“You are too young”… “Why would you think that you could make a difference as a Junior in High School?”…
These were NOT thoughts that I ever had when I first talked with Mariah on the phone over a year ago. Paul’s message to Timothy kept popping in my head – he told Timothy not to let people look down on him because of his young age. I struggled with how to encourage her. What words could I say over the phone that might be words of encouragement to a high school student? What words might I share that could help keep her passion alive for a medical clinic in a Kenyan community 8,000 miles away? In the midst of everything else a high school student has going on between proms, sports, SAT, college visits, and on and on – how could a student stay focused on a faraway place? In the midst of so many things front and center in her life – how could she stay concerned about a small group of people, in a small community, in a country and continent so far away from Monroe, NC.
BUT, in the midst of all of all those things, God had a plan. God had a plan for Mariah and birthed a passion in her heart that no man could deter. No good words or lack of words from those around her could squelch that plan. AND what an amazing thing it has been for me to watch in her life over the last year! The 410 Bridge has a great message and mission, but even greater – Mariah followed God’s message and mission for her and that made all the difference in the world. The goal of raising funding for a medical clinic so far away from Monroe, NC was not accomplished in one clear stroke, but obediently and one step at a time, one conversation at a time and God provided.
Several months after she stepped out in obedience, the medical clinic is now fully funded – a total of almost $170,000!
Several months after her journey started, peoples lives have been changed and other medical projects have been begun and other fundraisers have been encouraged by Mariah’s story. The beauty of her message is that it is God’s story in her. I am humbled to have been a small part of God’s story through Mariah and I can’t wait to watch it continue.
