Lianna Harp (16), San Jose, IL:

I am the third of six children—five girls and one boy. My oldest sister, Bethany (23), is married and lives with her husband, Aaron, about two hours away from the rest of us. Miranda (21), is next in line and is still at home. I fall in line five years after Miranda and am followed by Jordan

(14), who is the only boy. Please don't feel sorry for him; he makes out very well with all of his sisters. Alyssa (11), our major tomboy, comes next and Melody (10), the baby of the family, comes in fourteen months behind Alyssa. My dad, Randy, is a brick mason who works long hard hours out in the weather to provide for his family. My mom, Lisa, is the one who holds things together around here with her organizational skills. She is also our teacher and is often secured as our taxi driver, too.

I have been blessed to be reared in a godly home and in church all of my life. I was saved at home when I was five years old and was baptized at the age of nine. My family and I are members of Park Meadows Baptist in Lincoln, Illinois, pastored by Dr. S.M. Davis.

I am a senior in high school. I play the flute in our small church orchestra and sing soprano in our church choir. I also sing specials with my sisters and other groups of girls. In my spare time I enjoy writing, playing (or practicing) challenging flute pieces, knitting, and crocheting.

I thank the Lord for all He has given me and owe all that I have and am to Him. He truly is a loving Father. My life verse is Psalm 37:4, "Delight thyself also in the Lord ; and he shall give thee the desires of thine heart." I love the promise that if I truly delight myself in Him, His desires will become my desires, and those desires will be fulfilled. Awesome, isn't it?!

Mrs. Kerry Leise, West Paupa, Indonesia:

I was born and raised in Texas where my dad started and pastored several churches. I grew up in a household where my family faithfully attended church. I must have made a profession of faith when I was young, because I remember getting baptized. The “salvation experience” that I had stored in my memory was actually a vivid dream I had as a child! How Satan deceives!

As I grew older I tried to live the Christian life in my own strength and miserably failed, and I became very depressed in my teen years. It wasn't until I ended up in Bible college that I met the Doctor who could really fix my problems—the Great Physician, Jesus Christ. He allowed me to get to the end of myself before He lifted me up, and oh, what a change He made! I finally let go of my pride, admitted I was truly lost and called upon His name.

Since I've been saved, October 15, 1997, I have surrendered my future to Jesus Christ. I'm so glad I did, because I could not have found a better husband than God gave me! My desire was to marry a man who was willing to be used in full-time service, wherever that might lead. God gave me a husband who was preparing to go to Indonesia.

We now serve in West Papua, Indonesia. Each day seems to bring a different adventure. It is not always easy, but being in God's will brings a peace that passes all understanding. You can learn more about West Papua and our daily life by checking out www.totheunreached.com.

One verse that has been a blessing to me is Psalm 16:11, “Thou wilt shew me the path of life: in thy presence is fulness of joy; at thy right hand there are pleasures for evermore.”