Another Testimony

Hello! It's Shayla again from Team 5. This week we have another teen giving her testimony. Her name is Cassandra, and she participates with Life Teen and is on our crew team for Edge.

"I'm only 15 years old and I have such a great relationship with Christ and it's all thanks to the NET team!

As I was growing up I have always known about God and Jesus and things like that, but I never could really understand the whole reality of it all. For a young person it is very hard to believe in something you don't fully understand - at least that's how it was for me. I did go to church every Sunday and went to a Catholic school, but I could feel inside that I didn't completely believe in it all, it was just way too confusing and way too much to take in for me.

So although I didn't believe 100%, I kept giving it a shot. I continued to go to Mass every week, prayed every night and kept my faith going. But when I was about 12, my little cousin died. She had been very sick for most of her life so after she passed away I had a hard time trusting God. I couldn't understand why He would just take her from us and make everyone so sad. I did find it in me to forgive Him though. I knew then and now that everything that happens, God has it happen for a reason. Now my family and I are closer than we were before. We see each other almost every holiday and send the birthday cards in on time. I see now that God had this happen so our family could grow stronger together and with him.

In October of 2009, NET team 5 came to our parish and I could not hold in my excitement. NET teams have come to my school a few times before for day retreats, but to have a team for a few months, I was so pumped. They came and really opened my eyes to what God and being a Catholic is all about. So many questions I had before are now answered and so many memories have been made. I am now so close to God because of the love and energy the team gave to me and showed me. I have so many loving moments with God now and I am even more involved in my parish. My faith is so strong now, I'm praying more at night and more than I ever have, I see the values of life and of being a woman (and a sister). I know that it'll be hard after they leave, but I know my faith will still be strong and I will continue to come closer to God and his family."

(Cassie is at the top at our retreat for the Edge, and she is in the bottom picture to the right of it at out lifenight 'What a Mess')

God Bless,

Cassandra and Team Five-Alive