Hi, my name is Heather Ferguson. I am 18 years old, and will be graduating from Cocalico High School in 2 days. I was baptized in a Catholic church as a baby and joined LEFC when I was 5 years old. Being involved in church at such a young age is something I am so grateful for. Unfortunately, that didn't stop me from experiencing middle school.

As a kid, I was an avid Sunday school go-er and Jesus lover. My favorite songs were on a Bible school songs DVD that I would sing and dance along to. Faithful, pure, and cheerful were three words you could've used to describe elementary school me.

Around the beginning of 7th grade, my family stopped going to church on a regular basis due to increasingly busy schedules for both my parents. My relationship with the Lord at the time had long faltered and I wasn't surrounded by faithful friends either. My transition from 7th grade into 8th grade sent me into a spiral. I was struggling with my mental health, and had been bullied by my peers for almost 2 years at that point. Life took a turn, and the devil got ahold of me. People who I thought were my friends started pressuring me in more ways than one. I was confused, depressed, anxious, and worst of all, I convinced myself that I hated my parents and blamed God for giving me what I thought was a permanently horrible life. I started dressing, acting, and talking in ways unlike I had ever acted before. This change only made the bullying worsen. One day that I remember clear as glass, was the fall of my 8th grade year. I was sitting at lunch with my friends, and the kids that usually picked on me started putting food stickers all over my clothing. By the end of lunch, there were around a dozen neon orange stickers all over my arms and my back where I couldn't reach. The hatred I held towards them became just as strong as the hatred I held for myself. I felt cornered, and more than anything, I wanted to die. My solution was self harm. There I was. 14 year old me, laying on my bathroom floor, with a pair of open scissors in my hand. I knew it was wrong, but I didn't care. I had already set the tone in my mind that no matter what I did, I was going to hell.

This behavior continued until my parents looked through my phone one night, and saw concerning messages between me and my friends. I was confronted, as any parent would do, and was tense to admit that I had open wounds on my left hip. Self

inflicted. I never thought that I could nearly break my parents until that day. As expected, my parents then scheduled me for therapy.

After a few months, something was telling me I had to change. Not just for myself, but for everyone around me too. I had started to admire my brother, for reconnecting with his faith, and as if Jared was reading my mind, he invited me to a Jesus rally in June of 2023. That night, I had a spiritual encounter with the Lord. For what felt like the first time in a long time, I felt truly loved. The Lord told me to forgive myself. He wasn't mad at me for what I did, he was grieved by it just as I was. God didn’t leave me behind, even as I cursed his name. It was so surreal to have so many people pray over myself and a few others that were touched by grace that night. Since then, I have joyfully returned to walking with Christ!

Years ago, my family used to be in the background of my everyday. Today, family is of the utmost importance and I wouldn't trade them for the world. My life has forever changed and I couldn't be more grateful. I now have so many supportive friends that worship and praise the Lord beside me. The fact that I am able to wake up each morning knowing that there is a full day ahead of me, with so much love and kindness at hand is a miracle in itself. Everyone has their own journey with the Lord. This is my opportunity to show you that it might not go as planned, but God is always with you.

A reminder that I wish to bring attention to for everyone here, is that the Lord doesn't want you to be perfect. He gave us His one and only son, Jesus Christ, to be the perfect sacrifice on our behalf. We all have times where we falter. What matters is what we do afterwards. When you sin, do you repent? When you pray, do you thank God? Although I was baptized as a baby, I wanted this moment to be on my own accord. This is my public proclamation in giving my life to our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Thank you.