Jeff

I love Jeff so, so much. He has made such a large impact on my way of life that it's not something that I'll just recognize and move on, but something that I think about every day and will continue to think about every day. I still remember the first time we met. I remember him teaching me how to swing dance, and how good at it he was! I remember him being one of the few guys I knew that could carry a substantial conversation with ease and make me smile without even trying.

I remember when the next summer at EFY when I met Ryan who was in place for Jeff because it was a few months after Jeff had found out about his bone cancer and couldn't make it because of treatment. "Hey! I'm Lauren one of Jeff's friends, we're pretty close."

"I know. You're the swiss girl!"

The way Jeff has handled everything blows my mind. From talking to him the whole way I've learned more from him than I have from anyone in such a short time slot. . He has gone through more than a lot of people have to go through in the their whole lives, as a 16 year old.

I've learned so much from Jeff. I have seen a change in myself already in the sense that I've recognized the petty, stupid little things in life don't matter. We shouldn't take time to worry about things that aren't our top priorities in life. You never know what life is going to throw at you, and you never know how long you have at any given point in time. I've learned to take advantage of the people, places and experiences we have because that's what makes our life meaningful.

Jeff's unconditional love for everyone makes me want to be a better person. I remember watching him ask girls to dance who no one had asked and were left by themselves. Not just once but multiple times. Everyone is fighting a hard battle, so I've learned from him to take the chances to make everyone's battle-no matter what it may be- a little easier.

Probably one of the greatest things was when him and Ryan unexpectedly came to my surprise party. He came straight from an MRI scan having to leave super early the next day. Can you ask for a better friend?

When I found out about the situation, I remember my friends that didn't know Jeff (all around the world from Japan to Switzerland to South Africa) were praying for him. When he had his surgery to amputate his arm, my whole family and I were fasting, and I even had close friends who fasted with me. There we so, so many people all across the earth doing whatever they could for Jeff. Faith precedes the miracle, and already we've seen so many miracles.

He'll never understand how much I love him and what he does for me every day. He'll never understand how many people he's impacted and the lives he's changed forever. He is such a great example to me, and I will be eternally grateful for that. His love and faith gives me hope.