(Thea – 17, Malaysia)
Before coming onto my DTS life was not always straightforward. On the outside I projected happiness but on the inside I was struggling with low self-image, anxiety and a sense of hopelessness. I was close to breaking point as the persona I had tried to build was falling to pieces. Inside I felt like a failure, that I didn’t measure up and that I never would. I was constantly plagued with hidden questions surrounding my worth. Was I really loveable? Did my life have any future or meaning? In spite of growing up with parents that loved and cared for me, I even began to question if life was worth living at all.
I had grown up in a loving Christian family and always remember going to church. I thought I had a good relationship with God, but in reality, I now realize I was only half living for God. In reality, a lot of my attention and even lifestyle was more worldly than godly. I thought iI was living for Jesus, but really I was more concerned with fitting into the world. Living in the tension of these two realities had finally let me to hit rock bottom. It was at that point that I decided I wanted to go all in for God, I just didn’t know how.
Coming onto DTS I was ready to get radical with God and DTS gave me all the practical teaching and steps I needed to move towards a transformed life in Jesus. As I learned about the Father’s love for me, repentance and the work of the Spirit, God began healing things in me I had no idea existed. God was gentle, He was kind and His love slowly melted away all those things that were holding me back. God was good and so faithful as He drew me out of negative cycles and into a new found freedom in Christ. God went beyond my expectations on DTS and still continues to surprise me as he gently leads me towards the life of freedom He always designed for me to experience.
