May 24 Home Communicator –“You have the word CHRISTIAN on your back.” My high school principal made this very clear to us as students. He wanted us to remember that when we were out and about in the world, we represented Christ with our words and actions. It was a powerful message that sticks with me even today.
Recently, a small group of HCS 8th graders had the opportunity to do just that: represent Christ in an event outside of our school. Drew, Luke, Jack, and Coby qualified to compete in the VEX Robotics World Championship in Dallas, Texas, earlier in May. Over the course of three days, the boys participated in skills challenges, qualification matches, and made it to the quarterfinals in their division. They also had the opportunity to enjoy the opening and closing ceremonies and interact with teams from all over the world. Their home base during the competition was a booth that was decorated with our school’s name and offered trinkets and information to people passing by.
At one point, another team stopped by our school’s booth to ask for prayers. Their robot had gotten lost in the shipping process and they were anxious about the possibility of not being able to compete. They saw that our team was from a Christian school and thought it would be a good group to ask. We don’t know if they ever got their robot, but prayers were certainly lifted up!
Throughout their time in Dallas, Drew, Luke, Jack, and Coby partnered up with other teams and had to work together to compete. There were times when the boys witnessed frustration, anger, and rude behaviors from some other competitors, but they tried their best to remember they had CHRISTIAN on their backs and responded with grace in the midst of tension. They listened to the other teams’ ideas and worked hard to collaborate and make a plan to do their best. They prayed together as a team and encouraged each other. They didn’t place blame when someone made a mistake.
These are just a couple of examples of how these 8th grade boys represented not only our school, but our God. This solidifies for me, once again, the importance of Christian education. This partnership between church, school, and home gives kids so many opportunities to grow in their faith and equips them to be disciples in the world beyond Hudsonville Christian School. What a blessing it is to be part of this journey!
In Him,
Tricia Kiepert, Elementary Principal
