was kind of awkward at first, but then this semester coming back it's like, 'Oh my gosh, the residents remember us. They remember the Cedarville students, and they're so excited.'" Indeed, the impact of each student who visits Xenia Health and Rehab is evident in the joy written across the faces of the residents. "I keep coming back to some of the times when you get to know their personalities or also when they admit that you've influenced them and there's been a couple of those," Malander said. "There's a particular resident in my hall and she is a very sweet old lady, but she struggles with depression a little bit. She is a believer, but her memory just isn't too good. "And so we started making her posters for her wall with just one or two verses in really big font and then we would hang it up on her walls. And now almost every time we go in, she always says to us, 'You have no clue how many times a day I read those posters. I just sit here and I read them.' "And I think that's probably a impactful for me because that's kind of one of her main sources of scripture. It came from us. She does have a Bible, but her limbs don't always cooper so she is able to read th ures] pn the wall. I • really cool hing tha was able to do." The students not only share the gospel, but they also spend time every week intentionally encouraging the residents to pursue God. This could be in the form of the students providing devotional books to the residents, Fatl 2023 nl Bro n talking them through passages of the Bible, singing hymns and praying before leaving every week. "Some residents who we've determined aren't necessarily believ or following the Lord we se the gospel with the " Al "We will pray w· '-'-"'-"--- er re, talk about Seri pen,dg on the residen found honestly that most of t are very alking with us, even if they The team the gospel the residents else to tak "But I thi I really stu obviously, them ca into th those aban M t o they're relation dillll_, s as well. , or the "As a nursing student, I can't take the time to sit and listen and get to know my patients as I can do in this ministry," said Rebekah Neilsen, a junior nursing major and returning member of Crossroad. "It's as much of a blessing for us as it is for them." "I think [this ministry) really brings a lot of perspective," Albrecht said. "Especially in the Cedarville bubble you always talk about ow there are a lot of hurting and su ing people out there, and just to and to see how happy they are see you and how much of _..i;;1a111111·..,-, ence an hour can make to hear heir wisdom and hear their life stories. To me, that is not a one-sided minis I feel like I've been so changed • the residents there as well." Occasionally, the st swill also strike up convers • or bring small gifts to the nur who work there such as bring the ookies or thank you notes. The rses of Xenia Health and Rehab alw s welcome the students when th come to visit, sometimes ,ming in when the students are singi or talking with the residents. Al recht, Malander and Cowell ed hard to recruit members first year, making sure they had ugh people every week to visit ch resident. Now, Crossroad inistries has grown from 3 to over 12 members in a year. "It's just been such a blessing and really an encouragement especially to both of us," Albrecht said. "Because we both love this ministry so much and just being able to see God is using that and it's growing so much that we can have a craft night and the prayer ministry that we can actually feasibly have because we have enough interest to do so and that impacts the residents in that way." The growth has encouraged the three leaders and reassured them that when they graduate, the ministry will continue to care for the residents of Xenia Health and Rehab. "It's kind of sweet to be able to take care of them," Malander said. "To pay them back almost for the lives that they lived that no one probably really remembers all that much now, but just to show that we want to remember that and respect them." A vonlea Brown is a junior Broadcasting, • Digital Media, and Journalism major from from Cro sroad a small town in Maine She is the co-e • or of Campus News tor Cedars Stude News and currently working tow, r,~r;foilta abroad to study intern, tion:1I1ou,--,,..., She likes re ding, tr; vel, and le things. Gr phi s b Ang la D Ian CID. 1
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