Cedars, November 2019

CAMPUS Cedarville Students Reflect on Grandparents’ Impact Students share the stories that shaped their lives by Breanna Beers David Abraham Freshman Abraham described how despite never knowing either of his grandfathers, both of whom passed away before he was born, their legacy has shaped his life. He has seen their influence lived out in his parents. Abraham’s father passed on the lessons of his own father, giving Abraham a window into his paternal grandfather’s leadership and wisdom. And growing up without a fa- ther, he said, made his mom “the hard- est working lady I have ever known.” “I am who I am now because of them,” Abraham said. David Isenhower Freshman Isenhower’s grandparents taught him what it means to be dedicated to reaching a community for Christ. They used to take Isenhower and his siblings to help at a food pantry and deliver supplies to retirement homes, rehabili- tation centers and trailer parks. “It was not very exciting, but it gave us the opportunity to help the local com- munity in a way that also allowed us to invite people to the church and make a difference in their lives,” Isenhower said. Even as his grandmother was in her final weeks of her battle with cancer, she was giving money to those in need as her husband continued to pick up donations for the food pantry. “It was inspiring to see them helping others, even when it was them that needed help,” Isenhower said. “I always assumed that once your body started to fail, you would be unburdened in a way. Seeing them like that made me realize that until you die, you were responsible for loving and caring for your neighbors without expecting anything in return.” Lauren Atienza Junior Atienza’s family came to the United States thanks to the hard work of her grandmother, Asuncion Barbosa Atien- za. She was born to a lower-income family in the Philippines but worked hard through school and eventually became a doctor. After marrying and having children, she eventually moved to the United States alone and began sending money back so she could bring her family to join her. Shortly after they did, however, her husband died from a heart attack, leaving her to raise their four children alone. Five years later, she met a widower who began to invite her family to church. She and her chil- dren eventually became believers, and she married the man Atienza knows as her grandfather. “Her actions and hard work gave all of her kids a chance,” Atienza said. “She has taught me to work hard for my loved ones and she has sacrificed so much and still completely depends on God. I will always remember her every Thanksgiving and Christmas — work- ing hard, cooking all the food, serving everyone, and loving every minute of it.” Ethan Doerstling Freshman Doerstling’s grandmother escaped East Germany over the Berlin Wall in 1951 when she was 22 years old. After meet- ing her husband in West Germany, they moved together to the United States. In Chicago, they came to know the Lord and decided to move back to Germany as missionaries. They planted churches that remain in existence to this day. “They showed me what a devotion to the cause of Christ is by their heart for ministry and prayer,” Doerstling said. Christopher Clark Sophomore Clark’s grandparents died during a time when he was questioning his faith, leading him to feel anger and even hatred towards God. “I couldn’t see in my mind how they being good people could die so soon in my life,” Clark said. “I had forgotten prayer and repentance and had begun to be destructive to myself.” However, this summer, he had the chance to meet several people dealing with serious financial struggles who still trusted in the Lord. This reminded him yet again of his grandparents’ love for the Lord, and their faithfulness to Him even through the challenges of the Great Depression. It was their legacy that really drew Clark back to the Lord at Cedarville University’s Fall Bible Conference in October. “It is heartbreaking that I didn’t return to God sooner, but He has begun to finally fill the hole I was tearing wider for so long,” Clark said. “I began to see that Christianity was a religion that wasn’t just followed in the good parts of life, but in the bad parts, too.” On Nov. 1, Cedarville University celebrated Grandparents Day. Several students, including both those who par- ticipated in the campus activities and those whose grandparents were unable to visit, took the opportunity to reflect on how their grandparents’ influence has shaped their lives. Photo provided by Ethan Doerstling Ethan Doerstling’s grandparents, Lothar and Lisolette Doerstling in 2014. Photo provided by Lauren Atienza Lauren Atienza with her grandmother, Asuncion Barbosa Atienza in 2017. Photo provided by David Isenhower David Isenhower (top right) with his grandparents, Edward and Sharon Hornsby, and brother, Jackson Isenhower. November 2019 4