I came to know and accept Christ as my personal savior at the age of six. Being a part of Koza Baptist has allowed me to build strong and lasting relationships with other Christian kids and has helped my walk with Christ to grow beyond what I thought was possible.  I have learned as part of the student ministry the value of keeping in God's word as I continue to grow in him. I enjoy serving as a student leader as well as playing guitar in the praise band.

 

Jeremiah Peterson

One summer when I was around seven, I attended a Vacation Bible School. I don’t remember much about that week but one thing that did happen was that I accepted Jesus as my Savior. Since then, I’ve moved from California to Chicago and then to Okinawa. In each of these places I’ve grown and experienced a lot of different things.  Koza is mainly a military family church. That is the main thing that I like about it. Every one has come from different places and has had their own experiences. There are a lot of different types of people here but they are all accepted. Since I’ve moved here with my parents, people have come and gone. Since every one else knows what it is like to move to a new place, it is all the easier to fit in.

   
Kourtney Durand

Let me start by saying, my life has constantly been changing since coming to know Christ. Growing in Him has been a continual process, and continues even now in Okinawa . I came to know and accept Jesus in my life when I was 8 years old, and God has taught me some incredible things since then. Just because I accepted Christ into my heart didn’t mean I was going to know everything about the Christian faith, or start living perfectly, it just meant I had the passion to. From the time that I received Jesus into my life, and the time I actually started maintaining the relationship with Him, I was just lukewarm. I knew about God, I knew who He was, I understood the basics, but I just didn’t follow through with everything.

I must have really woken up to the fact that I needed to LIVE for Him around the time my dad was diagnosed the second time with his lymphoma. Even though it was only a few years ago, I don’t remember much about how I reacted to the fact that my dad was battling cancer for the second time. I know I tried to push out as much feeling as I could about it, because deep down, I was really bitter towards God. Seeing my dad be so beat up by this illness, and seeing the effect it had on my whole family was a heavy burden to bear. But throughout the road of difficulties, I saw the way my parents reacted to the whole ordeal. They continued to praise God and really LIVE for Him.

Following God into this experience in Okinawa has been incredible. From the first day I walked into Koza, I felt at home. In Sunday School just about everyone came up to me and took an interest in who I was; I was offered a place to sit, food to eat, and people to chat with. I’ve been told that I walked in practically letting everyone know I would be their newest addition to the Student Ministry. Through VBS, youth retreats, and regular weekly events, I have come to know God more and have been challenged to deepen my relationship with Him. The thing I love most about Koza, is that everyone is so accepting. Just about everyone here is in the same boat, they’ve all known how it feels to be so far from home, and to be in need of a close church family. The Student Ministry has teenagers from all over the place, but we all meet together to just fellowship and worship the One, True God. That is absolutely amazing to me. We all lean on each other through good and bad times. We all stick together and remain as close as a family. God has really, truly stuck by me in this foreign land, and has brought some amazing people in my life through KOZA.

Being here has really taught me so much. I’ve learned to walk closer with God, converse with fellow believers, and to receive what God brings my way with a willing heart. I believe that everyone’s testimony grows with them. Everything you do, everything you go through gets added to your testimony. God has been with me through every good time, and every hard time, and He’ll continue to be with me in everything to come. My testimony will grow with me everyday, whether it be here in Okinawa , or wherever I go next. It doesn’t stop there either; today has been a challenge in itself, learning and growing in God, but tomorrow there will be more change, more to learn, more to grow in, and more to cling to. God doesn’t set things in our path to let us stumble around by ourselves; He places certain people in our lives for daily encouragement, He is constantly with us and He waits for us to fully commit ourselves to Him, day in and day out. 

Samantha Shell

I was saved at 6 years old, after we had revival at our church in North Carolina.  I came home asking about the things they had talked about. That night I asked Jesus into my heart in my mom`s bedroom, and I was forever changed.  I thank God for letting me come to Japan, so I could meet the people that I have and so I could grow closer to him.  The thing I love most about our youth group is that you fit in no matter who you are, or where you are from.  I thank Ms. Wendy for all she does for the student ministry.

Sam Morrison

What I most enjoy about the Koza Student Ministry, is when you enter our room, you have a cozy family feeling. Every time you walk in, there's always someone at the door waiting to put a smile on your face.
 
After awhile you can expect to be bombarded by people asking about you and and how your week has been. Sooner or later you start to feel as if someone cares about you on this narrow strip of Island, called Okinawa.
As you walk into our student room, you see that everyone has a bright, shining smile on their face, which is what makes this church my home away from home.