High School Ozone Spring Break Sleepovers

On Tuesday night of spring break, high school students from Fayetteville, Bentonville, Rogers, and Springdale spent the night having fun and getting acquainted with students from different cities and schools. The guys gathered at AAO in Fayetteville, and the girls stayed at Matt and Kara Noetzels’ home in Rogers.

After introducing themselves and getting to know one another, the girls learned how to safely build a campfire, roast marshmallows, and make s’mores. Other activities included improvisational acting and both small and large group games that encouraged the girls to break out of their comfort zones and facilitated the development and deepening of friendships.

Back at the AAO, the guys enjoyed getting to know each other on a closer level. Activities varied from playing pool, foosball, air-hockey, ping pong, and the crowd favorite, video games on the X-Box. The camaraderie of the guys was strengthened as they worked together, attempting to defeat their Ozone Directors Ricky, Ben, Matt, and Justin in the video game Halo. (This was a failed attempt, of course. Come on, the Directors are recent college graduates. They still have some skills!) Time flew by and as the clock quickly approached 6:00 A.M., the boys finally began to turn in for the night. They eventually all got about an hour of sleep before waking up for the next morning’s activities.

On Wednesday morning, guys and girls from all four Ozone cities met together at AAO for a post-sleepover breakfast. Students were responsible for preparing and cooking their breakfast, while staff supervised and advised students about healthy dietary choices. Students prepared whole wheat, low-fat french toast, homemade granola, and fresh fruit. They enjoyed cooking together, but even more they enjoyed eating what they had made. The meal proved delicious as well as healthy when it finally came time to eat and the students devoured their creations!

The students also spent time Wednesday morning contributing to a service project that challenged them to think globally. The students watched a DVD about a missionary from Voice of the Martyrs (VOM) whose job is to fly an airplane over the hard-to-access jungles of Colombia, South America, distributing Bibles, Christian literature, and solar radios tuned to Christian stations. These items are attached to parachutes that are dropped from his plane, and are designed to reach the guerrilla troops who persecute Colombian Christians. Students then spent about an hour constructing parachutes to send to VOM for the project. The students were challenged as they considered the implications of living out their faith in an environment so hostile towards Christianity. They appreciated the opportunity to pray for and serve fellow believers far away.

The sleepovers and Wednesday morning breakfast, along with the other high school spring break events, contributed to the growth of the Ozone community as students shared experiences and formed memories together.