Testimony Tuesday: Staking his identity in Christ

Bella Agnello

Eric Bernardo is a freshman Music Composition and Information Technology Management double major at Cedarville University. He has served the campus as the freshman class vice president, making the most of a year which he knows is a gift from God.

In 2006 in Metro Manila, Philippines, a young man and woman found out they were pregnant out of wedlock. They wrestled with aborting the baby but eventually decided to give him up for adoption. On May 21, 2007, Bernardo was born.

“From a human perspective, the future looked uncertain, but from God’s perspective, everything was already in his hands,” Bernardo said. “Even before I was born, God had already placed me in the family he wanted me to have.”

Bernardo’s paternal aunt and uncle wanted to adopt him, but they lived in the United States. While he waited for the adoption process to be completed, he lived with his grandmother. Though separated from them for the first three years of his life, his parents never ceased to show their love for him. Besides travelling back and forth between the countries for court hearings and social worker visits, they visited him to celebrate birthdays and holidays as a family.

In March 2010, shortly before third birthday, Bernardo’s adoption was finalized. He flew to New Jersey with his parents and grandmother to begin his new life in the States.

“What once seemed impossible had become reality, and God had answered prayer,” Bernardo said.

But, troubles soon followed when his parents discovered that Bernardo could not speak in English or Tagalog. That year, he was diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) and Pervasive Developmental Disorder, Not Otherwise Specified (PDD-NOS).

These disorders threatened to define Bernardo, even before he could comprehend them fully. His parents enrolled him into the Individualized Education Program (IEP), where he was given speech, occupational and behavioral therapy at public school. Yet, his struggles with communication, comprehension and social interactions did not go away.

The next step was placing Bernardo in a contained classroom to give him more focused attention, but this both did not challenge him academically and limited his interactions with other students.

“I was physically present in school but often felt hidden, treated as someone who could not be expected to succeed,” Bernardo said.

Even so, Bernardo’s parents were a constant source of encouragement for him. They often reminded him not to view his autism disorders as an excuse to avoid challenges and encouraged him to press on through difficulties.

“That mindset stayed with me and taught me to keep going even when I felt unsure of myself,” Bernardo said.

After a while of trying the contained classroom method, they re-enrolled Bernardo in a normal classroom setting. Though he was still young, switching back was a big adjustment for him. And yet, his parents knew this would be the thing to propel him forward.

“The expectations were higher and socially it was more challenging,” Bernardo said. “I wasn’t constantly bullied, but there were moments that I felt like being left out or misunderstood. Even so, the environment pushed me to grow. It forced me to develop skills I wouldn’t have learned if I had stayed in a more sheltered setting.”

Bernardo was raised Catholic but did not understand the gospel. God placed teachers in his life to encourage him with it as they struggled alongside him through his academic and social challenges.

“I didn’t fully understand how God was working in my life, and I was young, although I learned from my teacher that in order to know him or accept him, you have to trust him as a Lord and Savior,” Bernardo said. “But I didn’t always see how my struggles fit into this plan.”

When he was eight years old, Bernardo enrolled in a Christian school. During one chapel service that year, one of his teachers shared the gospel. Though he had heard it before, the heart of the message clicked for him.

“That was the moment I realized my need for Jesus Christ and accepted Him as my Lord and Savior,” Bernardo said.

Immediately, Bernardo began to tell his family about Jesus. Through him, the rest of his family was saved.

Bernardo’s desire to evangelize continued to flourish. He became involved in teen ministry, played piano at church and ministered in senior living facilities through playing hymns for the residents. He has had opportunities to get involved with Child Evangelism Fellowship in New Jersey, AEX Ministry at Grace Baptist Church and recently went on the New York City GO Trip.

“Each of these opportunities reminded me that God could use me despite my challenges,” Bernardo said.

Now at Cedarville, Bernardo looks back on what God has done in his life to help him come to Jesus and see his true identity is found in him alone. His story is filled with struggles and challenges, and he sees how each one pointed him to Christ, to know him more and to see the gospel more fully.

With a growing love for the gospel, Bernardo is ready to use his love for evangelism and music to share the love of Jesus Christ with others. He is unafraid of his weaknesses, knowing that God still delights to use him for his glory and others’ eternal good.

Bernardo said, “I know I may not be the best speaker, but I am exactly who God created me to be.”

Bernardo encourages Cedarville to trust God with their own struggles and journeys.

“Do not waste your life on vanity or be distracted by things that will not last,” Bernardo said. “Fix your eyes on Christ. Your identity and worth are found in Him alone.”

Bella Agnello is a senior Broadcasting, Digital Media and Journalism major with a concentration in Journalism and the On-Campus editor for Cedars. She enjoys antiquing, listening to records and reading classic Russian literature in her spare time.