Belva Erickson

Although my parents were not Christians, I was born into a happy home in the Midwest. I had a praying grandmother, and her prayers followed me. Many times, they caused me to call upon the Lord. When I was thirteen, I prayed in a little cottage revival meeting and was saved. However, I did not know how to keep that wonderful victory.

As a young person, I was attracted by the bright lights of the big cities. My parents were very worldly, and I grew to love the evening gowns, make-up, and beautiful jewelry. I was strong-willed and bent on having my own way, so at the age of sixteen, I ran off to a large city and got married. I thought this would bring me happiness, but it did not. To my sorrow and regret, the pleasures of sin soon had me bound.

My husband and I were living on a little farm in Minnesota when we received an Apostolic Faith paper. We learned through the testimonies that those people had something we did not have. I was never the same after reading that paper.

I became ill with an attack of appendicitis. The doctor would not operate because I was recovering from the flu. I prayed, asking the Lord to forgive me, and He made a marvelous change in my heart. Then my husband got down on his knees and prayed, and the Lord saved him. That same night, I was healed and have never had a reoccurrence of appendicitis.

In the church paper, we read about deeper spiritual things, and we longed to go to Portland, Oregon, to worship with the people living those things. This was during the Depression, but the Lord worked things out in a wonderful way so that we could move to Portland. There, I received my sanctification and the baptism of the Holy Ghost.

Eventually, the Lord saved my whole family—two of my sisters prayed through just before they passed away. I have many loved ones in Heaven now, including my husband, and I look forward to seeing them again.

I am thankful for the Lord’s saving and keeping power. Jesus has held me steady through many hard trials. He has taken marvelous care of me, and gives me peace, joy, and happiness.