What is Your Definition of FAMILY?
A teen Testimony

(By J.E. as told to Jeff Thompson)

Four years ago [from the time that this article was written], I was saved and became a Christian. That was a first in my family!

My family is very large and complex. My parents divorced when I was about six. Last year my mother and her long time fiance finally got married. This marriage adds a large step family to the family tree. I now live with my mother, stepfather and stepbrother.

In my ninth grade year, I joined the Campus Life group at my school. My friends and I had so much fun and learned a lot about God and our new faith! But I personally needed more. Jeff Thompson, a youth director for YFC (Campus Life), invited me to his church in October. I clearly remember it. I had expressed to Jeff about not having a youth group at my former church and wanting to know more about my faith.

So what began as an after school activity on Wednesdays (Camus Life) turned into a young Christian man with a new church family and an awesome Father! From that day on I have been a regular member at church and am now on the praise and worship team and lead many youth group activities.

My family has taught me so much about life, basically what not to do. It has been very hard for me to cope with some of the issues in my family. There has been alcoholism, abuse, drug problems; you name it and we've dealt with it.

I don't want to convey my family as completely dysfunctional. We have our moments and I've always had my mother's and grandmother's support. Nonetheless, I'm still the only Christian in my house - but at least I no longer yearn for a family because I have found a good church family, a great youth group and a wonderful network of Christians to rely on. And most important of all, a wonderful Father. I owe that to God and His plan.

It "just so happened" that His plan was beautifully carried out through YFC workers on earth. I thank YFC because I don't think I would be the same Christian young man without them. My family still has it's problems, but now I have a stepsister, an aunt, step grandparents and [a] "cousin or two" that are Christian. Through us, God will plant many seeds until [my/his] family tree is heaven bound.

Through YFC's programs, I have been led to a stronger faith. Even when I was struggling as a first year Christian, the Cleveland Student Leadership Conference [held by YFC] was there to help. Yet another YFC event that God is using! I was able to witness more of God's good work and I was ministered to, just what I needed the most.

Overall, YFC was God's stepping stone for me to get to my walk with the Lord and was the first step to obtaining a Christian family.