Testimony: Ever since I came to God, I had an on-again off-again relationship. I would have these emotional responses to God, and would feel like I was on fire for the Lord, but then the world would pull me away or I would get discouraged because of the circumstances I would face. I came to the United States at the young age of fourteen, seeking to obtain better opportunities for my future. I was here without my family, and so this opened the door to loneliness and sadness, but it also left place for me to go beyond the boundaries of God. Since I arrived in the United States, I have had to work to support myself, and this had created a lot of pressure. This year for camp, I had such a deep desire to go because I knew I needed a new touch from God. My leaders were persistent and never lost faith. They told me that they knew that God needed me to attend camp, they were certain that God was waiting for me there.

I had been working at a fast food restaurant and money was good. I earned enough to cover all of my needs and live comfortably. But, my manager had always been very demeaning and difficult to speak to. He seemed to discriminate against me, never accepting to give me time off. He even forced me to work on the days that I was supposed to go to church. For camp, I tried to reason with him to get the days off, and he never replied. The day before camp, the Holy Spirit filled me with faith and I wrote to my boss: “I’m very sorry, I have tried to speak to you for the last two weeks. This camp is something I need, and I am going to be away this weekend. I mean no disrespect and hope you understand.” I took a leap of faith and went to camp. On the second day of camp I received a message from my boss telling me he was very upset and that I would get written up. The Monday after camp, he told me I was fired. But it did not matter to me, because God had moved in such a great way in my life and had done every miracle I had been praying for. I had such an amazing and real experience with the Lord that nothing else mattered. Where once I moved in logic and fear, the Holy Spirit filled me to be a man of faith and of trusting God. Ever since camp, God gave returned to me the joy of my salvation, He filled me with the gift of consistency, and He reignited that passion for His presence. In addition, when God saw my faithfulness, he gave me a new job. He literally gave it to me! I received a call from a person I did not even know telling me they had a job for me. When I showed up, it was a gourmet restaurant, where all the wealthy people go. I had no merits to qualify for this position, but God’s mercy provided for me. When we trust God and seek after Him, He cares for us like a loving Father.

• Jean Neira