About to enter PJ’s Coffee House Monday morning, a young lady stopped me and asked if I ever spoke in schools. I acknowledged I did, and she said, “I remember you talking at my school years ago.” “What school was that?” I asked. “Destrehan Junior High,” she answered. I then asked her name, and she replied with a smile, “Latinya Darensbourg.” Without hesitating, she said, “God, I can’t believe you’re still living!” With that I suggested we go into PJ’s and visit.

I found out that Latinya will be 39 years old this Wednesday, Jan. 11. She shared that she graduated from Destrehan High School in 1991. We figured out that it was in 1987 when she heard me speak at her school.

“I can’t believe you still remember me,” I said. “I’ll never forget, because you were the only speaker who spoke about God, and that inspired me.”

She admitted to having ups and downs in her life over the years but that today she’s a Christian and doing well.

In our unexpected meeting, I found out that she has three sons. One of her sons, J’Karlyn, 18, has been in remission for the past five years from acute leukemia. He spent six months at St. Jude’s Hospital and is truly a miracle from God. She added that of the nine children in the hospital with the same diagnosis as her son, he was the only one who survived.

Her other two sons, of whom she spoke proudly, are Ja’Rion, 15, and Jeremiah, 8.

I asked her what her plans were for the future. “I’m taking some college courses in criminal justice and one day would like to work in the sheriff’s department,” she said.

Before we departed, I thanked her for the encouragement, and we prayed for God’s protection on her family and wisdom in all of her future decisions.

I thank God for His ministry of Get High on Life that enables me to meet such people as Latinya.

If you have any questions or comments, please write to Get High on Life, P.O. Drawer U, Reserve, LA 70084, call 985-652-8477, or email hkeller@comcast.net.