When I was in fourth year in high school my parents sent me to Lopez, Quezon to study there as it was their way of disciplining me. In there, I felt that i have changed as I have been active again in church. But I when I started college I had to return to Lucban, Quezon. I took up Bachelor of Science in Marine Transportation (BSMT) at Interglobal School at Lucena City. But I only did so for a semester as I dropped out because I felt like I was getting compared to other students. Although I taught taekwondo in Lucban to some high school students to earn some money, I reasoned out that my parents can’t sustain my studies because we are not financially stable. Although the true reason for me dropping out is that I don’t feel like studying because I felt like I was always compared to other students.

After that, I decided to work. There I went back to my old ways and learned to do vices again because of my friends. I worked at Phillip Morris, a cigarette company, where there is always free cigarettes and free coffee. I worked there until the year 2010 at that time I decided to study again.

I still kept on hearing the word “”obey”, but I kept on ignoring it.

I became a first year college student again, but this time at SLSU in Lucban. I was a working student at that time, working as a waiter at “ kamayan sa palaisdaan” during Saturdays, Sundays and when we don’t have classes. Due to this, I can’t attend the church anymore. back then, we were living in Brgy. Dapdap, Tayabas, Quezon because my father has been transferred to another church and there my situation got worse.

 I joined the fraternity Sigma Kappa Pi, and when I did I thought I was going to die because of the hazing. I received 127 hits in my thigh from a wooden whip. After that, my thighs turned violet because of the blood clots and the trauma. I can’t walk normally because my thighs were hurt. My parents discovered what I have done at that time, but still they let me study again because I apologized to them.

When I was back studying, I got stuck in the same cycle, I cut classes again and I stayed at the fraternity without my parents knowing so. During fraternity hours, I was always drunk because we went around to other chapters of the fraternity in UPLB, UP Diliman and LSPU to drink and have a good time with our brothers. All of that just for brotherhood’s sake.

In the fraternity, I always hear the word “obey”, yet again, I continue to ignore it.

In 2012, I dropped out of school because I am lagging behind on so many subjects. I was 3rd year college at that time, and all I do is go back and forth from the house and the church, but I have no commitment in the things that I do. When my friends ask me to go with them to have some drinks, I do it secretly and I go home early in the morning so that my parents would not know what I did.

I was still hearing a voice in my head saying “obey”.

One day, our church facilitated the National Youth Camp (Youth Impact). I have no plans on attending the camp but my cousin, Kniescel ‘Bibi’ Riza, who is a youth leader, convinced me to attend the camp. My cousin never stopped persuading me to attend the camp until finally, I decide to attend.

Still, the voice kept telling me to obey.

During the youth camp, everything changed. God revealed many things to me.

Matthew 10: 32-33 “Whoever acknowledges me before men, I will also acknowledge him before will disown him before my Father in Heaven”

With this, I turned back to God. I opened my heart and mind, I fell down to my knees and confessed everything to God. When I went home, I decided to forget about my past life. After sometime, I became a youth leader.

In 2014, I worked abroad as a waiter. I worked there for 2 years. While I was working a voice in my head told me to study again and that’s why I decided to head back home. After I got back, I decided to offer my life to God. When I came back, I spend my days at the church from Monday to Sunday. But the voice in my head keeps on telling me to study.

I tried to enroll in SLSU again but unfortunately, I was not accepted. With this, I focused my commitment on our church activities. Then one day a pastor went to our church to invite enrollees for Supernatural Ministry Training Institute (SMTI). While the pastor is talking about the school, I decided to include my name to the list of enrollees. After the pastor left, I prayed to God that I want to go to SMTI and I continued praying until the start of classes. Turns out, a student backed out from enrolling so SMTI called me and asked me if I want to enroll to fill in the slot. Without a doubt, I accepted the offer.

On January 2018, I accepted the Holy Spirit in my life and the Holy Spirit changed me. I was given a ministry and I shared the word of God to the youth every night through Alpha where we have activities.God continued to give me strength and He established my spiritual life. From the past 2 years until now, God is still using me in sharing His word to everyone.