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More Than Just Math
In 1996 I left Cedar Rapids, Ia to become a middle school teacher in Baltimore, MD. I got the surprise of my life. I ran into to group of kids who had little to be excited about and lacked hope. I met young men that made drugs, money, and fighting a way of life and a matter of survival.
Despite the despair it was one of the most rewarding experiences of my life. Through teaching world studies and coaching basketball I saw kids who had much to fear find more to smile about. The eyes of their understanding had been opened, they started to learn and were excited about it.
Amidst the joy, success, and transformation I was still limited by my profession. What these kids really needed was Jesus. They needed to know that Mr. Coty loved them and more substantially that the God of the universe had a plan for their life; one that doesn't include disaster. But because of the separation of church and state I couldn't do that.
I couldn't introduce kids to Jesus Christ and help them grow in their faith. Then I was introduced to the ministry of Young Life. Young Life changed my life. It provided access to tools I didn't know existed and to the ministry God had planned. It helped me bypass separation of church and state, allowing me to provide opportunities to assist reconciliation to Jesus Christ. Now, for the past 10 years, I've been working full-time for Young Life.
As a teacher with a passion to see kids meet Christ, there's no better way to give yourselves away. You can teach more than curriculum, you can teach Christ.
Paul H. Coty III
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