Below is a Story of Transformation from Julia Lukowich who became a member of FGCC and was baptized on November 19th.
I grew up in a very loving home. My family is extremely supportive and has always pushed me to do my best and follow my dreams. As a child I didn’t understand who God was or what he did for us. It wasn’t until I started going to Camp Kadesh where I decided I wanted to follow Jesus. I was about 11 years old and the speaker for that week told us to spend some 1 on 1 time with Jesus alone around the camp. I sat down in the middle of the forest and started to pray. I was overwhelmed by happiness and burst into tears. This moment is significant to me because it is the first time the Holy Spirit caught my attention and I knew I wanted to follow Jesus and commit my life to him.
After that I continued to go to camp during the summer but during the school year didn’t reach out to God. I have always struggled with anxiety but every summer found peace and support in the Lord. The summer after grade 9 I became a Leader in training and this past summer I was a cabin leader. These experiences will forever change my life as it is where I built my first community of followers, learned to take Jesus home with me and not just follow him at camp, and how I got connected to Grove.
Currently, Jesus is teaching me more about commitment and about devotion. Being devoted to helping others, sharing my beliefs, and most of all spreading the word of the lord. Matthew 10:39 says,
“If you cling to your life, you will lose it; but if you give it up for me, you will find it.”
I recently read this and it has stuck in my heart ever since. I am overwhelmed by Jesus’ love and power. The thought of living the rest of my life with him gives me endless amounts of joy. This passage fully explains why I am getting baptized today. Only with Jesus, I can really live my life and spread love and happiness to everyone around me. After going to Grove for a just over a year now, I’m so excited to start this new beginning in Christ with this fantastic community.