TESTIMONY OF FAITH
FROM LOST TO FOUND
The Testimony of Julie Chavoya PART TWO (Editor’s Note: In our last issue, Julie had the divine hand of Christ lead her to a church of the Apostolic faith in the Bay Area where she will now be challenged to leave the world for good and become a true disciple of Christianity. While attending church, she notices a young man who has recently been baptized and feels a draw to him that will change her life. It is wonderful how the Lord intervenes into everyday life and calls an individual for His service. Julie is about to experience this divine touch with Jesus. Read and be inspired!)
J
BREAKING FREE
ulie was always intrigued with the soul winners in the church. She wondered, how did they have such boldness to just talk to strangers about Jesus and persuade them to be baptized? She was so intimidated to do something she could never do! She found herself from her back pew studying these new souls. Could they really change? Would they continue? The next Sunday, she saw Sister Elizabeth Chavoya sitting near the front at her usual place with a different person. Julie asked her mom, “What happened to that John the Baptist looking dude who was baptized last week she was sitting with?” “Oh you mean Gabriel? That’s her son. He’s right next to her,” Mom said. “I was shocked,” she recalled. He was all cleaned up and clean shaven. Such a transformation! At the next Bible study that Wednesday, Elizabeth brought her son Gabriel with her. “Although I felt zero attraction towards him,” said Julie, “immediately we connected. It was like, what I would begin to say, he would finish and vice-versa. As they say, we would finish each other’s sentences.” Julie continued attending church and Bible studies. One night after she came back from Bible study, she got into a severe fight with her boyfriend, Pele’s father. She went into the bathroom, sat on the floor and just cried. She will never forget how he walked over to her, told her, among other things, to get up and stop acting like a baby. “For the first time, I rose up, looked him in the eye and told him he was a coward. I don’t know where the boldness came from, but it was a breakthrough in my faith,” she exclaims. She honestly thought he would hit her as they were now face to face. “But to my surprise,” Julie remembers, “he turned and walked away.” Then she was startled to see a dark mass following him, like it was attached from behind! “This frightened me, and when he left, I instantly locked the door behind him! I realized at that moment for years I was fighting with the man, but what I needed to fight against was that evil thing!” That night she did not find solace with wine. Instead she went to her room, got on her knees and prayed. “God, either change this man’s heart or show me a way out!” When she went to sleep she had a dream about Gabriel. For the first time in a long time, she woke up feeling alive. Then she turned and realized she was face to face with her son’s father. She immediately became nauseated. She got
18 WINTER NEWSVINE 2020 •
up, washed her face, looked in the mirror, and spoke to God, “Lord, I don’t know why I dreamed of Gabriel, but show me a sign. I don’t know what this means.” But deep down, Julie knew she wanted out of this sinful lifestyle more than she wanted her boyfriend to change. She was tired of waiting for him to convert and marry her. She felt God was showing her He had someone else for her, who would not mistreat her. Perhaps that man was Gabriel. But this was too hasty, she thought, since he was the first man in church with whom she had socialized. That Saturday, her boyfriend left the house to go visit his brother. She walked into the kitchen and saw that his emails were left open on his computer. He never left anything on his computer open without password protection. He was always so secretive. She went over, nervously took the mouse and scrolled through his emails, discovering what he was into, and that he was still communicating with his ex-girlfriend. At this point, Julie had been together with him for eight years! Why would he still be in touch with her? She was mortified. She called her sister Neaomy and told her what she had found. “Neaomy, I don’t know how to get out of this relationship. Pele will cry for his father,” she said. “No doubt he will fight with me for custody of his son.” Neaomy had a quick solution, “Why don’t you just leave him a Dear John letter and leave?” “Yes!” Julie readily agreed. Why hadn’t she ever thought of this? Julie called her mom and asked if she and her son could come stay the night. Her mother said of course. Julie packed a bag with at least two weeks worth of clothing, wrote a letter to her boyfriend, saying she had fallen in love with a new man and “His name is Jesus!” She then took her four- year-old on a trip to grandma’s house. When her boyfriend called and asked where she had gone, she told him to read her letter because she was leaving him. “I thought for sure he would come to break down the door for his son,” she said. She eagerly waited. To her surprise, he never called back. Instead, she heard from him three days later. He said he was so angry at her that he turned off his phone and went gambling in Reno, Nevada. For two weeks they talked but Julie realized he was never going to change. He was never going to marry her. Her mind was made up, She was getting baptized and never looking back! Leaving her boyfriend for good was leaving the world behind!
FULL SALVATION AND SURPRISES
Julie was baptized in the month of November, 2006. Afterwards, her mom and Eddie held a celebration lunch at their home. After all, the very first Bible study she had was with Eddie. She regrets it took four years! She remembers Eddie asking her how it felt to be baptized. She said surprisingly that she expected the water to be cold, but it was
