Making Strides – a teen shares her views on standing strong for what she believes

Don’t give up on the youth!  There’s still quite a few of them standing firm.  Meet one young lady.
Being Bold
I am a junior in high school in Springfield Missouri. I have yet to be fully taught about the idea of human evolution, or evolution at all, in a science class. However, I have not escaped its grasp in the education world. In my biology class freshman year, we lightly touched the subject. Same thing happened in my science class in seventh grade. The most I have ever heard about evolution is in my psychology class. The idea of human evolution is still there and it is still taught but, it’s moving outside the biology class.
For the past several weeks, I have begun work on a paper called the Extended Essay. I am a student of IB program. IB stands for International Baccalaureate Program. It’s a program for students who are intelligent, willing to work hard, ask questions and are critical thinkers. It is a program that is in several schools worldwide. A core part of the program is the Extended Essay. This is a four thousand word essay that is written in about a two year period on a topic of our choice. My topic is human evolution.
As the school year started, I honestly had no idea what to choose as my topic. Family and friends gave me ideas but nothing was striking me. The idea of writing a paper on human evolution came to me suddenly and it haunted my head for many days. I prayed and asked God if this is what He wanted me to write on. He has answered that prayer with a yes. My family and church family have supported my idea after I told them about it. As it got closer to the time to begin working, I prayed for guidance and wisdom. God has certainly answered, and is answering, my prayers. I was able to find a mentor who is willing to me guide through the process of writing this essay. I been able to find information that I need and God is opening doors of support.
As of now, I’m looking for sources. Already I have been able to find about fix or six but more will be needed. God will certainly provide. God has also provided doors for me to talk to people. My topic has created a stir among not only students, but teachers as well. My TOK (Theory of Knowledge) teacher has asked me questions about my topic. The question I have gotten the most is the “how” question. “How do I plan on doing this?” My answer to this question is simply this; I will examine the evidence that they claim that supports the idea of human evolution, put away my preconceived notions, and follow the evidence to its logical, testable conclusions. From there, many nod their head and continue on with their day but, their eyes show the curiosity inside of them. All I can do is pray and ask that God would open their minds, hearts and eyes and that He would give me wisdom to answer their questions.
My desire is to tell and show the truth which is this; that we were created the way God said we were in Genesis and that human evolution is a lie. It makes me sorrowful to see both Christians and non believers falling for the lie. However, not everyone will accept the truth like it describes in the Scriptures but, as long as I know the truth, which is that the Bible is God’s word, it is true, and it’s accurate, I will live in boldness.
God Bless,
MT