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Someone Who Will Never Leave

Kaitlyn Kemppainen’s mom and dad divorced when she was three, and although her dad had primary custody, she and her mom were best friends. “We were really close and she was the one I could always talk to about everything.” But three years ago, when Kaitlyn was a freshman in high school, her mom walked out of her life.

“I got up one day and found out she’d left me with no explanation.” Her mom had moved out of state with a boyfriend and Kaitlyn’s older brother. Although Kaitlyn knew drugs and other issues were involved, she was heartbroken that her mom didn’t say goodbye or give her any explanation. She hasn’t heard from her since.

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“I felt so empty and there was a huge hole in my chest. Having my mom ripped out of my life like that was so hard because I thought parents were supposed to show you unconditional love.”

The summer after her mom left, she was invited to a Christian summer camp. “That’s when Christ opened my eyes to a relationship with Him. I realized He is the only one who can fill that hole in my heart. No one on earth can do that but Him. I knew I needed to accept God’s love into my heart and receive Jesus as my Savior.”

With her dad’s support, Kaitlyn started attending a small local church on her own, but because she didn’t come from a Christian home, she struggled with living out her faith in daily life. In August 2013, the beginning of her junior year, her best friend at Horizon High School invited her to the Back-to-School Bash at Scottsdale Bible. She returned the following Sunday and has been attending ever since.

“Although Scottsdale Bible is a large church, I found incredible community here. I saw people making friends and finding families they could go to. I knew I wanted to be a part of it.”

She was especially moved at a high school baptism service last fall. “Kids were giving their lives to Christ, and it was so beautiful and powerful to watch. I had never seen people so genuine and intentional about starting a new life in Christ.”

CostaRicaThis past summer, Kaitlyn went on a Scottsdale Bible mission trip to Costa Rica. “It was such an incredible, life changing time for me.” The most memorable moment was sharing her testimony at a youth event the first night in Costa Rica. Student Pastor Kevin Yule had been encouraging her for months, but she was hesitant to share at high school youth group.

“I was so nervous and tried to have a plan for what I was going to say, but the Holy Spirit took over and I shared my testimony with the Costa Ricans in a way I had never done before. It wasn’t about what had happened to me in my past, but about the changes God had made in my heart and life since I gave my life to Christ. It was incredible and I didn’t know I had it in me or that it was God’s plan for me.”

CostaRica2Her testimony was translated to 50 kids, ages 13 to 18. “I told them there is someone who loves me unconditionally, who is always going to listen, and who is never going to leave me—and that Someone is God. There is nothing I can do to change what happened, but I can accept it and forgive my mother for what she did instead of being bitter and hateful toward her. I believe she had to leave for my eyes to be opened to God.”

Kaitlyn was unaware that many girls in Costa Rica have mothers who leave and fathers who are either physically absent or abusive. “Sharing my story with these girls and knowing they could relate and get something out of it was incredible. I don’t change lives, God does, and in Costa Rica, I could see Him do that. He is real and He clearly wants to change this broken world.”

KevinSince returning from Costa Rica, Kaitlyn is passionate about reaching her friends. “I know I have a knowledge that so many people crave and they don’t even know it. I don’t hold back—I share my experiences and talk about God with my friends because that’s who I am. I can’t always answer their questions, but I show them Jesus in how I live and the choices I make. I hope they can see God in me.”

Kaitlyn still struggles with not having a mom in her life. “It’s hard for me to watch my friends take their parents for granted and become frustrated when their parents get involved in their lives. But it gives me an opportunity to remind my friends how much they should be grateful. I know I took it for granted—you don’t know what you have until you lose it.”

As she shares her story with others, God has worked in her heart to forgive her mother. “I was dead set in the past that I never wanted to talk to my mom. But I recently read 1 Corinthians 5:12, that says we can’t hold nonbelievers to the same standard as believers. So I can’t be mad at my mom for her decisions or hold her accountable. I am willing to forgive her if she ever comes back.”

Kaitlyn now knows God is the only one who will never let her down and who loves her unconditionally. “I think everyone feels alone sometimes in what they’ve gone through. But the truth is, we’re not alone. So many people have suffered and overcome the same things I have.” Seeing her mom leave was the hardest thing in her life, but Kaitlyn says, “I wouldn’t take it back. I don’t think I would be a Christian if my mom was still in my life.”

Kaitlyn plans to attend college next fall and is considering a possible future in youth ministry.

To learn more about Student Ministry at Scottsdale Bible, click here.