Angela

My name is Angela and I grew up in south central Russia. My childhood was difficult. My father passed away early in my life, and my mother had to work hard to provide for our family of five. Without a father, it was difficult for my mother to raise four daughters alone; conflicts often arose, my mother even left home for a time. Because of all these problems, there was a void in my heart that I tried to fill with sports, negative friends, and bad habits.

When I was fifteen, a classmate invited me to Young Life club where we heard about winter camp. I just knew I had to go. While at camp, my grandfather died. It was a great shock for me and confusing, causing a lot of pain. After camp I stopped going to club and resorted to communicating with my old "friends", only to be rejected by them six months later when I needed them most after breaking my leg. Thankfully God had so much more for me. I participated in a project organized by Young Life leaders, and they supported me during this difficult time. When I recovered, I started going to clubs again and went to a conference where I met Jesus. Now I am a Young Life leader, I coach a girls' soccer team and am a minister in my local church. Looking back, I don't know where I would be without the love and support of my leaders.

As a Developing Global Leader, I am studying information systems and programming at a local university. I believe that God will provide a job where I can continue to serve in ministry and love on the teens in my community. I will be the first in my family to graduate from university.