Students becoming Teachers

We're continuing to be blown away by the depth of spiritual growth occurring in our high school students! One of our girls recently started a Bible study at her school. It wasn't long before a teacher, who doesn't know the Lord, began attending the study. After a few weeks of Bible study she said, "This is incredible! I so wish I had heard all of this when I was your age." 


I gasped in wonder. Those are the kinds of things we dream about when we start discipling young people! This particular girl actually came to know Jesus through her relationship with her mentor. We don't share that to sound like we're doing anything special, we're simply pointing students to the One who rescues. We're just blessed to do that alongside so many solid leaders who pour their lives out for our precious kids. Speaking of awesome leaders, meet Anna Jones. She has been heavily invested in our high school girls for over 2 years. She's a ball of fun and a solid woman of the Lord. Leaders like her are the reason we're seeing our students coming to life. 


My name is Anna Jones. I am a Registered Dietitian for the City of Dallas WIC Program (Women, Infants, and Children), where I get to help women and children learn about nutrition and health. I just got back from Kenya on a mission trip with my church, The Village. This was an eye-opening experience and I am praying for the Lord's direction in my life. I love coffee, getting to know people, frozen yogurt, experiencing different cultures, listening to music, walking (outside, to the grocery store, or wherever), being around my close friends, dancing and being silly. What brings me most joy in life is remembering who Christ is and what Christ has done for me. When I reflect back on all that Christ has done in my life, I'm overwhelmed. I am grateful that the Lord allows me to be a part of His big plan of drawing others to Himself. That is humbling. I love being with the High School students at Mercy Street. It really brings me so much joy to be around those girls because: 1) I get to see all of the individual/unique and purposeful personalities God created. They are each so beautiful and talented. 2) I am challenged constantly by them. Either with hard questions about the Bible or by just observing humility in their own lives. They also send me amazing texts with Scripture almost everyday, which is very encouraging. 3) They are FUN to be around. They make me laugh all the time. 4) I love seeing what God is doing in their own lives as well as how God uses these girls to change me and draw me closer to Him.

Meet Shasta!

Our small group leaders are one of the driving forces that make our high school ministry so dynamic. We're blessed to have some of the coolest, most solid men and women of God who pour themselves into our students all week, every week. We want to introduce you to a different one each week so you know who's working with your friends, mentees, students and children. This week, I introduce to you the vibrant ball of energy that is Shasta Patton: 

I graduated from Clark Atlanta University in 2010 with a degree in Radio/TV/Film and a minor in sports broadcasting. Music and sports are my passion!!! I played basketball for 12 years and have worked with professional teams and networks such as: Dallas Cowboys, Atlanta Hawks, Atlanta Braves, Fox Sports, etc. I also write and produce all types of music as well. My ultimate goal is to win souls over to Christ through the entertainment industry via Radio/Tv/Film.  The media is so negative and our society's moral values have completely deteriorated. However, I believe that I was Chosen to start holding our generation accountable and winning souls over by reaching out to large masses at one time. Sports and Music has been the devils playground for the last decade....well I plan on changing that!

Which is why I really enjoy working with Mercy Street, It's a direct connection! I'm not only helping out these young people but they are stretching me in so many areas as well. Im yearning to connect with each of them deeply and also be a positive female role model that society rarely highlights.
Only what we do for Christ will last, and serving is what I was placed on this earth to do. I pray that God uses all of us to make these young people's lives a little easier and bring them hope. Prayerfully they'll be able to see Christ more and more each week.