Hi my name is Zenia Tejeda.

I am 19 years old now but when I started going to YoungLives I was 16 years old and pregnant with my first child, Jeancarlo. When one of the girls from school, Aylin, first invited me I didnt want to go because I was not feeling very happy. I was feeling alone because my parents and I were not talking. They were very upset with the news that I was pregnant. I ended up going to YoungLives because Aylin convinced me and I am so glad that I did. When I went there I liked it because I didn’t feel different. Everyone there went through the same thing and when I was there I felt loved. I started reading the Bible and praying more because I really wanted to have a relationship with God. While I was praying the Lord talked to my heart and I realized that I was wrong and that my parents were hurt by what I did because they had trusted me. I realized that I needed to ask for forgiveness. Everything changed and I started going to church with my family. The Lord has done many miracles in my life and when I was 18 I married my son’s father, Marvin.

With my second pregnancy the doctors told me that I had a high risk of losing my baby because I had the IUD. When I was 24 weeks along I started getting contractions and my water broke. The doctor told me that there was nothing they could do to keep him from coming and that there was only a 25% chance of him living. I was very sad and I told Myrna and asked her to ask the YoungLives mentors and moms for prayer. I didn’t want to lose him. I told the Lord, “please I don’t want to lose him but Lord if you want to take him I promise I won’t lose my faith.” It was hard but there was nothing I could do besides pray. A couple of days passed and the doctor called me to tell me that Baby Alexis needed heart surgery. He was just 1 pound 9 ounces. How could he survive a heart surgery when he was so tiny? I started to lose my faith but all of the YoungLives people were praying for me and my son. My faith came back and I told the Lord, “I know you are not going to take him because he is here and I know prayers work and there are a lot of people with faith praying for my baby. I know the enemy wants me to lose my faith but he is not going to because I trust in the you Lord.”

My baby Alexis is now 5 months old and he is here with me. He is an example for all of those people that don’t believe in God and in miracles. He is one miracle baby. I am so thankful for Myrna and my mentor Milie becuase they have been there for me and my family. Thank you Millie for buying my wedding dress when I didn’t have the money to afford it. Thanks to her one of my best days became true. Thanks to Myrna and YoungLives I had have gotten to know the word of God more and have been able to know Him. Thanks also to the group that brought my family Thanksgiving dinner last week. It was delicious and we got to spend a very good family dinner last week. Thank you for having a very good club like YoungLives.