My First Experience of Life in Irvine, Jaequeline Siow

The local church in Irvine was the first place I attended. I got saved in Irvine about two years ago. However, I did not study in Irvine, I finished my studies in Omaha, Nebraska. But why did I get saved in Irvine? A lot of brothers and sisters in the Lord asked me this question. I think that was God's plan. Actually, I had a high school friend who studied in Irvine. I came to visit her and she brought me to a meeting of the local church. I'll never forget the sweetness of that meeting in Irvine. I remember the songs we sang and the scriptures we read. I felt very pleasant and comfortable with them. However, I returned to Omaha. When I got back to Omaha, I realized that I really longed to go to a meeting. Then I decided to visit my friend in Irvine again during spring break. At that time, I realized that God had sown Himself as a seed into my heart (Matthew 13:3, 8; 1 Peter 1:23).

A few weeks later, I had some situations arise. The first thing that I did was pray. I don't know why I prayed at that time but I know that I felt peace after I prayed. Then, spring break came and I went to Irvine to visit a meeting again. After three days, I got saved in a couple's house. I never thought that I would become a Christian. I was very happy after my baptism. However, two days later, I needed to go back to Omaha. In Omaha, I did not have any fellowship. At that time, I felt very hungry and thirsty for the Word, however there were no meetings of the local church there. Nevertheless, God always took care of me. My high school classmate called me almost every day to shepherd me over the phone. We had a morning time with the Lord and we read the Bible almost every night. So, she shepherded me in this way for about half a year. Then I went to the winter training in 2000. During that time, I met another sister from Irvine; she gave me the numbers of the brothers and sisters in Lincoln, Nebraska, which is 45 minutes away from Omaha. After the winter training, I went back to Omaha and called this number. Then I found that there were three families of believers in Omaha, and they were having meetings every Friday night. My first Christian fellowship began in Omaha, as well as in Lincoln. We would travel every Lord's day to Lincoln for the Lord's table meeting. My schoolmate still called me regularly until I graduated from college. Finally, right now, I'm in the Full-Time Training in Anheim.

Lastly, I would like to say that these things were all under God's arrangement. He put all kinds of situations, people and things around me and led me to meet Him, and finally to become a member of His Body (1 Corinthians 12:12). I really want to thank the brothers and sisters in the local church in Irvine because they really shepherded me a lot. I will never forget about my first experience of life in the local church in Irvine. Praise the Lord!