To Our Seniors:
I want to congratulate you on behalf of Tenth. We are so proud of you and want you to know how much you are loved! At this time of transition in your lives, let me encourage you going forward to always make the worship of God your highest priority in life. Continue in what you have learned of the Lord, pursuing him in all truth and love. He is the only perfect and living God, your Savior and friend. No other direction or pursuit will satisfy your soul as that which you were made for: to worship and love your God. You have a home with believers around the world so wherever you go, seek them out as you endeavor to faithfully follow the Lord. God will always keep his promises to you so your life is safe with him.
As 1 Thessalonias 5:23–24 blesses you: “Now may the God of peace himself sanctify you completely, and may your whole spirit and soul and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. He who calls you is faithful; he will surely do it.”
Dora Phan
Below is a list of the Maranatha seniors, followed by reflections from two of them.
- Josh Harrigan
- Mary Katt
- David Capaldo
- Carmen Johnson
- Charlie Petrongolo
- Karen Hormann
- Malachi Lehman
- Peter Macolino
- Grace Kiehlmeier
- Addison Bennett
- Anders Elzey
- Jacob Hobaugh
- Caleb Humeniuk
- David Matej
- Grace Shevchenko
- Thomas Shover
- Abigail Simbiri
- Maria Matejova
Through my years at Maranatha, I feel as if God has been teaching me the same lesson: depend on him. Every year, whether through injury, or hardships, or any other obstacle that I faced, it all came back to trusting and depending on God. This year, as I am preparing to go to college and to live on my own, there was a feeling of desolation and loneliness. Initially, it was hard to cope with as I was beginning to feel a bit detached from my friends and family. It was difficult to feel as if I didn’t have anyone to run to when I was in distress, but someone that I had recently gotten close to reminded me of the importance of prayer. My father, almost out of nowhere, would talk to me about praying and would pop his head in my room before I would go to sleep in order to remind me. And that’s what I did, I prayed. And just by dedicating some of my time to God, I was reminded again of his consistency and that I have him to lean on. It’s so easy to get caught up in my own problems and thoughts, but my God never changes. As I go to college next year, I know that things will change with my old friends at home and new friends that I am making, but despite all of that, I have a God who is always there; with him, I know that I am not alone. —by Carmen Johnson
After being homeschooled for my entire life, my parents decided to send me to public school. Initially this was very challenging. I was strongly influenced by my secular peers and began to push away God and abandon the faith. In the pursuit of fitting in, I sacrificed a relationship with the Lord. I convinced myself Christianity was full of paradoxes and false teachings. Despite my resistance, the Lord did not forsake me. Over the course of many years, he worked in my life, revealing the true meanings of the principles in his word. Though I still face many doubts and challenges, I have learned the Lord will always hold on to those whom he has called. —by Mac Lehman