Billie started attending the Salt Company in Iowa City last year, and after a year of being in community she is now a student leader. This is her story.

I’ve been attending church my entire life, and I gave my life to Christ at a Kid’s Camp through my church the summer between fifth and sixth grade.

Later, in my middle school to late high school years, I suffered from depression. I thought that there was no way God could love someone like me.

God got my attention when I randomly flipped the Bible open, and the first thing I saw was Isaiah 41:13 “For I am the Lord your God who takes hold of your right hand and says to you, ‘Do not fear, I will help you.'”

My life after the camp changed me in the way I tried to approach several different situations, and how I lived my life. I’m a firm believer in living through example.

Since God helped me triumph over my depression, I see the world differently. I find it easier to keep up a positive attitude, I try to get excited about the small things, because they’re all important as well.

The way Jesus has been influencing my life in the past year has been insane, and I hope the ride never ends