Aloha Brothers and Sisters:

I am grateful that I am one of the speakers of tonights fireside and will be sharing
my conversion story, the challenges that I faced and the blessings that I received
when I became a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. I know
that the Lord prepared me to accept the gospel when I came to reach the right age.
I am a convert to the church when I was 12. I was born a member of the Roman
Catholic Church. I didnt have the chance to choose which church I wanted because
I was baptized when I was still a 3 year old baby. As I think of my childhood days, I
know and believe that I am being prepared by the Lord on those days because I was
taught by my parents the importance of prayer and the Sabbath and to know about
God and Jesus Christ. When I was 10, I can still remember reciting the memorized
prayer and the rosary. And when I was 11 I remember going to the church serving
as an altar boy. My whole family way back until the 4 th generation or maybe longer
are pure Roman Catholic members. But when I reached the age of 12 everything
changed when two American missionaries came to our home and taught us the
gospel. While being taught by the missionaries I became active in reading the
scriptures. At school, I became active in bible quiz bees which are being offered in
our school since all students are all Christians. I was coached by my schoolteacher,
which unknowingly is a bishop of my soon to be ward in the Church of Jesus Christ
of Latter-day Saints. So when he saw me go to church the first time he was really
surprised and so happy. I really cant forget the day of my baptism. It was the 13 th of
April of 1997 when my sister and I got baptized. It was a very clear day and I
remember feeling the spirit so strong when my bishop laid his hands on my head for
the gift of the Holy Ghost. My mother was the first one to receive the gospel and be
baptized 2 months before we got baptized. My father didnt accept the gospel until
now though he supported us in our decision. Being a transition member is hard
especially when we were still new members in the Church. Ive lost some of my
friends but gained new ones. The date of my baptism is historic in our town because
it was the day that the oldest Catholic Church in our town where I used to attend to
was burned and my friends ridiculed me for going to other church just because we
have no more church to attend to. We were young then and my mother heard abt it
taught me to be more understanding and kind so I still showed them kindness. I
cannot number all the challenges that weve faced as members of the Church of
Jesus Christ but the greatest blessing that I received when I became a member of
the church is the knowledge that God is our loving Heavenly Father, and that there
exists a true and living church here upon the earth, that there is a temple of the
Lord which binds families for eternity.