Good News Yogyakarta - Kezya Octa Puspita Sari Putri

This year, God once again granted victory to the ministry campus in Yogyakarta. Kezya Octa Puspita Sari Putri, 20 years old, was baptized on June 24, 2018.

Kezya is an undergraduate student majoring in Information Systems at Atma Jaya University, Yogyakarta. She is the second of two children; her parents divorced while Kezya was still in the womb. Her father later remarried and moved to another city. Since then, Kezya has lived with her mother, who works at a beauty salon.

On campus, Kezya was actively involved in various organizations and ministries, so she rarely had free time for her mother and older sibling. Her life became unbalanced; leaving early in the morning and coming home late at night. Her busyness kept her from feeling peace, and even drew her away from God and her family. She easily fell into sin, and did not respect her parents or her older sibling. Her life was empty and without direction.

Kezya's new life journey began in February 2018. Her friend, Alvin Yeremia, who was also a disciple, invited Kezya to attend a Yess Community event organized by the ministry campus. During the event, Kezya felt the warm welcome of the community friends, which was followed by an invitation to attend Sunday worship. Welcoming this gladly, Kezya was introduced to a sister campus, who then became her partner in Bible Study.

At first, Kezya did not understand the purpose of Bible Study. Accustomed to using her own understanding, she questioned many things, especially about forgiveness. She did not understand why she had to forgive her father for leaving their family. Why did she have to accept him again as a father figure in her life? To her, it made no sense.

God showed His love to Kezya through the sister campus, who never grew tired of helping her understand how to live rightly in God. They faithfully guided her in Bible Study. Over time, Kezya became more and more interested in the word of God, because she gained understanding in many things.

In the lesson about sin, Kezya saw how many sins she had committed. That her actions grieved God's heart and did not make her a blessing to others. Kezya realized that no matter how great her sins were, God still wanted to forgive her. That forgiveness then moved her to forgive others who had hurt her, especially her own father.

The challenge of meeting him and asking forgiveness was not easy for her. However, Kezya's love for God and her decision to live a new life gave her courage. She went to the city where her father lived with his new family. The moments when Kezya met him, asked forgiveness, and received her father back became the most moving moments of her life. She never imagined she would be able to do things so far beyond her former way of thinking. Her growing knowledge of Christ made it happen.

After joining Bible Study, Kezya's family and friends felt the change in her. Kezya, who used to speak harshly and did not like praising others, now became Kezya who speaks gently, is friendly, and can give sincere praise. Her relationships with friends and family also improved. Kezya felt peace and lived a victorious life in the Lord.

After becoming a disciple of Jesus, Kezya grew into a pleasant, humorous, and active person in ministry. She diligently spend time across ministries and always makes herself available for sit in study. Kezya does all this to glorify God as an expression of her gratitude, and she is determined to make her life more meaningful.

“What changed me was the sacrifice of the Lord Jesus on the cross and His great love for me. God loves me, no matter how great my sins are. In any condition, God wants me to know who He is. What would have become of me if I had kept living my old life? By the love and sacrifice of Jesus, I was changed into a new person who lives according to God's word. I am grateful to have met the congregation and the people who helped me know God. Above all, I am grateful to Jesus, who loves me unconditionally.”