Alberto Cruz

我在一个虔诚的基督教家庭中长大。从我记事起，我就认为我与耶稣有着个人的关系。然而我天生内向，我的家人也经常搬家，所以我从未找到一个足够了解的人来聊聊信仰。此外，在成长的过程中，我的家人受到了一些人和社区的伤害，这也让我对别人产生了不信任。

由于这些原因，我从未寻找过教会。我认为听别人讲道和解经，加之自己研读圣经，和家人一起祷告，就足够了。

我的一生经历过很多极端情况，有极度的欢乐和丰裕的时刻，也有令人难以置信的悲伤和贫困的时刻。在所有这些时刻中，我都一直寻求赞美上帝、祷告，并确保他是我生活的重要组成部分。

我想起马可福音四章三十六节，耶稣为门徒止息了海上的风暴。他陪伴着门徒度过了旅程中最糟糕的部分，也向他们展示了最好的部分。通过与他们一起经历这一切，主耶稣向门徒展示了他们信仰中的错误，并教导他们（以及我们）坚定的信仰应该是怎样的。

我是一个罪人，通过耶稣在十字架上为我们而死，以及随后的复活，我才得救。我一生都追随与神同在，灵命缓慢而持续地成长。最近，神使我的心柔软，他向我展示了我拒绝和害怕教会的错误。我现已准备好，并愿公开宣告我的信仰，与大家分享我对上帝的信任和爱，以及他对我人生的计划。愿在你们的帮助下进一步发展我与上帝的关系。

Growing up in a deeply Christian home, and I had a personal relationship with Jesus for as long as I can remember. However, I was naturally introverted and my family moved around a lot, so I never really got to know anyone well enough to share my faith. I also developed a distrust of others because of some of the people and communities my family met and was hurt by along the way.

For these reasons, I never sought out a church community. I thought that seeing the word preached and explained by another, along with study and contemplation of the Bible by myself, and prayer by myself and with my family, was enough.

I have lived a lot of extremes in my life. Moments of immense joy and prosperity, juxtaposed with moments of incredible sadness and poverty. In all of these moments, I have always sought to praise God, pray, and ensure that God was a major part of my life.

I’m reminded of Mark 4:36 when Jesus called the storm on the boat with his disciples. He was there for the worst parts of their journey, and he was there to show them the best part. By simply being there and present with them through it all, he showed them the error in their faith and taught them and – and by extension us – how resilient our faith should always be.

I am a sinner, and through Jesus’s death on the cross for us, and subsequent resurrection alone am I saved. I have been on a slow and continuous journey of spiritual growth in my faith, and with God throughout my life. Most recently, God has softened my heart, and he has shown me the errors of my ways in rejecting and fearing the community that is the church. I now feel ready and excited to publicly share my faith with this community, to share my trust and love in God and his plan for my life with you all, and to grow further in my relationship with God with your help.

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