12/05/2006

Generation Why

From an acorn to an oak tree

Uncle helps cultivate the seed of faith

By ALESHA WELLING

Special to the Record-Eagle

When I heard that I had a chance to write about my American hero, I immediately thought, "What is the meaning of hero?”

After thinking about it, I came up with someone who has touched me and affected my life. I chose my Uncle John because he is someone who has really helped me understand why I want to follow Christ.

My Uncle John is a wonderful preacher and missionary. A few years ago, he used to live in South Carolina along with my aunt and cousins. I didn't see him very much because he lived so far away. Our pastor asked Uncle John to come to Buckley to be our youth pastor. To my surprise, he did. This was so very exciting for our church because we all knew that John was a great speaker and God had great plans for the future of our church.

Once he moved here, he had a plan to turn the village's old firehouse building into a youth center for teens. It took a lot of time and money, but once it was done it looked amazing and it is one of the greatest attractions around the small town of Buckley. It is a great place for teens to go and have a chance to meet many other Christians and to also hear the message from John.

Everyone loves my Uncle John because he is so great at speaking and he has a way of connecting with us teens. When he speaks, he makes you really evaluate your life and how you should live it for God. Ever since he has been at our church, our population has really gone up and we have this big plan to expand. Everyone is really grateful that he has come and given his time to our church.

My Uncle John has helped me with my faith and many other people, too. I have grown so much and I have gotten further with my relationship with God. I have grown so much because of the youth center and how God has used my uncle. It has also given me a chance to meet other Christian teens (this is how I met many of my friends) who impact the lives of others.

I want to be just like my Uncle John because he has done so much with his life. He is a missionary, a youth pastor, and has a wife and four lovely children. He is going to help me accomplish my dream of becoming a missionary nurse and has taught me a lot of life lessons like loving others and becoming a Christian who spreads the word.

Before he came, I was just this little acorn and once he came I became this huge oak tree. I love my Uncle John. He is truly my American hero.