Linda “Qween” Davis has always worshiped God. “I’m always praying to God, asking him to help me and take care of me,” she said, “but I have a long way to go.”
Her first encounter with the Highland Park Community Assistance Network (HPCAN) came when she and her husband, who died a year ago, attended one of the Tuesday night community meals. He suggested they go out for a hot dinner.
“And I’m like, where?” Qween remembered, “and he said, ‘At the church.’”
She remembers the warm welcome that came with the hot meal, especially from Kathy Lopez.
Later, Qween became part of the Monday ceramics class, where she met Angelina Guajardo, program director for Divine Women, a support ministry for women. At Guajardo’s invitation, Qween participated in the group for a while.
Eventually, she began volunteering in the kitchen for the Tuesday meals, the same ministry through which she first encountered HPCAN. “I’ve always liked to cook, and I like to help people as much as I can,” she said. “I try not to miss. I’m there helping in the community, serving the food and everything.”
Daniel Arredondo, Minister of Outreach, calls her a great worker. “She’s a valued member of our kitchen team,” he said. “Her heart is growing.”
Coworker Bobann Moore agreed. “When we’re in that kitchen, she will do anything, anything at all to help,” Moore said.
Vernon Liverett remarked on Qween’s cheerful attitude and the way she relates to guests. “Qween has a good relationship with the people that come through the line,” Liverett said. “She makes them comfortable. She makes it feel relaxed and kids around with them. And then just makes the whole interaction very positive.”
“When I’m up there serving the food and stuff, I’m always telling them, ‘Welcome. Have a happy Tuesday. Don’t forget to thank the good Lord for this day,’” Queen said. “I know half of the people that come and eat at the church.”
Among the Tuesday night volunteers, Qween has found more than a place to serve. She has found community. “We’re always laughing and joking and playing around with each other,” she said. “And whenever something’s wrong with me or I’m sick or something, they always check up on me.”
That kind of care stood out to her. It was not what she had experienced in churches as a teenager. “That’s what made me give up on churches until I found this one here,” she said.
Arredondo has seen growth in her life. “She’s come a long way,” he said. “She was very unreceptive at first, but over time, she’s learned to take the Word of God and let it discipline her and purify her and conform her.”
Qween eventually started attending worship and Bible study. The Bible study is led by Liverett and Kay Richardson, who coordinates the Tuesday night meals. Qween appreciates the way the teaching is easy to understand and the opportunity to ask questions. “With Miss Kay, I’m learning stuff that I never knew about,” she said. “And she makes it so simple.”
Recently, Qween was baptized and committed herself to a growing relationship with Jesus Christ. For her, baptism marked an opportunity “to let go of all my sins and move forward with the help of the good Lord to do better.”
Gardening has always been more than the work of planting and harvesting. To me, it has become a sacred reminder that growth requires time, care, patience, and faith. In many ways, the garden mirrors our spiritual life. Seeds are planted in hope, roots stretch silently in hidden places, and fruit appears only after steady tending. So, it is with our walk with God. Growth is not always immediate or visible, yet through prayer, trust, and time spent in His presence, He brings forth beauty in its season.
Since I was a little girl, I have seen the fruits of my father’s labor. He was a man of many trades, but farming was one of his greatest gifts. He could make almost anything grow. My father worked acres of land throughout my childhood, and we always kept a garden at home. Because of his dedication, I did not have to run to the store for cucumbers, tomatoes, and other fresh vegetables. My summers were spent in the harvest alongside my father and family. We rose before sunrise to head to the ranch and returned home only after the sun had gone down. Those long days in the field taught me the meaning of labor, sacrifice, and provision. Looking back, I realize I was witnessing more than hard work—I was witnessing devotion, stewardship, and a quiet, enduring faith. Those days still remind me of the biblical truth that those who sow faithfully will, in due season, reap.
To this day, my mother, Olivia, still keeps a garden at her home in remembrance of my father. My father, Julio, passed away ten years ago, yet his memory and the seeds of wisdom he planted continue to flourish. What was once the labor of his hands has become part of our family’s legacy, a quiet testimony of love, memory, and devotion. Even more meaningful, my nephew Jaime has taken up this practice as well, not only to honor his grandfather, but even more to honor God. In this way, the garden has become more than a family tradition; it is a living expression of faith passed from one generation to the next.
One of the most meaningful things my father ever told me was that while he tended to his garden, he also prayed. The garden became a place of meditation, conversation, and communion with God. As he worked the soil, he was also cultivating his spirit. That image has never left me: hands in the earth, heart lifted toward heaven. It reminds me that time with God does not always have to look formal or polished. Sometimes it is found in the quiet rhythm of daily work, in stillness, in reflection, and in simple moments of faithfulness. By our fruits we shall be known, and the fruit of a life rooted in God will always reveal His goodness.
Gardening teaches us that growth cannot be rushed. It calls for care, attention, and trust in a process we do not fully control. Our spiritual life is much the same. We must make room for God, return to Him daily, and trust that even when nothing seems to be changing, He is still working beneath the surface. As I reflect on my father’s life, my mother’s remembrance, and the example now carried forward by the next generation, my heart is filled with gratitude.
I thank God for all fathers—both blood and spiritual—whose lives, prayers, labor, and example have helped honor the Great Commission of our faith. Their faithfulness leaves behind a harvest that reaches far beyond what the eye can see. As Galatians 5:22 reminds us, “the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith.” May our lives bear this kind of fruit as we remain deeply rooted in God. As we honor fathers this season, may we also reflect on our own walk with the Lord. How do we spend our time with Him? Do we make space for Him in our daily routines, quiet moments, labor, or rest? Just as a garden flourishes when it is tended, our souls flourish when we remain connected to the One who gives life. Happy Father’s Day to all fathers, natural and spiritual, whose faithfulness continues to plant seeds that will bless generations to come.
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Evans played at Midland Christian School, where his team won back-to-back state championships, before continuing to Trinidad State College in Colorado. His performance there led to a professional career in Europe, including stops in Luxembourg and Germany. As a point guard, he learned to read the court, lead under pressure, and create opportunities for his teammates.
His work did not end when his playing career did. Afterward, Evans began coaching and training young athletes. For nine years, he has served as an Amateur Athletic Union coach and skills trainer and created Building Skills Academy, a program rooted in basketball but aimed at something larger.
Evans is not simply trying to produce elite players, though some of his teams compete at a high level. He also works with children who have never played before. Some older players came to him after failing to make their middle school teams. Under his guidance, they learned the game, built discipline, gained confidence, and began to succeed.
In many communities, youth sports have become expensive and exclusive. Tournament fees, uniforms, travel, and private training can shut out families with limited resources. Building Skills Academy responds by offering a more affordable path to high-level instruction.
For Evans, coaching is more than a side business or hobby; it is a calling and a way to serve. Through it, he passes on the lessons that shaped his life. Basketball is not the ultimate goal. He wants children to develop perseverance and believe they can improve. For him, the court is a classroom, and each drill builds habits that carry into school, family, work, and life.
Before practice, the team prays. Evans’s Christian faith shapes the values he hopes his players will carry with them. He tells them that life is difficult without God and encourages them to put Him first.
His own story gives him credibility. Evans knows what it means for basketball to provide refuge. He knows what it means to be shaped by coaches and mentors. Now he is a mentor himself. His players learn how to dribble, shoot, and defend, but they also learn to believe in themselves, value discipline, and see that life is bigger than the scoreboard. Bryant Evans’ true mission is helping build lives.
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