Tia's Story
My road back to Jesus began three years ago when I was studying at university in Canada and had slipped into depression. It was so bad. And while she didn’t know it at the time, my roommate was a God ordained part of my redemptive story. Every morning when the alarm went off, she sat up in bed and read her Bible. I watched her do this every day. I wasn’t like that. I was indifferent towards God — and even though I’d grown up in a Christian home, I was never fully devoted. Fast forward to 2020 — after having returned to Jordan due to the pandemic, God turned up in an unexpected place…I was sitting on my balcony watching Hillsong United in a worship concert on my laptop. As soon as Taya, Brooke and the team started singing, I could sense the tangible presence of God. I found myself longing for the connection the Hillsong team had with God. I was hungry for it. So, I closed my eyes, said a prayer, and fully surrendered my life to Jesus.
A few days after that salvation prayer, I was watching Hillsong Church Online and decided to join the chat. Afterwards, I visited the online welcome lounge via zoom. It was a cool experience and I got to meet lots of people from around the world who, like me, had perhaps felt disconnected. One of the girls I met was Charlotte from the USA who ended up being my online group leader. Aside from being part of this revolutionary approach to the way we do church, being part of this eclectic global community gave me a sense of belonging. I’d found my people. Throughout the remainder of 2020 and 2021, I met with my group via zoom every second Sunday for an hour. Recently, I was asked to lead my own group. We are one of a growing number of online Bible study groups that meet regularly in different time zones. The girls in my group come from England, Nigeria, Mexico and Canada. I love belonging to a cause bigger than myself, and ultimately, I’d like to travel to Australia to do my masters.
– Tia
