Loveland, Colorado … “Growing up, the only family I knew were my parents and sisters.” Patricia’s family has always been very important to her, but all of her extended family live overseas in Indonesia. “Not being able to meet my family is a huge challenge for me. Every night I would pray to God to keep them safe because prayer was my only connection to them.”
A few years ago, her uncle died in a motorcycle accident. “My heart broke when I found out because I never got the chance to formally meet him. I had a lot of questions for God and went through a lot of grieving over someone I didn’t really know.” God found Patricia in her questioning, though, and called her closer to Him.
“This experience reminded me of faith,” she says. “I need to have faith in someone I can’t physically see.” Patricia learned how to care deeply for people who she can’t be near physically and was able to find a touch of faith through a difficult experience.
During her time at Campion Academy, Patricia felt herself drawn closer than ever to God during a week of prayer. “During the Friday night vespers, the pastor spoke about how Jesus died on the cross for us. It really moved me and made me feel a spark of the Holy Spirit in me. It was a feeling I will never forget. That night, I chose to give my life to God.”
Last year, Patricia was faced with a new challenge. “I had back surgery to fix my scoliosis,” she says. “Surprisingly, this surgery helped me grow my faith in God. I was in so much pain afterwards and felt like God was not there to ease the pain. Later on, I realized that He was. He was there when the people who visited me prayed over me; He was with the hands of the surgeons who operated on me, and He was there with every hug from my family and reminder of how strong I am. Now, after having the metal in my back for a year, I feel like a brand-new person spiritually and physically.”
—Patricia Simamora with Naomi Boonstra, Student Editor
