Research Paper Written by Megan Field
Amanda's Sister, 1 December 1999
Hospital in Somers Point, New Jersey. She is the daughter of
John Herbert Field and Janet Rosemary DeGregorio Field and the sister
of Chris Field and myself. “The Miracle Baby,” was her nickname.
My mother had a miscarriage prior to her pregnancy with Amanda
and the mere conception of Amanda was a gift from God. She is a
fifteen-year true blessing from the Lord. We were three years apart
in age; however we had an unusually close bond between us. This
transcended all other relationships and friendships that I have
had in my life. On August 4, 1999 Amanda returned to be with
the Lord. She died instantly in an automobile accident.
Mandi, a contemporary Christian woman, whose life reflected that
of Jesus Christ and with His loving powerful spirit continues to
touch lives today. In the beginning of my paper, I will share a
biographical sketch of Mandi’s life and will focus on the simplicity
of her life. In the second section, I will connect her years on
earth to the life Jesus led on earth, including an interview with
those friends who were closest to her. Following this analysis,
I will conclude with footprints she left on my heart and on the
hearts around the world.
scholarly habits were formed in her early years before she attended
grade school. Because I was a few years older and in an innocent
fashion, I had a desire to share what I had been learning. I began
to teach her how to read and solve math problems. In the
make-believe world of playing school she learned a great deal,
which she carried with her in her years of schooling. As we grew
older, she developed a passion for learning and she turned the
tables around to teach me. She desired to one-day teach algebra
to children.
of extra-curricular activities. She played a role in the
development of the yearbook because of her love of recording
memories. She often made collages in her bedroom with pictures of
past memories and she decided to contribute this skill in the
academic area with the yearbook. Within these years she continued
playing sports, such as basketball and softball. She had a
tremendous willingness to play, despite moments of despair when
she didn’t quite measure up. Mandi contributed to the teams she
played on more in spirit and enthusiasm with a sweet smile, rather
than in physical ability and skill. Mandi continued her
participation in extra-curricular activities during her freshman
year of high school. She was a member of Students Against Driving
Drunk because of the impact of the death of her older brother’s
friend killed by a drunk driver. The Key Club is an organization
that is devoted to service. She participated in the club by
completing the requirements of forty hours of community service.
She was also a member of the H.O.P.E. Bible Club. This club, Hearts
Of Power Emerge, was formed to devote time of prayer for the high
school, a Bible study, and the spreading of the Gospel in the high
school.
quality developed over her lifetime. My mother, grandmother,
Mandi, and I would spend each and everyday during the summer
months on the beach. The beach was a place adored by Mandi
because of its scenery of God’s creation and its availability
to have fun at any time. A close friend of the family, Aunt Laura,
said this after Mandi passed away, “She was like the ocean.
Quiet, yet powerful.” She was quite shy and quiet at times,
yet because of her sweet smile and love for others, she accumulated
many friends. She spent time with these friends enjoying the
summer nights on the boardwalk. On the boardwalk nights, they
would be exhausted from their fun, yet they didn’t fall asleep
until four in the morning. Amongst her neighborhood friends, a
walk around the block, a ride on their bikes, or even simply
swinging on the swings at the playground entertained them for hours.
of the family was played very well. Cute, funny, and adorable
she was, yet this paper is written not to idolize her, which may
be easy to do. It’s written to show a wonderful life led on earth,
which was complete and full and includes human weaknesses as well.
Being the youngest of three, having things her way was quite
important and necessary to her at times. If these times arrived
and all does not go according to her plans, the tears fall quickly.
Our little actress, we called her at times. A messy room, was the
compliant of my mother everyday after school. Each time her turn
to clean our bathroom approached, I would have to inspect and
finish the job. Seating across the dinner table from her for
years, I observed her failure to chew with her mouth closed and
despite our statements to discourage this, she objected.
My family holds on to her imperfections because they complete who
Mandi is.
CCD classes for eight years to be confirmed into the Catholic Church.
Since she was in the second grade she also attended the youth
programs at the local Baptist church. She adored these programs
in comparison to her CCD classes. It was at this church where
Mandi accepted the Lord Jesus Christ to be her personal Savior.
These programs encouraged Christian fun while growing in their
Christian walk.
and then hang out with her friends afterwards. On the way home
from a great beach day, a man driving a van approximately 75 mph
the car Mandi was in. Billy, a friend and the driver, was about
to make a left hand turn into our neighborhood, when the van hit
and drove the car approximately 200 feet up a bridge. Mandi, in
the back seat, died instantly. The Lord wrapped His arms of love
around her and welcomed her Home.
Our world will never be the same.
“Love. It was the love of Jesus that saved me. When I attended
Pioneer Clubs at Second Cape May Baptist Church in the second
grade, I heard about how much love Jesus Christ had for me.
I learned that he suffered on that cross and died for my sins.
I prayed and accepted Jesus Christ in my heart and from then on
Jesus has shown me how much love and compassion he has for me.
I can’t comprehend the amount of love Jesus has for me, but I do
know that it was his love that saved me.”
for part of the preparation to go on a missionary trip
to Chihuahua, Mexico. Mandi’s life portrayed Jesus’ and God used
her as a vessel of fulfilling his purposes.
desired of her in her life. James 1:22 states, “Do not merely
listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says.”
In the parable of the Sheep and the Goats, Jesus discusses what
he wants us to do for our fellow neighbor and he says whatever
we do for the least of them we do for him. In all that Mandi did,
she did it for the love she had for the Lord. Her years of
service began as a child. She visited nursing homes and showed
the elderly love and compassion with the youth programs she was
involved in. She also contributed her time to making food baskets
for the less fortunate during the holiday season. She would also
gather her clothing and give to children of friends of the family
and to the Atlantic City Rescue Mission.
I received a third person’s point of view of Mandi’s life from
her closest friends. I interviewed them and have recorded the
following comments as documentation of Mandi’s life.
she did. She was the kindest and most patient person I knew. She
had so many qualities that reflected her relationship with the Lord.”
life. She was a shining example for everyone. The way she kept
her mind, body, and soul pure were evidence of her faith.
Jesus gave her a servant’s heart. She had an inner peace that
shined through her.
when something was bothering me. She was not ashamed to let people
know what she believed in.”
and Jesus’ life is that they were both servants of God on earth
proclaiming the Gospel message. Amanda took every opportunity
to share the word of God with someone else. Though Jesus’ life
on earth was pure and sinless, Amanda’s life was filled with the
Holy Spirit and lived every moment of her life to the fullest.”
Amanda could be said to have done those things too. She loved
many people and those she didn’t have companionship with she still
loved them with the love of the Lord. She healed hurt feelings by
always being there as a shoulder to lean on. She was quick to
forgive, never holding any grudges. Also, Jesus touched many lives
after his life had passed. Amanda has and will continue to do the
same.”
to be happy. And she wanted to help people to the best of her
ability. She ached for her friends who didn’t have Jesus as their
personal Savior.”
friendship. She always said to me, ‘I love you with the
love of the Lord.”
She was compassionate and caring, more than words can express.
She was unselfish and her generous heart poured out love.
She always asked me how I was doing and prayed with me whenever
I had a problem.”
alive and now that she is gone. She lived a Christian life and
didn’t just talk the talk, she also walked the walk.”
showed us that Christians can have fun without giving into the
ways of the world.”
had a smile. She didn’t give into temptation and I learned to follow
her lead and she made me a stronger Christian.”
her ‘comfort zone’ and showed the people of Mexico how God worked
and is working in her life. She even sang with me in front of
everyone, when two weeks earlier she wouldn’t even sing by herself
with just a few people in the room. That shows God working in her
life. When others did her wrong, she just shrugged it off and it
didn’t bother her, but occasionally she would get upset, but mostly
she just talked it out with the person. In the ninth grade in
Mrs. Cranston’s class I can remember the assignment she gave us.
Write about a controversial issue. I, of course, took the easy
road and did abortion. But Amanda chose prayer in schools. She was
laughed at by certain students in my class, which hurt not only
Amanda, but me too. I stood up for what I believed in and supported
Amanda. I know that being persecuted because we are Christians
is going to happen, but I think that it makes us stronger and our
walk the Lord is stronger. Amanda was just storing up treasures
in Heaven.”
previously mentioned. We stayed in a church, where we slept in
their Sunday school rooms. The women of the church cooked for
about 120 of us for three meals a day for a week. We visited a
hospital, an orphanage, a children’s hospital, and an old folks
home. A night we would have outreaches in the city. We would
perform skits, sing, and tell testimonies. Afterwards we would
talk amongst the audience. We were advised to keep a journal
during this trip, which proved to be a treasure that Mandi left
us with.
I don’t know what to expect yet, but I do know that I will be
eternally grateful for this week.” Mandi’s boldness for the Lord
was incredible. She spread the Gospel message without being fluent
in the language. She normally would have been terrified because
of her shyness, but she worked for the love she has for the Lord.
Here are more quotes from her journal:
‘Whatever you have commanded us we will do, and wherever
you send us we will go.' I left the safe and familiar, but I’ve
been trusting God to make me safe and follow Him.” Regarding
her friends at home she writes, “No things, can or will, make them
happy until they live and serve Christ.” Writing about her
experience with talking to the Mexicans she says, “I pray that Jesus
can touch lives through us and the power of the Holy Spirit…
I know that it wasn’t me or Kelly who led that lady to Christ, it
was the Holy Spirit working in us and using us.” She took notes
on the devotionals that we had in the mornings.
1) not our own
2) God has a plan for our lives. He has a purpose for us
3) God’s plans for us are better than our own,
it’s the only one that matters
4) We need to be dependent on Jesus
and rely on him to know his plans.”
persevered when I was sick. I want to serve Him in all conditions.
God made a difference in my life by showing me what I need to do
when I get back home. I need to be a good witness to my friends
because a lot of them are lukewarm and hopefully they will see a
difference in me because in my heart I’m on fire for the Lord. We
should all have a desire for the Lord and only Him.
Not work, TV, boardwalk, sports, or anything else.
I’m a Christian first and foremost.”
She was also fired from her summer job when she arrived home
because of her one-week absence that she told her employer of one
month prior. She told her boss with tears in her eyes has she left,
“God bless you.” She wrote this in her journal: “I want to serve
the Lord in whatever I do. Oh well, I got fired. I don’t even care,
but I honestly don’t C Y. Some people are so selfish and don’t
understand life as much as I do right now. At this moment in my
life nothing can or will ever satisfy me but being a missionary
and serving God. No matter where I work, who I’m with, who I date,
where I go, or what I do, the only thing that I have a
passion for is God.”
of a life,” (as my dad refers to it). Hundreds of people were
effected by that powerful day. Words cannot express the emotion
that day. The experience is held in our hearts forever,
as well as, Mandi.
on my life is too great to share. The things she taught me when she
was here are so tremendous and now that she’s not here with me,
she is continuing to impact my life in ways far too great to
describe on paper right now.
Instead of giving flowers, we preferred a contribution to Amanda
Field’s Scholarship fund. It would benefit the children in the
community who desire to participate in church activities, yet
could not afford the expenses. Then this project took on a life
of its own and formed Mandi’s Mission. Buckets of a local business
were donated and laminations with Mandi’s picture in Mexico were
printed on them. They were placed in businesses across South
Jersey. Mandi’s Dream Classic was the idea of our brother, Chris,
and his friend, Walt. They organized a golf tournament in her name.
A neighbor had suggested a closing banquet with an auction. Sports
memorabilia were auctioned off and the closing of Mandi’s Mission
for this year was concluded. A total of approximately $25,000
was raised.
India was built in her name with some of the money raised. This
Christmas for the children at the orphanage we were at in July
will be quite special for them. Clothes, socks, underwear, bed
sheets, blankets, necessities and toys were purchased and are
going to be sent there shortly. In the summer the missionary trip
will be either to Mexico or Guatemala. In Mexico, an orphanage
will be built and in Guatemala, a children’s hospital wing will
be built in Mandi’s name. Mandi’s Mission will continue to impact
lives for all the years to come.
People’s lives were changed as a result. The Sunday after she died,
the College and Career group at our church came over to our house.
Most did not know Mandi, yet as we sat in a circle each one told
us how she has impacted their lives tremendously. At a retreat
for the Senior High youth group in our church, they all spoke of
how Mandi has touched their lives. Strangers from California and
Virginia have written us letters. I received a postcard from Sweden
from an exchange student we met last year. Our church and community
have begun major changes in their lives.
Mandi. She is probably receiving more treasures in Heaven at this
very moment. My conclusion is a prayer lifted up to our Lord-That
those who read this will be changed, because life could end
in a spilt second.
“Love. It was the love of Jesus that saved me. When I attended Pioneer
Clubs at Second Cape May Baptist Church in the second grade, I
heard about how much love Jesus Christ had for me. I learned that
he suffered on that cross and died for my sins. I prayed and
accepted Jesus Christ in my heart and from then on Jesus has shown
me how much love and compassion he has for me. I can’t comprehend
the amount of love Jesus has for me, but I do know that it was his
love that saved me.”
THE COLLISION
The man that killed Amanda, was driving the company van of ErcoInteriors. He was a distracted driver, who claims he was adjusting
his radio. The car Amanda was in had stopped to make a left turn.
Four witnesses saw this man never apply his brakes, before, during
and after impact. He then proceeded up a bridge appx.170 ft. The
witnesses also stated they never saw his head above the dashboard.
The Cape May County N.J. Prosecutors office never listened to the
witnesses statements, nor investigated the collision. We were told,
"did not matter how many mistakes were on police reports; nor how
fast he was driving. He received a careless driving ticket,
200 dollars which is the same fine for littering, here in N.J.
The man nor any family or friends ever said he was sorry.
Our civil lawyers are drafting a law, modeled after Florida's law
of pain and suffering of family members.
It's called Amanda's Law.
Will keep you updated.
Amanda's Mother, Janet
from one bereaved Member to Another,
as a volunteer for My Mom Is A Survivor.
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