Wenda lost her Dad to lung cancer when she was just 7 years old. After his passing, Wenda’s mother remarried and moved to another city, leaving Wenda and her four siblings with their uncle, a gambler and an alcoholic. There seemed to be no love in Wenda’s life.
The Burden of Feeling Alone
Under her uncle’s roof, Wenda endured years of physical and verbal abuse, with no solace. The constant mistreatment fueled Wenda’s growing loneliness and hopelessness. There seemed to be no one who could, or would, help. The neglect, pain and loneliness sent Wenda into a downward spiral: Many times Wenda hurt herself. Love and trust were foreign to the young girl, and there was nothing she could find to fill her empty heart.
When Wenda was in ninth grade, however, she became friends with a girl her age named Robinia. Wenda noticed something different about Robinia: Whenever she was around Robinia, happiness flooded the troubled young woman’s heart.
One day, Wenda stayed over at Robinia’s home. That night, Wenda experienced something foreign to her own home life: As the family prepared for bed, they gathered for prayer. Robinia’s father turned to Wenda and asked if she had any prayer requests.
While confusion may have been Wenda’s first response, it didn’t take long for her to pour out her heart. She shared about the challenges and traumas that had robbed her life of joy, stability and loving relationships.
Welcomed with Open Arms
After Wenda opened up about her life, Robinia and her family prayed for the depressed young woman. Following their prayer, a change began to work in Wenda’s heart. For the first time in a long time, Wenda felt different—lighter and happier. The emptiness that had threatened to consume her life dissolved, little by little.
As the days passed, Wenda learned more and more from Robinia about the God who loved her. Then one day, a local church led by Gospel for Asia (GFA) pastor Kalman held a youth camp, and Robinia invited Wenda to tag along. As Pastor Kalman shared from God’s Word, realization struck Wenda: The Lord loved her unconditionally.
The hollowness that had eaten away at her heart disappeared and was replaced with the love of God. Wenda fell to her knees, crying out to the Lord. That day, she embraced Christ’s love into her heart, and healing and hope replaced her pain and loneliness. Wenda had found the security that only Christ could bring. Eventually, she joined the local church, rejoicing with other believers in their shared love for God and actively participating in the Youth Fellowship.
“Now, I realize that God has always been there with me,” Wenda said, “but I just did not [know] it before. If it were not for Him, I would probably not be alive today. One of my favorite passages in the [Holy Scriptures] is Ephesians 6, which talks about the armor of God. Though I struggle with severe spiritual battles since I became a Christian, I keep moving forward for my King Jesus Christ, holding His hands. Let His name be glorified through my faith, speech and action every single day!”
See how a young man experienced the life-changing love of God through VBS.
