Dear best friend,

There aren't enough words in the English language to express how much you've changed my life. Our friendship is something so sacred that only you, I, and God can understand it.

I will admit, from the moment we met at church I thought you hated me. I was the loud, outgoing girl who was friends with everyone. You were the complete opposite. Very quiet and reserved, you never let anybody in which intrigued me and made me want to be your friend even more.

Little did I know, the girl I was trying to befriend was going through a whirlwind of different obstacles. She was scared but I didn't mind. Underneath all of that fear was a beautiful girl who needed love. God just kept telling me to love on her.

Fast forward to later that summer of 2015 when we had our first local mission trip that week. The following Sunday, we had the youth band play for morning service. They told all of us to get up and dance along to the music. Everyone did, except for you. After I noticed I immediately went to your pew where you and your family sat and grabbed your hand, pulling you to come to the alter and dance. Hesitantly, you did, which I did not expect, but in that moment, I knew God was working up something special inside of you and was helping you break out of your shell.

After service, your parents found me and hugged me, thanking me for making you come dance at the alter. I was confused until they told me that no one has ever been able to help her break her shell like that, no one. When they saw how happy you were, they were almost in tears. This scene still plays in my head, it was at that moment I knew that you would hold a special place in my life from that day forward.

Fast forward again to almost 3 years later and the amount of change you have made is incredible. The most dramatic and beautiful change I have ever seen. Not only are you a student leader for our church, you're also a part of our youth band and formerly our morning service band, on that stage singing your heart out to our God. Your kind heart and laughter is not only contagious to me, but to the rest of the people in our church. The young ones in the youth ministry look up to you, and so do I.

It still amazes me to see how God has worked and is still working in you each day. You're becoming such a beautiful young woman and I'm so honored I get to see your growth. Your strength is that of 1,000 lions. I don't think I've ever met someone stronger.

Whenever the weight of the world is pressing against my faith in God, I just think of you and how He has worked in your heart. You are living proof of God's work.

And now for the long list of thank yous.

Thank you for all of the coffee shop dates, the random mall trips, the sleepovers and jamming out with me in the car. Thank you for all of those days and nights where you let me vent to you about the dumbest and not so dumb things. Thank you for all the food you've bought me, and for the ways you've made me laugh when all I wanted to do was cry. Thank you for showing up at my house and dragging me out of my bed when my mental health isn't so good. Thank you for coming to all my marching band performances and being my #1 band mom. Thank you for being one of the 3 lovely ladies to walk with me on senior night when my parents didn't want to. Thank you for being the best sister in Christ that I could ever ask for. Thank you for changing my life and making it a lot less crappy.

I can't wait to be the maid of honor at your wedding, and I can't wait to make an embarrassing slideshow for all of your friends, family and future husband to see. (You best believe I'm doing that.) I can't wait to give an emotional speech about how much I love you and how happy I am that you're still on this earth, and how I'll kill your husband if he hurts you.

I can't wait to be Aunty Vee to your kids and I can't wait for you to be Aunty A to mine, and for you to love on and embarrass me at my wedding because that's what best friends do.

I hope that God keeps us in each other's lives for a long time, love you.

Vashti.