When a GYC Volunteer Came to My House

Little did I know that I would become a GYC volunteer a year later.

By Brittany Fletcher, as told to Andrew McChesney

A young man came up to me as I was taking out the trash on New Year’s Eve at my home in the U.S. state of Kentucky.

“I have a survey here that might help the community,” he said. “Would you take it?”

The friendly stranger turned out to be a GYC volunteer attending the Seventh-day Adventist youth organization’s annual convention in Louisville. Little did I know that I would be going door-to-door at the next GYC convention a year later.

Outside my home, I looked at the survey that the GYC volunteer had handed me. I circled my interest in Bible studies and visitation. Then I heard nothing for five months.

In May, my mother told me that someone had come to the house for Bible studies. The man visited six times. I missed him every time because I was busy with my university classes.

In June, the man came when I was at home, and we arranged to study the Bible at a local café.

Praise God for the perseverance of this Bible worker named Romone!

I knew nothing about Adventism. I was active in another denomination, where I taught the children and went on mission trips. But I was not getting the connection with Jesus that I desired. I was searching the Bible for answers and praying constantly to grow closer to Him.

My prayers were answered with Romone.

We studied the Bible, comparing scripture with scripture, once a week. But soon I texted Romone that I wanted to meet twice a week. That’s how hungry I was to learn! We ended up studying twice a week for five months. I accepted everything that I learned. As my diet and lifestyle changed, my life began to improve. I saw no need to be fearful or go back.

My biggest struggle came in overcoming my desire to control my own life. I was never taught about the need to surrender to God. We were taught, “Do what you can, and if you sin or there is something you cannot achieve, that’s OK.” There was no talk about perseverance or complete dependence on God.

My turning point came when I read about the talents in Ellen White’s “Christ Object Lessons.” I saw that through surrender, God has more in store for us than we could ever imagine. I love Romans 12:2, which says, “And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God” (NKJV).

This heavenly mindset has caused me to have a broader mindset. Now when I study for my graduate classes in speech communication, I not hoping to get a good grade on the test but I am learning for God. I want the knowledge to provide healing to people as a speech therapist one day.

I attended Romone’s church regularly in the second half of last year. It was there that I learned about the next GYC convention in Houston, Texas, in December 2016. I joined the Adventist Church a few days before the convention began.

Going door-to-door with other GYC volunteers was exciting. Three or four people signed up for Bible studies. I saw the same passion in the last person, a young man, that I had had a year earlier. We gave him a copy of Ellen White’s “The Desire of Ages.”

I am praying that the story will come full circle with him, just as it did with me. I know the power of one survey and one book.

Brittany Fletcher, 22, is taking graduate classes in speech therapy in Louisville, Kentucky.