Who: Paulina Ansaa Asante
Position: Master’s student at ITC faculty
Faith: Christian (member of International Christian Fellowship in Enschede)
‘My faith makes me happy, I feel at peace and strong. When I read the Bible, it gives me insight into what I see around me. My faith affects everything I do. I show love more. I learnt it is about shining the light God has put in me.’
‘Nobody can believe for you’
‘I’m a Christian, but I do not identify with a specific church. As long as we all believe in the same God and follow the same principals, it doesn’t matter if you call yourself a Catholic or an Orthodox Christian. Although my parents are practicing Christians, it was my own decision to follow the faith. I had to choose to follow Christ, because nobody else can believe for you. Now I read the Bible, pray, go to Bible study and go to church because I want to, not because somebody is directing me.’
‘I fully emerged myself in faith when I began my studies at a university in Ghana. I had some issues at the time and I stopped going to church. Then one person talked to me and explained that I should let Christ in, that I should give everything to him, that he will help me and I don’t have to fight my battles alone. That was the first time I heard about the love God has for me and it really touched my heart. I decided to let God work on me, guide me through everything.’
God as a friend
‘At the last Bible study, I asked others: Who is God to you? The answer is: God is who you want him to be in your life. For me, he is my savior, my strength, my joy, my father and my friend. I pray and talk to him every day. He is the one who knows everything, he knows all my flaws and still accepts me. He is a friend who always cheers me up.’
‘When I moved here from Ghana, my relationship with God did and did not change. Before I came here, I felt really strong, but when I arrived, I drifted away a bit. However, God pulled me back and made me even stronger. I started doing things I didn’t do back at home. For example, I joined the Bible study and a choir, because I realized that there are many ways to praise God.’
Christmas: light coming into the darkness
‘For me, Christmas is a celebration of the birth of Christ, of light coming into the darkness, it is time to celebrate the light that came to humanity. I enjoy Christmas, it is a symbol of a new beginning, day to celebrate – to eat, drink, sing, dance and be with the people you love. I don’t have to go to church, you don’t need a special building, because anytime we gather, it is already a celebration, a church in itself.’
