Hi my name is Olivia White and I am a senior at The Out-of-Door Academy. My arrival to Sarasota was somewhat unconventional but an incredibly unbelievable experience. I came here when I was fourteen to live with Laura and Jay Crouse, my aunt and uncle, and two of the greatest people you will ever meet. It was August in Florida, so the heat was in full force but that didn’t stop these two from putting on an amazing event called Day of Hope. My involvement in the parish began with painting nails to eventually becoming an ambassador for homeless children and their families at Day of Hope. Taking them to get checked by doctors, dentists, and eye doctors was such a blessing for me to witness and for the children to experience and that is all due to you guys. God’s light shined through every volunteer there and that is what makes Day of Hope such a special event. When I first came to the church I felt so welcomed and loved. I thank the Millers, the Boedeckers, The Maxwells, The Devitts, The Forbes, The Pollards and the list goes on and on of the families that made me feel like one of their own.
I would love to talk about three very very special ladies: Mrs. Boedecker, Mrs. McCloud, and Mrs. Thomas. These incredible women get up every Friday morning at 5:30 to put on High School Girls Friday Morning Bible Study. I have been going to bible study all four years of high school and it was there that I had some of the most stimulating spiritual discussions of my life. My faith grew immensely because of those early mornings. God’s work was evident as my relationship with Him was strengthened and close bonds with other Christians were formed.
Sunday school has also played a vital role in my faith. Mrs. Koach’s fun games and contests were something I always looked forward to as well as her abundance of sweet treats. My fondest memory was when Mrs. Koach put us into groups and she gave us pens and paper. The goal was to write Hebrews 13:5 as many times as possible and whoever won got a cookie cake. The next Sunday Carroll Forbes, Catherine Morse, and I all took home a cookie cake and I will never forget Hebrews 13:5 “I will never leave you or forsake you” said God.
I began acolyting last year and it came at such an amazing time because in the past I have done some service work with a Youth Ministry called Young Life that allowed me to realize that serving God is the best way to foster a relationship with Him. The Church of the Redeemer is the most beautiful church and being able to serve the Lord in a place of worship so filled with tradition and love is a privilege. So now I want to thank Mr. & Mrs. Cave, Mr. Reed, Father Bumsted, Mrs. Maxwell, Mrs. Chambliss, Father Marsden, and Father Robinson for guiding me and training me and trusting me with the weighty responsibility that comes with being a first server.
Next, I want to give the biggest thank you that one can possibly give to my aunt and uncle Laura and Jay Crouse. None of this would have been possible without you two; and by this I mean me becoming a Christian and having the ability to nurture that relationship at home. You both are always there to answer my questions. I could not ask for two better guardians that perfectly reflect God’s light. You two show me what life with Christ looks like and all the joy and sorrow and triumph that comes with it. Finally, I thank God for giving me the best four years of my life so far and I know He will bless the next four as I attend Furman University in the fall. Thank you.