 Hello, my name is Brenda Becerra. I am a Mexican American. My previous religion was Catholicism. There were so many doubts that I had with my previous religion that just didn't really add up. I was born and led to not asking questions and it was a sign for them for disrespect. And I obviously did not want to disrespect my elders. As far as finding Islam, I had very great friends that led me to Islam and asking questions was not a bad thing. The more I asked questions of my doubt that I had, everything seemed like everything was coming up. It made sense to me. There is one specific thing that I definitely knew that I was just like, this is the right religion for me. One of them is growing up at a Mexican household where alcohol was allowed and Catholicism allowed it to be allowed. That being said, it led to a broken family and I just knew that if a religion allows it, it was just not the right one. And so Islam, as much as I started doing my research for over three years, I was able to find out that all the things that I believed was wrong and was not leading me to be a better person, Islam was doing the opposite. It was leading me to be a better person, peace, definitely so much peace within me. It's still learning and I'm looking forward to learning more every day. We spoke briefly earlier and Brenda you were talking about how during this past year in COVID you were reading from the Quran and you had mentioned that certain things were being revealed to you. Yes, definitely. So previously, I would say around three years ago, I was attending Sonoma State. I was attending Sonoma State, depending on my last year. Previously, when I was going back to LA, I was going through a rough time with family. I had to go back home to take care of my family and it was a very hard time for me. I was given a Quran as a gift during those difficult times and every time that I was going through a difficult time, I would just open it. I would pray and I would talk to God and I would open the Quran and when I would open the Quran, whatever page I opened it to, that page I would read and automatically I just got a message from Allah. It was crazy because whatever I was feeling, whatever I was going through, that page that I landed on, it was exactly what I needed to hear back and that there was just like, I have to come to Islam. Brenda for sharing. These words are so inspiring for all of us and they're reminders for all of us that it's a two-way conversation. As you said, you were in a need and you asked Allah for guidance and just by opening his book, you found that. The Quran is absolutely a book that all of us gain guidance from and we should be reading it every single day. It's a really powerful reminder to never close that door. Allah is communicating with us through his words and that we have to take that first step. The first step is to ask for guidance, which is what you did and that's why you're here and I want to thank Brother Masih who's here in the background as well because Mashallah was his efforts that led you right to this discovery. He was with you, providing you resources, answering your questions. As you said, go Mashallah, it was the sincerity in your heart that after three years of pursuing God that you are standing here before us and we're all so honored that you chose this community center and we hope that you will be a part of this community, you are part of this community. As far as I'm concerned already, I just met you a few minutes ago but Mashallah, the hearts are connected and honestly, this is ceremonial, but your faith was confirmed the moment you accepted Allah in your heart and the prophet said, I'm in your heart. That was when your firm in your heart. This is more just because this is what we do. Once you make the testimony of faith now, it's a public display but you're already a Muslim, right? So what we're going to do now is we're going to, I'm going to read to you the Arabic testimony of faith in Arabic word by word and you just repeat after me. We'll do it three times and then I'll explain the meaning in English and we'll be finished and then you will welcome to this faith in a formal way here. Thank you. All right, this is the last part of the game. So first we say Ash Ash Hadoo An la wa ilaha lina ilin Allah Allah War Man Ash Ash Hadoo And the beginning. There was one time When we were going il Allah, il Allah, wa, wa, ash, ash, hadu, hadu, anna, anna, Muhammadan, Muhammadan, Rasul, Rasul, Allah, Allah, Taqbeel, Allah, Alhamdulillah. So what did we just say? I testify that there is no God, that there is no God, but God, and I testify that Muhammad, that Muhammad is the Messenger of God, is the Messenger of God, Taqbeel. So how did I welcome to the League of Islam, to the Community Sister Brenda? We're so honored again to have you come do that, just like we're welcome.