A few years ago I met Pastor Aaron Samples at a camp in Indiana. I immediately felt a kindred spirit. This is the second time our team has had the privilege of being at Grace Baptist Church in Urbana, Ohio to conduct the War of Special Forces. This church has a very effective ministry to public school teens as well as a Christian school. It was exciting to see God work in both groups of young people.

A young lady in the school responded on Wednesday because she realized she had bitterness in her heart toward someone who had hurt her family. She wanted to trust God to help her forgive. As the week progressed, God continued to work in her heart. She admitted that she was hiding sin from her parents and wanted to be free.

One young lady in the school responded to the invitation on Wednesday. She had had a lot to work through with her home situation. She shared a testimony on Friday: 

“I’ve been through a lot in my life, and God put stuff in my life for a reason. And He’s shown that I  can trust Him with anything.”

When our team was here two years ago, a young man from the public school had been recruited, came out to the War night, and got saved. He started coming consistently to youth group and had even led a friend to the Lord. He came out to every War night and brought some friends who got saved this week. He shared a testimony on Friday night: 

“Two years ago I came here and God really did a work in my heart. I’ve had a great life with God ever since that and then that night I wanted to invite some of my friends, so they got saved that night. And even [since] then, I invited a bunch of my friends to come and they got saved, so I just wanted to thank God for that. And He’s done amazing things.”

On Friday night, he went back to pray with someone about not letting fear of man keep him back from full effectiveness for God. At the same time, God worked in his heart about a few areas that he needed to see victory in. Praise the Lord for his tender heart! 

Two of the guys who had gotten saved because of this young man also gave testimony on Friday night: 

“So, I came two years ago with [my friend]. I came on the second day and Van Gelderen really preached on a message about hell that really got to me. And he asked, “if you were to die tonight, where would you go?” And I knew I would be hell-bound and if I were to die that night I would go to hell. So I asked Jesus to come into my life and save me and I’ve been coming to this church ever since. This is the greatest church I’ve ever been to. And this week when they came, they really pounded me and convicted me about my sin and I got a better relationship with God.”

“I got saved several months ago thanks to my best friend, Pastor Stevenson, and [other friend mentioned], they got me to go to church. Without them, I would not be here today. I’d be laying in a grave. Thank you guys.”

Several others also shared testimonies. Below are a couple more that were a blessing:  

“about four years ago, my father was heavily into drugs and things like that and realized that he wasn’t following God and His will and what he needed to do. So he started going to church, things like that, and slowly but surely it pulled him out, he got away from all of that. And during that time I was at a very low point in my life. If I was 100% honest, I didn’t want to be here anymore and after that, I looked up to my father and wanted to do what he did to get pulled out of the state I was in so, I started going to church about two years ago. And on the first night I came here I responded to go back and Isaac showed me how to get saved that night. It was amazing”

“I came in earlier this week, and I wasn’t saved, something didn’t feel right, so Saturday I wanted to get saved. Since I’ve been saved God’s helped me relieve some of my anger a lot of my aggression. Make me wanna be happier and make me wanna try.”