Bryant and Leslie Willis with their daughter Meagan.

The following is a testimony from Bryant and Leslie Willis about their experience with their daughter Meagan’s service as a volunteer for the ECYD Mission Corps.

Cumming, Georgia, March 17, 2011 -- Throughout the years that our children attended Pinecrest Academy, we were always aware of the students that either gave a summer of service to the Church or an entire year of service after they graduated from school.  We thought it would be great if, one day, our own children could participate.  But that “one day” seemed to be so far off in the future that, as they say, it didn’t even appear on our radar.

Then, in the blink of an eye, our daughter, Meagan, entered the 9th grade, and the possibility of her having a “co-worker” summer became a reality.

“God Has Great Plans for You”

We’ve always felt God’s overwhelming love for our family.  We’ve had so many miracles in our lives that only faith and a supernatural love could explain it.  We believe strongly in the words of Christ in Luke 12:48, “Much will be required of the person entrusted with much…” 

We have always told Meagan that God has great plans for her.  He has given her many beautiful gifts.  Serving as a co-worker would be an opportunity to use those gifts.

Meagan knew God was asking her to give her summer to Him.  And we knew He was asking her as well.  Meagan is naturally generous with the people around her.  She recognized that God was asking her to take her generosity to another level.  We knew the love and sacrifice He was asking of her would allow her to grow in her love for Him in a way it hadn’t before.

An Obstacle Offered to Christ

The most difficult obstacle that stood in Meagan’s way is that she becomes intensely “homesick” when she is not with her family.  We are blessed to be very close, and we are doubly blessed as parents to have a great relationship with our 16-year-old-daughter!  Meagan misses her family very much after any stay longer than 3 to 4 days.  She is very honest with herself about her limits.  It would be a major milestone in her life if she could overcome her homesickness as a gift for Christ.  We also knew giving her ‘yes’ had to be completely her own choice, from her own free will.  We told Meagan that we would support her no matter what her decision. In the end Meagan knew she couldn’t say no to God.

A Summer of Spiritual Growth 

She spent an amazing 6 weeks in Michigan, immersed in faith, friendship, service, and spirituality.  Although there were times that were very difficult for her because she was away from home, the experience gave her a renewed inner strength and depth in her faith.  Upon her return, Meagan said, “I learned a lot. I think I grew a lot. I’m glad I went. I don’t have any regrets.”

Meagan keeps in touch with the wonderful Regnum Christi consecrated women who were with her for the summer.  She also has the added blessing of gaining close friends from across the country, as well as from Mexico and Canada.  She treasures these friends, who share her same “heart.”  Before they left each other at the end of July, they were already making plans to come together again during Holy Week Missions in Atlanta.
 
“And He ‘began to send them out two by two’ …” (Mk 6:7)

View a homemade video of the ECYD Mission Corps here.