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Young Woman Lights the Way at Christmas
CHICAGO, IL (December 24, 2002) - The Department of Communication of the
Evangelical Covenant Church (ECC) receives more than 200 local church
newsletters each month, some of them containing interesting stories of
God's work through people associated with local congregations.
An associate pastor of Good Samaritan Community Covenant Church in Valley
Springs, California, recently wrote about one young person he met at a
church he previously served. In 1993, the girl convinced the City Council
of Eureka, California, to put lights on the city's water tower one
Christmas season. Here is the associate pastor's version of the story and
an update on the young woman today.
By Lon Johnson
When Angela Younger was 10 years old she wanted to do something special.
She wasn't sure what that special something would be, but she knew when she
wanted it to be. You see, Angela loved Christmas and she wanted the whole
city to know how special Christmas is.
The thing you need to know about Angela is that she wasn't sure how many
Christmases she would live to enjoy. She has a rare disease (Blue Rubber
Bleb Nevus Syndrome) that causes her body to overproduce blood vessels on
one side of the body, thus minimizing the amount of blood flowing through
her system to her vital organs and brain. It depletes them of necessary
oxygen and nourishment, while leaving far too long the harmful waste of
carbon dioxide.
Angela had a great measure of faith given to her. Twice each year she went
to a specialist who would surgically remove the excess blood vessels from
her body. She would thank the church for praying for her family and ask her
friends to especially pray for her mom and dad who had a hard time with
these surgeries. Angela had a very difficult surgery in the spring of 1994
as her kidneys shut down and she had to go on dialysis for a short time.
By then, however, Angela had a purpose for living - a few months earlier
she had taken on a project that had lit up the entire town. Angela had made
a decision to show Eureka, California, how special Christmas is and how
much it means to the world.
Angela petitioned the City Council to put up Christmas lights on the city's
water tower, the tallest structure in Eureka. Once she gained permission to
put up the lights (from the owner of the tower), the City Council granted a
permit for the lights to shine from December 1 to 29. Angela was able to
raise $2,000 for one-time electrical installation fees, thanks to the
generosity of local businesses and individuals. Then Angela, her dad
(Kevin), mom (Rebecca), brother (Jay) and sister (Jennifer), along with a
few volunteers, set to work on ideas for the lights and getting the
equipment they would need. They also considered light designs and colors
and prayed for one month about how to "light up Eureka for Christmas."
By Thanksgiving, Angela's work was getting noticed with an article in the
Eureka Times-Standard. And on December 1, 1993, with a large crowd
and (local television) news cameras on hand, Angela plugged in the lights
and the south end of Eureka witnessed a darkened water tower become (at
least in physical appearance) a crown of light.
"Jesus came into the world on Christmas, a King, without any celebration,"
Angela said during the ceremony. "Today, I want the world to see and know
that God so loved the world He gave his only son, and these simple lights
remind us that He is the King of Kings."
(Editor's note: The city of Eureka doesn't light the water tower
anymore, but the miracle in Angela's life continues. She is now 19 years
old, a sophomore marketing major at Bentley College in Waltham,
Massachusetts (accompanying photo shows Angela with Lon Johnson). Her
mother calls Angie's faith "an awesome thing." In another miraculous twist,
the doctor who worked with Angela during her childhood took a job in
Massachusetts. He lives near the college Angela attends and operates on
Angela's left side two or three times annually to keep her alive. Angela
thanks God for every day she has, reminding all who know her that in all
circumstances - and especially at Christmas - "the King has come into the
world."
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