"Out of Darkness into Light. A new life with Jesus" Sis. Kris Marteja Testimony

Before I come to know the Lord Jesus Christ, my life is a mess. I came from a broken family and become a mother at the age of 19. My name is: regret, shame, pain, dirty, angry, failure, hated, forgotten. My life is full of valleys, with no mountain in sight. I use to blame others specially my parents of my difficult life. Growing up, I told myself, I will never let my children suffer the same misery I had and from a broken family but it happened. I got married but failed.

In order to survive I decided to work abroad thinking to give a good future for my kids. But life here is not easy as I dream and wish for...trials become more and more. I don't want to be alone so I focused in the worldly thing. Forgetting the reason why I am here abroad.

Until one day, December of 2009, (is the day that God found me and changes everything, a beginning of a new life), a friend of mine invited me to a party (thinking it was a usual party we used to go) didn't know that it was a Women’s Christmas Fellowship. That night when I heard the message of the speaker as she share the word of God, to be exact John 3:16, there is something I felt touches my heart, tears fall down and one woman approach me and pray for me the salvation prayer. And without no doubt and hesitation I accepted the Lord Jesus Christ as my Lord and personal Savior. I became a new person that night. Jesus saved me from myself. He became my life. I go home full of happiness that I really can't explain even when I wake up the next day I still feel His presence and the Joy is still in my heart. That feelings I never felt before. I feel like I am so LOVED, the love which I have never felt before.

At first I don't understand, but as days pass by I see God's faithfulness in my life. Things with me changed; My weekend become busy attending to the church and going to the Bible study, I continue studying and reading more of His word and trying my best to live with it. I become a new person, and I told myself, No turning Back!

2011 after I was water baptized, I joined the Women Ministry and fulfill my vow to Jesus that once He change me, I will follow Him and serve Him with all my heart, soul and mind. I am so motivated to share and encouraged other woman the life of being a significant Woman living with a purpose of serving others.

Same year, blessing run over me, the Lord qualified the unqualified giving better opportunities to serve and be served. I used to share with others, that it is Him who is the highest authority whom I serve put me in the position I have right now. He is my great provider.

Best thing happen to me, and I really want to thank the Lord, He teaches me the genuine and real meaning of FORGIVENESS. I went back home to Philippines and I reach out with my parents (both my mother and father) and forgive them. I become open in helping all my siblings both side. God is full of surprises as He allows me to spend time with my father for the first time and the best thing is, it happened here in Abu Dhabi.

As I continue serving Him, God is really faithful to His promises, He blessed me with a new family of my own. I got married to the one He gave me, a faithful servant, a husband and a best father to our children. Now, we are blessed with another blessing, a bundle of joy baby Nathanael; we are now living a one BIG happy family. We are thankful to God that our children become more dependent and obedient to God even though we (Retchie & I) are not on their side to guide them physically, Prayer is our weapon against all trials that happens. I'm proud to share that we are all serving God, as our thanks giving for all that He has done in our life.

This time was totally different now. I was done running. I am not alone. I asked Jesus to carry me through it and he did and He still doing. Because of him I have now a beautiful smile on my face and a song in my heart. I have valleys, but I also have mountains. I have hope; I see the good in the bad. I am transformed. I know now my name and it is change to: Joy, Peace, Over-comer, Remembered, Redeemed, Restored, Loved and most of all Forgiven.

My life story has been aired at GMA 7 (Philippine local TV station ) through the 700 Club Asia 2 years back, and shared a thousand times in different groups in social medias giving inspirations and encouragement to others and still until now I'm receiving messages from different places of the world, asking for prayers and I'm happy to testify that I was able to win souls through my life testimony.
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JESUS and His truth, His light, and His precious gift to me, the gift being He died on the cross for EVERY single sin I have ever committed, and then rising the third day to completely defeat satan and his demons and all of sin and death’s power. He HAS set me free and given me every promise in His Holy Word, The Bible, including this fitting verse below:
Tell God what you need and thank Him for all He has done. Then you will experience God's Peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His Peace will guard your heart and mind as you live in Jesus Christ. (Philippians 4:6-8)
To God be all the Glory!