MY BACKGROUND
I was born and raised in the Philippines. My mother left me to my grandmother right after giving birth to me. (She went back to Japan, to live with my Japanese father.) I grew up spoiled and cheerful. When I was 7, I was sent to Japan to finally live w/ my parents and to study elementary there. I was still cheerful and naughty, but only at school. At home, I can’t show the real me, because I am afraid of my parents. I was physically and emotionally abused by them and school for me during that time is the only place to rest. In my 6th grade, I was sent back to the Philippines because my parent doesn’t want to take care and deal with me anymore. There, I lived in a squatter area, where murderers, robbers, and drug pushers (including my relatives) are my circle of friends. That is why at the age of 13, I am already enjoying the sin of drinking alcohol, smoking, and doing drugs. I enjoyed living in sin and honestly felt no guilt or remorse about it. Because of my exposure to this kind of life, at the age of 19, I had death threats which made me decide to flee back to Japan.
THE LIGHT IN THE DARK.
When I came to Japan, I wanted to start a new life but ended up doing the same sin again. I met my wife, got married, and had a child. I wanted to be a good husband and father but I was selfish. I kept on breaking their hearts and my marriage was in danger. When my third child was born, she was diagnosed with epilepsy and was hospitalized. That event led us to Jesus. A Christian friend prayed for Aki’s healing and invited us to church. There I was able to receive the gift of Salvation. I learned that Jesus Christ died for my sin at the cross of Calvary and on the 3rd day he rose again, and whoever shall believe in Him shall not perish but have everlasting life. Before, I was living a selfish, lonely, and sinful life. I carried all of these and wandered in the dark, but Jesus save me from darkness and He is now my Savior and my light.
NEW LIFE
Even if a person wants to change, he/she can’t do it alone, by his strength. You cannot be changed unless you admit your sin and accept Jesus Christ as your Savior. Looking back, I realized the sinful life I had lived, now, Im still not perfect but God had changed me and let me live a life apart from my old life. My God offered me love and salvation despite my past. Now, I am living a new life. A life living in God’s grace and guidance. Knowing God is knowing the true happiness in life. Lastly, God also gave me a purpose in life; to have a strong faith in Jesus and to share the Gospel of Salvation with the world. I will always be grateful to Jesus for my Salvation! To God be the glory!
Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in Me, though he may die, he shall live.”
John 11:25
And we have known and believed the love that God has for us. God is love, and he who abides in love abides in God, and God in him.
I John 4:16
But Jesus looked at them and said, “With men it is impossible, but not with God; for with God all things are possible.”
Mark 10:27