I've learned over the course of my journey that some detours and delays are divine. When I started my Master of Divinity program in the Fall of 2017 I didn't know what to expect. I knew that I wanted to know more about God and learn what I needed to pursue His calling on my life, but I didn't anticipate a three-year hiatus in the midst of the pursuit of my degree. At the end of 2020, I had completed my second year of school, started my second year of teaching in the midst of the global pandemic, and accrued an $8k bill with my school. I was stretched beyond my mental, emotional, and financial capacity and decided to move off campus to alleviate some of the strain from being both a teacher and student during that time. What I didn't know then was that decision would lead me on a three-year journey of faith. The outstanding bill I had with my school loomed over my head like a dark cloud. Now that I was off campus and paying rent the money I had was now being funneled to my living expenses leaving very little left over to pay down my enormous bill. My teaching salary was enough to pay the bills but I was stretched beyond my limits and I felt weighted down by this financial burden. So, I prayed. I remembered what my dad told me about bringing my bills before the Lord. Every time my school sent a bill to the house, I brought it before the Lord. My prayer went a little something like this, "Lord, you know that I don't have the funds to pay this bill. I want to go back to school. I need you to pay it." I put the bill on my "Cast Your Cares" Wall in my apartment. It's the place where I put the things that are bothering me. It's based on 1 Peter 5:7 which says to cast your cares(anxieties) on the Lord because he cares for us. And I left it there. Every time they would send a bill I would pray the same prayer and go about my business. I continued like that for almost 3 years. Then, one day in December of 2022 I received an email saying that they were going to send my bill to collections if I didn't respond to them. It felt like the situation had somehow gotten worse after all that praying. I sent them an email in response to let them know what my situation was and then I didn't hear from them again until April of this year. They reached out to let me know that my bill had been paid in full by a grant they found. I was finally able to return to school for the first time in almost 3 years. God had answered me in a big way all the while building my faith in His ability to do what was seemingly impossible. On August 28th, I will be returning to my program to complete my last year of seminary. Over the last three years, I've learned the power of persistence in prayer. You may not get to choose when or how God will answer but you can believe with your whole heart that God will answer. My faith has been strengthened by God's faithfulness. Now that my previous bill is settled this scholarship would help me to fund my return to school this semester and would go towards tuition and books.