Dawn was raised in a Christian home in Saskatchewan, Canada. She went to church every Sunday morning and evening and attended the church's kids club and youth group. She even went to a Christian high school. But she wasn't a Christian.
"I just never understood the Bible growing up," she says. "I went through the motions at church, but I didn't have a relationship with God. He just seemed so 'out there' and unreal to me. Honestly, if you had asked me where I was going if I died, I wouldn't have had an answer."
A few years ago, Dawn was working in Alberta and attending a local church, but still felt empty inside. She was searching for something deeper, something to quench her constant thirst. One day, she received the book The Stranger on the Road to Emmaus from a "secret sister" at the church.
As she started reading, her eyes were opened.
"It was as if I was in a dark room and the lights went on. Chapter by chapter, I said to myself, oh, wow! The more I read, the more I understood. I started to understand the animal sacrifices in the Old Testament. I was also finally able to understand why Jesus came, and why he had to be perfect to die. It just made sense. I wondered: How could people not believe this? It was amazing.
"I remember the part that caught my attention most. Right before the crucifixion, Jesus was praying in Gethsemane and he addressed God 'Abba, Father.' When I read that Abba meant daddy, I pictured in my mind God being a father. I thought of my earthly father. I thought how great it was that God, my father, came to earth and died for my sins. I cried when I read that part. It was then that God became real to me and I felt I could have a relationship with Him.
"After I finished reading The Stranger, I understood the Bible's message. I was sure of where I was going after I died. I had a real relationship with God."
