Crossover Development Company

Revitalizing our community through economic and housing development.

by Katie Lepine

During my senior year in college, I became student body president. I had this grand vision for my term: I’d use my position—and our sizable budget—to throw a benefit concert and address the injustice of food insecurity, my current passion. Sounds great, right? One problem: my people weren’t on board. In fact, half the people I appointed had voted for the other girl and weren’t interested in my agenda. I stubbornly pressed forward and was bitterly disappointed with the end result. To make matters worse, I felt insecure and resentful for the rest of my term. Pity party of one, please! It was the greatest failure of my life to date, and it was God-ordained.

The following year, as I reconciled that experience, I realized Lao Tzu was right. I failed because I was focused on what I wanted to accomplish, instead of what my team could be equipped to do. My people were my job, and I completely missed the point.

Fast forward a few years: I was working at the local food bank, while my husband taught at a high school—both located on the north side of Tulsa. We’d lucked into a sweetheart deal and bought a house on the south side. It was the right call at the time, but not where we wanted to live. We wanted to end up on the north side with the people we’d grown to love.

We became parents a couple years into marriage and shortly after, the opportunity to help start Crossover Preparatory Academy came along. John and I felt certain that God was calling us to sell our home and leave our church community.

As we prepared for another child, we moved to the north side, where we planned to build a house. Around that time, I read Washed and Waiting by Wesley Hill. I was captivated by Hill’s story: he had a struggle somewhat resolved through his decision to live with close friends, who adopted him into their family and helped satisfy his need for intimate Picture above: The Lepine Home with the Girl’s Intern Home on the top floor companionship. As I considered this radical re-imagining of family, the desire to welcome others into our home took root.

As John and I designed our house, we added an apartment space on the second floor for someone needing a family. We didn’t build that first house because of issues with the lot (no sewer!) and found ourselves waiting. While we were waiting, I was offered the job of co-directing Crossover’s internship program. I jumped at the chance to help build the program: it beautifully combined our desire to co-house and my love of ministering to women.

We designed a second house with the program in mind, a two-flat, and realized we’d have to make some compromises. We couldn’t afford to build what is essentially two houses in one and also build the house of our dreams. The Lord gently asked us to surrender the material things we had our hearts set on and graciously reminded us that we were building His house, not ours.

Go to the people. Live with them, learn from them, love them. Start with what they know, build with what they have. But of the best leaders, when the work is done, the task accomplished, The people will say, “We have done this ourselves.””- Lao Tzu

Pictures above: College Interns with Katie Lepine

We moved in last December—with a third child—and welcomed our first intern six months later. Five young women now call “Sojourner House” home. It is overwhelming to look back and see how God worked everything for our good: learning the truth of Lao Tzu’s words the hard way, leaving a beloved church family, and a derailed first attempt at house-building. At the time, those frustrations felt like failures, sacrifices, and obstacles, but now I see that if not for those disappointments, we would not have taken on this work in the first place, built a house to suit the program’s needs, or come to know the five souls who now have a place at our table. Sojourner House is truly the Lord’s house.

Katie Lepine is the Director of Sojourner House, Crossover’s Women’s Internship Program. After graduating from the University of Tulsa with a degree in marketing, she worked in the non-profit sector. She is a young woman who pours herself out daily in service to others. She has been married to John for 7 years, and they have 3 adorable kiddos! Please keep John, Katie, Jack, June, and Ruby Lepine in your prayers, as well as the members of Crossover’s first intern cohort: Mikayla Titus, Courtney Wright, Kylia Clark, Ellie Pickard, and Jennifer Schwickerath.