Another “New” Life in 2020 – Addy

posted by Navigators on February 17th, 2021 in Discipleship | Generations | Spiritual Transformation

Another Story of New Life in 2020

A Personal Testimony by Adelaide Donohue

Most people know me as Addy or Adelaide. Here’s a little background: I was born and raised in Canberra. I have been in a Christian environment my whole life. I grew up going to church most Sundays like a lot of other children. I go to a Christian school. I’ve had a pretty normal life.

For a while I really didn’t understand what it meant to be a Christian. I would tell anyone who asked, “Yeah, I’m a Christian”, but it didn’t mean anything in my life. Around year 4 I started to have a better idea of what it meant to be a Christian but I decided I didn’t really want anything to do with it. I didn’t feel like God was answering me or working in my life. As a result, I chose to stop going to church and stayed at home while the rest of my family went. I stopped going to Fish, which is a youth group for years 3 to 6. I blocked out anything to do with God throughout years 4, 5 and 6. I got into some bad habits like swearing and I wasn’t a good friend.

I remember one night lying in bed, thinking about how my actions were affecting others around me. It made me quite upset knowing that I wasn’t being kind to those I cared about. I also didn’t like the example I was setting for my little sister.

I started making the effort to pray more, read the Bible and go to church. I still didn’t necessarily enjoy it or feel like God was hearing me at first. But over time, my faith began to regrow, and I drew closer to God again. I have since started going to a new youth group, which I love.

Since this change, I have wanted to find a way to show how much I love God and what He has done in my life. Then the idea of being baptised kept coming up in my mind. The thought stuck with me for months. I really wanted to have this stronger relationship with God, and I wanted to share it with other people. I spoke with my parents about getting baptised and they supported me. Throughout the process of preparing for that day, I questioned myself about the decision. But in talking to friends and family, I realised that what was important was that I was ready to accept Him into my life, because he has always been ready to accept me.

Jeremiah 29:11 says, “ ‘For I know the plans I have for you,’ declares the Lord, ‘plans to prosper you, not to harm you, plans to give you a new hope and a future’ ”. This verse has taught me that God has a plan for me and, even though I didn’t like it at first and it still isn’t very clear, his plan was always there and is still there. God isn’t finished with me yet and I can’t wait to see what he wants me to do next.

Adelaide – or Addy – was baptised on November 28, 2020. Through the years of searching and reflecting, the love of her parents and the presence of a “Kingdom community” (involvement in Navs Kids, her youth group, attending a Christian school) kept her life anchored to the Gospel. After making the decision to be baptised, she asked Luke Midena and his wife to baptise her as they were known to her through the family’s Bible study groups. The Midenas spent time with Addy, going through Scripture to help her understand the implications of her baptism, to understand the Gospel more clearly, as well as disciple her. Addy’s story is not only a story of “new life” in 2020; it is also a story of Generations – how the ministry of those who have gone before us has touched our generation, which in turn passes on the good news of Jesus to the next.