I was fourteen years old, a freshman in high school, and excited that I got to be a counselor for a group of fourth-grade girls for a week of Indian Village Summer Camp at Forest Home. I had been looking forward to this opportunity since I was a camper myself.
The Sunday morning of camp, I attended Sunday School, and that particular week I was the only student in my core group. My leader decided to spend our time sharing what God had been teaching her in her own life through a book that she was reading. The book talked about the power of the Holy Spirit and how we can claim his power to overcome fear and evil by calling out the name of Jesus. I was fascinated, but it all seemed somewhat sensational to me.
A few hours later I left for camp with my six girls and soon discovered that all of them believed in Jesus, except for one girl named Julia. She had been invited to camp by a friend but did not attend church and didn’t seem to know much about God or the Bible.
On Tuesday evening, following a time of worship and a message, all of the campers were excused to return to their teepees. Those who wanted to stay and talk with their counselors about what it meant to have a personal relationship with God were invited to stay. I looked around and there was Julia. My heart started beating faster. I became even more scared and nervous when I saw that she was sobbing uncontrollably. I prayed, “help me Lord” over and over as I moved closer to her. I asked her what was wrong. She looked up at me through tears and said, “I’m just so scared. I don’t know what to do.” At that moment I recalled what my Sunday School leader had shared with me just a few days before. So I looked at Julia and told her to say, “I believe in the power of the name of Jesus.” Julia repeated the words and instantly the tears stopped. It looked as if a cloudy veil had been removed from her face as she stared up at me and smiled. I’m not sure which of us was more shocked. I went on to share with her about having a personal relationship with God. She prayed right then and there, asking Jesus to be her Savior. Heaven and our little teepee rejoiced that night!
I lost contact with Julia after a year or two but I have never lost what God showed me in that moment. The power of the Holy Spirit is real! I had seen it with my own eyes. There IS power in the name of Jesus!
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Lynette Fuson
Director of Care & Counseling