Struggling and striving. These seem to be what my life has been all about. I’m the youngest in a family where my mother is a housewife and my father is a messenger for a law firm. There are days when we’re not sure if we can eat three square meals.  

 It was a small miracle I even made it to college. But I had a sense life would get better because I could study. Things could change. Even as a third-year engineering student with tons of school requirements, I knew there was something in life I could look forward to.  

That all changed with what is still the greatest test of faith our family has ever had. I still remember what kind of a day it was when our family received another blow. My brother was severely injured in a motorcycle accident. Yet again, we needed to stretch our already meager budget.  My brother’s medical treatments weren’t cheap. On some days, it felt like we had to choose who would survive: my brother or the rest of the family.  

I’ve never felt so hopeless in my life. Giving up seemed like the only thing I could do. I had so many questions in my mind, but a part of me was still clinging on to hope. Maybe God was still listening. Maybe He was still merciful. 

And just as suddenly, our life would change. I also remember what kind of day it was when I got the news. I found out I got a 5-year scholarship sponsored by ANCOP China which would cover college fees, including National Certificate in Mechatronics Servicing certifications, as well as my internship.  

“We had not been abandoned! We had not been abandoned!” This is all I could think of as I told my parents the good news. “It was all a test!” I was so happy. Hope was alive, and it made me stronger. Almost overnight, life was better than it had ever been in a long time. I was even more motivated to study for my dreams. Shortly after, I joined CFC Youth for Christ where I shared my story to other young people my age, telling them that nothing is impossible with God.  

My dreams are as young as I am. I’m 21 and now a graduate of Bachelor of Science in Electronic Engineering from Quezon City University. Life’s test has now become my testimony. (Yvonne Grace Dolorosa)