Junior Maggie Medina’s face fills with burning rage as she screams at her mother. With her father and siblings yelling in the background. Her family argues about how disrespectful and selfish she is being. All Maggie wanted was to go to church.

Medina says Jesus Christ has always played a part in her life. Since she was a small child to this very day.

“He has helped guide me through obstacles, create some of my best memories and also lead me to where I am now,” Medina said

Medina is currently an intern for Crossroads of Life Assembly God youth ministry. Her job every Wednesday is to welcome newcomers and pray for those in need.

“I was saved at the age of seven and baptized two weeks later,” Medina said.  “I remember I was writing a letter to God when I decided to get baptized.”

Medina says being baptize and deciding to follow God was the happiest moment of her life spent in front of everyone.

“In that moment I was filled with so much joy,” Medina said.

Medina has been part of multiple religious organizations and clubs including Zeal.

“Zeal has impacted me by showing me the changes and progress people make with Jesus in their lives,” Medina said.  “This has allowed me to see the  bigger picture of what God has in store for my life.”

Medina is a Zeal leader and she said keeping the group going takes a lot of work. She admits that sometimes there may be a large number of students in attendance and others there may only be four.

“I feel the Lord has given me these people and it is an opportunity for me to reach others,” Medina said. “Even if I finish my senior year with four people  or if I have 4,000 people The Lord has shown me he will use me to reach people for Him.”

Her grandfather is the one Medina admits was her inspiration to follow Christ.

“He showed me what a relationship with Christ was all about,” Medina said. “During my freshman year, Pastor Jackson Sandefer became like a father figure to me, helping guide me spiritually as I grew into the person I am today. A leader and someone people can go to in time of need.”

Just over a year ago, Medina says she was the one looking to others for help. Now she is happy to be able to help others when they need help or want to begin a relationship with the Lord.

“A year or two ago I was the one in trouble I was drowning,” Medina said.  “I never dreamed then that I would be in a position to where people are asking me for help or needing prayer.”

Sandefer has pushed Medina to be outgoing and has supported her in sports, choir, and in her spiritual life. Over the years the Sandefer’s have been able to observe Medina’s investment in the youth ministry grow. In turn showing the Sandefer’s what the power of Christ can do through one teenager.

“Maggie has impacted our lives and our ministry simply through her obedience and her willingness,” Sandifer said.  “She is willing and obedient to do anything and everything not just for me but for the Lord and for the church.”

Sandifer mentioned Medina’s willingness to work hard, pray and even text someone who is in need to offer support as one of the attributes leading to her success in youth ministry.

“She is willing to build a relationship with somebody to help them,” Sandifer said. “She has shown me what a heart of willingness and a heart of servitude and commitment to the Lord will do.”

Medina like many others has the same problem with life cycles. She said one of the things she deals with is fear.

“I struggle with the cycle in life of starting something but never finishing it because of the fear of messing up,” Medina said.  “This constant cycle feeds the fear of failing. This is something I am still working hard to break.”

Medina says she has to remember not to be afraid of messing up as long as she is putting the work into something.

“Don’t be afraid to fail. I’ve always had problems with that. This is something I am still working on in my life,” Medina said.  “Nothing out there is impossible for me to do I can do it if I just work at it and keep trying.”

Helping people is something Medina says she wants to do for the rest of her life. One thing she wants is to see healing in people.

“Whether I am a nurse in the future and God uses me to help people heal physically or if I am a miracle healer I know he has me healing in someway and I know that he’s going to put me in missions one day,” Medina said.

Medina has worked since freshman year to juggle her life around ministry and worship and says she realizes there will be plenty of obstacles along the way in her life.

“The Lord never said that serving Him is going to be easy and he definitely did not say that in his word, ” Medina said. “I want people to learn from me that that’s ok, embrace being different that’s how people are going to see the Lord through you.”

Medina says the Lord gives everyone different talents for different reasons. She encourages others to use those talents to make an impact on those around them.

“I want to be remembered as someone who lived for the Lord with their whole heart,” Medina said. “I know I will make mistakes, but I will do everything I can to live a life that is fulfilling in the Lord’s eyes.”