4CY. For Coach Young. Over 4 years ago, when I was a sophomore in high school, Coach Young, one of my teachers and coaches who I loved found out she had stage 4 lung cancer. She was told she had between 3 and 8 months left to live. Everyone who knew her or just knew of her was devastated. She was so loved by everyone in the Memorial community.

Well, long story short, it’s been over 4 years now and Coach Young is still with us. Not surprising in the least bit since she is probably the strongest woman I know. She never gives up, but I also see the miracle God has done in her life and is continuing to do.

However on Thursday August 1st, I got some devastating news that Coach Young’s cancer had suddenly taken a turn for the worst. She had been in remission for some time, but the cancer came back and had now spread to her brain. I learned she had only a few weeks left and her funeral arrangements were already being made. She decided she wanted to meet with her former players and students to explain what was going on and I guess kind of have a chance to say good bye.

That took place last night in the gym at the high school where I shared so many memories on that court with Coach Young. She said she expected about 30 of her old students and athletes to come and just sit on the floor to chat. She underestimated how much she was loved obviously. Because there had to be at least 400 to 500 current students, former students, teachers, parents, siblings, coaches, and administrative people there. I could tell she was extremely humbled by the turn out. But I think she was the only one surprised.

Being there was so surreal. It was crazy looking around the room and seeing so many familiar and unfamiliar faces there who had all in some way been impacted by Coach Young.

When Coach Young began speaking about her current situation, I think that is when it finally hit me. This is real. She was crying quite a bit, but she kept reassuring us that they weren’t tears of fear or sorrow, they were tears of joy. She said she was ready in every way, physically, emotionally, spiritually. She recognized that every day she had on this earth after she got cancer was a gift. It was a day she really didn’t deserve. And what a great reminder for all of us. We aren’t guaranteed any second more than the moment we are in now. Every day truly is a gift from God and we should live each day with that mindset.

Even though Coach Young may not have been the strongest person in that room physically, she was by the far the strongest person there in every other way. She was the one comforting all of us last night. It seemed backwards but I’m not surprised. Coach Young truly is one of the strongest people I know, if not the strongest. But I know last night was also a testament to her faith. Nobody can face death with so much peace unless you have something bigger to hold on to. My friend Sarah, gave Coach Young a little cross back when she first had cancer. And she told her last night, that she still clings to that cross. And I believe that is a physical example of the Jesus that she has put her faith in and trusted through all this.

One of my friends said it best last night: “Things we know from Coach Young: the Holy Spirit energizes, God comforts, and Jesus saves.” I saw all three of those last night in Coach Young.

But those aren’t the only things I know from Coach Young. I have learned so much from her in the time I’ve known her. These are not things she has said, but more importantly things she has lived out.

To name a few: never ever give up, have joy in all circumstances, laugh all the time, don’t take life too seriously, when you want something go work for it until you get it, be humble, be confident in who you are, live life to the fullest every day, live every day like it’s a gift, be selfless, love others well, trust God in all circumstances, cling to Jesus wheneverything else seems to fail, and make good decisions.

Words cannot describe the impact Coach Young has had on my life. She will never be forgotten, and I know her legacy will live on in the Memorial community long after she has left. Although this is so hard for me, she has reminded me to have peace in trusting in God’s sovereignty through this. Her light already shines so big and bright, but I know it will be even brighter when she’s gone. I have already seen it begin to grow in the past few days.

I saw the body of Christ come together last night for Coach Young and it was such a beautiful sight. And I have full faith that God will use his body to carry on Coach Young’s life and legacy and fulfill a greater purpose than any of us can even imagine.

I’ve been meaning to write a blog post about my trip to Africa for a while, but I haven’t really known what I wanted to write about. So much happened and God taught me so many things that I haven’t known how to condense it, but I’m just going to go for it and try to summarize some of the things I learned while there and since I have been back.

I’ve been to Africa two summers in a row now, and I pretty much did the exact same thing both times. I even had most of the same girls in my group both times. Yet, I came back this year having a very different experience and God taught me so many new things. I love that about God. He’s so creative.

Something God showed me on the first day of camp is how inadequate I am. No matter how much I think I know the bible or know the gospel, I am completely powerless in teaching that to anyone. Even when I’m teaching the basic gospel story to girls who are much younger than me, I had absolutely no idea how to teach them. I’ve never felt so inadequate in teaching than I did in our first small group time. But I’m thankful for that feeling because God reminded me how much I need him to speak through me with those girls. He’s the only one who can cause real life change and open our ears to understand his gospel.

Something else I learned is that we aren’t promised to see the fruit of our labor on this side of heaven. With 100 other Americans, it’s easy to get discouraged when you hear all the other stories about how God is working in other groups when you haven’t seen anything big happen in your own. But that’s a lie I believe too often from the Enemy. But when I really start to think about that concept of not being promised to see the fruit of my labor, it’s actually really freeing! God didn’t call me to Africa to change lives. He called me simply to love on the girls he placed in my group. That’s pretty much all any Christian is called to do-just say yes to his calling and then watch him take care of the rest. And the best part is that although we aren’t promised to see any fruit, by the grace of God, he often allows us to see it! It makes it that much sweeter, seeing that fruit as a gift from God, not an entitlement. I saw tons of fruit while I was in Africa! I got to lead the 2 new girls in my group to Christ on Wednesday at camp, and then got to see almost all 12 of my girls share the gospel with adults in their community the next day! It was incredibly humbling to watch my little girls who I have been teaching all week, go out and share the gospel with strangers much older than them.

Something that I think is funny, is how God brought me all the way across the world, to help me in areas of my life back in Texas. He answered a prayer of mine while I was in Zambia that I have struggled with for a long time. He also showed me that I’m not called to Africa to care for orphans. Kind of funny, how he gave me that realization while I’m in Africa serving orphans. It actually sounds kind of weird. But while I was there, as much as I loved the girls in my group and loved being there, I couldn’t help but miss being back in America connecting with girls my own age. I craved deep conversations and being able to do ministry with girls I can relate to. God made it clear that I am called to right where I am now–at UT with girls in my own community. I don’t know what that looks like in a couple years from now, but I don’t have to worry about that. I trust that God will lead me wherever the next stage of my life is, but for now I am called to stay right where I am. It’s funny how God brought me all the way to Zambia to show me that.

While I learned a lot of new things, there are some aspects that never get old no matter how many times I hear or see them. Spiritual warfare is something I always learn more about in Africa-it is just so obvious over there. Maybe because I am seeing it from an outsiders perspective. But I hate hearing that my young girls’ biggest fear is the devil. At their age, I was so oblivious to any of that stuff, but they can’t escape it. It’s all around them from the witchdoctors, to bad dreams about snakes, to being physically and sexually abused by relatives. It’s everywhere and it’s scary to a little 8 year old girl. God gave me a little taste of this fear one night. One of the nights, I stayed up til around 1 in the morning with some other girls talking about a lot of random spiritual stuff. But a good portion of our conversation was about spiritual warfare and demon stories, and just a lot of creepy stuff. Then I had to go sleep in my own room that night….cold and pitch black. I had never been so terrified of demons or spiritual warfare in my life. I went to bed praying so hard and asking God to protect my mind from bad dreams and protect me physically from any spiritual warfare attacks. Although it was terrifying, I am so thankful for that experience and getting a little taste of what my girls go through every night.

I miss my girls so much and really feel like God gave me his heart for them (something I had prayed for before the week started) because the amount of love I have for those 12 girls is something that can only be from God. It was incredibly hard saying bye to those girls. But it’s okay because they were never my girls to begin with. They were always God’s children and they always will be. God let me love them and point them to Him for the week, but I said goodbye to them knowing that they were in God’s hands. Even though I can’t see them anymore, I continue to pray for my girls knowing that God is still with them, and trusting that he hears my prayers for them. That’s what faith is. Hebrews 11:1 says “Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the convictions of things not seen.” The best part of all is that these girls are now my sisters! We both share the same Father in heaven, and we both share the same inheritance in heaven! Even if I never see them again on this side of heaven, I know I will see them one day in Heaven. And that, my friends, is so so sweet!

There were so many other things that happened and so much more that I learned, and funny stories that I would love to share more about if you want to know more!