In this video, we are honored to share the story of Juliana, a disciple and disciple-maker living in Porangatu, Brazil. Julianna is a member at the Church of Light in Goiânia, and has been serving in the Presbyterian Church in Vila Operáriaat for one year and six months.
In the video below, Julianna shares her testimony and journey with the Lord. Watch to learn how God used the faith of two parents, discipleship, and the truth to change Julianna’s heart and transform her life. You can also read a translated transcript of her testimony below.
The Beginning of Julianna’s Faith Journey
I say that Jesus took me by the hand when he came to meet me in 2018 at my workplace.
On April 1st 2018, a child died in my hands. I am a doctor, and I work in a pediatrics intensive care unit.
A child named Timóteo died in the early hours of Easter Sunday, and at that time it impacted me a lot.
Today, I can say that Timóteo’s parents, Jean and Nair, were salt and light. Even though I did not understand the context, they were salt and light in my life. In that moment of great darkness they were going through, they were salt and light.
I had no understanding, but I was impressed by how they reacted to Timóteo’s death.
Nair, who was Timóteo’s mother, talked to me around three or four in the morning, and she said, “Doctor, this is not what I wanted for my son, I wanted him to get better and share about Jesus, but if this is the way God wants it, then I accept it.”
I had no way to understand how she could say that. So a week later, they came to meet me to discuss the medical part, and with the worldview that I had at that time, I thought that I would see them in despair.
And once again, they were salt and light in my life.
Finding the Answer
They brought a book called The Answer, which I could not really understand at that time, but something about it caught my attention. The book had something I needed, and I’m going to cry thinking about it until I get old.
I believe that because Jean and Nair are disciples, a month after Timóteo died, they saw something meaningful in that great pain.
And so, a month later they came to meet me at my house. And in that meeting we had, I felt that I needed more and more. My soul needed more of what they had.
Everything was so difficult, I had no explanation for life. And then I asked, I remember I asked this exact question, “What do you eat? What do you drink? Where do you go? Because I need that in my life!”
And I remember they said, “Jesus Christ.”
And that name… I thought, “but I know Jesus, right?” And they were intentional to show me who the true Jesus is, the biblical Jesus.
After that first meeting, we had two more intentional meetings, and I started to have contact with the Word of God. At that time I didn’t have much knowledge, but I knew I needed more of what they had.
So I started to go to church, but Pastor Jean didn’t tell me he was a pastor. So when I got to the church and saw him on the stage, I thought, “wow, he’s a pastor.”
I had a very big prejudice about being a believer, and a year later, I was struggling because I had a very big sense of self-righteousness.
I thought that I was doing my part and God was doing his part, but over that year, the Lord was breaking my heart. One year after Timóteo’s death, I surrendered at the Lord’s feet.
Born Again through Life on Life Discipleship
I say that it is a great privilege for me, because I was born again through discipleship. I was born again with mature disciples loving me and pouring their lives into me.
And I say that four years later, 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021, four years later, the Lord has transformed and continues to transform my life.
Because I was born again out of life-on-life discipleship, I met Jesus when I was being loved and being served, with people washing my feet.
What I realize today is that, maybe that’s why I love Jesus so much. Because the more I do life-on-life, the more I see that it’s not a new movement, it’s what the Lord, the Master did.
That is how he did it with the twelve, right? We’re here because Jesus decided to do life-on-life discipleship with a few.
Since then, my life has been very intentional. If the Lord puts someone by my side, whether in my house, or when I had my office, there’s no other option but for me to represent Christ to this person by loving, serving and being intentional.
I can’t live otherwise.
Every day I am more in love with Jesus. I want more and more. It’s funny how in this journey you have the feeling that you always have so little and that you need more and more.
God changed everything, changed my life…
Today, for you to understand, I’m just a mother, not even a doctor anymore. But whatever I do, ever since He met me, I’m sure I’m going to live for His honor and glory, and that’s what I want.
Of course there are still conflicts, right? The flesh may fight against the Spirit, but that is what I want – to be a disciple of Christ, until that day.
Love Julianna’s Story?
We love Julianna’s story, and we hope you do too! We have seen God use life-on-life discipleship to transform lives all over the world, and this is just one of countless stories.
If you or your church is interested in learning more about life-on-life discipleship, we have several resources around the website and also offer an in-depth, 2.5 year discipleship training. Learn more about our discipleship training or register for an upcoming info call.