Ouachita Stories

Throughout junior high and high school, I never thought of myself as a leader, nor did I ever think I would become one in any form or fashion. However, I am so thankful to say that God has shown me differently throughout my time here at Ouachita. I am grateful that God has not only taught me how to be a leader, but a servant leader.

At Ouachita, there are so many different ways to get involved. I fell in love with the community and environment of OBU, but God also gave me a heart for the community of Arkadelphia. Throughout my time here, I have had the chance to be a part of Backyard Bible Club and Big Brother Big Sister – both of which have left an impact on my life and in my heart.

Not only did God allow me to be a part of these two organizations, but He blessed me with the opportunity to be one of the ministry leaders for Backyard Bible Club. The kids that we work with on a bi-weekly basis come from broken home lives with a lot of inconsistency. My peers and I have had the chance to show Christ to these kids through the Bible stories we teach them and by our actions towards them and one another.

Through this, God has used my peers and kids of the Arkadelphia community to teach me how to love unconditionally, just as Jesus does. What a blessing it has been to see God use my peers that I have the opportunity to serve with to pour Christ’s love onto these kids, and the kids in return receive that love. Christ is the ultimate example of pouring His love out and what it means to lead by serving others. In Mark 10:45 we are reminded that the “Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and give his life as a ransom for many.”

The Lord has used Backyard Bible Club to impact the community of Arkadelphia and it has been amazing to see the ministry thrive as God changes the hearts of the kids we see. It has been so neat to see what the kids have learned at Backyard Bible Club. This year, at an annual weekend retreat that we take the kids on called Camp Wamp, we were able to let the kids participate in a low ropes course. After each activity during the ropes course where the kids worked together, they got to apply what they had done and relate it to the Gospel. The best part about it is that they were able to come up with everything on their own, and we as leaders were able to see firsthand what God has been teaching them throughout their time at BBC.

The thing that I love most about service is that it is a way we communicate to others what God has done for us. Service is an act of worship as we allow God to use us for His glory in any situation, and the best part is that God does not have to use us to change people’s lives, but He chooses to do so. What a privilege it is to serve our Creator.

“But be sure to fear the LORD and serve Him faithfully with all your heart; consider what great things He has done for you.” 1 Samuel 12:24

By Katherine Melson, senior Communication Sciences and Disorders major