When I was in elementary school my parents got divorced. It was really hard because I was so young. I didn’t understand what was going on.

After their divorce, I would go to church on Sunday mornings out of obligation, not because I wanted to. I wouldn’t pay attention in class on Sunday mornings and I continued to do that through some of middle school. I never really felt a connection until the summer of 2019 when I went to AYC. It was the best week of my life and I really connected with God that week. When I came home, I started growing in my faith in God. Our relationship became even stronger and I desired to make Him my number one priority.

When the pandemic hit, it was hard at first because everything was online. In October I tested positive for COVID-19 and I pulled away from God during that time. I was the only one in my family to have it, so I was isolated in my room for 10 days. The only way I could see my family’s faces was via FaceTime and that took a toll on my mental health. When I got out of isolation I was distant with God for a while, frustrated that He let me go through that and didn’t care for my relationship with Him.

But as I started attending youth group on Wednesday nights and began my Junior Internship through the Quarry Internship program at Cornerstone, I’ve watched as my relationship with God has grown stronger every day.
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​Kendall Brown