Hi my name is Marie Ruiz and I am 19 years old. I go to the University of Puerto Rico Colegio de Mayagüez, my sport is volleyball.
I grew up in a home with an abusive father who would beat us up so hard with his belt, that his name (that was engraved on the belt) would stay on our bodies for days. This made me hide my emotions and always project more strength than I really carried in me. Two years ago I tried to cover up the pain my dad was causing in my life with a boyfiend. I thought I had found the perfect boyfriend to spend the rest of my life with, sadly I was wrong.
My life was such a wreck, I would cry myself to sleep due to all the stress of college, practices, training, and my relationship with my boyfriend. Volleyball seemed like the perfect remedy.
In March, three American-looking people approached me and ask if I knew English. I thought they were lost and some how ended up in the gym, so I asked if I could help them, without any idea that the Lord had sent them to help me. They were AIA staff and explained what it meant to have a relationship with Jesus. That day I received Christ and then my life began to change. I went to Bible study every Thursday and paid close attention to everything , somehow every word I was able to relate to.
It was then I decided to participate in the Puerto Rico Project (PRP). My experience at the PRP caused me to completely surrender my life to the Lord. During the PRP, I was asking God what I should do with my relationship with my boyfriend. Thanks to my PRP small group and one of the AIA talks about relationships I made my decision and ended my relationship with my boyfriend. My boyfriend was pressuring me to not wait for marriage for sex, and this was holding me back from growing in my faith and in my relationship with God.
During my phone call to my boyfriend to break-up with him, I was accompanied by my PRP small group. I remember waiting for my tears to pour out after that tough phone call, but all that I could do was smile. As I lifted my head and looked around the room I saw a light around all the girls faces, I felt joy and looking on it know it was because I had surrendered, and that my life was completely being lead by the Lord.
That feeling is so amazing that I want to help others experience it too. This motivates me to share the gospel to help others to have the same experience I did. Since the project I have done a lot of outreach and had many positive results. My goal is for my island to be filled with so much joy and love for God and His Word. Every day I wake up hopeful to influence someone here in Puerto Rico in a way that at least one word could help them realize how powerful and wonderful is my Heavenly Father.
