Harold Erlandsen

I praise God that I have a testimony. Hearing the testimony of our brother from Norway brings back the old days for me. I used to hear him when I lived over in Norway. My pal and I would go to church to hear him sing and to hear ‘Old Charley’ testify. Then we would sit around and talk over what we heard. We agreed that it was marvelous.

We thought, though, that we would have more fun out in the world. I don’t know if the other fellow is saved today or not, but I know that when I turned my back on God in those days, I turned my back on the greatest thing in life. I came across the Atlantic and landed in New York with great hopes. I tried about everything I could, but the peace just departed. There was one thing I had not tried, and that was God.

I came to the place on New Year’s Day, 1935, where I decided I was going to try God. That was the best thing I ever did. I found something that I had been missing, and when I got this salvation, I decided I was going to hang on to it. I can thank God for thirteen years of real Christian living. It gets better every day.

I have been in Los Angeles, California, for the past few years, so I appreciate being in a camp meeting. In Los Angeles, all that most people think about is money and jobs. When one looks up in the sky, all that can be seen are advertisements—whether at night or during the day. Airplanes fly about advertising during the day, and at night, one can’t see God’s sky without seeing blimps flying around advertising different products. I appreciate the opportunity to be on the campground looking for the deeper experiences of the soul.