Daniel

I have always been around the church since I was a little kid; my parents used to take my family to Catholic church every day in Nigeria. As a kid, I believed everything I was told about Jesus and everything that surrounded the Bible. However, my relationship with God was one of religious duty and fear of punishment, rather than loving obedience.

At 12 years old, I began to face adversity and animosity from classmates and so-called friends at my boarding school. This eventually left me feeling isolated and suicidal. In my isolation, I started to drift away from God and the church.

Around this time in my life, I ended up moving to America with all the unhealed trauma and pain I got from boarding school, plus I had to tackle the newfound financial and social struggle of adjusting to a new place as a kid. So in my pain, I ran to anything that could alleviate my distress and numb me from my current life. This decision resulted in me developing social anxiety and crippling depression during the Covid years as I was further isolated. I felt so unstable during this time, and by 2023, it felt like this spiral had finally hit rock bottom when I had a very brief run-in with suicide. It was around this time that I started praying again and began to see a glimmer of hope.

In September 2025, while at USF, I was stopped by some members of Cornerstone who asked if I was sure I'd go to heaven if I died. This question struck me because it showed how little I understood about the Gospel. I was able to set up a Bible study with them and, in those meetings, fully grasped the truth of how much love was available to me if I was willing to receive it. To put it simply, giving my life to Jesus was the best decision I made in my life! I feel freer than I have ever been in almost a decade. I truly felt liberated and transformed, and even now it’s something that gives me peace and hope. This church has shown what living a Christian life entails and what it really means to live a life for God. I thank God for how far He has brought me and never want to return to a life without the hope and love found in Jesus.

-Daniel