Photo by Samantha Davis True Light Christian School students perform in “Mysterious Miracles: Believing is Seeing” Wednesday afternoon. Standing left to right are Roman Pflaum, Kanon Greenhoff, Ayden Jimenez, Otto Meulebroeck and Jaelyn Nawrocki.

MARSHALL — True Light Christian School seventh and eighth grade students are taking the stage today and Friday to put on a play they created themselves, detailing the journey of various characters in their path to following religion.

The play is called “Mysterious Miracles: Believing is Seeing.”

“What it kind of comes down to is, how do we come to faith?” play director and middle school teacher Shawna Holt said. “To choose without really knowing whether something is completely 100% true? We choose it and we believe it, and we see then that it is true. We see those miracles when we choose to believe.”

The play is based on people witnessing scenarios and finding their way through faith, and navigating what to believe in. It’s performed as a live news report, and uses news reporters to conduct interviews and seek out information.

“I start off as somebody who is totally away from God, and does not want to have anything to do with it,” said student Ora Knochenmus, who plays reporter Kendra Liddel. “More towards the play, I gradually start to follow God more and be more inviting to him and become a follower.”

There are several instances of miracles that take place throughout the show, to which the reporters investigate and share with the public.

Callahan Jans plays Larry, a character who is blind.

“I get healed by Jesus,” Jans said. “I get reported on and get asked questions by the reporters.”

Ben Buss plays an intern who doesn’t initially believe in religion.

“I’m like the bad guy,” Buss said. “I have to trick people and be like, ‘He’s (God) not the right person to follow.'”

Both Jans and Buss are eighth graders and said this is their second time participating in a play, as they did it in seventh grade as well.

Reese Livingston plays Lucy the intern, and is another character that experiences a life changing moment.

“I break my legs in the play, but then I am healed by God,” Livingston said.

The school hosted a matinee performance Wednesday afternoon for close family and other True Light students.

The audience cracked a few laughs at a number of jokes, as the play also has comedic humor involved.

The students create the play themselves and are involved from start to finish. It’s a part of the language arts curriculum in middle school.

Buss, Knochenmus, Livingston and Jans all said they are excited for people to see the play and to see it all come together.

“They’ve (students) been working hard since October,” Holt said before the performance. “They start bringing together the story around October, audition and write the script in November and December, and then practice all through January as often as they can.”

To open the show, Knochenmus takes the stage to address the audience about what they are going to experience.

“These stories, which happened during the course of many months, change lives. What you are about to see are stories, interviews and live recordings … On active portrayals of family struggles as we all process these stories,” Knochenmus said. “Is it true? You need to decide that for yourself.”

IF YOU GO

The play is open to the public today and Friday at 7:30 p.m. Tickets are $7. There also is a dinner option both nights at 6 p.m. for $20. Funds go to supporting students and a compassion child. Tickets can be bought at the school, and people may call ahead if they plan to attend dinner at 507-532-2762, to get a head count of how many meals to prepare

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