White House on Stewart Street

            There is an old white house on Stewart Street that people pass by everyday. From the outside, it looks like an average house in a college town. Every year it houses four men that are not your typical college students. They are all majoring in familiar programs at Ohio University such as education and engineering. The house throws late nights parties that bring the cops because of loud music. While these four men from year to year have very different personalities they have two important values in common, their love for Jesus and their love for others. Because of their values, the house has visitors at every hour of the day. Guests come for food, soda, games, meals together, and fellowship. 

            Almost all visitors share in the values in their love for Jesus and their love for others. Many visitors, myself included, have or are leaders in a ministry called Young Life. It desires to share the love of Christ with teenagers in one local middle school and six local high schools. Leaders volunteer to spend anywhere from one to three years building relationships, being mentors, and inviting teenagers to share in their love for Jesus. As you can see, from the outside this house may look like an ordinary house, but in the inside laughter is shared, bread is broken, walls are coming down, and there is more love than you can find anywhere in Athens. I was blessed to find this house my freshman year at Ohio University, and I am so grateful that I did.