KATRINA'S STORY

grew up in church and my family always forced church on me. I never really knew why, but I went anyway. When I was around 12 we slowly stopped going to church. First, it was my brother that stopped, then my dad and then my mom. So, I didn't think I needed to go either. Well, I was an alright kid up until the time I turned 14. When I was 14 and entering the 9th grade, I was raped.

I spent 3 months trying to convince myself that it never happened and that it was just a horrible nightmare. During these 3 months, I started to change. I dressed differently, I started to dress goth.

Everyone at school badgered me about it. They started these terrible rumors that I was a witch and that I was casting spells on people.

I shouldn't have let them bother me, but on top of what just happened to me I couldn't take it anymore. So, I started to cut myself.

That went on for 3 months and then one night I had a huge knife that I held to my wrist. I was fixing to end my life. When I brought it to my skin, something held me back. It was like I couldn't do it and I didn't understand why.

Then I heard a Voice.

It said, "I love you, don't do this."

I didn't know what that was, but I didn't do it.

The next day I was invited to church. While there, I told the youth pastor what happened to me.

The man who raped me never got into prison because I had waited too long. This saddened me, but throughout the months that I was fighting this distress, a friend invited me to her church where I got saved.

I was 15.

That was 2 years ago and I have held on to my Christianity ever since. I've had hard times, but I've always held on.

People still patronize me for dressing goth, but now I can honestly say it doesn't matter. I won't face those people when I die, I'll face Jesus Christ. I know He loves me no matter what I look like.

Thanks for reading this testimony of mine. It feels good to finally let it out.

God has told me that He wants me to be a missionary, so when I graduate from high school I'm going to a college specialized for that. Please keep me in your prayers, so that I may keep going on God's path and not stray away. Again, thanks for taking the time to read this. You'll always be in my prayers!