The person that made the most impact on my life would be my mother. She knew attending church and being in fellowship was important in her life. So she instilled that in my life, even when I did not want to get out of bed on Sunday mornings. It was a small country church, but was instrumental in my becoming what I am now.
-Nita Endsley
I saw first hand how God uses people to accomplish his plan. The son of the youth pastor at our church in Chicago was my BFF (before BFF was a term), so I spent a lot of time in their home. Art was someone who believed in "hiding God's Word" in our heart. He could recite whole books of the Bible. He developed the AWANA Youth Association which was a program churches used to reach young people for Christ. In my teens, I was a worker at the AWANA summer camp and worked under Art's supervision. In later years, we were able to reconnect, and I found his advice always point on. His example of study and memorization of God's Word set me on the right path!