An unexpected turning point

I walked into the service in my usual negative mood and knew immediately that it was going to change.

From the moment I came through the door, everyone was greeting me with care and enthusiasm, and they acted like they genuinely wanted me there. I had a weird and uncomfortable feeling…not because I didn’t like what what happening, but because I was actually enjoying myself, and at church! I thought either thing was an impossibility at that point in my life.

As the months passed,  I left the middle school group and joined the highschool ministry service, Vox Youth, which held their own service on Sunday night. The first time I attended this new service, people were greeting me at the door and introduced me to me to several of the people who are my closest friends today, four years later. That summer, our youth group took a weeklong camping trip to a camp ground called Center Lake Bible Camp,where we participated in many games, swam, and attended night time sessions in the chapel. On July 30th, 2016, the last night of service at the camp, the group was praying over a fantastic week there and hoping for days to come in the future when I surrendered my life to the Lord. After I prayed the prayer of salvation, the Lord had removed all of my hurt and pain and spoke to my heart in the most impactful way possible. I accepted the Lord to be my forever friend, and that friendship hasn’t just sustained me, it has saved me.