Over fall break, I got married and was not able to invite the Crossing students, so we had a Crossing wedding open house for them at the school with cake, nuts, punch, crackers, party favors, and more all from the wedding the week after school started back up. I wore my wedding dress and my husband and I fed each other cake again for the students. Some girls from the Crossing showed up, including Amber Sanford, Jade Secor, Alexis Henderson, Brandy Saylor, Destiny Hall, and Roselynn Barhydt. We had good laughs and they enjoyed being a part of it and seeing my husband and I smear cake all over our faces.
Afterward, everyone helped clean up and everyone (except Amber) headed to our house to carve pumpkins. I attempted to roast pumpkin seeds in a unique way and we got a good laugh out of that. It was great bonding time for the students and they enjoyed getting to see a part of our lives they don’t usually get to see. They also were open in sharing things from their lives that they usually wouldn’t share in the classroom. Two of the girls spent the night and we enjoyed cinnamon rolls in the morning. It was neat to see the seniors connect with the freshman as well as the AM session students bonding with the PM session students. It was a great time with a lot of laughs, bonding, and fun!
Discipleship! I have had the opportunity to meet with Brandy Saylor on a regular basis. She is a senior with so much wisdom and the desire to learn and grow. A month or so ago, as quiet as she is, she was willing and wanting to come to our Ligonier mini-spiritual retreat even though no other students were coming. Several missionaries from a local church (Ligonier Evangelical) came to share their story and just give incite into what it’s like to be a missionary and all that goes into that. As we were talking about the evening later and debriefing a bit she almost immediately told me that she wants to do that; she wants to be a missionary! She has always wanted to go to Ball Sate, but now is re-thinking her graduation path and really wants God to be a bigger part of her life. Brandy and I have continued to meet weekly and get together outside of the school day on a regular basis and I have talked to her about doing a discipleship relationship more than mentoring. She is excited and ready to do it but also slightly nervous and still working through the idea that she doesn’t have to have it all together to come to God or to do something like this. God is working in her in huge ways and I am grateful that He is using me and giving me this opportunity to work with her. We are planning a mission trip together for spring break and she can’t wait to go!
Mrs. Ownbey – Ligonier Crossing
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