2013-2014 Crusader Connection

CRUSADER CONNECTION A Publication of Westminster Christian Academy 2013-2014

You show that you are a letter from Christ, the result of our ministry, written not with ink but with the Spirit of the living God, not on tablets of stone but on tablets of human hearts.

2 Corinthians 3:3 NIV

The mission of Westminster Christian Academy is to assist parents in educating their children by imparting God's truth to transform society in present and future generations.

The values that drive our decision-making process are 1. Submission to God as our final Authority, believing the Bible to be His inspired Word 2. Unconditional love/ uncompromising truth 3. Honesty and integrity (holiness in all things) 4. Partnership with the Christian home and church 5. Faithful stewardship of God's resources 6. Excellence in all things for God's glory 7. Humility in service

I

n every single life, God writes a story. It is a story that woos us to Himself. It is a story that first became visible on earth in the Garden of Eden, a story of God’s marvelous provision in that garden for life, for purpose, and the revealing of God’s glory through the man and the woman. It is a story of God’s goodness, His faithfulness and deep desire for intimate “walking in the garden in the cool of the day” fellowship with mankind.

Also written in the story is the evil one who desires to “steal, kill, and destroy” the plans of God in the lives of His people. The tempter of our souls who offers the counterfeit of God’s love and protection in his lies, deceptions, schemes and self-centered purposes that shout out, “God is a liar, a denier, and a limiter. Come to me for true freedom.” As did Adam and Eve, each of us must make a choice as to the story that will be fulfilled in our lives. They chose the lie that Father God was keeping something from them that they desperately wanted and needed — something apart from God Himself; therefore, they reached for it — that manifested deception and they partook of its allure. Instantly they realized the intimacy of relationship with the living, Creator God of the universe was broken. They had exchanged the truth of God for the lie of the enemy of their souls. Much sorrow, pain and heartache entered into their lives, and con-

sequently, the world through their choice.

Every man, woman and child going forward would ultimately have to make their own choice — what would be their story?

Oh, and because of Who our great God is — The great I AM Who I AM, after creating the world and the perfect Garden for His highest creation, mankind, revealed the story of Another — the One Who would come to rescue the man and the woman from the pain and despair — from their choice to believe the deceptions of the evil one. Jesus is the God/man Who entered the world to become our Redeemer, the One Who would purchase us back from our slave bondage to the enemy of our souls who continues to lure every man and woman to “steal, kill and destroy” them. But, our Redeemer lives and He has defeated the evil one by His sacrificial death on the cross. His shed blood has rendered the enemy powerless, yet he remains on the sidelines “roaring like a lion” seeking who will still listen to his ranting’s, his lies about the Creator, about the Savior. Yet, “greater is He Who is in us than he who is in the world.” Greater is our God Who yearns to write His story on our hearts, to give us a new heart with His word written upon it, to grant LIFE for His glory and His purposes fulfilled in and through us that “we might have LIFE and have it to the full” — abundant, overflowing, overcoming LIFE in Jesus!

Choice – it comes down to our choice, as to which voice we will heed - which set of purposes to which we will yield. In losing our lives in Christ, we find LIFE. In full

Superintendent, Merida Brooks

surrender to Him we find freedom! In complete devotion, we find fulfillment and purpose.

The Westminster story is one designed and scripted by the Father in Heaven. It is one slipped into the heart of Ned and Valerie Rutland over 35 years ago. It is one to which they said, “Yes, God do that through us — establish a school to lift little faces to behold God.” They yielded and God wrote His story upon their hearts. The family of Westminster Christian Academy was birthed! Over all of these years Father God has woven lives together to accomplish His purposes for His glory to be revealed through this very unique family. And, like a family, there are ups and downs, challenges and victories, joy-filled moments and sorrow-filled moments. There are times when all is well and times when the going is very difficult and even discouraging, times when the family gets along and enjoys peaceful fellowship and times when there are misunderstandings, disagreements, aggravation and frustration. As in a family, we GET TO do life together, to celebrate those joy-filled moments and to work through the difficult moments of frustration and disagreement. At WCA, we GET TO be for one another because of God’s story of redemption written upon our hearts. We GET TO love one another as we have been loved

by Him. We GET TO forgive one another as He has forgiven us. We GET TO encourage and be for one another because “if God is for us…,” how can we not be for one another? We are a family and we are living the WCA Family story composed by our heavenly Father and every single day reveals yet another page written.

Will we embrace and walk out the story He has written, or yield the day to the enemy of our soul and his purpose of self-centered existence?

There are those times in our lives when the Story is revealed in an overwhelming and extremely obvious manner that reveals

the supernatural function in our natural world.

Westminster’s 2014 graduation was such a time. It was an amazing experience of the presence of God for me personally — listening to the exhortations of our top three graduates challenging their classmates to fully yield to the purposes of God in their lives and hearing Mrs. Baker’s reminder, “If you walk across this stage to receive your diploma and you have left Jesus behind, what have you accomplished?”

Finally, for me personally to lift the Umbrella of Protection in challenge to our graduates, “to remain in God’s Word, as it truly is your Umbrella of Protection. When the crisis of life comes, you will know that Jesus IS the Rock upon which you can stand.” Little did any of us know that in five short days following graduation that crisis would come as Father God ushered senior Mark Robertson into His presence. The written story of the Westminster Family became sight in a rare and glorious moment as we gathered our 9th – 11th grade students under the pavilion the following morning to just be together, to sit in the stillness to remember, to ponder, to console and to comfort one another in the truth that we share every single day at WCA. Then, a most amazing thing happened. One by one cars began pulling into the gym parking lot…our graduates were returning. Groups of two or three began walking across the yard toward the pavilion. Here they came, a return to the Westminster family, to the pavilion, as it were to the sheltering of the umbrella and the truth they had been given.

They came just to be….just to be together, here in this place among those with whom they had walked life and shared the same story.

In the midst of our struggle and striving there is hope and comfort and purpose if we choose to be caught up in God’s great Story of grand design. At Westminster, that is the deep yearning and desire of our hearts – to be a part of something so much bigger than ourselves that by His grace, mercy and supernatural enabling, we will live lives yielded to the strokes of His pen upon our hearts every single day.

A

thletics can teach lessons few other areas of life can reach.

Stories of athletic achievers, overcoming insurmountable odds, sickness, injury, family struggles, relational issues, and life’s turmoil, inspire all of us to reach higher, believe more, dream bigger, and push harder.

Sometimes seasons don’t go the way we want. At times the lessons we learn are hard ones. In some cases the losses pile up and we begin to doubt ourselves, wondering if we have what it takes to be successful. Romans 3:23 says that “tribulations lead to perseverance, perseverance to character, and character to hope,” so it should come as no surprise that some of the most valuable lessons we learn come in the difficult times of life.

Zach Standiford tore his labrum in his right shoulder at the end of his sophomore year playing as an undersized center during the quarterfinal season in 2012. He tried to rehab the shoulder, but the rehab did not take. Late in the spring, he made the decision to have surgery. Five months of grueling rehab followed. He worked all summer, many days by himself, getting ready for his junior season. He

knew he would not be ready for the first game against Ville Platte, but his hope was to return by midseason. Continuing to work toward that goal, Zach returned in Week Five. He played the rest of the season providing much needed leadership after returning to his spot at center.

The rest of the season did not go as well as he, or anyone else, had hoped. However, he proved once again that hard work and determination, coupled with a selfless attitude, can go a long way in becoming the kind of person others look up to. For Zach, he proved to himself and others that winners are not defined by the circumstances of life, but rather they dictate by their efforts the kind of life they want to have. He received the “John Vice Tough as Nails Award” at the end of the year athletic banquet, one of the most coveted awards given by the Athletic Department.

He also established himself as one of the key players returning for his senior season in 2014 by the example he showed during his comeback. Zach’s story exemplifies the type of lessons we try to teach here at WCA. Sometimes, seeing the lesson in action is better hearing the lesson through words.

W

hat began as a quest to combine several fundraising efforts and replace others, led to an opportunity that fit the heart of Westminster in new and amazing ways.

minimum fundraising goals so that another 10,000 meals could be packaged and sent to Haiti through their efforts.

Although we stood in awe and amazement when God blew past our “big goal” of $135,000 (FAR more than we had ever raised in any one event before), God was weaving His story into the hearts of our children and families. Using Feed the Need not just to provide financially for our school and missionally through the meals and donations, but to touch the hearts of His people like the story of Sydnee Buchanan. Robin, Sydnee’s mom, tells the story…

Feed the Need is a mission-focused event where families raise funds for WCA through a personal family donation website and then WCA uses a portion of funds raised to purchase food and supplies to package meals during a one-day indoor packing party to “Our daughter Sydnee gained much more send meals that feed hungry children in Haiti. from the Feed the Need project than just the opportunity to participate in a fundraiser for During the course of a few months, over 150 WCA. While Feed the Need allowed her to dedicated volunteers worked together to promote and facilitate the efforts of our WCA be a part of an extraordinary mission project, families to make this one of the most success- she also experienced the immeasurable gifts one receives through kindness, giving and ful fundraisers in WCA history. love.

The statistics are amazing…God used over Sydnee’s great aunt Yvonne Wilkes men530 families and 15 Corporate Sponsors to tioned Sydnee’s email for Feed the Need raise over $200,000 in 38 days. During the to a friend, Ms. Elizabeth Archer. Ms. Archer packing parties, over 670 students packed worked tirelessly all her life as a missionary, 15,000 meals in 6 hours on 2 campuses to be teaching children about the Lord and bringsent 1,500 miles away to feed hungry chiling His Love and Word into their lives. At one dren in Haiti. Our efforts didn’t stop there.

WCA was also able to donate $1,000 each to time she taught both me and my brother in Sunday school at the Redstone United Metha Lafayette food pantry and an Opelousas odist Church in Georgia. Ms. Archer mailed food pantry to feed others right here in Acaa donation to Sydnee for Feed the Need. diana. In addition to that, Westminster partnered with another Christian school in Florida Sydnee was so excited that a complete stranger would give to her cause that she by providing funds to help them reach their

immediately wrote her a thank you note and decided to make her a warm fleece blanket.

Ms. Archer helped her heal and their relationship is special.

Over Thanksgiving our family traveled to What an unbelievable gift for these two Georgia and Sydnee visited with Ms. Archer people, seven and delivered the fleece blanket she had decades apart in made for her. They talked for several hours age, to find His and Ms. Archer showed Sydnee that she kept love in a friendher letters on her refrigerator so she could ship. Sydnee read them every day. They looked through will be visitMs. Archer’s keepsakes and she asked Syding Ms. Archer nee to pick out something she would cherish. again this sumThat trinket is now proudly displayed in Sydmer and the nee’s room. My husband and I watched as friendship cona 10-year old girl and an 85-year old woman tinues.” built a strong friendship. It Hearts knitted together was incredible.

because of a fundraiser!

Sydnee

In December my father Isn’t that just like God? passed away and once again we traveled to Georgia. On the day Isn’t it just like of the funeral, Sydnee was inconsolable. Her God to knit father and I were unable to reach her in her these hearts time of grief. Ms. Archer arrived for the futogether all neral and took Sydnee aside. No one heard because of a the conversation that took place between fundraiser? “To Him Who is able to do abunthem; but when Sydnee walked toward me, dantly more than all we could ask or imagine, she had a huge smile on her face and told according to His power that is at work within me that everything would be okay. Sydnee us, to Him be the glory in the church [and never shared with me exactly what Ms. ArWCA] and in Christ Jesus to all generations cher said to her, but she often tells me that forever and ever. Amen.” Ephesians 3:20-21

Where did 2013 proceeds go?

After packing, shipping, and paying for 15,000 meals to go to Haiti, WCA made cash donations to two local food banks and a cash donation to another school to send 10,000 more meals to Haiti. With the remaining funds, we blessed our libraries, provided cash blessings at Thanksgiving and Christmas for our staff and teachers, provided athletic equipment for preschool, elementary and upper schools, equipped the gym with newly installed sound equipment, provided new doors on the Lafayette Campus and furnished both the Lafayette and Opelousas Campuses with much needed folding tables and chairs.

W

estminster Christian Academy

has grown since its founding in 1978 to an an annual operating budget of over $6,000,000.

From 2005 to 2013 our long-term debt fell from about $2.75 million to $0. Our liquidity ratio grew from about 0.6 to 2.25. Our average tuition and fees, enrollment and CPI grew at similar rates.

Charity Navigator, America’s leading independent charity evaluator, reports 9 out of 10 non-profits spend only 65% or more on program delivery. WCA spends 83%! They also give their best rating to non-profits that spend 15% or less on general and administrative expenses, we spend just 15%. Charity Navigator also gives their best rating to nonprofits that spend 10% or less on fundraising and WCA spends just 2% on fundraising.

Thank You, Father God for Your hand of blessing upon WCA. “But the land that you are going over to possess is a land of hills and valleys, which drinks water by the rain from heaven, a land that the Lord your God cares for. The eyes of the Lord your God are always upon it, from the beginning of the year to the end of the year.”

Deuteronomy 11:11,12 ESV

Class of 2014 Fast Facts • • • • • • • • • • •

47 graduating seniors 3 Distinguished Scholars (GPA 4.0) 3 scored a 30 or higher on the ACT 25% scored a 27 or higher on the ACT 42% earned Academic Achievement Award (GPA 3.33-3.99) 2 received an Opelousas-St. Landry Chamber of Commerce Scholarship 5 honored with ACSI Distinguished Christian Student Awards* 28% are National Honor Society Members 82% were accepted into a 4-year institution 64% qualified for TOPS (Tuition Opportunity Program for Students) when enrolling in Louisiana colleges and universities 24.1 was the average ACT score

* Note: ACSI changed the eligibility requirements reducing the percentage of awards given from 10% of the senior class per category to 10% of the senior class for all 5 categories combined. For example, instead of giving a maximum of 25 awards (5 awards in each of the 5 categories), we gave only 5 awards (one in each of the 5 categories) thus making the award a higher honor.

T

he world of little children is amazing – a new adventure every day. Their growth, as a celebration of new discoveries, is unceasing.

Each child is a God-story just by their very creation.

One particular child’s God-story began on April 21, 2007 as his mother was admitted into the hospital after only 25 weeks of pregnancy. God chose for little Parrish Paul Hidalgo to be born on his father’s birthday, weighing just 1 pound 12 ounces and measuring only 12 inches long. Paul had heart surgery at 13 days old, at which time he dropped to less than one pound. He was on life support for over two months. Paul spent the time he would have been in his mother’s womb in a NICU surviving infections, complications, a blood transfusion and countless procedures to keep him alive. He had a 25% chance to make it, BUT GOD...!

At the age of 16 months, it was discovered Paul was bilaterally profoundly deaf. At 20 months, he received cochlear implants in both ears “for Christmas.” Many miracles surrounded this family during this season.

Dad stayed in Opelousas for work while mom moved to Missouri so Paul could receive instruction as a deaf child. The company Paul’s mom worked for allowed her to set up an office and work from Missouri. This enabled them to maintain insurance and income during this time of critical care for Paul.

In his first year at Westminster, Paul has brought a lot of laughter to the preschool as he has learned to function in a school

that does not view him as disabled, but as a child “fearfully and wonderfully made” to glorify his Creator. As Paul shared what he was learning with his family, one idea he repeated several times reveals the great mystery of being right in the middle of God’s miraculous story. When Paul was asked where he would like to go on a trip, his response was, “I would like to go back to Moog School (Paul’s deaf school) and tell them about Jesus. They don’t know how Jesus died to save us from our sins and they don’t know how much God loves them and I want someone to tell them.” Will this be what Paul does? Is this God’s story for Paul? It is the burden of his young heart. His life’s story will answer these questions.

We know this for certain, what God says to Paul, and to each of us, as we allow God to write His story on our hearts, “For I know the plans I have for you, says the Lord, plans to prosper you, not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.” Jeremiah 29:11

boisterous classmates brought trepidation.

In fact, she was concerned about a few in particular.

Upon arrival, when the CCCC staff divided students into groups, her trust in God’s care was immediately put to the test when two of the three girls she was most concerned about ended up in her group.

G

od cares about every detail of our lives.

His Word says, “Lord, you have examined my heart and know everything about me.

You know when I sit down or stand up. You know my thoughts even when I’m far away.

You see me when I travel and when I rest at home. You know everything I do. You know what I am going to say even before I say it, Lord. You go before me and follow me. You place your hand of blessing on my head.”

(Psalms 139:1-5 NLT) God even knew the reservations in a young lady’s heart as she headed out with her 7th grade classmates for a three-day adventure to Carolina Creek Christian Camp. Normally very reserved and to herself, leaving home to be surrounded by some of her outgoing and

Carolina Creek Christian Camp specializes in challenging campers to think and prosper “outside of the box.”

Sometimes this is done through words during teaching and devotions. Sometimes this is accomplished through activities that challenge your fears and encourage stepping out in faith. Amazingly, this can also be accomplished through a simple idea like functioning in a group of others who are not your usual circle of friends. When you combine these techniques with staff who love Jesus and love kids, the foundation is laid for God to show up and show off; and show off He did in this young girl’s life. Not only did the girls get along beautifully, but by the end of camp, they were even sharing clothes! A miracle indeed!

Often the circumstances we are most apprehensive about are the very experiences that lead to the most growth in our lives…even miracles. Like this young girl, may you trust that God knows you intimately and cares about every detail of your life. May you trust that He goes before you and behind you and that His hand of blessing is on your head.

W

estminster Christian Academy has over 1,000 graduates since its first commencement ceremony in 1989.

It is a priceless delight when our students come home from college and take the time to walk through our doors to thank a teacher or coach for pouring into their lives. Then, when they return as adults with children of their own to enroll in the very school that made such a difference in their lives, we are honored. But, when they return as a teacher or staff person to invest in the lives of future WCA students and families, we are blessed.

day. Mrs. Boudreaux and others coordinated meals and support. WCA families and students alike lifted her needs to the Father in prayer. All of this ministered to Brandy, but especially to her husband, who did not have the history with WCA that she did. He was amazed how invested in their lives everyone was…”truly a family.”

Mrs. Hardin cannot say enough about her students and the invigorating working environment with her partner teacher, Ms. Bonner. She reflects, “It was good for both of us to have each other. I tend to be more lighthearted and Ms. Bonner tends to be more grounded. Our differences complimented each other.”

The students picked up on their special relaIn 2005, Brandy Hardin walked the Westmintionship. Brandy recounts, “When they said, ster graduation stage as Brandy Strahan and ‘Your relationship is so funny.’ I would remind became a WCA Alumni. Her elementary them, ‘She’s known me my whole life.’” After years at the Lafayette campus included a tumultuous year full of highs and lows, joy wonderful memories of her principal, Mrs. and pain, she agrees with Proverbs 16:9, “We Brooks, her assistant principal, Mrs. Boucan make our plans, but the Lord determines dreaux, and her many teachers including Ms. our steps.”

Brown and Ms. Bonner. Her middle and high school years included the leadership of Mr. Thompson as her principal and ultimately as her superintendent. When she returned as a seasoned teacher to interview for a teaching position at WCA, it was surreal as she sat across the table from these very leaders who had impacted her life as a student.

Feeling some hesitation in moving from life as a public school teacher into the private sector, she walked into her WCA classroom for the first time and discovered a framed photo on her desk of Ms. Bonner and her from her WCA days. Realizing that she was returning “home” to her Westminster family brought comfort and joy as she began the new year as a 6th grade teacher on the Lafayette Campus.

Little did she know that God had truly gone before her to set her back in the family that had meant so much to her as a student, and would mean even more to her as an adult. She had a very difficult journey ahead of her. Not only did Brandy endure four surgeries, but she was hospitalized in November with sepsis.

Mrs. Hardin shares of the embrace of her WCA family during this difficult time. Ms. Bonner was at the hospital with her every

W

hen Claire Dejean first accepted the 3rd Grade teaching position on the Opelousas Campus, she was filled with a variety of emotions.

Excited and nervous about ending 20 years in public school and starting all over in a Christian school, the opportunity to be a teacher at WCA and to have her own children attend was the fulfillment of a long-time prayer. Although it was a fulfilled prayer of hers, her children were less than thrilled. In fact, she admits, “We had mostly tears.” The idea of private school led to uncertainty about more rules, no friends, and people who were not like them. Claire began to doubt her decision and started to feel guilty about taking the teaching job that she wanted so badly. It was heartbreaking for her to think that she would sacrifice her children’s joy on the altar of her dream.

As time passed, the children became very verbal about their newfound love for their school. Even her upper school children, who previously were begging to be home-schooled so they could get out of public school, no longer had the desire to be home-schooled. Westminster Christian Academy had become their new “home.”

Claire spoke of several God-story moments through simple discussions with her youngest child, a 3rd grade student. He would make comments like, “My favorite thing about this school is being able to talk about God all throughout our day, even spelling!” One of her favorites was, “Mom, don’t ever check me out of school for the doctor first thing in the morning, because I don’t want to miss Bible!”

that it belonged to his grandfather who had given it to his dad before the grandfather’s death.

That statement made it even more compelling to locate the knife for the boy.

As we were walking around the field, aimlessly in crisscrossed patterns, Tyler looked at me in the presence of two other boys and said, ‘Daddy, why don’t we pray to find his knife?’ I have tried to teach my children about being a Christian and about faith, but even I would have never thought about asking someone to stop and pray for such an unpretentious reason. In the presence of his peers and me, my son dropped to his knees and spoke a simple beautiful little prayer. As he ended his prayer with ‘Amen,’ got up and began the search again for the boy’s knife, we heard in the distance, ‘I found it!’ A proverbial needle would have been easier to find in this hay field of cut grass, yet miraculously the knife was found.

The biggest God-moment was revealed away from WCA, out in the “real world.” Claire’s husband, Larry, and son, Tyler, were on a campout at their church with the Royal Ambassadors, a missions discipleship organization for boys. Here is Larry’s account of the story…

I learned a lesson that night, an epiphany of sorts – that dropping to your knees to pray, no matter how small or insignificant you may think the predicament may be, can make anything happen.

I saw great faith in my son through that prayer.

Though he has a small body, inside resides the heart of a soldier of Christ. I hope and pray that his heart never waivers from the course that he is on in his walk with God.”

“One of the campers had brought a pocket knife to the campout like many of the other campers. In the process of running around the field and playing, the knife slipped from his pocket and was lost in the grass. It was already dark so I joined several boys with flashlights to search for the pocket knife. The young boy that lost it stated

Through this story, we see not just a child who studied for his Bible test or Bible memory verse, but a child who took away and applied what he has learned at WCA into the real world among his peers and adults. God is great and mighty even in the little things in our lives. Sometimes it takes the eyes of a child to remind us of this truth.

W

hen Lafayette Preschool music teacher Amanda Eaton, discovered she was pregnant for the second time, she didn’t rush off to the doctor right away. In fact, she waited until she was 12 weeks along because this was her second pregnancy and she “knew the drill.”

Amanda’s warm pregnancy glow turned to the heat of fear when the technician said there was fluid in the sack and in the baby’s body, meaning that the baby had a condition known as Hydrops. The technician went on to explain that this condition is 100% fatal. The baby had a strong heartbeat, but Amanda expected to miscarry at any time all the way up to 27 weeks.

Even though her doctor referred them to a specialist, the Eatons assumed that it could be a matter of only days before they would lose this precious gift.

After waiting four draining weeks, Amanda went to see a specialist who corrected the Hydrops

diagnosis with a diagnosis of Cystic hygroma.

There was fluid on the back of the baby’s neck. The specialist told the Eatons there was still a 50% chance that Amanda would miscarry if the fluid leaked out, or a probable chance of Down syndrome, or Turner’s syndrome if it were a girl. In the mind of the doctor, the next obvious step was to discover the sex of the baby and to conduct an amniocentesis. At this point, the Eatons declined the monthly check-up with the specialist, and chose instead to trust that God would keep both mom and baby safe!

Just as God reminds us in Isaiah, “My thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways,” Amanda could hear the voice of God telling her to “be still and know that I am God.” She remembers the difficulty of choosing not to proceed with the doctor’s recommendation of further testing, but trusting in God’s provision. She recounts, “We knew we were not to do anything, but as a mother it was so hard.”

The fear of miscarriage was laid to rest after week 26, but the prayers for God to intervene in the health of their precious baby continued to be lifted. Not only did the WCA family lift prayers, but churches, families and friends all over Louisiana, Pennsylvania and beyond prayed for God’s will. On March 3rd, a week before her due date, Reagan Estella Eaton was born – 8 pounds and 4 ounces, a perfect baby girl with no complications.

She didn’t even have to go to the NICU! This chapter in Reagan’s life was still not completely written as they awaited blood work to determine if she would be diagnosed with Turner’s syndrome.

During this time, Reagan’s life story was inextricably linked to Amanda’s story – not just because she was God’s gift growing inside of her mother, but because of another story that was unfolding at the same time. Not only were they concerned with the baby

forming in Amanda’s womb, but during the pregnancy doctors located a cyst growing on Amanda’s ovary. Surgery was out of the question because the pregnancy was so tenuous. The decision was made not to treat the cyst until after the baby was born. The cyst grew to over 10 pounds!

It was a malignant immature teratoma. Just as Reagan’s miracle was coming to fruition, a plea for Amanda’s own miracle was being lifted.

Amanda’s dependence upon Father God is evident in her words as she tells this story. She not only said, “Even in the valley God is good,” but added, “Never for a second did I doubt that God was in control. I just completely surrendered to my God. I absolutely believe in the power of prayer and know in my heart that if we had not prayed and pleaded with God, that Reagan’s outcome would have been different.”

So what is next for Reagan and Amanda? Amanda’s prayer for herself was once again linked to Reagan. Amanda asked God to show her that if Reagan was going to be okay, then she could claim that as her promise that she, too, would be okay. The first day of Amanda’s chemotherapy treatment came, and on the SAME day the doctors finally called with the results from Reagan’s blood test. Reagan Estella was 100% normal; there was no sign of Turner’s syndrome or any other issue.

Amanda now claims this same miraculous healing for her own body and even in her current trial reflects on how God may use her story to bring comfort to others.

As we lift praise to God for His miraculous healing of Reagan, please pray for Amanda’s healing as well. She leans on the truth that “His mercies are new every morning” and adds, “I don’t know how people do it without Him.” We do not know either, but we pray Amanda’s story will challenge and encourage you as God writes HIS story on your heart and through your life.

186 Westminster Drive Opelousas, LA 70570

Help WCA maintai n and improve hi gh quality learning supporting Gener opportunities by ations Annual Fund . These tax dedu the current studen ctible gifts impact t body as well as those generations areas you may co to come. Below ar nsider designatin e g your gifts.

• Generations A nnual Fund • Leave a Legacy /Planned Giving • Donation of a Gift-in-Kind (prope rty, automobiles, • Endowment Fu etc.) nds • Memorials/Hon orariums You may mail your donation to Westm inster Christian A Institutional Advan cademy, Attn: cement, 186 Wes tm inster Drive, Ope or log onto www.d lousas, LA 70570, onorsense.org an d view our donor through our affilia profile and donate tion with the Com munity Foundatio n of Acadiana.

Contact Us — www.wcala.org Opelousas Campus 186 Westminster Drive Opelousas, LA 70570 Phone: 337-948-8607 Fax: 337-948-8983

Opelousas Preschool 163 Westminster Drive Opelousas, LA 70570 Phone: 337-942-3288

Lafayette Campus 111 Goshen Lane Lafayette, LA 70508 Phone: 337-988-6489 Fax: 337-988-6340

Westminster Christian Academy admits students of any race, color, national and ethnic origin to all the rights, privileges, programs, and acivities generally accorded or made available to students of the organization. It does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national and ethnic origin in administration of its educational policies, admissions policies, scholarship programs, and other organization-administered programs.