Juliana

My name is Juliana. I am twenty years old, and I live with my mom and my older brother in Barranquilla, Colombia. When I was born, my parents separated, so I spent most of my childhood with my stepfather and received visits from my dad sometimes. Because of this, from a very young age I always wanted to be perfect in everything I did to please my dad so that he would stay with us, but that never happened. As I got older, I held a lot of resentment in my heart and struggled with thoughts that made me believe that I had to be perfect for others to like me.

My relationship with Jesus began at a Young Life camp. It was an experience I will never forget. I knew about God from my childhood but had never approached Him, however in this place, God confronted me, and I was able to talk to Him. I let forgiveness enter my life because the absence was consuming me. God made me feel that He loved me as I was and made my burden lighter. Since then, I can feel God's love and I am able to give that love to others.

Now, through the Developing Global Leaders program, I am studying graphic design at the University of Barranquilla. My dream is to start my own agency with some classmates from my university or work in one of the best creative agencies in my country. However, my greatest desire is to continue speaking and showing what God has done to everyone around me.