各位弟兄姐妹，我的朋友和家人，

有很多人常常问我‘你为什么还没有受洗? 你是一个基督徒相信接受耶稣在你的心里，你在等什么？对我来说，受洗是我人生里最重要的决定，我想是我自己要做决定。以前我不受洗，因我有许多借口。

• 等我长大了才受洗
• 我不够了解耶稣和圣经
• 我怕受洗后还做错事
• 我还没准备好了
• 我还不明白神对我的计划？
• 人要我做的我偏不做

今天我终于胜过这些理由，接受洗礼。

两个对我有重大影响的见证的故事想跟大家说一说。

第一，我清楚记得是在我十多岁时，我问爸爸一个问题：你爱我和妹妹多呢？还是爱妈妈的多？接着又问爸爸，你爱我们-家人多呢？还是爱上帝多？因爸爸常常忙教会的事，不跟我们玩。那时，爸爸想都没想，回答说，‘当然是爱上帝多’。当时我很伤心，爸爸竟然爱全能的上帝比我们多。爸爸解释，因为有了上帝，才有一个美好的家庭。他说无论是好是坏，都有上帝的同在和看顾。我那时候不懂他在说什么。

第二个故事是关于我嫲嫲对我说的话。对我来说，我的公公嫲嫲是我人生中最重要的人之一。是他们把我从小带大，教我许多做人的道理。有一天嫲嫲跟我说‘Michelle，无论 你生活中发生什么事，都不用害怕，因为上帝对你有应许。她跟我分享了一段经文。

以 赛 亚 书 41:10 你不要害怕 ，因为我与你同在；不要惊惶，因为我是你的神。我必坚固你，我必帮助你；我必用我公义的右手扶持你 。

这节经文成为我人生的座右铭。

现在我有更多的人生经历，挑战和选择- 比如大学我要读什么科目，我找到第一份工作，还有现在搬去CANBERRA工作。我现在能明白为什么爸爸会爱神多过爱我的原因。我现在也学会把上帝放在第一位。我相信会上帝会照顾我，引导我做正确的选择方向前途。
感谢上帝，我很幸运能够在一个充满爱心的基督徒家庭里长大，而且上帝为我预备许多好朋友 – 这是他送给我的礼物。在我担心时，我会祈祷，然后能平安睡。我相信有耶稣在我的生活里，就没有任何东西可以打倒我。

诗 篇37:23 义人的脚步被耶和华立定；他的道路，耶和华也喜爱 。

以后，我会更多的祈祷，学习神的话语和赞美，最重要的是，我会努力来跟随他的引导。今天我站在大家面前，我宣称主耶稣是我的救主，是我的第一。我不完美，会犯错误，却不改变我是上帝的孩子的事实。无论我怎样，他都完全的爱我。

上帝的计划比我自己的计划好。谢谢大家。

Thank you to everyone who came to see me make the most important declaration in my life today.
Many people throughout my years have always asked me ‘why haven’t you gotten baptised yet – you’re a Christian in a Christian family, and have accepted Jesus in your heart, why wait?’ For me, baptism is a very important choice in my life, and only I can make that decision. I used to be afraid of being baptised and now looking back, I think I was just making excuses out of that fear.

• I’ll do it later, when I’m older
• I don’t know enough of the bible or Jesus
• I’m afraid of making mistakes as a baptised Christian
• How do I know I am ready?
• How can I trust that God’s plan is what I wanted?
• You told me to so I’m not going to

It was a constant internal battle to get to where I am standing today.

There are two stories I’d like to tell as part of my testimony today – for me, they were very significant times in my life.

The first story is something that I always remember clearly in my mind. When I was younger, around Andrew’s age, I asked my dad who he loved more – us, his children, or mum. I then asked him who he loved more, us – his family, or God. I was always upset that he would spend a lot of time at church, and not spend time playing with us some days. He answered “Of course it’s God”. I was so upset that he chose the almighty father over us. Dad told me that because he has God, God has given him his wonderful family. With God, everything for him was provided – the good and the challenges. I didn’t understand.

The second story is what my grandma shared with me. To me, my grandparents are one of the most important people in my life who have brought me up and taught me the values I uphold today. One day, she said Michelle – it doesn’t matter what happens in your life, God has the answer. She shared a verse with me that is now my life motto –

Isaiah 41:10. “So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.”

Now that I have experienced life more, and have been given challenges and choices – from what I wanted to study, to my first job and now living in Canberra, I turn to God first. I now understand why my dad loves God more than me. I too, put God first and foremost, and trust that he will guide me in the right direction wherever I go up until now in my life, and this point moving forward.

I am blessed to have grown up in a loving Christian family, and God has led me to some amazing life long friends – this was his Gift to me. When I am worried, I pray, and I sleep. I believe that with him, there is nothing that will be in my way.

“Psalm 37: 23 – The Lord makes firm the steps of the one who delights in Him; though he may stumble, he will not fall, for the Lord upholds him with his hand.”

I will look to pray more, learn and worship more, but most importantly, live in his presence and guidance. As I stand here in front of all of you today, I declare that the Lord is my father, my salvation and my number one. I am not perfect, and will make mistakes, but I am a child of God and that is all that matters.