I heard about Lift through a friend of mine during my first year at
McMaster. I would show up every so often, attending only when it was
convenient for me. I was a Christian but it was evident from my
lifestyle that I wasn't pursuing God, let alone witnessing to others. I
eventually reached a point where I needed to decide whom I would serve
- myself or Christ. Through His grace I wanted Him to be the center of
my life again.

I began attending Lift regularly and it was one of the best decisions
I've ever made. The new relationships I started to make were selfless
and authentic. I became a part of a community that wanted to make a
difference. I was baptized and my life was changed. The way I was
encouraged to live, pray, and worship was a huge blessing. I was no
longer living for myself, but trying to live as an example to others.

Lift has provided me with many opportunities to develop myself as a
Christian leader through service and small group discussion. I have
also been able to reach out to the local community through the on- and
off-campus events that Lift is involved with, and hope that I am able
to find time to go on a missions trip with Lift. I am now in my fourth
year at McMaster and I don't know where I'd be right now if I hadn't
been led to Lift. I pray that other Christians are as blessed by their
church as I have been.

God knows this life's been a process: in every sense of the word. I hadn't realized that until recently, as I’ve been noticing the changes in my life and in my heart are blurred and gradual. At age 4, you'd think I wouldn't know what loving Jesus meant - loving a person I can't see, only that I heard about. To me, it was the same as loving my grandparents whom I didn't remember seeing them when I had been growing up on the other side of the world. It was also like loving Canada - when all I knew then were stinky streets of Dhaka, jungles and Bangladesh's crowded cities. I knew hot, muggy weather and the wild rainy season - not this infamous snow I had heard about.

Still, I knew it was real - like I knew Jesus was real. I asked Jesus into my heart with the little that I understood at age 4. But I kept asking after that, scared the devil was hiding under my bed at night.So I'd shut my eyes and ask Jesus if he was really in my heart. I remember songs my mom would sing with me - "You're not pretty till you're pretty inside" and "Look all the world over there's no one like me" - convincing me of my worth in Jesus.

My life in Bangladesh was a dream. I grew up with missionary parents, so my childhood knew loads of traveling, beautiful and/or heartbreaking scenery. I loved Bangladesh.

After a few moves within Canada and in Bangladesh, I began to be sexually abused at age 9 to 11 and remembered the songs my mom taught me – yet I felt shame, guilt, anger and ugliness deeply for the first time in my life. I really believed it was my fault, sometimes I still do. After moving back to Canada and literally blocking out a good chunk of hateful memories, I realized how desperately I needed this Jesus and to let things go.

Letting go didn't happen for years, but in time I began to pursue Jesus again. I had decided that my life was up to him - and that I'd go wherever he wanted me to go.This relationship began to develop that enticed me to learn more.With a healing process underway and adjusting to my new Canadian home, relationships became my priority – with God and with the people around me.

A hurtful friendship and an unstable relationship took me on a rollercoaster ride for quite a few years and sa dly, I let the messages that were sent of unworthiness be confirmed and justified.I wasn’t letting God be the one to touch my heart and set me free in this search for real love.

I can't say I've completely worked that out, but I can say this: it's a process.

I healed & forgave people in my past, & even myself.

I moved here, leaving old habits and convinced that God has a plan for my life. Some of the relationships he has put in my life this year have been some of the greatest and most challenging that I could have hoped for. Lift almost immediately struck me as a place I could feel at home at – even with the overload of changes in my life. I'm at a place of slow surrender - one step at a time. He's had a world of patience with me & reminders that: He's strong where I'm weak. He is my love when I'm lonely. He's my joy where I'm broken.

He's owning my promise to go where he wants me - first here - where he's stretched & brought me to some of the greatest people. He's pushing me forward still - and as my world's changing - My God remains unchanged.

“For God did not give us a spirit of fear, but a spirit of power, of love and of self-discipline.” 2 Timothy 1:7

Personal and real stories are a fundamental component of the Christian faith.