My name is Tom and my short testimony of how I first encountered God was thanks to the boldness of a friend when we were fifteen years old. 

We were socialising with friends, and I noticed a deep joy he seemed to have. It was strange to me how content and joyful he was so I asked him what the matter was. He had just come back from a summer camp and he put that joy down to that. 

Later that evening I asked him more questions about this summer camp he had been on and he proceeded to tell me about how it was a catholic camp, that there were many other young people our age there, that they were getting teaching about God and they were worshiping God with music. 

My reaction was 'I want some of that.'  He went on to tell me about prayer and that he could pray with me and prayer over me. On reflection, this was incredibly bold of him. To step out and share these experiences and then offer to pray over me was courageous, especially at the age where a teenagers image can be so important in that kind of society. 

He he prayed for me. He spoke out a prayer for me to receive God. To receive his love and his peace. And as he prayed I felt so inexplicably loved. Loved by God. Loved by our father in heaven. And a real sense of peace. 

This love was like a vapour filling me up to overflow. I was bursting with this love from God.

I wanted more. And so he invited me to the next Christian event, a catholic event called 'Celebrate.' And my journey began. 

I will never forget the boldness of a friend, stepping out in the confidence of God, to invite me to experience God's love.