The Brother I didn't Know I needed

by Allen Samuels

I will be completely honest from the beginning. When I heard that I’d be getting a mentor as part of the Peninsula Fellows program, my first thoughts were “I don’t need a mentor! What’re they going to do for me?” In my defense, I’d just gotten out of college, I liked being independent, and the last time I’d signed up for a mentorship program they didn’t do a thing for me. Even though I was starting to realize that God was calling me to change and become the person he had called me to be, I was still hesitant about opening myself up to others. I honestly thought that it would be a waste of my time.

Fortunately, God has a habit of proving us wrong.

When Peter and I first met, we were two weeks into the program and I’d already experienced God’s work in transforming my life during the first week-long retreat. All the same, I was still nervous about meeting this stranger. What would he ask me? What would I talk about? Apparently, my life story. Over the course of a delicious Asian meal and the car rides before and after, I laid out to Peter the good, the bad, and the ugly. I’d known him for less than an hour. 
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If you were expecting a happy ending to this, you won’t be disappointed. Peter took what he’d been handed and went at his job with gusto. By the end of our first meeting, I knew I had made not only a new friend, but a brother in Christ. Since then, he has been amazing. We meet at least once a week, and I can give him a call or text whenever anything comes up. Ever since I first felt a calling to participate in Peninsula Fellows, I have experienced one blessing after another. I won’t lie and say that everything these past few months have been perfect, but I can always count on getting help and advice from my mentor, and for that I’m truly grateful.

About the Author​

Allen is a Graduate of the University of South Florida with a Bachelors in Technical Writing. He is working this year at Genex Systems as a proposal writer. In his free time, Allen enjoys enjoying nature and reading books.

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