Our first leader in the spotlight is Valerie! Val was a participant at the Momentum Leadership Retreat in January and has a heart to live our her faith in a real way in her community. She is so full of joy...here's some of what Val wanted you all to know about her!
Age: I am 20 years old
Tribe: I am Cree, Treaty Status
Home: I come from Loon River First Nations Reserve
Favorite color: purple
Favorite things to do: Read, go for walks, go running, play volleyball, (even though im not exactly 'pro' but I love to play it lol). I also love to play other sports. Another soon to be favorite is teaching myself how to play guitar because my older brother had bought me one which I need to start playing! He just recently bought me a strap for it and its really cool (it has flames on it! ) and after I strapped the guitar on and saw how 'awesome' I looked it made me REALLY want to start playing now!
There are a lot of things I love to do, too much to name them all (including travelling)! Basically I just love trying new things! My all-time favorite movie is A Walk To Remember ♥
and it will always be my favorite.What does it mean to you to be a leader?
It means a lot to me to be a leader. It makes me feel important in a way. I know as a younger girl I looked up to people who were leaders (Christian leaders), who were older than me, and I used to want to be like them when I grew up. Now that I am older I hope to be someone younger kids can look up to and I hope to set an example for them and to be a light to them I guess you can say.
How has God been changing you and working in your life this past year?
God has been doing alot of work in my life not only this year, but a WHOLE lot last year also. He is really breaking me down, showing me the kind of person I need to be for Him. He is really teaching me to let go of things I shouldn't be holding onto, and He is also teaching me to forgive myself, which is something I struggle with. It seems its way easier for me to forgive others, but just not myself.
Not only is the Lord teaching me these things, He is also granting me cool stuff; things like patience and strength, which I lack but I know I am getting better at it with His loving help♥. I find I am getting stronger everyday, and it's all thanks to God.
What is it that you want to see change in your own community?
What I really want to see change in my community is the lack of fear for God. People seem to just not fear God anymore, and are giving into their worldy desires way too much. They are going the way of the world, and not the way of the Lord. It is really sad for me to see older and younger people in my community giving into all these things that they think is giving them 'pleasure' when really it just drives them more and more away from God. It is also sad because they all know about Him, and who He is, but its almost like the Word of God falls on deaf ears, and they just ignore it. So thats what I really would like people to pray for, for my community.
What direction do you think God is calling you for your life?
At this point in my life I have no idea where God wants me to be, however I know that He wants me to go to a Bible school somewhere, because it's just always on my heart to go and learn more about my Savior and about how I can be a stronger disciple for Him. I do have two Bible schools that I have really been wanting to go to, but I am just waiting for an answer from God, because it's all up to Him and His will for my life, and where to go, I just need patience! haha.
I guess another thing thats really on my heart is to do something with youth. Since I am still a kid at heart, I can get along easy with youngins and I love having fun with them! I have also been trying to put on a youth event in my community, but am still waiting to hear back from some people and I'm hoping to maybe get that up and running sometime either during summer or next year.
How can people be praying for you?
They can pray that God shows His will for my life, and that He would answer my prayers (He's already answered a few :)
) Another thing people can pray for is for Gods strength and patience, even though He is already helping with that, it is still nice to have people praying for you, prayer never hurt anyone!
So yah, just for God's plan for my life, I am always nervous about the future, I guess I'm a worry wart, which is bad, im going to get worry lines soon!! haha just joking! :)
So yah I guess people can pray for that too, that I would quit being a worry worm!
PS - I forgot to mention that I love animals! I currently have just a kitten, and I hope to maybe get a few fish soon. But yes, I love pets! When I'm older and married and have kids, our home will be full of all kinds of pets! lol just kidding .. kinda. Lol.
We are so encouraged and hope you are encouraged by the amazing person Val is and how she is striving even during hard times to live out her faith in a real way. She is an amazing example to everyone in her community of what it means to be a leader and someone who is themselves 100% of the time. Please pray for Val and she continues on this journey and as she continues to see who she is and what her passions and dreams are and how to live those out!
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