Jordyn lives in Denver with her parents and younger brother. She is a typical high school sophomore: She likes hanging out with her friends, listening to music and reading fiction books. Her favorite activities include choir, musical theater, and listening to vinyl. 

Jordyn has been involved in The Salvation Army her entire life. She likes that the main focus of the Army is to love people and to help those who are experiencing difficulties. During the year, she participates in divisional chorus and drama and helps her parents at the corps (church) whenever it’s needed. Teen night at her local corps is one of her favorite activities. She has worked at summer camp in Washington state for the last two summers and loved it. Being a camp counselor in training was her favorite job because she got to spend her days hanging out with kids and singing camp songs with them.

At the end of last summer, Jordyn had a really difficult time at camp. In her relationship with God, she was reminded to stay focused on Him and spend her time showing His love to the kids at camp. She recalls, “Those last couple of weeks, I was struggling. But God provided me good friends who helped me to see that I needed to trust in Him and follow His way.” 

Romans 8:35 was especially helpful during that time. “It talks about how nothing can separate you from the love of God. It’s really comforting to know that no matter how much I mess up or what happens, that God will always love me and nothing can stop that. I know that God is always there for me, even when I feel alone. And that is really empowering.”

Jordyn says that her biggest spiritual influence is her mom. “She’s always been there for me and shows me every day what it is like to live a life devoted to God. Being a Christian doesn’t mean you just go to church. You have to show God through your actions and show other people what it means to be a Christian through your own actions.” 

For Jordyn, it’s all about the message of love. “God wants us to love others and be kind to them. God is always there for us and loves us just the way we are. No matter what happens, you can always turn to Him, and He will still be there loving you.”

Interested in sharing your story for Peer Magazine? Visit peermag.org/contribute for more information.