Greetings from Hartland College!!!

I have been here for a year now and have learned so much. God has been so good. Beginning winter term, I began to realize that I really did not know who God really is and how much he cares. I had found myself in very depressed state and was not sure what to do about it or how to get myself back up on my feet spiritually. I knew I needed to behold Jesus Christ and nothing but Jesus Christ. around that point, God saw fit to send me someone to help me. I see this person as an angel in disguise. I was having a hard time with everything it seemed and I wanted to leave Hartland. God sent me his love through this person. They never failed to tell me three words that ended up changing my life, God Loves you. The phrase is simple but has become my lifeline when I am struggling now. God Loves ME, sent His Son to die for a messed up depressed girl like me. Remarkable. When I started thinking about how much God loved me, it changed the way I thought about myself. I saw myself as good for nothing and seriously messed up. I did not think that anyone could love me anymore and that there was no hope.

I want to tell you right now that there IS a God in Heaven. If He can change me, I know He can do anything. He has given me a new purpose in life, He has given me a vision for the future and He set me in a position to help others with depression. The Good news is that God is not finished with me yet. "Being confident of this very thing, that he which hath begun a good work in you will perform [it] until the day of Jesus Christ:" Phil. 1:6

All that we see in nature is there for our enjoyment. Nature is a great lesson book!!! I have just completed the summer gardening requirement for freshmen and I have been so blessed to learn some of the lessons that God had in store. Let me share one experience with you:

At the beginning of the gardening class, I was still recovering from a fall and a broken foot. My Gardening instructor, Mr. Bob Gregory, told me that he was going to pair me up with someone to be my partner. To be honest I was not thrilled with the idea. I was in a lot of pain at that point so I did not argue with him. He paired me up with an elderly staff member, Mrs. Carol Johnson. We worked hard on our plot together and after the first week of class, I was grateful for her help. God knew that I would not have been able to do the first part of the class without help. In the second or third week I began to see how the partnership with Mrs. Johnson began to work out. That week, God taught me the most priceless lesson I learned through the whole class. It does not matter what condition you are in, whether you cant see well or have only one foot, Working with a partner helps to sustain you. It is in this way that God works with us. When we are in partnership with God, He sustains us and will use us for the good of others.

There is a new year that will be starting here at Hartland in September. I ask for your prayers as I continue to study and share the love of Christ with those I come in contact with. My greatest desire in this new school year is to focus all my talents and energies on service for the Lord. I want to be used by God to touch others in a way that will help them to make a decision to stand for the truth.

If you have any prayer requests or questions for me, go to the contact page and feel free to write me. I will be happy to write back and to pray for you. May God bless you all as you seek to know His will.

In His Service,

~Samantha Coon~

P.S. -- If you would like to help me with my school expenses you can purchase my CD or donate funds to my school trust account through PayPal (see Donate button below).