it was not until three years later that the reality of those practices began to enter into my experience. It was then I realized I really had a relationship with God. My singing, praying, and calling on the name of the Lord were not limited to Sunday meetings anymore. I was fully in love with Jesus! As this relationship grew, I just began to participate more and more. I attended every meeting they had and participated in all the practical functions like cleaning the building or mowing the lawn. Even twelve years later, the freshness of my relationship with God and all the believers here still remains. The local church has not just been my “church” but has become my life and my family.
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