My story began when I was still young. I was always involved in church, we were always at functions or singing in the front of the church. I was quite young when I thought I came to faith, but my life never really reflected it. I think the reason I thought so was because I was always at church or participating in church.
When I met Pieter, we always tried going to church. We started Bible studies once a week, but nothing really came of it. It felt more like I had to then I really wanted to.
Coming to New Zealand was really a very smooth transition for me. I found a job really quickly, got my visa in about a week or two. Moved into our first house and bought our first furniture. After some time I just had this feeling that I’m missing something and I noticed it was God. We stopped speaking about Him, stopped reading my Bible and praying. I kept trying to get Pieter to go to a church, but he had his own questions to deal with.
I was sitting having lunch at work with some of the ladies (which I normally never really do) and I heard Mia talk about being part of a Care Group. I just had this sudden feeling of asking her about it and that I would love to join. I went into the first meeting confident, because I know God. I have been apart of a church my whole life, but I was wrong! I saw how little I really knew God and I felt lost. Going to the Care Group made me want to learn more about God and I started experiencing a hunger to learn more.
Looking back now made me realize that if we never really came to New Zealand I might have never seen how wrong I was. It took me getting out of a situation, to open my eyes on where I was really heading. Without me getting a job at the same company as her I might have never found the right people to share the gospel with me.
It is really wonderful how the Lord worked in both me and Pieter’s life’s. I experienced real peace for the first time, just knowing that everything is in God’s hands. Going through everything since being in New Zealand made me realize that God has been in control this whole time. It truly is a wonderful feeling!