You may not remember me,  but that's okay.  I will fill you in.

My name is Honee' Ty'eshia Nicole Johnson.  I'm 12 years old.  I live in Nashville, Tennessee, with my mama, daddy, and my older brother William (14) and my little brothers Dallas (11), and Cory (9), and my older sisters Tyffani (15) and Gretchen (18).

We go to Christ Community Assembly of God church here in Nashville.  I have been going to this church since I was small, before the shooting that changed my life forever.

When I was seven years old, I was walking with my best friends Kyoki Matabe and Torrie Gladstone when this car drove up.  I'd never seen the car before in my life; I got uneasy because they were following me.  All of a sudden, there was this blinding light, this really loud *pop!*, then pain.  I don't remember anything else until I woke up later in the hospital.

I soon found out what'd happened to me.  I was shot in the face at close range.  It was a miracle I'd even survived.  I spent over a month in the hospital, recovering from my injuries.  Because of what'd happened to me, I no longer look the same.  My face is disfigured, and I now face years of plastic and reconstructive surgery.

I had a long period of depression.  I couldn't figure out for the life of me why this would happen; however, I now see it as a blessing in disquise because God brought me through it, and now I am a happy, well-adjusted preteen who loves life.  I don't see my disfigured face as a curse:  I see it as an opportunity to share my testimony with others, to tell people that they, too, can get through bad experiences in life if they learn to lean on the Lord.

Now, there are days where I still get sad because I'll never be picked to be a super-model or be on a show like "American Idol", where looks/beauty are important; but that's okay.  I have my faith in Christ to get me through whatever life may throw my way.  It's all I need.  

I get so much out of witnessing to others about the Love of Christ, and I sometimes sing at church during the offeratory.  I love to sing the song, "Our God Is An Awesome God" 'cause he is.  He got me through a terrible time in my life, and I figure if He can use a facially disfigured preteen to reach people, then He can use anybody.  

It's that simple.

I am working on writing my story for a book.  I read a good book by a friend of mine called "People Say No, But God Says Yes!: My Story", and it inspired me to become a young authoress.  I write stories or poems all the time now, and it's incredible what I've been able to do so far.  My friend who wrote the book is a little older than me (15 now; she wrote the book when she was like 11), and it's a really compelling story.  She was born premature, and faced all kinds of health challenges, but that didn't stop her from becoming a singer.  She's disabled, but you wouldn't know it from her attitude.  She is one of the most amazing people I've ever met!

(My friend goes to my church.  She sings in the choir every week, just as I do.  We both sing high soprano.)

 My book will be called "Looking Beyond The Disfigurements: My Story".

Hopefully I will have it published sometime this year (like around Christmas).  That'd be too cool!

Well, I gotta go: am at school, and it's about ready for study hall to end.  I will write in here again soon; you haven't heard the last from me!  I have so much more to tell about myself and how God's grace upon my life!

So long for now! God bless y'all mightily!

~Love, your friend, Honee' Ty'eshia Nicole Johnson, aged 12 years.