GT Testimony Tuesday | feat. Cape Merrell
Over the last year we have been celebrating 10 years of Girl Talk Ministries! In February 2013, the vision was born and in May 2013, Girl Talk as we know it, little did we know, began. It has been amazing to look back on so much of what God has done and we really did not even get to touch the surface through our Where Am I Now? series of all the amazing ways the Lord has used Girl Talk in the lives of the girls who have been with us from the beginning. Going into our second decade, we want to also share with you testimonies and stories from our girls who are serving with us now and seeing God move in their lives through Girl Talk Ministries. We will call these GT Testimony Tuesdays! As we launch our new website, we could not be more excited to introduce you to one of our rockstar interns!! First up, Cape Merrell, from Andalusia, Alabama!
Girl Talk started in Andalusia at the beginning of 2020! Cape was in 9th grade with an older sister and a younger sister. Today, Cape is a senior and will be graduating in May 2024 from Andaluisa High School! She has two really great options for where she will go to college and we cannot wait to see where the Lord leads her!! Cape, we are so proud of her and we are so thankful for how you continue to pour out your precious heart through Girl Talk Ministries! We love you!
Girl Talk (GT): Cape, we are so excited to hear about how the Lord has been working in your life over these past four years of knowing you, watching you grow and having you lead with us! Let’s start with your testimony with Jesus! When did you first begin to understand Who Jesus is?
Cape (CM): I have always been taught about Jesus, but I can vividly remember a revival when I was about 8. The words started to make sense and I began to understand the importance of salvation!
GT: That is so incredible! It really reminds us how important our words, and also our actions, are to the little eyes and ears around us. They really are watching, listening and paying attention. You have an amazing family and we have loved seeing how the Lord has continued to use each of you for His Kingdom. How have you seen the understanding of Jesus change your family?
CM: My family has always been centered around Jesus and the most important thing I have learned from that is keeping Jesus the center at all times. Through highs and lows, my parents have taught us to never take our eyes off Jesus.
GT: We have seen the ripple effects of the way your parents have enstilled that truth in your life and we are so thankful for the ways you have poured that out in your friends’ lives and the lives of younger girls through Girl Talk.
How are you are serving with Girl Talk now and how has that impacted your life and relationship with Jesus?
CM: I lead a group of ninth graders that has grown into an amazing friend group. They have begun to hold me accountable in my walk with God. Originally I thought they would be learning from me, but it is definitely the other way around.
GT: We are so thankful for the way you lead the girls and we have seen how much they adore you and look up to you. They are learning just as much from you and we are so thankful for the friendships the Lord has formed that will continue to grow your walks with God together. What has been the biggest thing God has done through your relationship with Jesus through Girl Talk?
CM: My relationship with Him has become more consistent. There have been times where it was very off and on, but through Girl Talk I have become more consistent.
GT: Consistency is something we all have to find the rhythm for in this life and culture that tells us the busier we are, the more important we are. When really, the most important thing in life is our relationship with Christ. Then He fills in every thing else from that. Consistency is an overflow that puts our lives in the order in which God truly created us to live.
GT: In addition to consistency in your relationship with Him, how has being a part of Girl Talk impacted your life? And how have you seen Girl Talk impact your family?
CM: Girl Talk has given me an opportunity to make so many new friends, and through these friendships, I have met people that will hold me accountable in my faith! My family has had the opportunity to open up our home and minister to many young girls, and just show the light of Jesus!
GT: You hit on some of our favorite things about Girl Talk. Growing closer to Jesus as we grow closer together being number one. And we love having moms and families involved in hosting and being a part of what we do because of exactly what you said. It not only gives families opportunities to be a part of Girl Talk, but so many girls are able to see homes, parents and families who are serving the Lord which many might not see in their own homes. We are so thankful for the light you and your family are for Jesus and how that has impacted Girl Talk and the girls who are part of Girl Talk.
We all, no matter the home and family we grew up in, have struggles we face every day. One thing the enemy wants us to believe is that we are alone in our struggle and that everyone has it better and easier than us. Having come to know Jesus so early being surrounded by such strong parents and growing up in a Christ-honoring home, what were the struggles you face in middle school and struggles you face in high school, even as a Christian?
CM: In middle school, I struggled to figure out what I considered wrong and right. Each person grows up at a different rate so I had friends acting like they were grown and others still playing with dolls. I had to figure out what was best for me and act according to what I believed in.
In high school, I have struggled with not being everyone’s best friend but being kind to everyone. I had to learn I didn’t have to be best friends with everyone, but I could still be kind to them!
GT: We can definitely attest to those being such a common struggles for all of us as girls and something we all have to walk through and learn. What breakthroughs and victories you have seen as you have taken those struggles to the Lord? And how long did it take to see them?
I would say after deciding I knew what I had to do and putting my mind to it, and then the breakthroughs came easily! The victories I have seen are so many friendships formed based on faith!
GT: We are so thankful for the Promise and Truth of God that when we seek Him with all our heart, we will find Him and He promises to supply all our needs and give us the desires of our heart when we delight in Him. How have you seen God work in your life? And how is He using you now?
CM: God has always provided me with answers in seasons of doubt. It has given me so much peace. Sometimes I feel like I am not sure how God is using me right now, but I know as long as I put Him first and serve Him, I will be used exactly as He wants me to be. I am looking forward to how God can use me in college!
GT: We are so excited to see how the Lord is going to continue using you in college and all He has for you! With 11 years of Girl Talk behind us and so so many more decades ahead, one of our favorite aspects of Girl Talk is seeing the Lord prepare girls for and send them to college and being a part of their lives as they grow with Him there. Girl Talk never really “ends” and really so much is learned and discovered in college that Girl Talk becomes such a real space for honesty and conversation from all we unpacked with girls in middle school and high school. Are there any ways you feel that Jesus has prepared you for college through Girl Talk?
CM: Girl Talk has given me a sense of peace about where I will go. I have been worried about if I will make the right decision, but through Girl Talk I have learned to give it all to God and trust Him!
GT: What a sweet gift the Lord gives us in His Peace. If one thing comes from Girl Talk, knowing you can give it all to God and trust Him might just be what we would pick. True freedom comes when we know He really is not only our source of peace, but He is our source of comfort, provision and order in all that He has entrusted us and called us to be and do and walk out in this life with Him. Cape, we are so proud of you! We are so thankful for your life! We are so thankful you are a part, a big part of Girl Talk Ministries, and we are so thankful for the life change Jesus has been and is continuing to be in your life, how He is using you and your family through Girl Talk and all He has for you in the more to come. Thank you for sharing your heart with us! We love you!
Are you a girl? Do you know other girls — your age or younger? While we are all gifted and called differently, we are all called to lead, if you would like more information about leading a Girl Talk small group in your city, visit our Start Girl Talk in Your City! page. If you are a mom, we would love to come alongside you and your girl to build your relationship with Jesus together and with each other while building Christ-like community with the girls and moms around you! Get In Touch With Us for more details and we cannot wait to connect with you! Read more about Girl Talk Ministries on our main page. We would love for you to follow us on Facebook and Instagram and share with your friends!
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