By Jeana Walter, PR Coordinator

Mary loved to have her picture taken. I carry a camera around my neck and snap photos of events on campus. When I walked across campus and I often heard her distant voice shouting, "Ms. Jeana, when can you take my pictures again?" Over the months, I took photos of Mary —and that's how I learned of Mary's story.
Mary is the second oldest in her family. Her older brother joined the military and left the country. She felt responsible and protective of her younger sisters.
They had all grown up in an environment of drugs and alcohol abuse by adults in her life. She felt abandoned, neglected and abused by people she should have been able to trust.
Because of peer pressure and a need to belong, Mary became involved with a gang of kids who vandalized and started fights. "My greatest struggle was anger," said Mary. "Sometimes, I have to watch my tongue."
At age 17, Mary arrived at the Methodist Children's Home. She had little desire to get along with people and little hope for the future. She was also concerned about her siblings.
Despite claiming to be an atheist, Mary attended Chapel. She started asking difficult questions about God. She read about suffering in the Bible. Why would God cause so much pain? How could anyone understand?
She was seeking answers. "When I think of Mary, I see a living witness of the power of Jesus Christ to transform these lives that are troubled by uncertainties," said Chaplain Pearl Gillespie.
Mary wrote a poem about her journey titled My Life With God. She wrote "Just because we cannot hear, does not mean He's not there. He's in the wind, and the air. God's always going to be there."
After graduating from the Methodist Home, Mary attended church with her foster family. "I love my youth group. We hang out together a lot. I got baptized in November," she said.
Looking at her photos, she held one up and said, "can you believe that's me?"
We thank God for the privilege of serving young people like Mary. It's through them that we witness the miracle of God's transforming grace.