TESTIMONY MONDAY – VERONICA THOMSON, VENEZUELA

Each Monday, for a number of weeks, someone from around the world shares the story of how they heard the gospel and trusted the Lord Jesus Christ for salvation. This week’s contributor is Veronica Thomson, who grew up in Valencia, Carabobo State, Venezuela, and now lives in Vancouver, Canada, with her husband, Neal, and baby son, Nathan.

I was born in the South American country of Venezuela, to a Christian family.  Attending meetings and Sunday school was a big part of my life while growing up, which means I grew up hearing the Gospel. One day, when I was around 10 years old, my Sunday school teacher asked the students in our class if any of us were saved. I said I was, even providing her with a date. I remember some Sundays following how she told the class that they needed to trust the Saviour, as she and I had done. Time went by, and I kept believing I was right with God; I attended all meetings with my parents and at some point I started to read my Bible every day. In late 2007, when I was 14, a friend two years older than me, who was part of the assembly, withdrew from the assembly fellowship upon realizing she was not saved (she got saved a few months later). This struck me hard due to the fact that I always looked up to her as an example, and made me feel troubled and doubtful about my own salvation. 

During the first week of the year 2008, we attended a bimonthly ministry meeting in another assembly. It was probably the first time I had paid deep attention to ministry. Brother Samuel Ussher Jr spoke on a verse that pierced my heart: 

“Sow to yourselves in righteousness, reap in mercy; break up your fallow ground: for it is time to seek the Lord, till He come and rain righteousness upon you.” 

Hosea 10:12

He emphasized the words, “IT IS TIME TO SEEK THE LORD.”  After that ministry, all I could think of was the fact that for me it was TIME to be sure and serious about eternity. I understood the Gospel: that all have sinned, that Jesus Christ died for our sins, and that we could have eternal life by believing and accepting the Lord as Saviour. I also knew that if I died, or when the Lord would come, I was destined to be in hell for all eternity. During those first weeks of January, I spent nights kneeling beside my bed, struggling with doubts, longing to have assurance, and asking God to show me if I was saved. This continued until the night of January 20th when the Lord answered my prayers. I realized I was not saved when I started digging down through my memories, trying to remember what had happened on that day I had said I was saved. I could not remember anything at all, I just had a date. At that moment I realized I was lost and nothing else mattered to me but to be saved. I knelt beside my bed and some verses I had learned in Sunday school came to my mind: first John 3:16: 

“For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life.” 

John 3:16

Then I thought of Psalm 8:3-4: 

“When I consider Thy heavens, the work of Thy fingers, the moon and the stars, which Thou hast ordained; what is man, that Thou art mindful of him?” 

Psalm 8:3-4

Being a nature lover, that verse made me feel unworthy of His love as I knew I was a sinner. I also thought of the death of the Lord on the cross and cried out many times, as Peter did when he was sinking, “Lord save me!” Shortly after, I had the certainty that the Lord had heard and saved me. Then I lay down in my bed and a well-known hymn came to my mind, so I started to sing it with joy and peace in my heart.

Alas, and did my Savior bleed?
  And did my Sovereign die?
Would He devote that sacred head
  For such a worm as I?

At the cross, at the cross where
  I first saw the light,
And the burden of my heart rolled away,
It was there by faith I received my sight,
  And now I am happy all the day!

Thus might I hide my blushing face
  While His dear cross appears.
Dissolve my heart in thankfulness,
  And melt mine eyes to tears.

It has been 13 years since that day which I cannot forget, and the hope of meeting my Saviour in heaven still burns brightly within my heart. 

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