March 2

"The family that took me in didn't judge me. When I came to them, I cussed a lot. My clothes were very revealing, I was a smoker, and still abusing some drugs. They loved me just as I was. They never told me to do this or do that, they made me feel welcome. They were so patient with me as I would ask them a million questions about the bible. They saw that in my heart I desired a different life and they helped me for many years as I grew spiritually. They had just come into the church pretty recently, too, so some things we learned together.

I have hope in this church. In my short, almost 8 years of being in the SDA church I've seen many sides of it. At times I've wanted to walk away from it all, because I see a lot of hypocrisy and imperfections. But then I see how God has always faithfully loved His imperfect church throughout history, and I have hope. I'll be honest, I'm not a big fan of traditional church where everything is very 'cookie-cutter' and organized in a way that doesn't embrace change or new ideas that cater to 'non-Adventists.' I do believe in our name, the message and truths that have been given to the Seventh-day Adventist church. I think if we shared all of the doctrines and knowledge that has been given to us, in the light of the cross, our church would be more effective. I have hope, though. Our church is beautifully diverse, and I love that. Even after going through so much, we all are united by the righteousness of Jesus. I believe in our Millennials and younger generations. I believe we can make vital changes as we are led by the Holy Spirit. I believe in this church because I see people using new technology, creativity, and fresh talents to share the gospel."