I sat down with Mary Ann, a young adult at Champion Forest, to talk about her powerful journey from hitting rock bottom to experiencing a life-changing encounter with God. Her testimony is one of raw honesty, resilience, and the power of God’s unrelenting love.
Abigail: Mary Ann, thank you for sharing your story with us. Let’s start at the beginning. You were baptized at a young age. Can you tell us about that experience?
Mary Ann: Sure. I was baptized when I was eight years old. At the time, I didn’t fully understand what I was doing—it was more of a step I thought I was “supposed” to take. As I got older, the world became too alluring, and I fell into destructive habits.
Abigail: What kind of challenges did you face during that time?
Mary Ann: There were a lot. My parents were divorced, and someone I looked up to, who was a “Christian,” was very “hot and cold.” They did not act like a Christian, and their actions toward me and others were hard for me to reconcile with what I read in the Bible. I also got caught up in things like smoking, taking pills, cussing, and vulgar language. I was also in a relationship that wasn’t adding anything to my life. I kept chasing anything and everything that would numb my big feelings. Addiction runs in my family, so the cravings I experienced for these things were very intense.
Abigail: Was there a point when you started feeling God calling you back?
Mary Ann: Yes, absolutely. God would always tap me on the shoulder and remind me that what I was doing wasn’t right. Even though I had faith, I would say I wasn’t walking with the Spirit. Then, in 2020, I hit rock bottom—the lowest point of my life. Toward the end of 2022, I felt God giving me signs, plain as day, that he wanted something different for me and my life.
Abigail: What changed after that?
Mary Ann: A lot changed. I had been coming to The Grove and talking with Kal Kilgo, the Champion Forest College Pastor, which helped me find a community and family at Champion Forest. I started coming back to Champion Forest during this time, which was tough at first because I felt like I was still struggling with so much, but I learned that I couldn’t quit my bad habits on my own. I’d try to stop for a few months, but it was impossible without God. Once I surrendered it all to Him, I did a total 180, and I can only attribute that to God.
Abigail: How has your faith grown since?
Mary Ann: I’ve really experienced life change. I’ve made it a whole year without turning back to many of my old habits, and have realized that God is so much better than anything the world has to offer. I’ve also learned the power of confession—when I mess up or fall, I know I can run to Christ and to my friends here at Champion Forest for accountability and help. God has blessed me with friends and resources through the church.
Abigail: What advice would you give to someone who might be in a similar place to where you were just a few years ago?
Mary Ann: First, don’t go to church for the people—go for God. If you go for the people, you’ll be disappointed because we’re all sinners and nobody fits the perfect mold of Jesus. But if you go to church for God, to worship Him and lift Him up, it’s going to be a completely different experience.
Also, prayer works. It should be the foundation of your walk with Christ. When you say “Amen,” it doesn’t stop there. Pray without ceasing and be vulnerable with God throughout your day. And don’t be afraid to be vulnerable with others. God calls us to sharpen each other, and community is so important.
Abigail: What would you say has been the biggest takeaway from your journey?
Mary Ann: That it’s incredible what God can do when you make Him your first choice. For a long time, God was my last resort, but now He’s my first choice—and that has made all the difference.
