Division II (Grades 9–12) Runner Ups

Second Place Winner
Third Place Winner

Second Place Winner: Maeve Donovan
Spreading Good News

In the world we live in today, the last thing you would expect to see as you walk down the street is someone preaching the Word of God. If you look a little bit closer though, you can see that there are some people preaching the Word of God through their actions. On every second Tuesday of the month, you can see a group of high school girls, working in the Community Food Share warehouse sorting, packaging, and distributing food. This is the Junior Guild. Besides working in the warehouse, as a group, we work with multiple charities tied to Community Food Share including Elder Share, Community Table, Crop Walk for Hunger, and Spring Fest. By participating in an organization that serves the Boulder, Broomfield, and Longmont counties, I am able to see how just a little help can affect so many people. My actions of giving back have a ripple effect on such a large scale that it amazes me that more people don’t take time out of their schedules, just once in a while, to help others. Gandhi once said, “The best way to find yourself is to lose yourself in the service of others.” This has become not only our motto, but the driving force behind all that we do. All the work we do is not for self gratification, but in order to better our community and consequently ourselves. Although the way we spread the Good News of God may not be evident on the surface, the proof is evident in the many lives we touch. Jesus told us to serve our fellow brothers and sisters. Not only this, but he told us that we must treat everyone in the way that we wish to be treated. One of the programs within Community Food Share gives families an opportunity to shop for their families in a grocery-type store at the warehouse. This not only provides them with the nourishment for their family for a whole week, it also provides the family with a sense of dignity. Since we are supposed to treat people as we would like to be treated, try looking at the whole situation from the family’s viewpoint. I know if I were poor and needed food, the last place I would want to be seen is on the doorstep of a church food bank. By supplying a place to buy groceries, just like at a market, the already hard situation is brightened, if only just a little bit. Working with Community Food Share has allowed me to see the troubles faced by people of all different backgrounds. Because of the great diversity of people helped, a great diverse group of people too are able to receive the Word of God through my actions. Although the Junior Guild stays connected and organized electronically, the work that we do is not through electronics but through the heart.

Maeve Donovan a 10th grader at Holy Family High School in Broomfield, Colo., wins the second-place award of $300 in Division II.

Third Place Winner: Candy Suh
Twin Disciples

In Matthew 28:20, Jesus commands his disciples, by saying, “Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you.” Clearly, Jesus Christ told us to go out to all nations and spread the Gospel of God. Thus, our mission to lead our lives as believers is to tell the Good News and teachings of God to those who do not know Jesus. In the old era, it was hard to spread the new message from one village to another because there was no telephone, Internet, or Facebook. However, nowadays, the advent of new technology makes it much easier to spread God’s words to others, and many people use instant messaging or digital social networking for this purpose. My friends, Jinju and Jinni, are those who go out into the world and spread the Gospel of God to others.

Jinju and Jinni are twins. When I lived in Seoul, South Korea, they were my best friends. They always inspired me in many ways. They lost their father at an early age and lived with only their mom, but I even did not realize that fact for six months after I knew them because they were so bright and had a positive mindset. They always smiled at teachers, friends, and other people and did their best at their schoolwork. As I got to know them better, their warm encouragement always helped me and cheered me up.

I usually go to their blog through the Internet to just leave a message or see their pictures. However, their blog is totally different from other teenagers’ Facebook homepage. Everyday, they update a verse from the Bible that they like and put the reflection on the sermon that they listened to on Sunday. Also, last summer, they went to church missionary activities and uploaded all pictures and their comments on them. That is why I always like to go to their blog because it inspires me to live like them. Whenever I go to their blog, I see the daily verse they put on their main page. One day, when I was so tired with schoolwork and final exams, I saw the verse, “be strong and of good courage for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.” That verse on their blog really hit me at that moment. It encouraged me and reminded me of God, who is always present with me. Not only me but also my other friends visit Jinju and Jinni’s blog and got inspiration. I feel that even though Jinju and Jinni actually do not go out to the whole world in order to spread the Good News of God, through the Internet and their blog, they are actually telling, spreading, and inspiring other people. The Great Commission we have as long as we live is to go out and spread the Gospel of God to others. As teenagers, it seems to be impossible to travel the whole world in order to teach God’s message but in the age of digital social networking, we also can convey the Good News to others who do not know Jesus. My friends’ Jinju and Jinni’s web blog sets the example for this. Their bright minds and their faithful belief in God is revealed through the Internet, and they actually help others to understand God. As Jesus commanded us, I remind myself that I need to be more active to spread the Good News and be an inspiration to those who do not know this good message.

Candy Suh, a 12th grader at Roanoke Catholic School in Roanoke, Va., wins the third-place prize of $150 for Division II.