Katrina’s Story

Hey there, my name is Katrina. I am twenty years old, and I love travelling, spending my free time baking, the colour pink, and looking at the sky. Most of all though, I love Jesus Christ and the relationship I have built with Him through the years. 

The path I took to God was rocky, confusing, and full of ups and downs. I guess it began back when I was only two. I was placed in foster care with my aunt who was very loving and attentive. I would say she was the first person to plant seeds in my life, as she made sure to incorporate church into our weekly schedules. I loved to dress up, sing, and attend Sunday school each week. It was fun.  

As I started getting older and looked for answers to the big questions in life, church was a confusing area for me. I always viewed Christianity as a duty-based religion. I was taught what was right and wrong, and what I should be doing as a Christian. I was under a belief that the teachings in church were ways to earn Gods love. I was never taught how to read the bible and hardly knew how to pray to God. But I tried, nonetheless. I did my best with what I knew. As I went on in life and was exposed to the world along with its temptations, I fell into all sorts of sin. At first, I felt ashamed. I would see everyone at church and wonder “How are they all so perfect? What’s wrong with me? Why can’t I just get this right?” 

In my teenage years, I gave up on it entirely. I was unsure I had ever felt the presence of God and found myself in wonder of if He really existed. I stopped paying attention in church and eventually stopped attending altogether, my bible was left unopen collecting dust and eventually sent off to goodwill. I stopped praying, and conviction about the sin in my life faded away.  

This continued until I was in my last year of high school. When covid hit and lockdown ensued, I was looking endlessly for ways to keep myself busy online. I randomly came across a local church called Southside. I hadn’t heard of it before and it sparked my curiosity, so I checked out their page on YouTube and started watching videos of the lead pastor, Mike. I could feel God speaking to me through him immediately. It was sermons unlike anything I had heard of before. Mike was very open about his life before he met God. He didn’t shy away from the sin in his past, nor what he struggles with now. I was taken aback because I wasn’t used to hearing this openness in church sermons. It was the vulnerability that kept me going back and tuning in each week. I slowly started getting back into prayer and spending time with God, I even ordered a new bible and started reading it, eagerly wanting to learn more.  

Once restrictions softened and Southside opened their doors to everyone, I went in person and fell even more in awe with the church. I was met with friendly faces on arrival and felt such love from the community. The next week following was a baptism Sunday and I had no hesitation to sign up. I fully felt Gods presence in my life and knew I wanted to pursue my walk of faith.  

The day I was baptized was perfect beyond words. My whole family joined me to watch and celebrate. My younger brother decided to do it as well at the last minute which made it even more special. I shed many tears that day and finally understood what it meant to be a part of the family of God. With the attitude I had after this I was certain it would be so simple, so easy to live the rest of my life as a reflection of who Jesus is. I joined the children’s ministry at Southside and found such fulfilment in this area. 

At the end of that Summer, I moved to a new town to begin my studies at university. At first it was fun and exciting and each week I tuned in to Southside online. But it didn’t take long until I began to struggle. I started to get depressed and didn’t feel Gods presence as much anymore. Once again, I was back to questioning my faith and fell back to my old lifestyle so easily. I had no one around me who was Christian that I could turn to for mentorship. Eventually I decided to find a church in this new town to change that.   

I came upon Motion church through a quick google search and decided to give it a try. Upon joining motion, I discovered the beauty of God centered friendships. It was so clear to me that God was doing amazing things through this church, and I knew I wanted to be there to witness it. Over the past year I have noticed an undoubtable spiritual and mental growth. I’ve witnessed answered prayers, miracles, and discovered the gifts God has blessed me with.  

It took me all these years to learn that Christianity is not a duty-based religion. Jesus put His life on the cross for us, and all He asks is that we accept Him and honor Him through the life we live. My journey has just begun, and I look forward to living out Gods plan for me and seeing what He has in store. I strive to share this love with others looking to fill that God shaped void, because once you have experienced a life with Jesus it is impossible to contain.  

I now serve in many areas at Motion, and on my visits to Chilliwack serve again on the kids team at Southside. If there is one thing I’ve learned and would share with someone else on their journey, it’s that the beauty of life is found in Christ.