Cole

My name is Cole. I live in Edinburgh, Scotland, with my brother and friends. After moving to Scotland from the United States at 4 years old, I found it very challenging to make connections with others in a new place. I moved schools a lot, and this cemented my struggles. I began to believe that there was something wrong with me. I felt like I needed to hide myself from others to be accepted.

As I hid myself more and more from everyone around me, I felt alone. I became consumed with the need to prove my worth to others. During that time, many kind people were willing to come alongside me, hear me and still love me in the midst of my messiness. I began to realize that people who loved God seemed mysteriously willing to love me. One of these kind people was my Young Life leader. He showed me how I can serve others by giving them a place to be known, accepted, and loved, as others did for me. I am now a volunteer WyldLife and Young Life leader. As I have worked to listen and surrender to Christ, and to trust His wisdom, I have found nothing but peace.

As a recipient of the Developing Global Leaders scholarship, I am studying theology at the University of Edinburgh. With my degree, I want to be equipped to create a loving environment for people and pursue a life of church ministry and humanitarian aid. I also want to continue serving in Young Life.