Award from the City: This Little Light... It Shone

I was awarded the Yuma's Annual Spirit of Freedom Shaping Our Youth Award. How awesome that God shone His light through me! Here's an article that was written in the city paper:

Luz Isabel Gonzalez graduated from one of the most prestigious universities in the country, but rather than using the psychology degree she earned to establish a lucrative career for herself, she'd rather help area youths - through one community project at a time.

Gonzalez has been selected as the winner of The Spirit of Freedom Award in the Shaping Our Youth category.

"The most accurate word I could use to describe my sister is ... 'selfless.' She is just always thinking of others, since she was a child," Luz Stalnaker said in nominating Gonzalez. "She has always thought about other people, never consumed about herself."

Born in Yuma and raised near Winterhaven, Gonzalez attended schools in the San Pasqual Valley Unified School District, where she excelled in both academic and extracurricular endeavors.

It was that drive that helped her get into Harvard University after graduation from San Pasqual High School in 2001.

"I graduated from San Pasqual and entered into Harvard University that same year. I graduated from Harvard in 2005," Gonzalez said.

During her college years, she participated in Strong Women, Strong Girls, a mentoring program that focused on improving the self-esteem of young girls.

During the summer between her junior and senior year of college, Gonzalez returned to the Yuma area, where she interned with the Yuma Housing Authority. Here she established a connection to one of the community's less-privileged groups, knowing that upon her return from college, she wanted to work with those communities, according to the nomination letter Stalnaker wrote.

Back at college she became interested in another club.

"I actually became a Christian at Harvard during my senior year. I joined Harvard's Christian Fellowship after I heard a man say, 'I don't get bogged down by what people say or how much money I make, I just live for God.' He had that joy and that peace that only Christ can give and I thought, 'That's what I want.' "

After earning a bachelor's degree in psychology from Harvard, she returned to the Yuma area with a grant.

"I received a public service grant of $25,000 from Harvard to run a mentoring program ... I ran that program, The Wisdom Exchange, until last year when the funding ran out. I tried to do that again this year, but I think God closed that door for me."

Since that time, Gonzalez has been actively involved in other youth-oriented community projects, including tutoring in reading and math. She has also been involved with the Young Eagles program, which introduces youth to aviation and related careers such as aircraft mechanics, pilots and flight attendants.

"This group that takes children on flights is an awesome way to reach out to children," Stalnaker said. "In the area that we live, there is not a whole lot of travel done by students in learning situations. My sister has participated and helped take children in these small planes and takes them around the Yuma Valley. These kids get to see Yuma from the sky, that is a memorable experience for them, and she enjoyed participating."

Gonzalez said, "I began to pray about what I should do next with my time and began to substitute teach at my old high school, which was a real blessing."

"She works with kids in the Yuma area and continues reaching out to the children she has already established relationships with this past summer and from her mentoring program," Stalnaker said about her little sister.

Gonzalez said, "There is no way that Harvard or any degree can do what God can do. I went to a youth camp this summer and worked as camp counselor. I got to see how God worked in these children's lives and it was just a real piece of heaven. My sister is the one who should have gone to Harvard. She's meticulous to details."

Next, "the Lord has called me to be a missionary in Spain so I will be going as soon as August. Until then I will continue to work with the children I have made bonds with."

She added what she really hopes is in her future, "One day I hope to be a stay-at-home mom. If God sees that in my future, I will be blessed."

Glory to God for all the good in the world!
One mistake: I didn't become a Christian at Harvard, but it was there I really began to search for God. I asked God to show me He was real after I heard the man mentioned above speak. It was at Harvard I saw Jesus living through people and began to learn how what is in the Bible has been proven true.

The True Spirit of Freedom Gift is:
Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom.
2 Corinthians 3:17
I am free indeed.

How awesome that all we have to do is accept this gift of freedom, for this life, and the next:
For God so loved the world He gave His only begotten Son that whosoever believes in Him shall not perish but have everlasting life.
John 3:16

If you want to accept this gift go to this site: http://www.greatcom.org/laws/english/flash/