Growing Up in Faith
Growing up in a Christian family, Jana always believed in Jesus. Sunday school and church were a normal part of life, and deep down, she knew the Lord was real and that He had died for her. Yet, as she grew older, she longed for more. At church, she would hear stories of people who had experienced God in powerful ways, and she wondered, “When will this happen to me?”
She tried sitting still in prayer, hoping to hear Christ’s voice, but found it difficult. “I told myself that when God wants to show Himself to me, He would do so at the right time,” she recalls.
That moment came in 2023 at YFC’s Ignite Worship Night. Feeling emotionally and mentally drained after the pandemic, she was hesitant to attend. “I was shy and nervous with so many people around,” she shares. But during worship, something stirred inside her.
When the leaders invited youth to come forward for prayer, she hesitated at first. Yet, almost as if she was being gently pushed, she found herself walking up to pray with a YFC youth worker. “I burst into tears. Right then, I really felt the Lord’s presence.”
From that day, Jana asserts, something began to change. She grew more confident and more open with people.
A Turning Point
Later, at the most recent YFC summer camp, another turning point came. One evening, as a fellow camper, Ghadi, shared how deeply he was moved by Christ’s sacrifice on the cross, she realized something important: though she had believed in Jesus from a young age, she had never truly surrendered her life to Him.
After the campfire, she sought out a youth leader and prayed a heartfelt prayer of surrender. Overwhelmed, she was met by her brother, who embraced her with joy when she shared what had happened.
Her journey with YFC didn’t stop there. Through our School Ministry discipleship groups, she found a community that shaped her faith even further. “Our meetings are intimate: we share, pray for each other, and hold one another accountable. The leaders follow up with us, and I love that,” she says.
Living a Surrendered Life
Today, her faith is stronger than ever. She reads her Bible daily, serves in her church’s Sunday school, and is eager to share the Gospel with her friends at school. “I want to always stay thirsty for God. My life is dedicated to Him. Wherever He wants me to serve, I will serve.”
We praise God for turning a childhood belief into a surrendered life, marked by a deep desire to know Christ more and to make Him known. Please join us in praying for Jana, that she may continue to grow in her walk with the Lord and be a light to those around her.
