Latisha has always had a love for kids and a strong desire to work with them. She became an at-home baker because both of her kidneys failed when she was just 15. She was confused and angry and asked, "why me?" She was then invited to church by a school counselor and from that day on, the rest was history.

When her organs failed, it opened up a new door for her to really lean on the Lord. Every other day she would need dialysis, which is an intensive process, so after each session, she would go home to lay down. Latisha wanted to be a Kindergarten teacher but, at that time, the closest dialysis option was in Milwaukee, so she couldn't go to college. She ended up going to MATC for Early Childhood Learning. However, once she was transplanted, she couldn't be in the daycare setting anymore because of all of the germs. So she opened a home daycare instead since it was a smaller amount of kids. She absolutely loved it and continued with that venture until she had to go back on dialysis in 2013. It was hard to let go of—she felt like she lost a piece of her; she felt like she lost her purpose.

Then, while visiting her family in Texas, the access that they use for dialysis clotted up and she had to go to the ER on New Year's Eve, but there were no doctors there so she had to stay at the hospital and she thinks she died and came back while there. She had an "aha moment."

"I was saying to myself, 'oh when I get my kidney, I'm going to do this and this and that.' But now that moment made me realize that I can still do this, this and that, and if the kidney comes, it comes. But I’m not going to no longer put my life on hold for it. Because that may not be part of god’s plan.”

It changed Latisha's way of thinking—instead of questioning God and saying "why me?", it's now "why not me?"

She used to just bake with the children, but then one day while she was sleeping she heard "Mo' Betta," and the next day when she woke up and it was clear as day: Mo' Betta Butter Cookies. God put it on her heart and now it's a full-blown business. And now she knows she does have a purpose, and it's not just about being attached to a machine.

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This story, and all of our stories, are from people who call Door Creek Church their home. As you contemplate this story, may your faith be encouraged and your hope renewed. If you’d like to learn more about sharing your story, start here.