As a little girl, I always asked my mom, “There [are] so many different gods, who is really the true God? Why [are] there so many? What [do] the different gods represent? When it came to the Hinduism and with the different gods, we were told sometimes, “Don’t ask any questions, just do what we tell you.” 

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Stories of Faith

My name is sister Mala Hatman. I was born and raised in Trinidad and Tobago. I’m 42 years old. We were raised with a Hinduism religion. My mom taught me about praying. You pray to God and you ask God for His help, and God will help you. He will see you through. 

We would go to our regular Sunday worship in the temple. I always asked my mom, “Well, there [arer] so many different gods. You know, who is really the true God? What [do] the different gods represent?” Every time I asked my mom, they would just redirect us. 

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Mala Hatman
Former Hindu

They wouldn’t really, fully give us an answer of what the different gods [are] for, why we’re worshipping them and why we’re doing the things we do. When it came to the Hinduism and with the different gods, we were always told “Hey, you’re a child, don’t ask any questions. Just do what we tell you.” 

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“Who is Really The True God?”

On March 12, 1991, I moved here when I was 14 about to turn 15, in Jacksonville, Florida. It was a really big challenge because you’re coming from a different world, entering another different world where English was not my first language. 

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“Make Your Own Choices”

I started to get older in age, I started to ask even more questions. 

“Do we still have to continue with the religion?” And then my parents said, “As we [get] older, we can make our own choices.” As I got older, I started to question learning in a different world for me. There’s so many different religions out there. Just by learning from everyone, I would ask their opinion. “Well, what do you do at your church?” And there [were] so many different answers, so I got a little puzzled [and] a little confused. It seemed like they didn’t know what was the right thing for themselves as well. So, I just continued to just learn more and just proceed. 

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“I’d Like to Go to A Church Where I Can Learn”

I was invited by my husband’s sister. We were invited by Southpoint here in Jacksonville. We attended several Sundays. I asked myself, “There’s something that I’m looking for, I’m looking for something that serves purpose.” We would go [on] Sundays, even though they read from the Bible, I felt like, I’m going to church but I’m serving no purpose. I’d like to go to a church where I can learn Bible lessons myself.

I never knew who God was just coming from Hinduism. I knew that there were so many different gods, I didn’t know: How do we pray to God? What does God want us to know? What should we know?

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“So Many Questions”

It was April 16th that I met my husband. Our first date was at the movies. We started to get to know each other more and we decided that, you know, we would like to get married one day and have a family. So, after a year we got engaged. The church that we got married [in], Lakewood Presbyterian Church. When we got married there, we got involved with the church there. I actually got baptized at [the] Lakewood Presbyterian Church. After it was complete, I asked my husband, I said, “Are we supposed to feel anything?” I was looking for something but it was not there. 

I had so many questions in my head and one of my questions was [about] offering. They would start at one end and then you would have to pass the bucket to the next person beside you. And I was a little curious. ‘What really happens to your offering?’. I was really confused. I got frustrated. And so I kind of gave up for a little while. I asked myself, “Well, these questions are not being answered so what am I supposed to do? What is the next thing that I should do?” 

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“What Happens After You Die?” 

After my dad had passed away, my brothers and my sister, we all sat in their home. And I asked my brother, Anthony, He is, at the time, a member of the Church Of Christ. We had a three-hour conversation. We also talked about what happens to you after you die. And so by the conversation, just listening, it intrigued my mind. 

At the time, with my dad’s passing. I felt so empty. You know, there [were] so many questions and “Where do I go from here? What is it going to take to help me find my way and to have comfort?” So, I asked my brother and his wife. I said, “Well, can I go back to church with you?” And he said, ”Sure.” and I said “Okay, well the next time you have a Bible lesson, I will go with you.” Anthony is the one that introduced me to the Church Of Christ. 

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“Where I Belong”

I remember when I asked my brother to go to church with him to a Bible lesson. I remember the exact minister that preached the Bible lesson. He also was here to pray for my dad as well when he was in the hospital. And I remembered when I sat down and I heard Lesson Two. “Who Is The True God?” When I heard the lesson, after I heard the complete lesson, my heart felt at ease. When [the minister] mentioned who is the true God [who] is the Father in Heaven, I told myself, “Wow, this is just beyond everything.” I told myself, “Well, why did I not hear this before?” I felt as if I was robbed. I said, “Why did I not know these things before?” There was only one true God in heaven. There is no other God than Him. 

After I heard Lesson Two, I already knew that I wanted to sign up and listen to the twenty-eight lessons. I felt at the moment [that] I wanted to be part of the Church. This is where I belong. 

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Mala Hatman
A member of the Church Of Christ

When I heard offering, the lesson for offering, what really happens to your offering—it just brought tears to my eyes because I found out that your offering is used in different ways. And hearing that the offering is used for [houses] of worship, I told myself, “Well, there’s nothing more beautiful than just hearing that”, I felt secured. I felt satisfied. I felt like all the questions that I [had] in my head, they were being answered. The questions that I [had], there were answered every time. Not just [through the] Bible lessons but attending the worship service.

I even went home and I told my husband, “I found a new Church and I’m really happy with it.” I said, “Would you like to [come]?”, he was hesitant about it. “You know if you want to come, you’re welcome to. But if not, that’s your choice but I’m going to join the Church whether you like it or not.” 

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“The Best Thing That’s Ever Happened To Me”

As I was going through the Bible lessons, I remember coming home and my mom and my sister said, “Well, we noticed a change in you.”  And I said, “Well, you should come to Church with me, this is the best thing that’s ever happened to me. I’m really happy.” I introduced the [Church Of Christ] to him, my husband. He thought, “It’s just a Filipino church.” I said, “I’m not Fillipino but I’m joining the Church.” The Church is for all, God wants everyone to join the Church. And he went and did his own research while I shared the website. And at the time, he wasn’t sure, but I said “We’ll, just still try it. We will share something that is so great. It will help our relationship.” And we did. We had lessons online. We would talk to the minister and I said, “You see, When there’s a will, there’s a way.” God will find a way for us to hear everything that we need to know. 

After he finished his lessons, I just thought that was the happiest thing ever. We went to Orlando for his baptism and I asked him and said “Don’t do it because of me or anyone. Do it for yourself and do it for God.” And he said, “Yes, this is what [I] wanted.” 

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Mala And Her Husband Weyman Were Baptized in The True Church Of Christ

Mala Hatman
A member of the Church Of Christ

Every time I hear a Bible lesson or a worship service, you know, it’s like God truly is standing in front of you and He’s telling you what you’re supposed to do. You know, God has truly blessed me with the understanding and now that I’ve heard the truth, it’s what gets me through every      day. Maybe if there’s a tough day in life—which there [are], and there [are] going to be. This is something that you have to hold on to. Something to inspire you. Something to move you. 

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This Precious Gift

God has given me this precious gift  that I can never find anywhere else. This is once in a lifetime. It’s something that I will take and treasure until the day I’m with God. 

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Stories Of Faith

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