Kristen Vise, a very bright and very charming young lady, was born and reared in Jackson. She is the daughter of Susan Vise.

Kristen is a recent honor graduate of Jackson Academy. As a student, she distinguished herself as a competitive athlete and a credible soccer star, winning honors for the school on numerous playing fields.

Because of her academic and extracurricular credentials, she will soon be matriculating in the Honors College at the University of Mississippi. I want to be the first to notify Ole Miss officials that Kristen will be a perfect candidate for Phi Beta Kappa, an honorary society of U.S. college students with high scholastic rank n founded in 1776 at William and Mary.

She has brought honors to herself and is an all American young lady. Her honors are outstanding and worthy of praise, but above all and beyond the fame, she is a dedicated, godly Christian.

In Ecclesiastes 3:11, Solomon succinctly says that each of us has a hole in our heart. I quickly point out the hole in Kristen’s heart is filled only with the love of God.

She recently returned from Zambia n in South Africa, formerly a British protectorate of Northern Rhodesia. Kristen was a member of Teen Mission International, an evangelistic thrust to go and to tell others about the “Good News,” n the gospel of Christ. In Romans 1:6, Paul states, “For I am not ashamed of the gospel….” The letter of Paul to the Romans was written in Corinth and clearly states the power of the gospel of God n that the gospel is central and what the gospel is.

Kristen is known for her ebullience and no doubt this eight weeks experience has been one of the most satisfying highlights of her young life.

God speaks to all a little differently, hoping we will tell each other.

William Cary, a noted foreign missionary said,

“Attempt great things for God.

Expect great things from God.”

Kristen has been very active at Riverwood Bible Church, on Old Canton Road, attempting great things for God.

After teaming up with Teen Mission International, she spent two weeks in ‘Boot Camp’ in Florida, prior to her missionary journey. She was put through the rigors of physical training to be sure of her commitment to the many challenges while in Zambia.

After completing ‘Boot Camp,’ she had a very long plane ride from Florida to Zambia. Her plane left Orlando, stopping briefly in Chicago and London. Her first glimpse of Africa was at the airport in Nairobi, the Capital of Kenya. Her last leg was at Lusaka, Zambia.

Her mission was to go to the ‘bush’ and to visit orphans and widows n and to show the people the love of God. Kristen lived in tents and dressed in a wrap skirt to blend in with the indigenous population. She remembers how cool it was at night and somewhat pleasant during the day. Her experiences in Zambia will remain for a lifetime.

She is home preparing to leave in mid-August for Ole Miss. My prayer and hope are that God will hold her in the palm of His hand.

God is not so concerned with the exact words of our prayer as He is with the attitude of our heart.

Walter Redden is a Northsider.