Catherine was baptised in 21 May 2006 at Kings Church in Catford, London and this is her testimony as told at her baptism.

This morning is a wonderful day for me because I am about to be baptised. Since I gave my life to Jesus in 2004, I am a changed person and I love Him with all my heart. But I was not always like this, so let me tell you a little about myself. I grew up a Catholic but I never believed in God - I had no faith at all in God. He was just a name to me.

I had health problems when I was a little girl. I had an abscess in my right eye and had it removed. Then when I was seven years old I had TB meningitis and lost my hearing. I spent the next three years in hospital and after that I was sent to a Catholic boarding school for deaf children. It was run by Catholic nuns. I was there for only four years but it was the unhappiest time of my life and I hated it. I was taught about God but it always seemed that I was told how angry God was and that He punished people if they did wrong. I was never told about the love God had for me. I was so fearful of Him. When I left school, I just shut God out of my life. I got married and had five children but I lost three of my babies. My last child, David, was born deafblind due to German measles when I was carrying him.

For years, my friends and family wanted to share God with me but I was just not interested. Then a family friend became a Christian and she bought me my first Bible which I put away to gather dust in the cupboard for 17 years! A little later my daughter, Maggie, became a Christian in 1991. At Christmas time 2003, Maggie asked me to go to a Christmas Service with her at Kings Church at Catford. She told me there were a lot of deaf people there.

I went with her and from the first moment I walked into Kings Church, my life started change. I could feel the love of God there. After being at the church for a few weeks I found that God was not an angry or frightening God but a loving God. Then I went to Alpha and Alpha Plus courses. I found myself opening up like a ‘new baby’, wanting to know more. It was something that just happened inside me - I stopped blaming God for my deafness and for the bad things that happened to me. At Alpha Holy Spirit Day on 19th June 2004, I realised Jesus died on the cross for me and I received Him into my life and became a Christian. I am looking forward to the future with God and with His people.

Extracted from Hands Together, UK - May - August 2006