Tara L. Davis, LCC ’08, has been serving the children, youth and families of San Angelo, TX for 10 years. Here is her story…
In the spring of 2007 I was struggling to finish what I had started in the fall of 1999. I was taking 2 courses, both of which I was failing, working full-time, commuting to campus, and bound by an addiction to alcohol and drugs. I told my professor after class one day that I would be dropping out, and she told me that wasn’t an option. I’ll never forget that day. Dr. Karen Estep asked me what my dreams were, and it was in that moment God broke through my hardened, sin-filled heart. That May, I moved in with the Esteps and spent the next eight months getting clean and sober.
In late January of 2008, with the wisdom and love from my advisor Miriam Windham, I drove down to San Angelo, Texas for my official internship at House of Faith. On the entire drive, I told God He had no clue what He was doing, that this was a huge mistake! When I arrived, I was nine months clean and sober. I found myself working with children and youth who were just like me, desperate to know that there was a God who was big enough and kind enough to save the day! Youth who were addicted like I had been months before, children who desperately needed a place to belong, and families that were devastated beyond words.
After completing my internship, I came back to LCC to graduate and was offered a job at House of Faith. 10 years later, God has graciously allowed me to continue to serve the children, youth and families of San Angelo, where we reach 1600 elementary students weekly with the Gospel, as well as another 200 youth.
When I’m not working, I enjoy traveling to share God’s story with different groups at camps and events. I also enjoy writing, laughing with friends, and am forever losing battles to my stubborn bloodhound.
I asked my professor how I could ever repay or thank her for all that she and her husband Jim had done for me. She simply told me to love Jesus the rest of my life. And that is what I would ask and challenge each of you with, to simply run your race well, running as one to win the prize….Christ Jesus Himself. To God be the glory for the incredible ways in which He loves us, inviting us into His own story and using us to rewrite the history books for His Kingdom!
If you’d like to hear more about what God is doing, would like to reconnect, or if I can serve you in some way, I’d love to hear from you!
325.939.9059
tdavis.11.41@gmail.com