Over the course of 19 days next summer, I will travel from Texarkana to Africa where I will get my hands dirty in Malawi - the poorest country in the world, according to the World Bank -  working to help build and repair water wells for the people there. Each year, 5,200 children in Malawi die from water-borne diseases. Child Legacy International, a Christian organization based in Boerne, Texas, is working to make a difference, and I eagerly decided to partner with them in this life-changing experience. Since it began its efforts in 2008, Child Legacy International has brought clean water to more than five million people in Africa.

Aside from the humanitarian opportunity afforded through this trip, I am excited about the chance to share my faith. Mother Teresa said, “I used to believe that prayer changes things, but now I know that prayer changes us, and we change things.” I believe her sentiment encompasses our role as Christians. I know that this will be one of the hardest things I will ever do and that I will change greatly over the course of this journey – physically, mentally, emotionally, and spiritually. I absolutely cannot wait to see how He will use me over the course of the next few months as I prepare myself for the journey and how He uses me while I am there. It will be difficult, but I have no doubt that God will work through me to reach the people of Malawi.

I am selling handmade jewelry and accessories as a side job to earn extra money, and my family is making financial sacrifices in order to allow me to make this journey. However, I am asking for you to partner with me as I work to reach my goal of raising $10,000 for Child Legacy International to be able to provide new water wells and repair some existing ones. I will be using my hands and feet to change lives in Africa, and you can use your generosity and resources to change those lives too.

If you wish for your donation to be tax-deductible, please contact me, and I'll let you know how to do that.

About Child Legacy International:
Child Legacy International falls in only 13 percent of non-profit organizations that have been rated as a “Four Star Charity” for the past three years by Charity Navigator, an organization that rates non-profits for financial health, committment to accountability, and transparency in fund usage. This rating helps you know that your gift is going to be used as effeciently as possible in order to help us reach our goal of providing water wells for the people in Malawi. To see our ratings, check out www.charitynagivator.org.

About me:
I have been married to my Liberty-Eylau High School sweetheart, Greg, for 13 years. We have two children – a 10-year-old daughter named Ryan, and a 7-year-old son named Owen. We have a tiny little Texas farm with dogs, pigs, chickens, fish, and a vegetable garden. My husband is a police officer for Texarkana, Texas, and I am working on my 14th year in the classroom where I
currently teach at Texas High School. I love my students, and I am passionate about the work I do there. I hold a Master of Education degree from Texas A&M University and a Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of North Texas. I was a 2016 graduate of Texarkana Independent School District’s Leadership Academy, and have twice been named a finalist for Teacher of the Year for Texas High School. I am a founding board member of the East Texas Teachers Association. I also serve as the President of the Redwater Education Foundation. In my spare time, I am a coach for my daughter’s cheer squad at Redwater Middle School and volunteer with my son’s Boy Scout Troop. I am the daughter of Sandy and Marcal Young and a member of Heritage Church.

Suppose a brother or a sister is without clothes and daily food. If one of you says to them, “Go in peace; keep warm and well fed,” but does nothing about their physical needs, what good is it? In the same way, faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead.
James 2:15-17