Rachels Challenge

I am extremely excited to announce that Rachel's Challenge is coming to Parkway High School in Rockford, OH on Oct. 16th, and they opted to have the full-day program so that the public is invited to see it at 7:00 pm! I have worked so hard to get this program locally, so even if it is 1 out of the 5 schools I presented it to, at least it is one!! If you haven't checked out Rachel's challenge yet, the website is www.rachelschallenge.com and you can check out the effect it has had on youth at www.racheljoyscott.com

The premise of this program is to start a chain reaction of kindness and compassion, and if we all do our part to uphold these values, we can change the world. It is an amazing story,and to present this to the youth in our community we will start to see a change in the way they live and make desicions.

I guess you can call it a testimony in how I got involved in this.

My mom and Dad went and saw "Columbine Redemption" in Ft. Wayne, Rachels brother Craig was the featured speaker. Mom told me about it and how awesome it was and how it changed her way of thinking. Columbine Redemption favors more of the religious aspect of Rachel's life, and the other students as well. I hope to get this to our community soon,and I am working with Denise Bills of "Tad Bit of Love" ministry to work on getting it at the Niswonger Center in Van Wert, OH.

So i started researching,a nd that is how I found Rachel's Challenge.
When praying for my purpose and just asking God to work in me and help me to stay on His path, I was given 3 answers. One was that Photography was my purpose, the second was to use Photography to spread God's message of Love, and the third was to influence young people, specifically through God. When I found Rachel's Challenge, a burden was lifted as though I had found the third answer remedy. Since we cannot talk about God in school, the people at Rachel's Challenge have modified the Columbine Redemption program in a way to bring it to the young people through school assemblies, training programs, and community programs.

I immediatly started contacting them, and I didn't get an answer. For about 3 months, I heard nothing. At the same time I was trying to get my business offthe ground,a nd had just started to get my name out there, and then the bookings started rolling in. I think God gave me that waiting period so I wouldn't beoverwhelmed having to choose to spend my time between two of the answers he gave me.

I started to get discouraged, and just prayed that I felt ready to do this, and I was patiently waiting for this to become fruitful. On that Sunday, our pastor took a vacationa nd we had a guest speaker at church. Minister Curtis Rayford was our speaker of Come See Ministries. Come See Ministries was part of bringing Columbine Redemption to Ft. Wayne, the one my parents went to. I spoke with him after the service, and he gave me the number to some people at Rachel's Challenge, and told me he would give Denise Bills my number because her ministry was the one who got them here, and she was the primary contact. I was overjoyed. My prayer had been answered partially and I felt I was one step closer.

My mom and I were on our way up to Antiques Roadshow in Grand Rapids, MI when Denise called. I talked to her for an hour about Columbine Redemption, Rachel's Challenge, and most importantly about how God was workingin our lives. We closed our conversation with prayer and I had never felt so rejuevenated inmy faith as I did at that moment.

Tim, from Rachel's Challenge contacted me a few weeks later and when he spoke who he was on the phone, I jumped up and down and was so joyus! I think he probably thought that I was crazy, but I was crazy for that moment,because it was all coming together, andin God's timing! We talked and made plans, and I started calling schools that afternoon and emailing information like a crazy woman.

Parkway was the only one to actually book, but I also found out that Adams Central, a school that is close to us in Indiana had booked a program as well. I was so excited about this!! An opportunity to take some administrators of the schools to a preview! I am still waiting tohear from some, but I have an administrator from Parkway going, and she is bringing a student! I am so excited!

I'm sure I will be blogging more, adn wehn I EVER figure out how to post pictures on this thing (thank you brandy for your help yesterday, I still don't have it figured out, and I am willingto cook you and Sticky a 3 course gourmet meal to just come over and do it for me, lol!!) I will post from the program.

Ihave learned through this journey that I need to be patient, and be prayerful. The answers will come, I just have to wait sometimes. Obviously my patience paid off! Please come support this wonderful porgram! Email me with anyquestions at jtphotography@live.com or you can call me for questions at 419.203.0889.