Cindy-Lee Jamaican Testimony of the Church of Jesus Christ

Woman: Okay, hi Cindy! We’re gonna conduct a small interview. We have here a sister from Jamaica who’s visiting Germany and who’ll be leaving tomorrow. But before she leaves, we want to hear from her about her testimony and how she gets to know the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. Okay, so Cindy, can you give a small introduction about yourself?

Cindy: I sure can. First, my name is Cindy Lee Garic, everyone calls me Cindy. I am from Jamaica – this is a small island. But I’m here in Germany, I spent 3 months here and I return tomorrow. But I have been a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints for 13 years, this year will be 14 years. I’m 29 at the moment.

Woman: And single, available!

Cindy: Yes, I’m single. But I’ve been a member for 14 years and now I’m here to share my testimony with you.

Woman: So, can you tell us how you’ve become a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints?

Cindy: Yeah. At first, I was in Montego Bay which is the second capital in Jamaica. And I was living at home with my mother and one of my siblings and my grandmother when the missionaries from the church rode their bikes and came to the gate and knocked. I was in the hall, sitting and watching television and I invited them in. They came, sat down, introduced themselves and introduced the Church and from there, they taught us discussions and left a commitment to read the Book of Mormon, pray and to know for myself if the Church was true. At first I was reluctant, hearing all these things of the Church, I wasn’t interested. But I read for myself and to pray and from there I got my knowledge and got my answers that I was searching for.

Woman: Okay, thank you. That’s very interesting. And after you became a member of the Church, what kind of impact has it to you, in your life that you joined the Church, being a member?

Cindy: Being a Latter Day Saint, being a Mormon, there are so much that you hear every day when you’re out there that sometimes, you feel like you wanna hide yourself. And for me, the impact that it has on my life is just knowing for myself that Christ – he was on the Earth, he taught these things and he wasn’t accepted. But yet, still, regardless of everything he taught, his truths, he left it and gave us a choice to follow. So the impact it has on my life is that He gave me that choice and I decided to take a step towards knowing about him. And that has had such great impact on my life because my life has turned from going in the wrong direction to going where he wants me to be.

Woman: Okay. Are your family also members of the church? Relatives?

Cindy: No. I’m actually the only member.

Woman: Okay and how do you go about it? How do you feel about being the only member?

Cindy: It’s hard because your family is great – like the Church teaches. The Church teaches that families are important and families are eternal. And because the Gospel is a part of my life, I want my family to partake in it. I want them to be where I am, I want them to have what I have. I want them to feel the love that I felt from the Savior. And it’s really hard to know that they’re not a part of it, but every single day of my life I pray, I hope and I share with them when I can. So that one day I’m hoping that they will partake of this wonderful gospel. Nothing is impossible with God – but for us, in our eyes, it might impossible. But everyone can change, that’s how I see it.

Woman: You sound like a strong woman, like you’re making the Gospel your strength, taking strength from it.

Cindy: That’s what the Gospel offers. The Gospel is the Gospel of happiness. But it also offers the comfort and reassurance that, even though I’m going through the adversities of whatever right now – with my family not being a member – it offers the reassurance that they can change. Cause if I have, then anyone can. And so that’s what gives me the strength. Christ is always there, waiting for us. We leave him but he’s always there. And so, I know that one day my family will be a part of the church. I just don’t know when.

Woman: Thank you very much. After hearing that testimony and you being the one single member of the Church in your family, it’s got to be hard, I know. But like you said, you have strength, the Gospel is giving you strength. Can you give more? Like how do you feel about the Church in general?

Cindy: I just wanna share a little bit about the truths. The Gospel is the restored Gospel. It’s always been here, it’s been here from the beginning. But because man has decided not to follow it and not be a part of it, it was taken away. And so, Joseph Smith was called by God to restore it what was then. And my testimony is to say that Joseph Smith was indeed called by God to restore his truths back on the earth, 100% so that all of us, as his children can partake on the blessings that He wants us to have in this life and prepare us for the ones to come. He knows what we want. The Gospel is the only way to complete us. I’m grateful that I’m a part of it. I’m grateful that I made that choice when I was 16. I didn’t understand everything then but making the choice has helped me so much because it has given me the assurance that God lives and that he loves us and that Jesus is the Christ.

I know that The Book of Mormon is another testament of Jesus Christ – it testifies about the Bible and it works hand in hand with the Bible. The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints is for all – it adds more good to what you have. It’s not there to take away anything from anyone, but it’s just to make your life better. I know that the Savior loves, lives and loves all of us. And that, regardless of our shortcomings, he will forgive us and he will always be here. The doors of the church are always open for everyone. And I’m just so grateful to be a member of this church. I wish and hope that, for everyone that watches this video, who have questions in their minds – feel free to contact the church websites or make a comment on this video – the answers are there. We have those answers. The questions that you’re gonna ask, we have those answers for you. I know that it will be hard at first, but nothing is impossible for God. And that’s my testimony.