Loved with Everlasting Love, M.R.

I grew up in the Coachella Valley which is in Southern California. I was raised a Catholic with my brothers and sisters until I was about twelve years old. My mother, who was a real seeker of the Lord, stopped going to Catholic mass on Sundays. Through her reading of the Bible, she realized that Jesus is the only one that saves. Then, when I was in high school, one of my friends became a Christian and started inviting me to their services on Fridays and Sundays. Then I graduated and went to The University of California at Irvine (UCI) which is about three hours away from home. The student club, Christian Students at Irvine, sent me and all the incoming freshmen reply cards telling us about the club. My friend and roommate sent one in and asked for Bible study. Two Christian sisters started to have Bible studies with us and they also would invite us on Friday nights for dinner and fellowship with other Christian students. Then one day while we were having Bible study we learned to call on the name of the Lord, and a week later we were baptized (Acts 22:16). It was really awesome.

That first quarter at UCI was such an awesome experience for me and my friend. The brothers and sisters would have us over a couple of times during the week for dinner and then we would go on Friday for fellowship. Fridays we would have so much fun; the brothers and sisters really knew how to cherish us. One thing that really stuck out about them was the fact that they genuinely loved us with the love of God. They never told me that they met as the church in Irvine, but it totally made sense because that was how Christians met in the Bible. So the fact that I met with the local church was cool because it was very simple.

My second quarter at UCI my mother passed away. This was the hardest thing I had ever gone through in my life. Never in my life had I cried so much. All I cared to do was cry and call on the Lord's name. During this time I was so upset at God, but one thing that really warmed my heart was when a group of sisters from Irvine came to my mother's funeral. They just sat there and cried with me. I really felt it was the Lord Jesus in them that was comforting me. I think the most outstanding fact about these brothers and sisters is their genuine love and care for the members of the Body of Christ.