I was lost, but now I'm found

A new life with Jesus

I was born and raised in Thailand and Malaysia. My parents are missionaries in Thailand and work for the OMF for thirty years already. They are pastors and church founders. I went to an international missionary kid school in Cameron Highlands, Malaysia. When I was little I used to be in a Christian environment. Because my parents and my friends were Christian it was only natural for me to be a Christian for I was raised that way. We were always in save hands on the Christian boarding school, the theme of the school was: remember Jesus Christ, I didn’t know that that theme would become so important in my life.

In 1991 our whole family went back to the Netherlands, my parents came for a four year leave, after that my sister and I stayed in the Netherlands. I went to the HAVO and the MTS. It was a terrible culture shock to me, because everything was totally different up here. Even being  Dutch, I was raised in the tropic. In the beginning I had to adjust a lot, but after a few years I started to feel at home a bit in this “frog country”. I made new friends, puberty started and I became a rebel. I left the Christian way of life.

Everybody in the city went to “Stratumseind” ( a famous bar area) and we played truant a lot and smoked a lot of weed. I had all the freedom in the world; there was nobody to act rules on me. We drank a lot of beer and had a lot of fun. In the summer we went to the south of France or Spain to the youth camping’s. And we went out a lot, especially through the night it was party time. Also in the Netherlands we lived for the weekend and the big festivals: house parties. Everybody loosened up and ecstasy pills and paddos were used frequently.

And yet there was still that little voice that told me that this was not good for me. I neglected it and moved on for sure. Sometimes there was a miserable lonely feeling. I had a girlfriend now and a while, but I missed my parents who were in Thailand. When I went to Thailand on holiday my parents always tried to convert me. That irritated me and my sister highly and my posture would be you are there and live there, leave me alone. And yet I felt there was something wrong in my life. But I could never grasp what really missed until wintertime 2002/2003. In December I went with friends to Amsterdam and on the ring road around Amsterdam we hit another car in the back with a speed of 80 miles an hour. The road was frosty and our car was total loss. Nobody had a serious injury, only one had a whiplash. The car was tugged away and we didn’t want to ruin our evening, and we went to the big party we came for. In the midst of this party I went out. I didn’t like to be there anymore. Everybody was high or doped and inside was fights. I was sick of it and didn’t feel well. It was cold outside and snow fell and I felt awful. My life was a mess and I had no purpose. I passed a caravan outside the house party where people were evangelising. Someone asked me in a friendly tone of voice if I would like a cup of coffee. I could use one. I went inside and a conversation started. This person asked me what was wrong and I showed what was on my mind. I told everything to this person and felt comfortable. He told me I needed Jesus in my life. We had a long conversation and at the end of the night I had a lot to think of. I went outside again and shouted to God if you really exist: change my life.

Night after night I watched the ceiling, unable to fall asleep. That month I had another car accident and again I and my friends suffered nothing. Both cars were squeezed like a tin can. The police officer said jokingly you can applaud for being unharmed; you must have a guardian angel because at this place five young people died already last year. Again thoughts started. I took an old dusty bible out of a sheltered box and started to read. All I read was recognisable in my life and I read the part of the prodigal son (luc. 15:11). The bible started to speak to my heart for the first time. Every time I opened the bible I would read a verse that pointed out to me. I thought by myself: this can’t be a coincidence anymore! I realised that all that my parents had told me fitted for 100%. I knelt down on the floor and I asked Jesus to enter my heart again and now forever. I was lost but now I am found again. I started to see a remarkable difference in my life the next months. I got a new job, a new apartment to live and I went to a new church (God’s fire church). I had a new life and after a few months I was baptised.

I feel and notice that the Lord took me out of darkness and gave me a new life. I love the Lord more than anything and I will never let go anymore. I also understood the importance of baptism in the Holy Spirit and I have a friendship with Him now. I want to be a servant of the Lord. It is exciting to see his plan for our life and it is exciting to share his good message to others. Every day I can see how big God is and how He blesses us and heals our mind and body.

My advice: make that choice to follow the Lord. It is the best choice a human can make.