I came to Shiloh when I was 12 years old. I moved from Spokane, Washington, which was a long move. There were a lot of things that were different from where I came from originally. First of all, Missouri has a lot of humidity and Washington does not have half as much of it. Also, at Shiloh, there are a lot more people. In my biological family, we had a family of 6, at Shiloh I have a family of 12, and many more on site!
I came in October of 2019, the beginning of my 7th grade year. When I first got to Shiloh, it was a very different atmosphere than where I came from. First of all, I had so many different people my age to play with, and I had A LOT of siblings. I came from having three siblings to having nine. I also had all older siblings before I came to Shiloh, my new family had some older siblings, but mostly younger ones. I had to learn how to work together and get along with all of them and be polite even when they are being annoying. There are days when that is a challenge and other days when it is so easy.
When I first met my Shiloh parents, Kirk and Dennae, I was kind of shy and didn’t know what to expect. I also had never met them before. I was introduced to them as my new parents, and they wanted me to call them “Mom and Dad.” I felt sort of weird calling them that since I had my other parents in Washington. I also did not trust them very well yet. It took me a while to learn how. One way they helped me learn to trust them is always being there for me when I was struggling with something but also when things were going well.
In the first couple years of living at Shiloh, I learned some very important lessons that I will carry with me for the rest of my life. I have learned that honesty is very important and that it is better to be honest than to lie about something. I have learned how to be sociable without making people feel uncomfortable. One thing my dad has taught me, “If you want something, you go to work!” It is important to work hard because that is how you will support your future family and how you will succeed in life.
Shiloh gave me a safe place to express myself and to form a better version of myself. It also gave me a new family that will always be there for me through the hard times and the good times. It also has given me a place to develop my faith and grow closer in my relationship with Jesus. I have a big Shiloh family that cares about me so much and want the best for me and I have a church family that has always been there for me through the thick and thin. I am very thankful for all the family and friends that have always been there for me and supported me throughout the time I have been at Shiloh.
Throughout high school, I have been able to take part in lots of clubs and sports. Because I was in so many clubs, it made for a very busy four years, but it was worth it. Some of the clubs and sports that I really enjoyed were the fall musicals, football cheerleading and basketball cheerleading, and FCCLA.
I was in the musical every year in high school. My favorite was probably “Anne of Green Gables,” I played the Mom of Anne’s best friend, Diana Barry. I really liked being in the musicals because it helped me gain more confidence and I love acting and singing. I was also in Family, Community and Career Leaders of America (FCCLA) every year. I really enjoyed being an officer all through high school. It taught me to learn how to lead different groups of people and gain confidence that I did not have until I took part in it for a few years. I will definitely take all of the skills I’ve learned from high school and apply them to the rest of my life.
Time has gone very fast in high school. It feels like yesterday I was a freshman just starting and now I am graduating and going on to college. I will miss all the teachers and people that supported me throughout high school, when I move on to college. I will definitely come back home and visit my family and friends whenever I am able to. They made a big impact on my life, and I could’ve never asked for a better family to be part of.
My plans after high school are to go to nearby Moberly Area Community College (MACC) for 2 years. I am planning to live in the dorms and study business. I have no idea what I will be doing after that. I am just waiting and praying for God to point me in the right direction of what He wants me to do afterwards. I am excited for what God has planned for my future, the experiences He will put me through, and what I will get to learn through all of my future experiences.
I really want to say thank you so much for all your support through everything. I’ve loved getting to meet so many of Shiloh’s donors and appreciate how they have supported Shiloh through the years. I am very thankful because if Shiloh didn’t have donors and supporters like you, we would not have all we have. I also am thankful for all the prayers and the time spent by many work groups who have come. It helps us all so much and we like getting to know you. Thank you so much for everything!
Gratefully yours, Ashley Sievers