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Testimony is the Spirit of Prophecy — By NATHAN FRANKART, first-year theologian
Peace of Christ to you! I missed writing to you all dearly, particularly because this last summer was perhaps one of the most exciting and joy-filled I have ever experienced! Before I jump headlong into everything that I did, let me give some context to set the scene.
I served as a summer missionary with a ministry located in the heart of Ohio known as Damascus. The purpose of this ministry is to provide an opportunity for young people to experience a personal encounter with Jesus so that they may also be empowered and equipped to preach the Gospel to their friends, communities, schools, and families. And believe me, I saw so many young people encounter Jesus this summer. Damascus runs a summer camp known as Catholic Youth Summer Camp, or CYSC, and as a counselor, I had the privilege to journey with 65 middle and high school-age men in their faith. Some campers loved the Catholic faith and jumped right in, other campers had a lukewarm approach to their relationship with Jesus, and others still were being forced to stay at the weeklong camp and, by extension, hated me. It was not uncommon to have all three of these kinds of campers in my small group of nine every single week.
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And yet, with the small exception of perhaps one or two individuals, all my campers encountered Jesus throughout my time at Damascus. This has nothing to do with myself or my own ability, for all stems from the grace of God. I could have done none of this on my own. It was grace that got me up in the morning to do everything with my campers for 16 hours a day. It was grace that came into the hearts of the young men who opened themselves up to receive the love of Jesus and the power of the Holy Spirit. My earnest prayer for my campers is that they take the power of the Holy Spirit and testify to their encounter with our loving God, and act as the early disciples did. I plan to do the same, and I have much more to share with you as the months go on. Until then, pray for renewal in the hearts of the young people in the Church!
