Two of my favorite things growing up were reading Bible stories and memorizing Bible verses. Weird, I know! But these two activities were associated with an experience of belonging, creativity and words of affirmation.

Oftentimes our family worship was reading from The Blue Books (formally known as The Bible Stories by Arthur Maxwell) or dramatizing stories from Bible heroes and even playing different types of Bible trivia. We would pray together as a family and review the “lesson.” The real treat was showing up to Escuela Sabatica (Sabbath School) where I would get to see my friends who I hadn’t seen in a week. Then the teacher would punch a hole, or place a sticker, or paste something on an elaborate craft to celebrate when I recited the memory verse of the week.

Adventures in the Bible continued when my mom married my stepdad who added three boys to her two. Friday nights, with the invention of handheld screens absent, we really got creative to keep ourselves engaged. It was a simple game that involved our minds, hearts and bodies. Each of us would have our own Bible (mine I earned from getting to Sabbath School early for an entire quarter). One of us would be the “quarterback” who would call out a Bible book, chapter and verse. As soon as you found the verse, you would read it and then you were released to run the course around the house. The first one back to the Bible would get a point. You use your mind to find the verse. Your heart to run. And your body to keep the other brothers from getting through the obstacle course before you. We almost never broke something. True story.

As I got older, the Bible was a steady guide when I reached for it. I didn’t always reach for it. But when I did, eventually it provided the right-sized story or verse to give my soul the nourishment it needed. This is when I realized that the Bible is more than interesting stories and encouraging words. It is one of the ways that God speaks to me (and you!).

Did you see that I use the word “eventually”? It’s really tempting to always take a quarterback approach when using the Bible as a guide. We expect that we ask our question to the Word and the Word will spiral back the answer. If life was simply about waking up, eating and going to sleep, this approach of “question asked and answered” might be enough. But I want a life that is more than merely existing.

I share all this because I learned something new about myself from one of my favorite Bible promises. It is a favorite of many found in Jeremiah 29:11, “For I know the plans I have for you, declares the LORD, plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.” Sometimes I have approached this verse with the lens of one of the worst, albeit popular, versions of a stereotypical man. What does that mean? Let me try to demonstrate.

The verse ordains me to plot out uncharted territory. When confronted with obstacles, I will, by my strength and my might, be more than a conqueror. Standing firmly with the spirit of my understanding and prophetic vision. I press on to finish the race second only to Jesus and making sure others see my straight and narrow path. Though I’ve been bruised and mocked, these weaknesses of the flesh reflect the strength of my convictions…..(or something like that).

I had a plan. Like a really good plan filled with so many favorite things, and it stretched out years beyond the present, accounted for various contingencies, maximized values, and included life goals. God showed me one next step, then I planned and locked myself into several more steps beyond what God had actually revealed. The Bible tells us to not go to fortune-tellers, but sometimes when we look only inside ourselves that’s what we become, our own fortune-tellers.

Here’s another favorite Bible verse: “Let the morning bring me word of your unfailing love, for I have put my trust in you. Show me the way I should go, for to you I entrust my life” (Psalm 143:8).

It was morning when I was presented with a choice to formally and fully serve Andrews University. And my first mistake was pretty typical for me: quick to speak and quick to act. That kind of impulse can sometimes move you to walk on water or other times to cut off someone’s ear. In this case, it was the latter and it was my own ear. I said no, and I wasn’t even aware of the hearing loss I just brought on myself. Even worse, it is hard to actually trust God when you are showing Him the way to go.

Moving that quickly reminds me of a guy I used to work for. It took me forever to appreciate one of his best qualities—patience. Of course he didn’t think he was very patient. Yet over and over again, as he gave God time to act, things worked out in ways that had God’s fingerprints all over them. Come to think of it, this man probably felt impatient but wasn’t willing to act until God said so. I’ve gathered that the act of waiting to hear the voice of God during devotional time guided his professional life as well. He also got exceptionally annoyed when I attempted to finish his sentences. And those two things make a lot more sense now.

Here’s why. The Bible presents really good answers. But taking time to listen allows the living Word to come alive in us. Basically, when I’m quick to listen and slow to speak, I give God time to finish His own sentences. It’s one of my new favorite things. Giving time to listen for the voice of God.

I’d like to tell you that I know exactly why and to what end God has brought me to Andrews University now. The simple fact is I don’t. But I did eventually allow God to speak a complete sentence. Essentially He said “Go!” So I made the trek of about 100 yards north. Now it is time to listen so we can hear the next step God wants us to take. Hopefully, we’ll give time for God to finish the sentence.

José Bourget

My earliest memories are all connected to education—my father, a fifth/sixth grade teacher, teaching his students and working with those who needed extra instruction, my mother baking cookies for his classroom, my father taking his class on a picnic and playing games with them. I learned two important lessons from these early, chalk- and book-filled years—education is a sacred profession where a good and caring teacher can change a student’s life and, from my mother, all children can learn and are worth your respect.

These lessons remained with me, even after my father and mother were both hospitalized and I had to help my grandmother raise my younger siblings (two brothers and a sister). It was because of my parents’ illnesses that we first came into contact with the Seventh-day Adventist Church. My father spent a number of months in what used to be called the Washington Adventist Sanitarium (now Hospital) in Takoma Park, Maryland, and our family was “adopted” by the small church attached to the hospital. Church members brought food to help my mother, provided child care for my siblings, and, most importantly, gave us Bible studies in our home. And through their loving efforts, I learned another important lesson—that a church filled with committed Christians can keep a family together.

I was lucky enough to earn full scholarships for college and attended the University of Maryland so that I could continue to help my mother with my brothers and sisters. When I was 19, my mother, my sister and one of my brothers and I were baptized as Seventh-day Adventists. My father was baptized the following year, less than 11 months before he died.

I began working for the Seventh-day Adventist Church first as a curriculum specialist and editor for Home Study Institute, eventually becoming a faculty member at Columbia Union College (now Washington Adventist University) and, ultimately, vice president for Education for Griggs International Academy/Griggs University (GIA/GU). I feel that the Lord has blessed me in my professional life. By working at GIA/GU, I have been able to work with students at almost every level from preschool through graduate school and in many countries.

Under the leadership of Joseph Gurubatham, GIA/GU became an educational equivalent of ADRA, working with educational institutions around the world to build local capacity, making it possible for students in Ghana, Cameroon, South Africa, India, Venezuela, Eastern Europe, China and, yes, even in underserved communities in the U.S., to have access to Adventist education.

Joseph Gurubatham was an exceptional mentor who helped me to realize that Adventist institutions could work together to find solutions for Black South African pastors who, because of Apartheid, were unable to benefit from the training available to their white colleagues. In South Africa, GIA/GU offered pastoral training programs in collaboration with Bethel College and the General Conference. For six years, I had the pleasure of traveling to South Africa and watching students who completed high school equivalency programs, then associate degrees and, ultimately, bachelor’s degrees. More than 200 pastors were helped through this collaboration. I have never experienced a more joyful graduation than that first graduation at Bethel College—the singing and crying and, yes, dancing in celebration of the accomplishments of the students.

I worked together with Valley View College (now University) to offer government-approved degree programs for more than 100 students, many of whom now serve the church as pastors and administrators around the world.

And with Newbold College to provide undergraduate education to pastors in the Balkan states after the fall of Communism. We had students who spent years in prison because of their beliefs but who were finally able to study theology.

And with students in West Africa who were not able to take government exams because they were offered only on the Sabbath. For these students, we worked with the West-African Division to develop a high school equivalency exam that the colleges and universities could use for admission.

Or students in mainland China, working in collaboration with Taiwan Adventist College and Hong Kong Adventist College.

I have had the pleasure of working with people such as Marion Hartlein, Erma Lee, Larry Blackmer and Arne Nielsen to help K–12 schools throughout the North American Division to supplement programs and support students who need something the local school cannot offer.

The Lord has blessed me in that I have seen the transformative power of Adventist education up close—in the lives of hundreds of students who were helped because institutions, organizations and church entities were able to look beyond their institutional barriers and toward the needs of the students.

There is one story I will never forget—we worked for many years with a number of Job Corps Centers throughout the U.S. (career training programs and Griggs International Academy provided the opportunity for their students to complete high school). We were packing boxes to move GIA/GU to Andrews University when I was called to the front desk where a young woman waited for me. She wanted to shake my hand and to say thank you. She’d had a baby at 13 and dropped out of school, but she was determined to change her life. Because of the partnership between Griggs and Job Corps, she had finished high school, gone to community college and was working for the Postal Service. She pulled a picture of her daughter out of her wallet and told me, “This is what you have done. You have changed my life. You have changed her life, and I just wanted to say thank you.”

I know that for every success story, there may be many failures, but without educational opportunities, there are no success stories. So, what have I learned in my life? The power of Christian education to transform, the power of collaboration to make transformation possible, and, most of all, that what is best for the student is more important than what is best for me.

Everywhere I look at Andrews University, I see the power of Christian education in the faces of students on our campus and off, graduate and undergraduate, face-to-face and online. What a blessing it is to play a small role in helping the transformation to take place.

Alayne Thorpe

What do you do when God doesn’t answer your prayer?

I confess that I usually take the standard two-step approach:
1) I convince myself that it must not be God’s will
2) I stop praying about it.

I normally don’t stress about it too much and go on with life.

But there was one particular prayer that was different.

It started five years ago in 2014, when my wife and I were praying more than usual for our three girls. For reasons we didn’t know at the time, we kept asking where we should raise them. While there were many good reasons to stay in Southern California—family, close friends, pleasant year-round weather, and a house we really liked—we were strongly impressed to ask if that’s where God wanted us.

It didn’t take long for His answer to become clear.

In fact, the conviction was so strong my wife and I put our house up for sale before we knew where we were going. I know, that sounds crazy—almost reckless. But we figured if God wanted us to do this, we should be ready so that when He said “go” we wouldn’t be tied down by a home that needed to sell.

Then, when our house sold almost immediately, we found ourselves asking: “Now what?” So, we decided to rent while we waited on God.

I mean really, how long could He possibly take to give us an answer?

All of these prayers and changes were happening coincidentally—perhaps divinely—as I was about to make one of the biggest decisions of my life. I had received a call to serve as a lay pastor at a church in Los Angeles. While it was completely unexpected, it wasn’t all that surprising when you consider that I first felt the call to pastoral ministry when I was just 6 years old. But somewhere during my high school/teen years, I decided to run away from that call. As I got older, I found myself running faster and farther away.

Now, some 40+ years later I faced the fact that I can’t outrun God’s convictions. That voice was still there—stronger than ever.

So, I continued to do a lot of praying. But, if I were to be perfectly honest, I think my decision to pray was not as noble or admirable as it may sound. The same reasons I ran away from God’s call for so many years were still driving my decisions. Rather than humbly surrendering, my prayers felt more like a wrestling match with God about giving up what I had worked so hard to attain.

My accomplishments were modest, but in my own little world my life was coming together quite nicely. After about eight years as a television news reporter, I transitioned to healthcare communication and marketing—quickly moving up the management ladder, initially in a hospital setting. University of Southern California (USC) then recruited me to lead a significant marketing assignment as its executive director. Eventually I landed at Loma Linda University Health, where I served as assistant vice president of public affairs for the system of schools, hospitals and physician group.

That’s where I was when I came to a crossroads. I had to figure out whether I should keep going—stay on a successful career path. Or, should I and my family take a sharp turn—start a new path that includes ministry?

All the rational arguments in my head were loud and compelling: Be practical. You’ve worked hard. It’d be a waste to change now. Besides, you can do ministry when you retire.

But that other voice in my head and heart—more of a quiet whisper, really—was equally strong: You’ve been running away for too long. Isn’t it about time? If you’re going to do this, you’ve got to do it while you have some years left in you if you’re going to make a meaningful impact.

I discovered that these thoughts were swirling around in my head, kicking up so much dust that I could no longer see clearly anymore. At that point, God directed me to a book that cut straight through the cloud of confusion. This book used sports as an analogy to point out that most of us spend the first half of our lives seeking success. But by the time we reach our second half, many of us begin to desire significance over success.

Yeah, that’s me!

I found out I had entered my life’s halftime, which happens to be the exact title of the book—“Halftime.”

The book suggested that many people panic during this stage of life, which often leads to poor choices in the form of some sort of a mid-life crisis. But with careful planning and strategizing, combined with prayer and dependence on God, this book suggested that we can be very intentional during our halftime for an exciting and truly meaningful second half of our lives.

So, I found myself still at a crossroads, but now I was able to see clearly the names of the two roads in front of me: Success and Significance.

I decided it was time to change course.

I accepted the pastoral call. To make room in my life, I made some adjustments in my professional life by switching to a less demanding position. It was initially tough on my ego and my pocketbook, but God pulled me through by showing me an even more clear path toward my second half.

The reality is that this book, these prayers, these plans all took about three years to sort through. But during that time I never stopped praying about our initial question: where should my family and I live? In fact, I prayed every single day about it. In retrospect, I realize that God wanted to work on a few things in my life before answering our prayer.

It was after I had surrendered it all to Him—three long years later—very suddenly multiple signs clearly pointed to Michigan, including a job offer from Andrews University. As a California guy, I have to admit that I asked God—even as we were driving out here—Michigan? Are you sure, God?

But after being here for nearly two years now, God is faithfully showing me significant reasons why we are here. Our children are thriving at Ruth Murdoch Elementary School and Andrews Academy and immersing themselves in the community.

As for my path from success to significance, I have the privilege of serving as an associate vice president, chief marketing officer and world changer at Andrews University. I also have the blessing of serving as the pastor of Living Springs Fellowship, the English-speaking congregation at Andrews Korean SDA Church. Because the group is almost entirely college students, my job at Andrews University is the perfect complement. And I even have the convenience of walking from my office to the classroom to pursue my MDiv at the Seminary. Now, my entire life is my ministry.

As I reflect on all these prayers and decisions inspired by God, I realize that I couldn’t have planned it better myself. Good thing I didn’t have to.

“And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose” (Romans 8:28).

Tony Yang

One of my earliest childhood memories is the fire in my belly to become a pilot. I had never boarded an airplane or visited an airport, but I was, interestingly, inspired by the birds that I’d see flying in the sky. Their graceful flight kept me thinking that one day I, too, could fly the boundless skies. Being cognizant of my dreams, my eternally optimistic mother would always look me straight in the eyes and say, “My son, God will make you fly a plane one day.” Her words added hope to my dreams! I am forever indebted to God for giving me a mother who has UNRESERVED faith in me!

I am blessed to have grown under godly parents who are my secondary role models after Jesus Christ. My dad is an ordained Seventh-day Adventist minister, and because of that my childhood was adventurous. One of the early lessons that life taught me was the inevitability of change. My dad’s pastoral ministry meant that we would frequently relocate homes when dad was assigned to a different church. Eventually, my dad accepted the call to serve at Solusi University in Zimbabwe, the place which I now regard as my home.

Growing up in a pastoral family and African home meant that I grew up in an extended family. My dad and I were the only males at home until early in my teenage years, when my younger brother was born. In jest, I would use my family dynamics to explain why my cooking skills are less than perfect. As a family, my father instilled in us an honor for the principles of Gethsemane and OneAnotherness. Our Gethsemane is a designated prayer place where our battles are won. And our OneAnotherness promotes love for everyone by understanding that “we do not need to look alike, just love alike.” These principles still serve me well. I have a deep respect for people and a burning desire to spread love—God’s love.

In 2014, I had the awesome privilege of attending the Pathfinder Camporee in Oshkosh, Wisconsin, and visited Andrews University. On my flight back to Zimbabwe, my prayer was, “God, you have placed this calling to be a pilot within me. Moreover, I’ve seen firsthand the fleet of planes at Your institution. Next year this time, I need to return to Andrews and pursue aviation so I can fly and take the Three Angels’ Messages to the whole world.” At that time all I had was a dream! I was on my way back to a country that was still regarded as Third World. I reviewed the information from Andrews University—tuition was beyond my reach. I claimed the promise that “with God all things are possible.” I wanted to become a part of a family of world changers.

God saw to it that the next year, fall 2015, I enrolled as an aviation flight student at Andrews. I believe in a God who still answers prayer, and each semester here at Andrews has propagated a testimony. One of the many is God’s mind-boggling intervention in my finances at Andrews. I received an email which I label as a “divine hook-up.” The email was from then-provost Andrea Luxton. At first, I thought it was one of the random messages that we receive as students, but this one had my name on it. God had answered our family prayer. I had received the “Dare to Dream” scholarship, which alleviated my financial burdens.

During my first semester at Andrews University, there were countless moments when someone would mistake me as a seminary student. Being a religion major had never crossed my mind. But then I had a life-threatening experience during the second semester of my freshman year and was admitted to the ICU. After this experience and many other indications, I was convicted to add religion as a second major to my aviation flight. I believe these two will complement each other well in my dream to be a missionary pilot. Since my time in the hospital, it has never been medically explained what actually caused the experience. The Federal Aviation Administration interrupted my aviation journey because they would not risk me flying after that experience. They still have not cleared me to fly, though they have asked for information in an ongoing review process. As disheartening as that could be, I am currently in my senior year and scheduled to graduate with a BA in religion. My faith is unwavering because of the promise that He who has begun a good work in me is faithful to mold me into the missionary pilot that He would want me to be.

I am humbled to serve with the Watchmen, a contemporary gospel a cappella group delivering an urgent message to a cold world. Since its formal inception on February 9, 2017, God has confirmed that He is willing to use even the chief of sinners to fulfill His great commission. This ministry serves to announce that it is time to make Jesus go viral! Because of God, we just recorded our debut album at the 3ABN studios. It will be released on February 9, 2019. Some of the group members are international students who have been blessed with the grand opportunity to attain knowledge at Andrews University. It is for this reason that the ministry has created the Watchmen Educational Scholarship Fund* to financially support international students who aspire to study at Andrews University. This initiative will be primarily enhanced by the album project.

Andrews has greatly influenced my perspective on life. I am determined to change the world starting from the smallest circle of influence I have. I am going by faith into the next phase, praying that God fulfills my dream to be a missionary pilot. My definition of “missionary pilot” has always been about service. Hence anywhere, anyhow and whomever that God wills that I serve, may His will be done. I pray someone is inspired to live to their fullest potential as they await a Jesus who is coming in the fullness of time!

Thus far I don’t know how that will happen, but where God leads I will follow!

*The Watchmen Educational Scholarship Fund is currently organized and processed by the Watchmen and is independent of Andrews University.

Jephthah Ndlovu

Being raised as a Roman Catholic in Ecuador was just part of the norm or tradition, and bearing a name that friends used to make fun of at times while in primary school was just something that did not bother me. I did not care. But things can radically change when we experience the manifestation of becoming our true selves, and so it was when I became a Christian. I was no longer part of an old tradition that was so rooted in my culture. I realized that my name literally meant what I had just become—but who is a Christian? And what does it mean to be a Christian?

I made my way to the University of Sydney and earned a bachelor’s in computer engineering, then embarked on an awesome IT career during which I traveled through 32 countries—I am so thankful to God for this. But coming back to Latin America where I also worked in a senior IT position started to shape a new me. Yes, I was already a Christian, but I knew something more was missing.

I believe that Christianity should go beyond the four walls of a sanctuary, and living in Mexico City for four years radically changed my understanding of who a Christian is and what it means to be one. You see, Latin America is a special land, a place of so much history, culture and beauty in nature. But at the same time, it is a place where globalized countries have countless social problems due to political systems that have barely tried to develop and provide equal access to opportunities for all society. And so you see injustice, poverty, insecurity, corruption, crime, hunger and all the problems that Latin American governments face, such as improving access and quality of public services, relationships between politicians and society, police behavior, health, social activism and even the environment. Do we just accept the world as it is and go with the flow? After all, this is the easiest thing to do, right?

This is when I, with other like-minded people, started to do something for others without even knowing how it was going to end (and I’m still on that journey). We visited orphanages, parks where homeless people lived and nursing homes. We did this for Christ, sharing the good news of salvation, and the whole experience silently started to shape a new me, a new Christian. Later on, things got even bigger as we organized social and medical fairs in rural communities of different states in Mexico. We helped many people by bringing them groceries, clothes, shoes and toys for the children. We presented Christmas plays sharing the stories of Jesus and afterwards brought doctors with free medicine and glasses. When you understand that seeking a faith experience is about giving yourself to others, this radically changes how you understand what it means to be a Christian. Christians need to change the world by committing to a true revolution of thought and action.

This experience of giving ourselves to others brought me to Andrews University, the mecca of Adventist theology, and I am completing a Master of Divinity (MDiv) in order to go out and continue changing the world with Christ. As I finished my first year in the MDiv program, there was a poster on campus advertising the need of missionaries in Cuba for one whole school year. I put my name down. After all, it was this notion of giving myself to others that brought me to Andrews. At the end of the interview and selection processes, I was one of two student missionaries who entered Cuba after 55 years—the last Christian missionary had been forced to leave the country in 1963 due to the Cuban revolution. And going to Cuba confirmed once again that as Christians, going with the flow is just not enough. We need to give ourselves to others, which in the end is what it means to be Christian (John 3:16 becomes so much more vivid when we consider the word “gave”—God has given us the supreme example).

I am thankful to my God for all that He used me to do for His glory in the Cuban city of Santiago during the one year of service there. I am grateful for the new friends made and the CDAR ministry that is led by youth and young adults and still causing a difference to this day (if you are interested, search for “CDAR” on YouTube). In spite of all my wrongdoings and failures, I thank God for the many people touched by the Gospel, the 48 precious souls who committed their lives to God and the 20 that I continue to pray for and stay in contact with, hoping they will one day accept Christ as their Savior. Ultimately, I thank God for confirming once again who a Christian is and what it means to be one.

As we live in a world where practically every human being is somehow dependent on the continued flow of money, goods, culture and people, let us give ourselves to others in our circles of influence. Let us go beyond the four walls of a sanctuary and understand that going with the flow is just not enough. Let us rekindle the spark that ignites a commitment toward a true revolution of thought and action. Let us wholeheartedly change this world with Christ and for Christ! Maranatha!

“Anyone who is joined to Christ is a new being; the old is gone, the new has come” 2 Corinthians 5:17 (GNT).

Christian Guana-Jarrin

My life really started in high school in Jamaica. I was in an Anglican school at the time and determined to be a doctor; I would have been like Albert Schweitzer if my mother had her wishes. But being one of only four Adventists in the school, I soon found myself a witness and that, along with being very active in my local church, made me passionate about making a difference in the community and the lives of individuals.

It was natural, then, when I went to West Indies College to become engaged in evangelism and ministry in addition to studying for my bachelor’s degree in theology. I found leadership instinctive and with outstanding mentors in my mother and church elders my path developed towards being a pastor, a youth minister with particular interest in Pathfinders.

That is where my career officially started: inclusive of being a pastor in Jamaica, conducting a large tent crusade, directing the conference youth camp, visioning and building up a new campground—working 24/7 literally, driven by passion for young people. But God had even bigger plans for me, and so I was called to West Indies College as a dean of men. God’s ways are not always understood, and I didn’t understand them then, neither did many of my colleagues. But I followed God’s leading and soon realized why. I am still friends today with the young men whom I worked with and for at that time.

I continued to follow God’s leading through an MA at Andrews University, a supporting area of church administration with a concentration in counseling, as well as an EdD in educational psychology and counseling with a minor in religious education. After graduation in 1979, I returned to West Indies College with wider responsibilities of dean of students and academic dean but still passionate about students. There I led the first formidable self-study of West Indies College, with the view of attaining college-wide accreditation, which was presented to the Ministry of Education.

It was in 1982 that, due to the medical needs of my wife, I finally moved to the United States permanently, making my home in the Detroit/Southfield area. There I became director of clinical services for a neuropsychiatric clinic and subsequently program manager for chronic pain management in a local hospital. I loved working in that environment because again I saw myself as helping people.

In 1988, when I was called to be vice president for Student Services at Andrews University, it was a hard decision on the one hand to move from my comfortable life, but on the other hand it was passion for the youth of the church that moved me to accept. The salary drop was over 50 percent, but I believe it was God-ordained. My first year I traveled from Southfield, leaving at 4:30 in the morning and sometimes returning home after midnight after leaving my office on campus after 9 p.m. I didn’t mind, not only because of passion but also because I believed that God had prepared me for this job at this time. I had experience in all nine departmental areas which fell under my responsibilities: from student activities to the counseling center to residence halls to the medical center to discipline to campus ministries to career planning and placement to international student services and intramurals.

There are some very specific memories of Andrews University which I cherish. They include the contributions I made and that which I tried to bring to the table. I had been taught by my mother to be myself and to present well, so I always wore a suit and a tie, together with a matching pocket piece! It was critical to me to be intentional as a role model, particularly for minority students, hopefully showing them the value of pride in personal appearance. I also introduced the worship service known as New Life Fellowship so that students could experience a familiar worship style and be actively engaged in that worship and initiated a mentoring program for minority students through the formation of the Black Faculty Fellowship in 1989. I also initiated and inspired the genesis of the development of the Socrates Project in Benton Harbor.

During those years at Andrews I originated, developed and presented to the Board my vision for and the concept of a “gymnatorium” (a combination of a new gymnasium and auditorium space, complete with facilities for wellness activities inclusive of a new swimming pool, a walking track, basketball, racquetball, etc.). I could see huge student need for these spaces and, as I stated then, this new facility would enhance the recruiting efforts of the University. The Board voted the building of this facility in support of my vision. Other projects such as Buller Hall, already on stream, were in the planning stages. The Howard Performing Arts Center emerged as a donor gift (which met part of the need I had envisioned). Then three years ago, two of my former colleagues, the vice president for University Advancement and vice president for Student Life met with me to give me the good news that my dream was finally in the process of realization. I was able to see for myself the evolution of the plans I had originally sketched with content, now in an architectural form. The former president then affirmed the reality of my building the next day in church. I am finally pleased that my vision and dream will be realized with the new Andreasen Center for Wellness.

I was also involved in other campus-wide initiatives and made connections in organizations beyond the campus. In 1989, faculty and staff service awards banquet recognition was improved and enhanced through my direct involvement and effort by creating certificates, plaques and monetary gifts for recipients at determined five-year levels.

In 1991 I was invited to become a member of the Consultant Evaluator Corps of the North Central Accrediting Association of Schools and Colleges/Universities, now known as the Higher Learning Commission. Upon leaving Andrews, I received due recognition for my 12 years of valuable service from the Corps.

However, all the projects and interests I engaged in were all important only because of my passion for students. That is why on Sabbaths my wife, Elaine, and I would host an average of 25 students (along with faculty and staff) for lunch, as just one indication of our love and nurture for students. We wanted to give them a respite, to invest in them, because we wanted them to understand their value and potential. Lives were changed and commitments to service and the gospel were made. I believe that is why the former president presented me with the J.N. Andrews replica, “Legacy of Leadership,” endorsed to me and my beautiful wife who served along with me for the 15 years of my vice presidency.

I left Andrews 15 years ago, but I want you to know that my passion for students at Andrews is still alive and well. I am proud of my daughter, Dr. Leesha Hoilette, who celebrates 25 years as an alumnus of Andrews Academy and am also proud that my adopted granddaughter Maya Nelson is in her junior year at Andrews. The legacy continues.

Newton Hoilette

High school was ending, and I had to make a decision to go to college somewhere. It was hard to decide because I was so comfortable where I was. I had a solid group of friends, I was in a relationship, I was doing really well. I was refusing change. A month or two before graduation, all the doors to come to Andrews opened up, so I decided to just go with it and see where life took me.

I remember getting into the car at the South Bend airport and driving to Andrews University. It was one of the longest car rides of my life. I wasn't sure what I was doing—I didn't understand my purpose. I remember being so incredibly scared and asking God why I had to be here.

Orientation week was one of the hardest weeks of my life. I moved to a different country, I didn't know anyone, I was unsure of my major, and I was going to be in an education system I knew nothing about. I remember craving a typical Hispanic dish: rice and beans. The Thursday of orientation week, I remember waking up and praying that God would give me a sign to show me there was a reason I had to stay here because I was so ready to pack my bags and go home.

I walked into the department orientation breakfast and found the education table (I was an education major at first) and met a few different people who told me about this little place called the Gazebo. They told me all about the “cheap” prices and the really good quesadillas. I asked my mom if we could go and try it out. And as I walked into the Gazebo, I saw the TV screen advertising rice and beans for $2.27. This was the sign I needed. This was God talking to me and showing me how he would provide for me.

Three years later, I can definitely see my purpose. I can tell how much I’ve grown. I can tell how much the environment around me has influenced my personality and who I am on a day-to-day basis. I am forever grateful for everything that has happened at Andrews and all the opportunities I’ve been provided.

Ale Pineda

I was a broken, lost soul with very little support and no real family. It was God’s divine power and love that saved me just when I needed it the most. When I found out that I was pregnant, I felt alone and scared. I cried out to God for the first time in my life, not knowing if He was even there or listening. I had been doing everything my way for the first 25 years of my life, but it was clear that what I was doing was not working. I knew that I had to make a change because I wanted the very best for my baby; I wanted to give her the life I never had. I prayed to God for guidance and for my baby to be a girl. He blessed me with both.

I did not grow up as a Seventh-day Adventist or even a Christian and had very little knowledge about God. But I met a kind and wise woman at my previous job who introduced me to a living faith that gave me hope. As a lifelong Christian, her consistent kindness and love made me curious about her religion, her church and her beliefs. She never asked me if I wanted to read the Bible or study with her. Instead, she patiently waited for me to be ready—she waited for the Holy Spirit to impress me at just the right time. One day I asked her if I could study with her. She was happy to come over to read and study the Bible together. She and I, and my beautiful baby, met once a week to eat and study together. Eventually, I decided to give my life to Christ and dedicate my daughter to Him, to raise her in the ways of the Lord.

After a series of Bible studies that led me to Jesus and an understanding of Adventist beliefs, I visited Pioneer Memorial Church, where Pastor Dwight made an altar call: “If you are praying about getting baptized, don’t wait, the time is now.” I said to myself, “Ok, I will do it.” I contacted the church and requested to be baptized and to dedicate my daughter—but both by Pastor Dwight. Being a very reputable man and in high demand, the odds were slim. However, by the grace of God, he was able and willing to do my baptism and dedicate my daughter the same day. We have been following God ever since. We center our lives around the ways of the Lord and seek His direction in all things.

For the first time ever, I feel a sense of safety and security, a sense of belonging. Ever since God came into my life, He became my family, my friend and my strength. Even if we had nothing, we still have someone, He who will never leave us or forsake us. Before I found God, I was always nervous and scared of everything, but now I am stronger and less afraid. I pray to God for everything every day, for He is the source of life. Now don’t get me wrong, bad things do happen. Being a Christian doesn't exempt us from troubles and tribulations. But the difference is that He is with us and we know it. There are many things on our hearts, but we leave them at His feet and wait for His leading. We are in His waiting room. God is faithful and provides every one of our needs according to His perfect will.

Just this past Christmas, we received a wonderful blessing, something that we have been praying for. An anonymous church member bought us a newer used car, as we had a very old one costing us a lot in repairs. My daughter and I are very happy with our wonderful gift and enjoy it every day. Also, He has given us some wonderful friends, who have become like family to us.

God has opened doors for work for me as well, with the opportunity for me to further my higher education through online classes here at Andrews, so that I can support my family while pursuing a passion that He has impressed upon me. God continues to amaze me with all the ways that He is working in our lives. He has helped me to see our need for Him in our lives.

I am so thankful for the opportunity to simultaneously work full-time and work on my degree part-time. My academic advisor and my professors have been very helpful and have been encouraging me through the challenges. I have found faith, work, friends and the opportunity to further my higher education in a way that fits my busy life. Now, in more ways than I could have ever imagined, I am no longer alone, and I am becoming the person God created me to be. Our lives are forever dedicated to His work, service and purpose.

Tanya Thomas

My parents had unanimously decided on my name before I was even an idea: Dominique. It means “belonging to God.” Then they were told they could not have children. Eleven years later, I found my way into this world anyway. My parents thought I was a miracle. A miracle, they realized quickly, was going to be a handful of work!

I was never tired, had massive amounts of energy, was always excited about everything and decided to never waste time. I started walking when I was nine months old and climbed on everything. I was always happy, loved to laugh, enjoyed mischief and would turn everything into a loud song accompanied by a choreographed dance (including spontaneously at church). It became clear: I was hyperactive. I did not want to sleep at night or take naps—I wanted to play, enjoy life and experience adventures!

And truly, this is what my life journey has been: an exciting adventure including built-in obstacle courses! I have moved at least 26 times; I survived an avalanche and a big earthquake; my family fell apart when I was 10, and I left home at age 16; I have had jobs cutting onions, cleaning toilets, sorting books, serving French fries and teaching ballet to 3-year-olds; I have crossed the Atlantic at least 50 times; I am a chocoholic; I lost 0-6 0-6 to the number one player in Poland; I love tennis and soccer; I almost died in a horseback-riding accident; I gained over 50 pounds at one point (and lost it again); I love music and singing; I miraculously learned how to walk again after a back injury; I have two citizenships; I am a survivor of long-term abuse in my childhood and adulthood; I have the best mother and people in the world in my life. But most importantly, I decided that belonging to God required action and not just a name.

Tennis has taught me important life lessons. My favorite one is “always get balls back”—meaning that no matter what ball comes at you, no matter how fast, no matter with what spin, no matter how short or how long or how high…you hustle, focus, listen to your coach, make every moment count; you position yourself and hit that ball back with aim, with precision, with purpose and get yourself back into an offensive advantageous position. You cannot control what types of balls come flying at you, but you can choose how you react and return them.

I have learned that living life to the fullest potential is a daily choice to get balls back with passion, joy, enthusiasm, discipline, determination, love, compassion, teamwork and a fighting spirit. Some days it will be hard, some days it will be easy, some days you want to give up and some days you will dominate the ball; but no matter what, you will always play on the winning team if you choose to belong to God’s team.

Dominique Gummelt

By M. Dawn Ottley-Nelson-Barnes

From all available information, Esther Harriott Ottley was the first person of color and the first woman of color to have graduated with a BA in mathematics from Andrews University, class of 1954. This information came to light when Esther’s granddaughter, Maya Nelson, a current social work sophomore at Andrews University, mentioned to her statistics teacher, Shandelle Henson, that her grandmother had been a student in the math department during the early 1950s. Maya’s conversation with her teacher culminated in this written highlight.

Early Years
Esther was born in Panama, where her Jamaican parents were serving as missionaries and her father helped to build the Panama Canal. When Esther was 3, the Harriott family returned to their home on the island of Jamaica to attend to her paternal grandmother. From then until her early teenage years, Esther was homeschooled by her mother, Euphemia, before going off to Ferncourt High School near their home in Claremont, St. Ann, Jamaica.

Esther placed second on the island when she passed the Cambridge Overseas Examination at the high school, which qualified her for scholarships and opportunities. The decision was made for her to travel to Mandeville, Jamaica, to pursue teacher education at West Indian Training College (WITC, now Northern Caribbean University-NCU), where in 1926 both of her parents had received college degrees.

Following her graduation from WITC with an associate’s degree in math (class of 1948), she taught math at the college for several years before migrating to the United States to attend Emmanuel Missionary College (EMC, now Andrews University). At EMC she recalls being assigned a work/study placement with then math professor William Specht, for whom she worked the rest of her time at EMC. She had great admiration for Specht and continues to credit him with inspiring her to pursue a career in math and physics. Esther’s days at EMC were not initially bright, however. She tells the story of getting off the plane, arriving at EMC and finding herself alone in her dorm room with few basic supplies and no emotional support system. Esther remembers hearing the song “You’ll Never Walk Alone” and feeling the comforting arms of the Savior enfolding her and giving her the strength to endure work, school and the cold winters of Michigan away from her family in Jamaica. She graduated from EMC in 1954, in a ceremony held at Johnson Gym, and continued on to Columbia University in New York to pursue a master’s degree in education.

Family Life
In 1955, Esther married her Trinidadian college sweetheart, Dr. Neville Ottley (EMC class of 1953). They moved to Washington, D.C., to be together while he finished his last two years of medical school at Howard University (class of 1957) and completed his residency in general surgery. During these early years of their marriage, they started a family, and Esther joined the math department at Howard University while completing her doctorate in math/physics education at American University, graduating in 1965.

Esther was promoted and received tenure while teaching courses such as calculus and college algebra in the math department at Howard University until 1975, when she was called to be the founding associate dean of the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences at the university. She later served several years as the interim dean of the Graduate School at Howard but did not want to be considered for the permanent position (though asked) due to potential Sabbath conflicts. Her dedication to God’s will remained steadfast. Just after her retirement in 1994, Howard University honored her with an endowed graduate scholarship which bears her name: the “Esther Ottley Graduate Scholarship.” Many students have subsequently benefitted from this fund.

Dedication to Christian Education
Having learned the benefits of education early in life, Esther has spent a great part of her almost 90 years being a champion of Christian education. Her life has been filled with participation in activities at Adventist schools in the U.S., Jamaica and Trinidad. She has anonymously funded the college education of several worthy students at NCU in Jamaica. Many of these students have gone on to higher education. She has served on the boards of Andrews University, Loma Linda University and local Washington, D.C., area Adventist schools. In 2000, she funded the renovation of the men’s chapel at NCU. The resulting lecture theater was named the Solomon Harriott Lecture Theater in honor of her father. As recently as 2017, Esther helped fund the Esther Harriott Ottley Reading Bank at West Indies College Preparatory School in Jamaica. In addition, a scholarship fund was begun at the school that helps cover tuition, fees and books for students in need. This year, she plans to endow the scholarship fund. She will continue to influence many through her contributions and example of Christian leadership.

The Ottley family boasts a strong Andrews University (EMC) legacy demonstrating their belief in Christian education. Both Esther and her husband, Neville Ottley, attended Andrews in the 50s. Their daughter, Dawn Ottley Nelson, graduated from Andrews in 1983. Dawn’s husband, LeRoy Barnes, also attended Andrews during the early 80s. Their daughter, Maya Nelson, is a current student, and their son, Avery Barnes, attended in the 2000s. Beyond these, Esther’s Christian education commitment can be seen in her son, Dr. Mark Ottley, who attended La Sierra University, and her grandson, Jeremy Ottley, who attended Southern Adventist University.

Throughout her career, Esther has been sought out as a graduation speaker, university administrator, church leader, Women’s Day speaker, counselor, organizer, math tutor and supporter. More importantly, she has been a fabulous mother, wife, grandmother, family member and friend. Esther and Neville were respected members of the Washington, D.C. professional and Adventist communities for several decades until Neville’s passing in 1994 and Esther’s relocation in 2010 to Mount Pleasant, Michigan, to live with her daughter, Dawn Ottley-Nelson-Barnes, a professor at Central Michigan University.

Esther will celebrate her 90th birthday with her family on August 24, 2018. She spends her days contemplating God’s love for us as well as His promises. She encourages everyone with whom she comes in contact to remember what is important and to be ready when Jesus comes.

Esther Harriott Ottley

I was born in Rochester, New York, the child of Jamaican parents. I didn’t realize it until later, but my parents sacrificed so much in coming to the United States to give my brother and me the life they wanted for us. And they were amazing, too, at watching what I had an interest in and then encouraging that interest. For example, in my early childhood my mother saw how much I loved to draw, so she got me all I needed to create pictures. But soon those weren’t pictures on their own. I started to develop piles of pictures—rather like cartoons—and made them into stories. That is where I think my love of stories and my belief in the power of storytelling started. I was sure I wanted to be a cartoonist or photojournalist.

The structure of school life and the social pressure to qualify for a job that made money really drove my life in later childhood and into college, and I recently graduated with a degree in psychology. However, while studying psychology I only recognized more and more the power of storytelling and the unique value of everyone’s story. I also became convicted that storytelling is a gift God has given me and that whatever I do, that will be a medium I use.

There are many great storytellers I have known, and a lot are on this campus: Donnie Keele and Jonathan Leonardo, for example, really influenced me by their stories. Movies and books, such as “Tuesdays with Morrie” and “Catcher in the Rye,” have helped me understand how good storytelling reaches into our hearts and our souls and often helps us understand a world we didn’t know before or shows us a different perspective on a difficult issue. With that in mind, my hobby is to do podcasts that try to tell stories that will help people understand issues and maybe solve problems. I have also recently gotten back into art. I bought a sketchbook and am creating three-panel comic strip stories with the same idea in mind—telling a story to talk about important issues.

Of course, I have a paid job, too, and that is being a recruiter for Andrews University. It is a great way of telling stories—helping inspire students to be interested in Andrews through the power of the stories of Andrews. Much as I enjoy my job, however, I likely won’t be a recruiter forever. What do I dream for the future? Working for NPR—telling stories in that forum to help people, to make them aware and to, in a real way, give them a path to maybe change their worlds. And if not NPR, then maybe Hope Channel.

I should end by telling you how my passion for storytelling fits in with my journey of faith. The Bible is full of amazing stories. If I was to choose my favorite, it would be the story of doubting Thomas. This story says a lot about God, but for me it raises that predicament of faith. For Thomas, faith was difficult, and sometimes faith is difficult for me, too. But just as Christ questioned Thomas because of his doubt, I am challenged by also being questioned about my doubts. Why shouldn’t I have faith? The greatest storyteller in the world makes it clear through story after story that there is every reason for it!

Jordan Smart

Since I was 6 years old, my goal in life was to become a professional soccer player. It was my passion and my talent; if I was not playing on the field, I was playing FIFA, watching soccer, or talking about it. So when God told me to leave it behind, I was devastated and confused.

One summer when I was 17, I was reading this story of the rich young ruler, and the spirit of God spoke to me. He impressed me with this thought: “The ruler did everything right. He went to church and knew the commandments, but he loved money more than God. That is soccer for you. Soccer is your idol. You need to quit.” The more I tried to shake the thought away, the more I understood that it was God speaking to me. My clear direction in life began shifting, leaving me lost.

Although I have been attending church all my life, there were unanswered questions in my faith and Christianity. I always believed in God, but mustering up courage and faith to place my life in God’s hands was not easy. However, as I submitted everything to God and his plans, He began to transform me. All aspects of my life—my time, talents, resources, relationships, entertainment, music, sports, clothes, etc.—started to change. The things that I used to love lost meaning, and I started to love the things that mattered most: God and ministry. More and more, I dedicated my time and talents to God, preaching, evangelizing and doing mission work.

A group of us started a ministry organization called IMPACT when I was 19. Since launching in 2009, it has spread to nine countries with hundreds of young missionaries sharing the Gospel and reflecting God's love in their communities. God transformed a 17-year-old who knew nothing but soccer into a ministry leader.

We often fear that we are unequipped to serve. With God, it is not so much about ability but rather availability; He qualifies all those he calls to do his work. Leaving my life’s plans behind was difficult, and I didn’t completely understand at the time, but I never regretted my decision! I now look at the plans He had for me with gratitude and awe and am reminded of His love daily.

Completing religion classes online helps me impact my community through several ministries. While studying through Andrews University, I am also qualifying as an electrician. These skills are opening doors as I make friends with people in need of electrical work. Through friendships, trust develops in talking about eternal matters. Being able to finish my BA in religion online makes it possible for me to continue with ministry and electrician work here in Bergen, Norway.

God always has something bigger to offer us than what we seek for ourselves. My dream once was to play soccer and win games, but God knew my purpose was incompatible with His. He called me to something much greater, more meaningful and exciting: to win souls for His Kingdom.

Learn more about Joakim and his ministries: IMPACT, Empower Missions, ASI Scandinavia
Book: A Prophet For This Generation
Videos: Testimony, Joakim’s Andrews Experience

Joakim Hjortland

Identity is something I have struggled with most of my life. I was born in Perth Amboy, New Jersey, to a Puerto Rican mother and Costa Rican father. From an early age I could see that my parents’ skin colors were obviously not the same. I often wondered how they could be together because what I was seeing was very uncommon. I didn’t know many biracial families or children like me, and even among extended family members it was uncommon.

There was always tension in my family. On my father’s side of the family my brother and I were my grandmother’s favorites, and it wasn’t because we were well-behaved. I was able to pick up on the fact that my skin complexion played a role in the way I was treated. Because of this subliminal message I often felt better than the rest of my cousins on my father's side of the family. When I visited my grandmother on my mother’s side, the dynamic shifted. I often felt different and less than the rest of my family members because my skin was darker. I wasn’t allowed to use the same hair brush that all of my cousins would share. These experiences began to shape my perception of race and the way I perceived black and white.

I hated being black, and I hated my father for being black. It breaks my heart to admit that sometimes I wished my mother had married another man so that I wouldn’t be black. I hated my nose, my chin and my eye color. I hated my skin and my hair. I hated everything about me that made me black, and I did everything I could to make myself white. I started relaxing my hair by the time I was in 3rd grade, and I was straightening my own hair by 5th grade. I would often say that I would never marry a black man because I didn't want my children to have “nappy” hair. As a matter of fact, I wanted to marry a man with blonde hair and blue eyes because my children would have blonde hair, blue eyes and rosy cheeks. Throughout my life I would never identify as black—I couldn’t be black because I was Hispanic.

During high school I started to see and experience things more clearly. I remember the first time someone reacted to the fact that I spoke Spanish. He said, “You speak Spanish? I thought you were black.” I was shocked and denied with everything in me the fact that I was black. I was not black. I was Hispanic. But everything changed my junior year of high school. See, prior to junior year I was frustrated and wondering why on earth a white guy wouldn’t ask me out. It could have been because I was ugly, but I doubt that. All the guys asking me out were of a darker complexion. One day Bass Memorial Academy came to visit our church in Apopka, Florida. I found myself attracted to this nice, dark young man, something that was rare for me at the time. We got to know each other, and over the course of two weeks we started talking about cute girls. He then proceeded to describe me as beautifully golden brown with lovely dark eyes and curly hair. That did something for me, not just in terms of self-esteem but for seeing black as something beautiful. He saw my black as beautiful. This was a paradigm shift for me. I had questions, and I started to explore my blackness.

The more I started to explore, the more I found myself to be angry. I was angry because I felt like something had been stolen from me. I was robbed of my identity, and I wasn’t allowed to celebrate it. The church I was attending in high school was an Afro-Caribbean congregation, and to this congregation gospel music, among many other things, was demonized. I couldn’t understand this until I understood the colonial influences within Adventism and how that affected countries and populations that were ministered to by missionaries. I didn’t have historical role models to look up to; I didn’t know what black people contributed to America. Why was I only learning about black history through movies? Why did I only know the names of Christian contemporary artists? I didn’t know any gospel choirs. Why was it so terrible to move and clap during worship? I didn’t understand it. The more beauty I found and desired to connect with, the more I felt restricted.

When I got to college I did everything I could to immerse myself into black culture to better understand the part of me that I had for so long denied. But this time, my experience was different. I was learning to express those things which were in my heart. I was learning to be free.

One day I was on my way to the cafeteria, and I was singing the Black American National Anthem, “Lift Every Voice and Sing” by James Weldon Johnson. On my way up the stairs I got a rather unpleasant stare from an older white gentleman. Immediately I stopped singing and felt ashamed of what I was doing. Then he gave me an insincere smile as I continued up the stairs. I kept asking myself what I had done wrong in that moment, but the reality was I had done absolutely nothing wrong. I was in the Campus Center, a center made for students, singing a song. I started to see the subtle micro aggressions and the inconsistencies that existed in my church.

My spirituality started to deteriorate. How could I serve a God who didn’t look like me and who didn’t understand my experience? I grew up being told that all of humanity was made in the image of God, yet I had experienced everything less than that, not only as a person of color but also as a woman. For a long time I hated being Adventist. I wanted to be a part of a community that would accept me as a woman of color, and for a long time I believed that was in another denomination or religion altogether. But I had a moment in my life that made me realize that I couldn’t keep running away. For many Adventists of color the Seventh-day Adventist Church is their home, like it is mine. Just because there are issues in my church does not mean that there aren’t issues in another church. The grass is probably the same color on the other side. I live in the United States, who am I kidding? I can't run away from my family and leave them behind. So, I decided if I can’t leave I will do everything I can to move the Adventist church to become a home where people of color truly feel like they belong. If that means I am uncomfortable, so be it. If that means I am the only one yelling at the top of my lungs that what is happening is unjust, so be it. If that means I get dirty looks, so be it. If that means I get labeled a troublemaker, then so be it. What I cannot do is sit down and be silent on areas of growth that my church is overlooking. I truly believe that the Seventh-day Adventist Church can be a place of belonging for all people as it claims to be.

Eva Milliner

Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go (Joshua 1:9). When God spoke those words to Joshua, I think He had me in mind. He knew that as a trailblazer and trendsetter in the Seventh-day Adventist Church, I would need double doses of courage, tenacity and gumption. I have had the distinction of being the first to accomplish many things within the Adventist Church. I was the first black female pastor, and the first female pastor period, to be officially hired by the Seventh-day Adventist Church. I then went on to become the first female senior pastor in the denomination and later became the first female professor of homiletics at the Seventh-day Adventist Theological Seminary. To crown the “firsts” within the denomination, I have authored the first homiletics textbook that features how to preach—“Nothing but the Best”—which is now available online and will be in bookstores shortly.

I have not always been known, though, for spiritual accolades. As a young woman, I pursued fame and fortune with passionate intensity. I was the victim of childhood sexual abuse, and in my young mind I could not reconcile that a good God would allow a little girl to suffer as I had. Consequently, I embraced atheism. In an effort to ease the pain of my past, I submerged myself in a world of power and politics, drugs, the occult, broken relationships, pain and emptiness until there was nothing about me to suggest a divine destiny. Like Paul, I had my Damascus road experience and could not resist the irresistible God. With divine urgency, the Father sought His lost child. He had left a longing that only He could fill in the heart of this cigar-smoking, hard-drinking, profane woman. He fanned the spark of unconditional love that would not let me go. I believe that no matter how dark or how brilliant our past, no matter how great or how humble our present, we have this hope: to be eternally united in Christ in heavenly places, if only we trust and obey!

Unbeknownst to me, God was always preparing me for a life of public ministry. My earliest childhood memories, on the island of Jamaica, are of reading and reciting poetry on public stages for officials and dignitaries, such as the island’s governor. Additionally, my mother would have me read newspapers to the villagers who could not read. I did not grow up with televisions or radios (yes, there was a time when there was no TV). I found the most joy in simply reading the dictionary, imagining words as pictures. Only God is capable of such orchestration.

True to the meaning of my name, Hyveth, which comes from two Hebrew words meaning “life” and “house” (“house of life”), I have been able to provide influence around the world. For almost 14 years, I served as the senior pastor of Campus Hill Church in Loma Linda, California; eight years at Boston Temple, Massachusetts; three years as associate pastor at Sligo Church, Takoma Park, Maryland; and three years as pastoral intern at All Nations Church in Berrien Springs, Michigan. On February 16, 2013, I established a community church plant, The Grace Place, in South Bend, Indiana, where people from the surrounding community now number more than the weekly Adventist attendees. The Grace Place—God’s place of grace for so many—is my place to stay fresh, stay connected and give back! As a professor, I can’t teach preaching by pulling stuff out of the freezer.

Hyveth Williams

“He has shown you, O mortal, what is good. And what does the LORD require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God.” I would like to share my story with you as to why that text in Micah is so profound to me.

I am a native of Norway, and my early experiences involved a lot of changing homes and schools as my father was a colporteur leader. The greatest stability for me was the summers helping on my grandparents’ farm, particularly taking the cows to pasture and helping with haying. When I was 13, our family emigrated to the United States, with the first stop in Battle Creek soon followed by Berrien Springs and then Ohio—all in a four-year period. In my senior year in academy I became even more independent, and I went to Bogenhofen, Austria, traveling extensively around Europe while I was there. It seems that for the first 18 years of my life I was constantly on the move, but all that moving helped form my way of thinking about the world.

By the time I entered Andrews University as a college freshman in 1967, all my experiences had left me fascinated with the different ways of being human. I was very excited to learn there was a discipline that was devoted to just that—cultural anthropology. Following a Cultural Anthropology course, taught by a wonderfully inspiring professor, Gottfried Oosterwaal, I directed everything I could toward the goal of being an anthropologist. My sophomore year was spent in Beirut, Lebanon, at Middle East College, and while there I traveled in Syria, Jordan, Iraq, Iran and Israel. All these different experiences cemented my emerging desire to be an academic and an anthropologist. I could name so many individuals, and particularly Andrews professors, who continued to encourage me by letting me be part of their research during my later undergraduate years. That is one reason I am so passionate still about engaging students in research, even while they are undergraduates.

A major turning point in my career was being invited to join the Heshbon archaeological expedition in 1971. I was a recent graduate and my particular focus was on animal bones, particularly domesticated animals. As circumstances turned out I became the only animal bones person on the dig, with only the experience from a class project and connection with a professor at the University of Michigan. I learned so much from the Heshbon trip, and when I returned home my suitcase was full of bones that I had not been able to identify! These I took to Norway, then to Gothenburg, Sweden, where an expert from Estonia helped me as I continued to identify the bones I had brought—the beginning of my first article about bones from Heshbon, published in Andrews University Seminary Studies.

So far, my focus had been bones but my passion expanded greatly in the next few years. I had been approved for a U.S. Selective Service Program as a conscientious objector and the first of those years I spent at Loma Linda University as a social work intern, while also continuing graduate work in anthropology. As I have mentioned, I had many experiences with different cultural situations, but I had never known the cultural world of addicts or the life struggles of parents with sick children or adults with aging parents. This engagement profoundly impacted where I would take my career and research later. I need to add that my time at Loma Linda was also very special because of my connection with an Estonian-Canadian musician and editor who later became my amazing wife—Asta!

But back to how everything came together for me: zooarchaeology (the animal bone study) and social service. It happened as I worked on my ethnographic field research in Jordan for my PhD. What that means is that I was seeking to discover what the animal bones tell us about living—the social world behind the bone discoveries. As I did this research I realized that my calling was not just about the past and bones but about how what we learn from the past can help us create strong communities in the present.

That is what has driven my contributions to Andrews University and the discipline of archaeology since I became faculty here in the fall of 1980 and while I was chair of the Department of Behavioral Sciences from 1982–90. One program I introduced was the Community Service Assistantship Program (CSAP), as a means to strengthen Andrews involvement in the local community, especially in Benton Harbor, and at the same time provide students with hands-on experience working with underprivileged families and communities. The program eventually morphed into what became our campus-wide Service Learning Program. This program, in turn, led to the addition of two more focused community outreach programs. The first, the Genesis Single Parent Program, targeted single parents. The second, the Male Mentorship Program, targeted young men. The latter program was suggested to me by Harvey Burnett, who ended up leading it and is now the chair of our department.

More recently I began championing development of a graduate program in our department focused on community and international development to help build capacity in international development around the world. This has gone through several changes since its inception, and we now have both off-campus and on-campus programs that seek in different ways to respond to structural needs in changing communities for the better.

Of course, my engagement in archaeology and with others creating a more community responsive approach has also been a critical part of my career (please see labianca.wordpress.com).

As I reflect back over my life, I am amazed at the way God has led me. My varied experiences, along with the support of passionate and committed mentors, have led me to a place of personal calling and conviction, where my profession, my faith and my passion for communities all meet together. To return to Micah 5:8: “He has shown you, O mortal, what is good. And what does the LORD require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God.” The most important phrase to me is where it says “to walk humbly with your God.” What these words mean to me is that, despite my best efforts, there is no guarantee that any of what I have sought to accomplish throughout my career at Andrews is a guaranteed success. I have sought to bring positive change to the lives of individuals and communities. But eventually my duty is simply to walk humbly with my God and let Him take the lead in my life.

Øystein (Sten) LaBianca

Gabriela (Gabi) Melgar works at Griggs International Academy as the director of Student Services, overseeing the enrollment, financial and academic resources available to students. She also teaches high school Spanish I & II and Algebra I for Griggs. Gabi interacts with students from all over the world as she troubleshoots issues and has found that making a difference in student lives is rewarding work.

In one particular phone conversation, Gabi was reminded about the practical ministry and support that Griggs offers. A woman had learned about Griggs from a random lady at the grocery store and wanted to learn more. As Gabi responded to the questions, the woman started to cry. The Griggs program was a huge answer to prayer—it would provide an excellent Adventist education without the obstacles of finances or proximity to a brick-and-mortar school. Gabi was blessed to share the news.

Gabriela is from Bolivia. When she lived there, neither of her parents was Adventist, so it was her abuelita (grandma) who introduced her to the Seventh-day Adventist Church. Abuelita would pick her up for church, mid-week prayer meeting, Conquistadores (Pathfinders) and other special church events. Since her parents hadn’t dedicated her as a baby, her abuelita arranged to have her dedicated in church when she was about 9 years old.

When Gabi was about 10, her father wanted her to learn English, so he sent her to live with his sister in the United States. At 11, Gabi moved to Berrien Springs with her aunt and uncle, Charo and Dan Widner. She went to Village Adventist Elementary School for sixth grade and to Ruth Murdoch Elementary School (an Andrews University school) for seventh and eighth grade. However, her dad brought her back home to Bolivia for high school because academy tuition was beyond their means.

After finishing high school, Gabi went to a public university in Bolivia but felt it wasn’t a good fit. She talked with her dad about going to the United States to pursue a college degree. While he wasn’t very eager to send her back, he still supported her decision by giving her some cash to get her started. Gabi got on a plane and headed to Berrien Springs.

Even though Gabi really wanted to attend Andrews, she lacked the financial resources so went to a community college for her associate’s degree. As an international student, Gabi had a visa that allowed her to stay in the States an additional year to work locally. She found a job with nearby health service providers as an interpreter serving the migrant worker population. During that year Gabi became very close to a coworker.

At the end of the work year, the coworker asked Gabi if she had been able to save enough money to go to Andrews University. Gabi shared that she had been able to save $6,000 but she would need $16,000 to enroll. As an international student, Gabi needed to pay the tuition in advance or find a sponsor. The coworker was not an Adventist but was a Christian who saw a need God could help her fill. She left the room for a moment and came back to the room with a check of $10,000 for Gabi. As Gabi accepted the gift, her eyes filled with tears—she would now be able to attend Andrews University.

Gabi felt like God really wanted her to go to Andrews, yet the degree she sensed God calling her to would mean four years of tuition. As an international student, she wasn’t eligible for the loans that are available to some students. If God wanted her to get a math degree with a secondary education certificate, He would need to provide a way. Gabi knows that He did.

When Gabi graduated, she only owed $4,000 because of the support and generosity of many people. They knew that an Andrews University education was good for Gabi and that Gabi was good for Andrews University. And Gabi has seen evidence of God’s leading in her life every step along the way. When I asked Gabi about her future she said, “It really depends on what God wants.”

If you get a chance, ask Gabi about the rest of her story. You can find her around campus, at Griggs Hall or at my favorite place to run into her—when she is teaching Zumba at LifeRx in downtown Berrien Springs.

Gabriela (Gabi) Melgar

It’s hard to build a positive self-image when you are constantly battling the effects of body shaming. Growing up in Portugal was not easy for me. I wasn’t originally from Portugal, so my features and my size greatly contrasted the norms for Portuguese women. As early as my elementary school years, I can remember lamenting my color and my shape. Being bullied was a consistent part of my elementary years. I dreaded going to school, but I dreaded the way I looked even more. 

As I grew older, issues I faced concerning body shaming caused me to cope in unhealthy ways. Transitioning into puberty made things even worse. I was still the only Black person in my class, and I had not been taught about the different body types inherent within different ethnic groups. I had more curves than my female peers, and I was much larger than they were. Being big and being black made me the center of negative attention. My self-concept was destroyed, and I developed an eating disorder. I became bulimic.

At the time I didn’t know bulimia was an illness. To me, it was just common sense. If I wanted to lose weight, and food was stopping me, then I needed to get rid of the food. I lost 60 pounds in two months. When I went back to school in September, everybody started commenting, “Wow! You look amazing!” and “Wow, you’re the prettiest black girl I know!” Fueled by the fast results, I kept doing it while also exercising at a high rate. Inevitably, this lifestyle was unsustainable, and one day I literally collapsed from malnutrition and exhaustion.

My health scare did spark a desire to stop. I successfully stopped for two weeks; however, I also began to binge eat during my two-week rehabilitation effort. I ate so much food that I felt the need to begin vomiting again. This began a dreadful cycle of abstaining for a little bit and then starting again. And throughout all the body changes I experienced during this time in my life, my mindset never changed. No matter how much weight I lost, I still hated the way I looked.

During my high school years at Shenandoah Valley Academy, I discovered that I had a mental illness. I didn’t have the power to change on my own. I had the knowledge, but I still didn’t have the ability to stop. I needed help, and I needed help fast. 

For the first time in my life, I genuinely prayed to God. I remember my prayer: “Lord, I need your help.” That was it. I didn’t have much else to say. I only knew that I was tired of my disorder; I was tired of fighting it by myself, and I was ready to give my life to a God that I had questioned for so many years. I began to believe that He could help me, and I wanted to be made well. I was baptized that same year.

I graduated from SVA in 2012 and chose to attend Andrews University. By then I was not bulimic anymore, but I began to struggle with my unhealthy thoughts as I noticed all the beautiful and slim girls on campus. I started feeling insecure again, and I thought my chances of finding Mr. Right would increase if I lost weight. I became bulimic again.

Today, I am doing better; but honestly, I still struggle with my self-image and the temptation to cope through bulimia. I have not forced myself to vomit in a long time. I’ve tried to be open about suffering with bulimia, and I have been able to build a reliable support system of friends and professors who are willing to walk with me on my journey to recovery.

Andrews has taught me to be okay with discussing my struggle. The environment here has encouraged me to be honest and open with others. This culture is what I appreciate most about Andrews. I have learned that not all people will reject you or exploit you when you disclose highly vulnerable areas of your story. Sometimes, you meet people who will help you carry your burdens. I met a few of those people here at Andrews University.

Jessica Felicio

I was born and raised in Panama City, Panama. When I was 8, my family relocated to the United States of America. I have fond memories of life in Panama. During that time, family members who were living in the U.S. reported that greater opportunities were available there. As fate would have it, my father lost the job he’d had for 20 years, so my family packed up their lives and transitioned to the United States.

Starting over was not easy. Upon arriving, we were faced with the difficulties of learning a new language, finding new jobs and acclimating to a new culture. Here, my parents’ previous work experience was not recognized, so finding meaningful work was difficult. My sister and I attended school but could not speak the language, could not read the texts, could not understand our teachers and could not interact effectively with classmates. We were outsiders. Resilience was a welcomed friend, while hardship was a constant foe.

After spending a few months in Brooklyn, New York, we moved to Minneapolis, Minnesota, where I spent the rest of my youth. 

The difficulty we experienced as immigrants has fueled my family’s passion to serve others; I can’t remember a time when my family didn’t value humanitarianism.  

Today, my sister lives in Nashville, Tennessee, working with an organization that provides care for immigrant children and their families, and to those rescued from sex trafficking. My parents live in San Antonio, Texas, where my mother works for a non-profit organization that provides health services for low-income households, specializing in immigrant families, and my father
is a facilities manager for another nonprofit organization. My family have dedicated their lives as champions for the cause of those who have similar stories to ours. We are professionals (I have an MBA and my sister has an MSW) whose life work is to serve “the other.”
 
My mother gave me my name; Lhorraine means “laurel-crowned.” The laurel crown was a symbol of victory in antiquity, and my mother wanted to immortalize that I was born to accomplish great things and to make sure that when anyone said my name, they were acknowledging my life’s calling—to be “victorious” in all that I do.

My family and I have had a dynamic spiritual journey. We were Roman Catholics when I was born; we became Baptists shortly arriving in the U.S.; then, my mother began studying the Bible for herself and noticed the Sabbath commandment. She became convicted of the Sabbath Truth, and after studying the Seventh-day Adventist beliefs, she led our family to the Seventh-day Adventist Church.

My personal conversion began as a student at Union College attending Allon Chapel Adventist Church in Lincoln, Nebraska, pastored by Furman Fordham II. His sermons were life-changing! The music and praise of the congregation taught me to enjoy worship. When Michael Kelly came, he brought a fresh energy and beautiful perspective on the Bible. During his pastorate, I dedicated my life to Christ. I have subsequently married a pastor, Michael Polite, and have served as a pastor’s wife in two congregations.

I did not aspire to be a pastor’s wife but it has been an amazing journey! I enjoy watching God move on behalf of our ministry. Michael and I both believe in the Gospel’s mandate to take care of the less fortunate while advocating for the oppressed. Our prayer is that the Holy Spirit would continue to manifest himself as we seek to extend the borders of God’s kingdom.

Lhorraine London Polite

Let me start my story with my father. He was the eldest son of a wealthy wine producer in Chile and his life ahead seemed clear. But then at age 19 he found out about the Seventh-day Adventist Church, was convicted that is what he wanted in his life and told his father. That was the end of his wealth and heritage, and the start of a life of faith and commitment! He went to the Adventist university in Chile and studied to be a pastor, traveling to Argentina for his last year of studies. It was a good match. While in Argentina he met my mother, whose Adventist roots go back to the beginning of Adventism in Argentina. She was young when my father wanted to marry her, only 18, but eventually her family gave permission and the two married and returned to my dad’s home country of Chile.

Their lives were ones of service and mission—in Chile and later in Canada. As for me, I was the second of four sons and we all were given such wonderful modeling by our parents that each of us has committed to working for the Seventh-day Adventist Church also. My eldest brother is assistant to the president at the General Conference. Then there is me. My next brother is a teacher of history and social sciences. My youngest brother is currently the provost at the Adventist university in Argentina.

As for me, I was the only son who was born in my mother’s home country of Argentina, although I lived most of my life in Chile. I attended the state university in Temuco, Chile, and seven days after graduating I married my lovely wife, Carolina (she too, by the way, was the daughter of a pastor). By this time my father was in Canada and so my wife and I traveled to Calgary, Alberta and I studied in the University of Lethbridge for my MEd. My two daughters were both born in Calgary.

After eight years in Canada I was invited to return to Chile and teach and also become an administrator in the K–12 Adventist school system. Our schools there are large and I was asked to be the vice principal of the Los Angeles Adventist Academy, an institution with around 1,500 students. After five years I became the principal of that same school and then after another five years moved to be the principal of the premiere academic Adventist academy in Chile, with 1,100 students, Concepcion Adventist Academy. I was only there for one year when in 2006 Andrews University invited me to come here as assistant professor of Spanish. I have been here ever since, taking on the additional responsibilities of assistant dean of the College of Arts & Sciences in 2014.

I have moved around a lot with my family. None of that was ever planned. Every day I ask myself, “What does the Lord want me to do today?” and then I try to listen and do what God wants of me. We can’t know when, where or how God wants us to serve, but if we leave the doors open to his leading, he will lead us to the right place at the right time. I have seen so much leading in the lives of my grandparents, parents and other family members. I believe God has led me too and that gives me confidence that he will continue to do so: me, Carolina, and my two daughters, Cristina and Daniela.

When my dad told his father that he was not going to work in the wine business at age 19, he could never have known what was going to happen to him after that. Neither could my mother at age 18 know what the future would be when she married my father. But look where God led them, and how he has led me and my three brothers.

I have had so many opportunities and each has provided a path to greater service! That is what excites me when I get up each day! That joy is what I want each of my students to discover also.

Ruben Perez-Schulz

Michigan is home for me. That’s why Andrews University was a natural choice for me when I graduated from academy and decided to study business management and information systems.

I had one goal in mind when I stepped on to this campus: Stay focused, graduate, and then work my way up in a company until I was making the big bucks and living the American Dream!

There were moments during my freshman and sophomore years that I wondered if the goals I had and the route I was taking were truly what life was about; however, I quickly brushed those thoughts aside since most people in society were telling me that money is the key to happiness.

Things began to change when I started working as a residence advisor in the residence hall and started to connect with people from different cultures and lifestyles than me. I started to realize that pain is universal, and that maybe there was more to life that my own happiness. Instead, could the goal be to make someone else’s life better? God had begun to work on my heart and was showing me piece by piece that there is more to life than what society offers.

Over the next four years, my goals changed, my major changed, mission trips happened and God’s peace became my goal and reality. I realized we only get one chance at this life, and I don’t want to spend mine chasing manmade dollar bills; I want to make an impact on the world.

A passion for caring for people, talking with people and working in crisis situations had developed in me. This has come in handy for my current position as a women’s dean, but probably the deepest passion God has placed in me is for mission trips and relief aid.

When the refugee crisis started, I ignored the media. I didn’t want to hear about more pain in the world. It seemed that around every corner the world was in great need. Finally, I made myself read the articles that talked about the reasons the refugees were desperate enough to leave everything they had known. The articles about how they travel hundreds of miles to get on a boat and attempt to make it to a shore called Lesbos. The articles that showed a 3-year-old Syrian boy who drowned trying to make it. I knew God was pressing on my heart: I had to go and I had to find a way to help.

Many people ask me why I went to Greece, and what good I was able to do. The truth is I don’t know. But with the words from the children’s book, “The Starfish Story,” echoing in my mind, how could I not go?

An old man had a habit of early morning walks on the beach. One day, after a storm, he saw a human figure in the distance moving like a dancer. As he came closer he saw that it was a young woman and she was not dancing, but was reaching down to the sand, picking up a starfish and very gently throwing them into the ocean.

“Young lady,” he asked, “Why are you throwing starfish into the ocean?”

“The sun is up, and the tide is going out, and if I do not throw them in they will die.”

“But young lady, do you not realize that there are miles and miles of beach and starfish all along it? You cannot possibly make a difference.”

The young woman listened politely, paused and then bent down, picked up another starfish and threw it into the sea, past the breaking waves, saying, “It made a difference for that one.”

The old man looked at the young woman inquisitively and thought about what she had done. Inspired, he joined her in throwing starfish back into the sea.

“And the king will answer and say to them, ‘Assuredly, I say to you, inasmuch as you did it to one of the least of these my brethren, you did it to me’” (Matthew 25:40).

Teela Ruehle

Michael Nixon

I was born and raised in Toronto, Canada. My younger sister and I were born of God-fearing and loving parents who emigrated from the Philippines to provide a better life for themselves and us. Much of my childhood is a blur amid large family gatherings, Pathfinder camporees and other church-related activities. I attended Crawford Adventist Academy for 13 years—kindergarten through 12th grade—and developed long-lasting friendships with some amazing people.

Some of the core values I remember my parents instilling in me were “don’t limit yourself,” “be resourceful” and “don’t just try; do.” I did not realize the true importance of these values until my freshman year at Andrews University. At the time, I did not feel a calling to Andrews. My parents really wanted their children to attend a Seventh-day Adventist school and Andrews was the closest to us. Logical choice, right? All of a sudden as a college student, I began to discover my limits, my resources were dwindling and “doing” became half-hearted “trying.” It was at that point I realized it was no longer about me but about letting God lead in my life.

Eventually I met my wife while at Andrews and graduated with a Bachelor of Science, majoring in computer information systems. After job-hunting for six months, I finally landed a job in South Bend, doing IT work for the State of Indiana. There, I enjoyed going beyond my limits, using my technical knowledge as a resource and being able to make a difference in people’s professional lives. After seven years on the job, a series of events occurred that led me to question whether this was where God really wanted me to be: I got married, the work travel was getting overwhelming, I was involved in a serious car accident while on the job and my base of operations was being relocated further away from home. I was once again at a point where I could not limit myself and had to be resourceful. On top of that, I had to do something about my situation. I prayed, “Lord, where are you leading me? Help me to follow your will.”

It was around this same time I was impressed to go online to see if there were any IT job postings at Andrews. I was not expecting to find anything. Yet there it was, much to my disbelief! I applied for the job and the rest, as they say, is history.

One of my favorite promises in the Bible is “…all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are called according to his purpose.” I aim to apply this on a daily basis in the work I do and the people I come in contact with. Why? Because it is not always about the machines and technology I work with. It is also about the people whose lives I can make better by God’s grace.

Whatever your purpose is in life, make sure you stay connected: Connected to your family; connected to your good friends and especially connected to God. In the end, his love is limitless, his life is abundantly resourceful and he has done it all for us.

Ben Regoso

Only last year, if you were to ask me if I think miracles could happen in my life, I probably would have said yes, but not a huge miracle like the ones told by people in their testimonies. This year, however, I have encountered miracles.

In fall 2016, acting on conviction, I decided to change my major from biology to integrated science secondary education. This was a difficult decision for me to make but I felt a deep peace in my heart. During the first week of Christmas break, my parents and I came to the conclusion that we wouldn’t be able to afford the extra year of schooling required as a result of me changing my major. The only viable option seemed to be to switch my major back to biology and hope that in the future I’d find a way to become a teacher. I didn’t sleep that night, as I was on the phone with my parents trying to calculate the credits I would need and the cost of tuition, and as morning dawned, it became clear to me that I should go back to being a biology major.

I was greatly disappointed and complained to God for getting my hopes up and letting me go through a semester as an education major only to make me change course again. I knew I had to leave it up to God and let Him guide me, but when I did, it wasn’t because I fully trusted Him but rather because I just felt like giving up.

As Christmas break drew to a close, my mom and my dad called me on separate occasions. They asked if I thought I should be an education major again, and in my skepticism, I gave them all the reasons I shouldn’t. I didn’t know why my parents were bringing this up again, but then my dad told me he had a chance encounter with someone he used to work with in the U.S. who had encouraged him about me staying in school for another year to get the degree I wanted. I knew this was God’s way of reassuring our family that he would take care of our financial situation and that I should continue my pursuit of becoming a teacher.

After all the tossing and turning, I was able to start my spring semester as an education major. However, as I still had to find a way to pay off my tuition, I finally decided to take a year off to go back home to Korea and teach English for a year. I wasn’t too excited about being delayed another year, but I thought I might as well think positively about this opportunity to build my teaching experience.

I visited many offices on campus, trying to figure out how taking a year off would affect me. Things seemed to be working out well and I was quite ready to take a year off with my thorough planning. However, God had a different and a better plan for me.

A week later, my professor carefully asked me if it would be okay for her to help me find a possible source of financial support. Even though I knew I shouldn’t get my hopes up, I felt very encouraged just with her offer of help. Over the course of the semester, we seemed to be getting better news about financial support. I prayed, but I was extremely careful not to get my hopes up. Then one day, as I was studying in the Honors office, I received the wonderful news I had been waiting for two months to hear: I would be able to continue my education without taking the year off. This was a miracle.

As the semester is now drawing to a close, I cannot but hold my breath as I reconsider the ways God has led me. I didn’t think miracles could happen in my life. I was adamant about making thorough future plans and taking practical and realistic routes in life; however, I learned that through Christ, everything is a miracle. It’s a miracle that I was born, that I can speak English, that I can learn; and it’s a miracle that God loves me and that He will continue to guide me until I reach our heavenly home.

Heaven Shin

My name is Jessina Wangui Marenga, and I am an African. My mother is from Kenya and my father from Zimbabwe. That makes me African, and I hold that truth near and dear to my heart.

I recently started calling myself a desert baby, because I was born and raised in a semi-arid region. My mum recalls the year of my birth as the hottest ever recorded. I love the heat. My birthday is in October, the peak of the summer season in the South. I grew up in Botswana which is where my parents migrated in the 90s, in search of work. All my memories of Botswana will, therefore, always be in the color of the hot sun.

In 2006, we relocated to South Africa for my mum to complete her master's degree. It was a new land where the other kids looked at me differently because of my darker complexion and apparent accent. I still had a loving sister though and a caring mother. I had all I needed to be the happiest child anyone could ask. So it was that until the age of 11, my life was truly blissful, and I was content in my bubble of school, Mama, Dada, and Maria.

My father was never really in the picture because his work meant he was constantly traveling—or so I thought. Thus, we built our relationship over the phone and occasional visits. I looked forward to those visits with such eagerness and vivid anticipation. I looked forward to seeing him again, and the usual trinket-gift he would bring me. So he became the distant relative who promised gifts in an attempt to win favor. And my mum became the sole provider of basic needs like food, shelter, clothing and education.

In 2009, the year of my 11th birthday, the family dynamic changed in a rather drastic way for me. In my memories, the first event in this 'awakening' was the night I first saw my father abuse my mother. It was at dinnertime and so odd; I did not see it coming as I came face to face with domestic violence. My mother, just like countless other women, had kept all the past problems away from us kids to spare us. Now it was in the open and the abuse deepened and impacted all of us.

In 2012, my father moved out of the house. We would see him only a few more times before September 13, 2014—the day after my sister’s birthday and the last day I saw him. Now, nearly three years later, I am still coming to terms with it. I forgave him, and now I am learning to forget. There are occasional tears when I think back to that time, but the pain becomes duller as time passes.

Being the sole provider for two children is a demanding task, but the socioeconomic factors in South Africa at the time made it even more challenging for my mother. We experienced xenophobia in different ways, the most prevalent being the fact that the government refused to continue paying foreign public school teachers, meaning my mother’s salary was reduced substantially. Around the same time, the Home Affairs Department lost our immigration papers, making it almost impossible for my mum to find alternative employment. This loss of paperwork has to this day not been resolved.

In 2016, I graduated from high school, and that marked the end of us living in South Africa. There was no future for me there because the government passed a regulation on all universities which did not allow international students to gain acceptance into medical schools. This fact dashed any hopes of continuing to study in South Africa but proved to be a blessing in disguise because I would end up studying abroad here at Andrews.

This challenge, along with fear of my father returning and the environment in the country, made it difficult for us to continue living in South Africa. The only option was to relocate back to Kenya. Now we are learning to live there and be Kenyans in Kenya—natives for the first time. My mother has yet to find a suitable job, and with my sister in Form 2 and me in college, this is a huge financial burden. It was only by selling her property that my mother was able to send me to Andrews University.

I am now finishing my first year at Andrews University. I can say that my life has been good and I know that I am a better person for facing all that I have experienced. I still believe that God has blessed me in the most beautiful ways. My love for learning is a gift that I cherish and I know that I am here at Andrews for a reason. Telling my story and hearing those of others is a privilege and delight. It shows me how God leads in our lives no matter what happens around us. It is only through constant miracles that I am where I am today and that is where my hope for the future lies.

Jessina Wangui Marenga

I have always known that I wanted to become a missionary; however, I assumed that when I went to serve I would be an adult, already equipped with a professional degree that I could use to help others. Instead, God sent me to be a missionary much sooner than I expected. Little did I know; my missionary year would change my life!

When I arrived at Southern Adventist University, I was a young, enthusiastic freshman. Being a student missionary was not at all on my radar. Yet, when I began hearing the stories and experiences of past student missionaries, I immediately felt drawn to the experience. I felt a clear calling to become a student missionary. I was not sure which year I would go, and I did not know which country needed me; all I knew was that God wanted me—and that was enough.

Then life happened.

As a freshman, I did not have the maturity necessary to remain focused. I was a social work major, but I wasn’t sure about this career path, and I found myself doubting my choice often. On top of that, I wasn’t doing well in school. I got comfortable. I started making friends. And I lost the passion to serve God as a missionary. I liked Southern, and decided to stay.

Not long after, a recruiter from Andrews came to Southern to give an overview of their health professions programs. After the presentation, I decided to become a speech-language pathologist and transferred to Andrews.

I finally knew what I wanted to do with my life, but that revelation only served as one more excuse to forego becoming a student missionary. I knew that if I became a missionary, I would not be able to enjoy more than one year in my current comfort zone. Once again, I was faced with two paths and familiarity seemed to be the easiest choice. This time though I didn’t feel content taking the easy way; I could not shake the desire to be adventurous, to be bold and to be obedient to God’s voice.

In April, I decided it was time to become a student missionary. Unfortunately, the deadline to apply had already passed, but I met with the director of Student Missions and she agreed to work with me. Yes, this should have been proof enough, but I still asked God to send me another sign just to make sure I was doing what he wanted me to do. I knew exactly what to ask for: If God wanted me to be a missionary, I needed to see a butterfly.

At dinner that evening, I was scrolling through Pinterest when I saw my sign: A gif of a penguin chasing a butterfly flashed across my screen. I know, I know: Some of you don’t think social media signs count, but I do! Excitedly, I jumped up and ran to the Student Missions office. I had received my sign. I was ready to become a missionary.

I spent my SM year in Palau. While there, I met a precious gem: Five-year-old Kazia. Kazia could only speak a few words, and she communicated by following people around. Her parents and the community assumed that she was autistic, but after intense testing, they told me that Kazia was not autistic. She suffered from a severe case of language delay and desperately needed a speech-pathologist.

Kazia and other children in Palau now fuel me as I sit in classes studying to become a speech-language pathologist. There are no speech-pathologists on the island of Palau. Some children are not succeeding, not because they aren’t smart, but because they are not receiving the therapy support they need.

Here at Andrews, I have a mission. I have a purpose. I know what I want to do. I will become a speech-pathologist. I will help the children of Palau. 

Bruna Barbosa

I was born in Toronto, Canada, to two feisty Seventh-day Adventist Caribbean parents. I had to wake up at 8:30 every Sabbath morning to get ready for Sabbath School at 9:30. My hair was tied in two high buns and secured by gum ball clips and I resembled Mickey Mouse. I had to wear colorful poufy dresses that would itch the living daylights out of me, topped off with knee socks. In my eyes, I looked like a piñata more than anything else, but of course my parents would say, “You look so cute!”

During Sabbath School and divine service, as a child, I often napped in church because I didn’t care to be there. I was brought up as a Christian by my parents, I did not have a choice. In my senior year of high school, baptism was not a priority; I was not ready. At the time my relationship with God was neither sincere nor strong; I just prayed in order to get what I wanted. I did not create my own personal relationship with God until my first semester of college.

As I grew older, I was experiencing more trials than I ever had before. I had a lot of lonely and sad days. My household was split in two, and arguments between my mother and father were getting heated too quickly. My parents decided it was over and finally agreed to a divorce. It was definitely a hard time in my life because I felt like I was in the middle of their dysfunction. Things were not going my way at all. I felt like the more I made an effort to pray, the more things were getting out of hand.

Although my parents’ relationship had run its course, I was hoping and praying that I’d be able to keep my mind clear enough to make the right decision when the time came to choose the college I would attend.

Honestly, if anyone would have asked me two years ago if I would go to Andrews University, I would have simply said no! My faith in God was weakening and I wanted to leave the church more than anything else. The deterioration and disruption caused by my parent’s relationship left me with no hope. Finances were not all that great to say the least, and one of my parents was not readily available in my life as much as I had hoped. Being that I was the only one in my family to pursue post-secondary education, there was a lot of added pressure and stress on my back; screwing up was not an option. I needed something in my life to go right.

Fortunately, I was accepted to all the universities where I applied. I just needed to narrow down my choices. My attempts to check out every other university went wrong every time. My visits were constantly delayed or cancelled. When I did have appointments, I would find out that the university just did not offer enough. I felt misled.

Through it all, my mother kept praying even when I stopped. When it came time for me to visit Andrews, things were actually going right. I could truly imagine myself attending this university. Andrews offered a variety of program choices, and the environment was peaceful and positive. I truly felt at home. Once I was here, I felt more passionately about worship and began attending church regularly and paying attention to the Word being preached. It’s as if every sermon I listened to was designed for me because I could relate to it all.

Eventually, the thought of baptism entered my mind again. God agitated my environment to put me in a place where he knew I’d be better off and showed me that through it all, he is with me. On November 22, 2015, at Andrews University, I was baptized for the very first time. I never would have imagined that I would finally take the necessary steps to rebuild my faith and my relationship with God. Being baptized was the first time in my life where I felt like whatever barrier I approached in my path, it was never too high for me to get over because I had God on my side.

I am now a sophomore pre-law student at Andrews studying communication. God is before me guiding my path and putting the right people in my life. Just recently, I found out that I had a grandfather who was alive and well, living in the States. He reached out to me after he connected with my father after almost 20 years. Also, I have met two relatives on this campus this year alone.

God sent me to Andrews for a certain reason and a purpose. He detoured my path and guided me down a route that would work out for my good, and for as long as I live, I will continue to be patient, steadfast and abide by whatever he has in store for me. I may not know the plan, but I trust him enough to guide my life. I live by this promise: “For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.” (Jeremiah 29:11).

Sarah Brockett

I was born as a second child among three siblings in South Korea. My father was a police office and my mother was a full-time mom—we were just an ordinary family.

South Korea promotes elite education through special purpose high schools. In my case I attended a “science” high school where only a small percentage of students are accepted. Ever since then I knew I was going to work in science or engineering. After high school, I went on to attend the Korean Advanced Institute of Technology (KAIST) with a full governmental scholarship. I chose engineering to study because in that area math and science are applied to bring positive change to society.

It was while I was pursing my PhD at KAIST that I visited the U.S. and it so impressed me I decided I wanted to come and live here someday. It happened sooner than I expected, as I found I could transfer and complete my PhD at the University of Louisville.

Up to that time in my life I had been focused on academic and professional success. I never had many Christian friends in my circle in Korea. I think that if I had stayed there my ego would have become so big I would not have needed God. I firmly believe it was God who led me to cross the ocean and face the difficulties that come with that type of transition, so that I could open my mind and search myself for the truth. It was my version of the Exodus.

It was meeting my husband-to-be that introduced me to Adventism, and it was right after my PhD, during my post-doc, that I chose to be an Adventist for myself. My life perspective after that changed totally as I started understanding my profession and my future through the role of a Christian. I went out to a solitary place near my home and prayed every morning for months so I could listen to God telling me where my next journey should be. That is when I heard about a position at Andrews; it was the first time I had even heard of Andrews University. I was sure that it was a response from God.

Years later it is even more clear that God led me here. The Department of Engineering & Computer Science was in its infancy when I came to Andrews and I sometimes had to teach a class with just one student. And now look how the department has grown! I am so glad that I could be a part of this amazing journey with the department and now I have the opportunity to lead the department as chair.

Coming to Andrews was one of the best things that happened to me. I have grown in so many aspects personally and have contributed to the department growth with other faculty and staff. And I have had four beautiful children. I often say to my students, “Your decision to come to Andrews will be one of the best things that happens in your life. You will realize this for sure when you look back later!”

I am now a wife, mother of four children, department chair and am still researching and teaching. I am asked sometimes how I get it all done! It is tough, but I have learned to live one day at a time. Whenever I think about all the tasks I need to accomplish, I get overwhelmed and stressed. But each day I give my best at work and reset myself at night. My family are my biggest supporters and give me strength. I never think of my children as slowing me down. Every night, when I have them in my arms, I feel like I have the world.

I wouldn’t want to give up anything. Being a chair was my latest new challenge. However, it gives me the opportunity to meet more people and think about our departmental direction and vision all the time. The students are the best part of being faculty at Andrews. I never get tired of providing my best service for them. I enjoy being a role model to the women studying in engineering also. Women in engineering are an underrepresented group. We have a limited number on our campus but the number of female engineers is growing worldwide. I want young women to know that if you are good at what you do, the career path in engineering will be bright.

I admit that over my life I have asked God to give me achievements I think are important. What I have learned, however, is that he answers me with what he thinks is important. This includes the message that “life” is the most important. I sometimes commit myself to the point of exhaustion and he teaches me how to bring balance and live healthfully. He knows me better that I know myself, and he knows what is most important. Sometimes at the time it is hard to notice this, even to think my prayers are not answered, but when I look back I understand. He was, and is, always right!

Hyun Kwon

The small town of Dillingham, Alaska, has deep roots in commercial fishing, hunting and other forms of gathering food in the wild. Although I have many great memories there, I have painful ones too. Your average Native Alaskan young person has experienced physical, emotional, verbal and/or sexual abuse, and I am no exception. This is why my mother took me out of Dillingham and moved to Keene, Texas. A generous sponsor made it possible for my sister and I to attend Chisholm Trail Academy for a year, and this changed our lives forever. This where God started reshaping who I was.

For so long, I was ashamed of who I was. I continually compared myself to everyone else. I was angry at God, and had many questions about why hurtful, harmful things had happened to me as a child. I had a lingering reminder inside me that I would never be good enough, no matter how hard I tried.

One day during my sophomore year in academy, my teacher asked who would like to preach. For some reason, as I laid my head on the table, barely paying attention, my arm shot up! I raised my head, trying to comprehend what had just happened. I preached my heart out, and when it was over, I started to focus on that unusual feeling I had experienced but couldn’t explain: The Holy Spirit pouring through me.

Following high school, I began studying with plans of being a structural engineer. By the time my first college midterms came around I had come to the realization that I may not want to sit behind a desk for the rest of my life making sure blueprints were up to code. So, I prayed, and God asked me a question in my heart: “Do you want to build structures that will eventually burn up, or do you want to build my kingdom that will last forever?”

I switched my major from engineering to theology and after graduation ended up back home in Dillingham. Then the call came for my wife, Liz, and I to pastor in Togiak, Alaska.

As we landed and I looked down at the village of 800 people, the feelings of shame in who I was came rushing back. I asked God if he was punishing me. Anger, frustration and insecurity surfaced as I vented to God, “Why am I here?”

But God wasn’t finished with me. After visiting many families, I started to slowly remember why I should be proud of being a Native Alaskan. Long ago, before the white people appeared in our villages with their own ideas of civility, my people were survivors and lived in the harshest living environments, and smiled while doing so. My heart was warming up to who God created me to be: An Alaskan Native.

Then it happened. I was sitting among my people during a ceremony. Looking straight ahead, we all waited for the stick to hit the drum. As my people told stories of hunting and fishing through native dance, tears fell from my cheeks. It was the most beautiful display of gratitude. I watched each motion. One of my favorite dances was called “Praising:” A dance thanking God for providing us with clothes and food in a harsh climate. This was the beginning of healing for me.

I realized that God had brought me back to Alaska to reconcile all the bad that had happened there in my childhood. It was there that God reminded me that he had never left my side; he was actually preparing me every step of the way.

My grandmother spent much time in Togiak and connected with so many families that she considered her own. Those young people she loved and adored are now the elders of that village. When Liz and I first arrived in Togiak, we were outsiders. When they found out that I was Malania’s grandson, we were family.

I spent two and a half years ministering in that village. Now, I am a second-year seminarian and God has reminded me that I can be proud of who I am, for I am his child—an Alaskan Native child of God! May we show others the native dance of the Bible—salvation—by living God’s word through our actions and words. Amen!

Chad Angasan

As a boy of 4 years old, I was a shepherd in South Sudan, herding sheep and goats. I took them to pasture in the morning, where they grazed all day, and returned home in the evening. During that time, foreign militias were raiding homes and killing villagers. When I was 6 years old, I witnessed the plundering of the village where I lived with my uncle.

Because of the conflict, I took refuge in Kenya. I lived in a refugee camp for nine years and during this time was converted to Adventism. When violence broke out in the camp, resulting in the shooting of nine refugees, I was only 17. In a twisted chain of events, the violence brought attention to the refugee crisis and I was given an opportunity to interview for asylum in the United States of America.

Currently, I am an MDiv student in the Seminary and will graduate in August, with plans to also complete a PhD. I love the diversity here at Andrews University and that I am able to have friends from all over the world.

While at Andrews University I had the opportunity to learn Chinese, so I did, then I traveled as a student volunteer to China where I taught and preached.

My personal philosophy is that no matter the predicament, hope is never lost because God is. And he will fulfill his plans and purpose for our lives. 

Wol Bol Wol

My story begins in Europe with the immigration patterns to the Americas in the 19th century. Among the many immigrants were the Riffel brothers; one ended up in Kansas and one in Argentina. George, in Argentina, found life hard and joined his brother in the United States. That is where he became a Seventh-day Adventist. He was so excited by his new faith that he went back and shared it with his friends in Argentina. Within a short time, 50 individuals became Adventists. George was an enthusiastic evangelist, but had no concept of needing a pastor to baptize people. The Seventh-day Adventist world church, however, soon put that right and sent the first missionary to Argentina. This was the beginning of the Adventist church in Argentina, and the university campus where this first group of Adventists were situated. George was my great-great- grandfather.

In the meantime, another family–originally from Germany, but relocated to Romania–also decided to emigrate to the Americas. The Schmidt family intended to get on a boat to Canada, but their 8-year-old son was too sick to travel. Two older brothers left for Canada and ended up in the Adventist community in Argentina. This 8-year-old was to be my grandfather on the other side of the family.

One more thread! J.N. Andrews, meanwhile, was engaging in mission work in Argentina from a distance, sending church magazines in the French language from Europe, where he was a missionary, to the French immigrants. They also ended up as part of the community of faith around the Adventist university in Argentina. In that way, J.N. Andrews impacted a country very far away from where he was.

Three threads, all with roots in Europe, all coming together in what was to become Universidad Adventista del Plata–the Adventist University in Argentina–all influenced my sense of the largeness of the Seventh-day Adventist Church, including the core value of Seventh-day Adventist education.
With this history, I wanted my children to experience more of the worldwide Adventist church and its education system. So, in 1998 I started my journey of exploration with my wife, Gisela, and our children. I was already a geography teacher with a master’s degree in administration, but to begin with I went to Chicago to take another master’s degree, this time in Christian ministry.

When it became time to think about college education for our children, my wife and I came to Andrews University. The only job opening for me was in Lamson Hall maintenance and since I was good at working with my hands, particularly carpentry, that is what I chose to do. Gisela later joined the Department of Nursing as a teacher.

I am still here—more than 14 years later! I know I make a difference by making the environment better for the students and helping them live their dreams. That is why when I was recently asked to craft a replica of J.N. Andrews’ trunk for the new president’s office, I thought of making it out of pieces of beds from Lamson Hall. Somehow that represented the living memory of the students who have been and are still part of Andrews University. It seemed appropriate that the history of J.N. Andrews and the history of students should somehow be represented in this box. And in it are the prayers of the current students for University Administration!

Better still, this also connected with my own history. If it had not been for the vision of J.N. Andrews and the immigrants from Europe to Argentina, I am not sure I would be here now.

Harold Schmidt

When I entered college my freshman year I was an excited, focused 17-year old. I knew exactly what I wanted to do with my life—or so I thought. I had an extensive ten-year plan that outlined every aspect of my life. By my sophomore year, I was thriving. I was excelling at the top of my class, serving in student government and padding my resume with extracurricular activities. But something was missing. I was so successfully independent that I didn’t need to be dependent on God.

So with my ducks in a row, and my confidence at an all-time high, I was in the perfect position to receive a divine wakeup call. Toward the end of the first semester of my sophomore year, I felt God leading me to transfer schools. While I was flourishing at my previous school, I had to admit: I was not evolving. With that realization, I determined to follow God and his plan for my life rather than sticking with my well-laid-out strategies.

Many would think admitting my state was the hardest part, but searching for a new school was by far the most challenging. I am not ashamed to confess that in high school I swiftly ruled out Andrews as an option because of the cold weather. This time, I denied myself the luxury of picking a school based on location. After evaluating each school, visiting, praying and seeking the counsel of my parents and friends, I decided to transfer to Andrews University. Great, right? Wrong! That’s when the panic set in.

Never before had I gone somewhere completely new by myself. After high school, my brother and I entered college together. In college, I knew many of my closest friends long before we arrived. For the first time, I was starting an experience completely by myself, and that terrified me. But I wasn’t alone. Once God removed me from my comfort zone and forced me to depend on him, he became my truest confidant. Daily, I began to revel in the intimacy of my relationship with my new Best Friend.

Upon arriving at Andrews, God decided to change another part of my plan—my major. Originally, I was an elementary education major with an emphasis in language arts. I have always been passionate about helping children overcome the challenges that prevent them from learning. For this reason, I thought teaching would be a perfect fit for me, until my new Best Friend threw me a curveball.

God used several people and “accidental” encounters to expose me to a career path I had never considered: speech pathology. I was hesitant to change my major at first because I was still attached to my previous plan (after all, it was a great plan!) but once I made the switch, I couldn’t believe how fulfilled I felt: I didn’t know this level of fulfillment existed!

Now, after finishing the toughest semester of my college career, I’m excited. My new major stretches me and forces me to grow, while simultaneously inspiring and stimulating me. I am no longer dependent on a ten-year plan. I only take life week-by-week now, doing the best I can with what I have been given. I have learned to wait with expectation, watching to see what God will do in my life next. I admit, living by faith is sometimes scary, but God has not let me down yet. In just one semester here at Andrews, so much has changed, and I suspect the change won’t stop here.

Nia Darville

Home for me is the African island paradise of Madagascar, located in the Indian Ocean off the southeast coast of Africa. I was born and raised on Madagascar and one of my favorite childhood memories was spending time with my four siblings and my parents, playing soccer and sharing stories together. Both of my parents were teachers. Our daily routine included waking up early every morning, having morning devotions, and getting ready to arrive at school by 7 a.m. The after-school routine involved playing together as a family until dinner was ready. My parents believed it was important for their children to grow the food they ate; thus, each child was given a plot to farm. What we didn’t eat we sold at the market.

Chores in our home were mandatory. I enjoyed cooking. I would trade with my siblings to cook instead of doing other chores. In retrospect, there were no gender-specific chores, and to this day I regularly enjoy preparing delicious Malagasy dishes.

From the age of 8, my parents allowed me to work as a literature evangelist. Because of this practice, my parents never had to pay for my education and I have never incurred any educational debt, despite earning two bachelor’s degrees, a master’s degree and a PhD.

My life goal is to alleviate poverty in Madagascar. To this end, from 1999 to 2007 I raised funds to construct over 300 classrooms and school buildings and numerous churches throughout rural and urban Madagascar. Between 2003 and 2011 I also helped to establish the first ophthalmological clinic and education center in the country. In 2003 I started Actions for Madagascar, a group of dedicated students and young professionals with a goal of creating positive and sustainable changes in Madagascar by empowering youth and women, advocacy and community development. My team designs and implements activities that assist less fortunate families, women and young people with starting small businesses in both rural and urban areas.

Currently, I am raising funds to allow 30 orphans to complete their primary and high school education and obtain vocational training or pursue higher education. Actions for Madagascar provides resources to help students in their efforts to access higher education locally or abroad. We also facilitate capacity building programs such as grant writing, fund raising and project management to allow young people to improve their quality of life and their community.

In my role as program director of the Community & International Development Program at Andrews University, I lead a study tour to Madagascar each year. Malagasy students are able to interact with students from Andrews University through youth forums and other cultural activities where they can exchange their knowledge and experiences. Andrews University students are able to make practical application of the theories of international development and learn from the Malagasy culture. The Malagasy students are able to challenge and shape the thinking of our students. The lives of both groups are enriched because of this interaction.
 

Joel Raveloharimisy

I’m a native of Atlanta, born in one of the only two hospitals in the area that at that time would give care to African American mothers. With my birth came complications and there were strong fears that I would not survive. My mother, a devout Christian, realized the need for intervention and dedicated the young baby to God, promising (like Hannah) that she would give me to the Lord if I lived. I did live, totally unaware of my mother’s promise.

My childhood and teenage years were unremarkable as I remember them, but at age 17 I joined the U.S. Air Force as a medical corpsman. My first placement was with babies in the ICU in San Antonio, Texas. My second was in an adult oncology ward. But as a 17-year old I was neither ready for babies in intensive care nor dealing with death in a cancer ward. So I transitioned to the emergency department as a paramedic.

As a 22-year old Air Force medic I began to doubt that God was real. I wasn’t sure I wanted to be a Christian anymore. As I discussed my feelings with a tall young chaplain, he said something I’ll never forget: “Be faithful to your calling and be faithful to God.”

I took two weeks of leave and spent them in a library with “The Desire of Ages” and the Bible, challenging God to make himself real within two weeks. When I reached the chapter about the Garden of Gethsemane, suddenly I knew for a fact not only that God died for me but that he died because of me. My subsequent weeping brought a concerned librarian to check that I was okay. I was. I had just experienced conversion.

That conversion led me toward ministry with a goal of chaplaincy. The next few years saw me at Oakwood College, then the seminary at Andrews. I remember both fondly, along with the ministry experiences I had, such as three months in West Africa as student evangelist, leading to over 1,200 baptisms, and pastoring in Chicago while a seminarian.

I graduated, returned to Atlanta and was soon ordained. That is when I heard about my mother’s promise to God so many years before. She hadn’t told me earlier because she wanted me to be who God wanted me to be; not for me to feel forced by her promise into what she thought God might want.

After ordination, I went back into the military, this time the Navy, and served as a chaplain in the Marine Corps in both the United States and Japan. With my young children in mind and my wife’s wishes to reconnect with family, I received my discharge from the military and returned to my childhood home in Atlanta where I turned my skills to hospital chaplaincy.

The 17-year-old who had not been ready to work with babies and with death, ended up in the children’s hospital in Atlanta, dealing with pediatric oncology—children with cancer. For 14 years I worked with families and staff who were struggling with the tremendous emotional burdens attached to suffering and, too often, the death of children.

Despite the tragedy, you learn to see God’s hand moving amongst the suffering, often seen in the simple and real faith of the children themselves. I became God’s representative at the time when God’s love and compassion was most needed. I learned to live out the ministry of presence.
Ironically some of my time in Atlanta was spent working back in the hospital where I was born, where my mother had first dedicated me to the Lord.

To all my fellow life sojourners: God loves you. God is real. But don’t take my word for it, or the word of your parents or friends. God likes us to ask questions. He wants us to probe and find out for ourselves.

Johnnathan Ward

I’m originally from Illinois. My parents wanted me to go to an Adventist school but I wanted to be an engineer, and I lived next to the University of Illinois, which has a very good engineering school. I was planning on going there but things changed when God called me to be a pastor.

Six years ago I would’ve laughed at the idea that I would ever say I wanted to be a pastor. When God called me to ministry I eventually said yes, and then I decided to come to Andrews University.

A couple of years ago, I accepted a call to serve as a student missionary in Chile. That experience taught me things about myself I’d never realized before. For example, eating things late at night makes me feel bad when I wake up in the morning! I learned other, deeper things, too.

I’m so glad I had that year in Chile. It not only introduced me to myself, but sparked some new passions and projects. One of those projects started because I wanted to share one of my favorite Ellen White quotes with a friend in Spanish. When I looked it up I couldn’t find it in Spanish, either online or in the app. I began to wonder how many other fantastic Ellen White quotes non-English speakers were missing out on, and I asked myself what role I could play in changing that situation. Duolingo inspired me.

Duolingo is a language-learning program that originally used social networking to provide translation of documents. Companies would sell their copy to Duolingo, users translated the text into another language, and Duolingo compiled all the translations into the best version, which was then passed back to the original company. I want to do the same thing with Ellen White documents.

We have representatives from many different countries here at Andrews, so finding translators shouldn’t be too hard. I’d also like to find a programmer that would be interested in designing the program and interfacing it with the Ellen White Estate here. Hopefully, Lord willing, this will happen.

I’m passionate about helping people, especially when it comes to their relationships with God. I want to be sure people understand the reasons for their faith. We all need a solid picture of what faith is all about, and I want us all to come to the place where we are willing to give Christ everything, no matter what that means.

I want everyone to have a genuine experience with God, and I hope to contribute to that experience through things like the translation project, my calling to ministry and my passion for helping. Seeing what God has in store for the rest of my life is going to be an adventure.
 

Zack Babb

My family came to the United States from Costa Rica when I was 2 years old. My parents spoke no English, had never finished college and they moved us into a poor neighborhood on the wrong side of the tracks. Even as a child I was embarrassed and felt my parents and I were “stupid” because of our background.

I soon became the translator for the family, as my young mind picked up language quickly, but that really only embarrassed me more. I did all I could to pretend I was just an American, not from Costa Rica, not from a family that could hardly get by financially and couldn’t speak English.

The whole situation was challenging, because those in the Hispanic community thought I was too American and the Americans thought I was too exotic and foreign. I felt like my sense of belonging was merely patches sewn into the American flag.

Recently I began to realize what a sacrifice my parents made for me. Despite their disadvantages and the prejudices they have faced, my parents motivated me to follow my dreams. They sacrificed much to put me in an Adventist school from preschool, now to university, and that has only been a positive experience for me.

My experience in Adventist education has helped me forge not only deep personal relationships but also a love for God. It is so good to be able to pray freely. God has a lot to do with beating stereotypes.

Sharyl Cubero

The impact of a friend shaving her head to support a cause really affected me. So despite the unexpectedly good outcome of my mom not losing her hair during chemo I still chose to move forward and shaved my head. Even before my mom was diagnosed with cancer I had already begun heading down the road of examining how my hair defined me. I wondered about the correlation between hair and identity, and was running a self-analysis.

I consider both Arizona and Maryland to be home, so I have both the structure and traditionalist mentality of the East, and the free and warm spirit of the West. I see value in each lifestyle, and that contributes greatly to the open-minded aspect of who I am.

I was homeschooled for the vast majority of my elementary education. My mom is a teacher and my dad is a gardener, so I spent a lot of time doing hands-on, practical type work. This infused in me a sense of independence and a love of hard work.

This homeschooling experience also caused me to wonder and dream often, and my sense of curiosity was heightened–especially when it came to people. This character trait was greatly emphasized once I got to Andrews University, because I realized that people did so many things so many different ways, and I wanted to know why. Why do we care about the things we care about? Why is appearance such a huge deal—especially hair? Being that Andrews is one of the most diverse campuses in the nation, I got to explore this concept at a highly saturated level.

I wondered: If hair was such a big deal, both culturally and in terms of gender and beauty, then what would happen if I took it away? What did my hair really mean to me? I wanted to know.

So on January 10 of this year I took the plunge. I shaved my head. Ultimately, I’m glad I made the cut when I did and I have absolutely no regrets. I now know that I don’t need hair to feel beautiful, and my identity is founded in exponentially more than my appearance. I do think that appearance, and hair in particular, do play a role in our identity, but it’s so much easier for me to look at people now and quickly remember that what we see is really only the tip of the iceberg in seeing who we are.

My time as a bald woman was one of the most beautiful times in my life, and gave me an understanding of beauty far beyond society’s shallow outward appraisal of it.

Sarah Stelfox

For the first 13 years of my life, I lived with my family in a small house on a 300-acre farm in Charlotte, Vermont, while my grandparents and aunts and uncles lived in a larger farmhouse on the property. My grandfather didn’t have much formal education; it’s possible he didn’t even attend high school. He worked from a young age. However, to give his children opportunities for a better life, he encouraged my father and his siblings to pursue formal education beyond the high school level. Consequently, my father earned a two-year technical degree in agriculture and my parents and grandparents bought the dairy farm in the mid-1960s, in the pursuit of a better life.

My mother was a stay-at-home mom, however, she was absent for much of my childhood because she struggled with depression and at times kept herself separate from the rest of the family. As a result, I spent much of my early years with my paternal grandmother and aunt, and my personality was significantly shaped by those interactions.

Though some of my neighbors were farmers like my family, most were professionals who worked in Burlington, the closest city to Charlotte. While the town itself was not that culturally, racially or religiously diverse, it did possess a strict socio-economic structure and attitude concerning someone’s place in that structure and community. As a dairy farmer’s daughter who wore homemade, hand-me-down, church-rummage-sale clothes and smelled of cow manure, I quickly understood my place in New England society.

At my first teaching position in Kentucky, a colleague told me that I wasn’t of the “right” social class to be a professor. For him, it seemed inconceivable that a person of humble beginnings such as mine could have “advanced” past my family history.

When I was 8 years old I asked my grandmother about purgatory, a fundamental Catholic doctrine. Even though my grandmother was Catholic and worshipped each week, she understood that some of the teachings were not biblical. She told me that the concept of purgatory was not biblical, and by the time I was an adult I knew from my own studies that the Catholic Church did not represent true biblical teaching.

Twenty years later, I was invited to an Adventist worship service one Sabbath and realized that Adventism was what I had been searching for. My conversion was quick as I recognized the truth of Adventism. I have never regretted that choice and change. Embracing Adventism has transformed my life and me.

My Lord and Savior Jesus Christ has called me to love and I strive to live to that ideal. Living a life of love may be hard at times because of our flawed human nature, but as an educator, if I do not interact positively with my colleagues and students and demonstrate care and compassion, then I am not doing my job as a teacher. Staying true to my upbringing and character, I am fair, honest and straightforward.

I have consciously resisted losing what makes me a Vermonter—my speech patterns and mannerisms, etc. I have learned how to change my speech as required by those long-ago teachers, but discovered that in the process I lost something of myself, as well. When I decide to embrace everything about myself—where I come from and who I am—then I represent the best of who I am.
 

Stephanie

A few years ago, I read an Ellen G. White quote that has stuck with me: “There is a picture representing a bullock standing between a plow and an altar, with the inscription, ‘Ready for either,’ ready to toil in the furrow or to be offered on the altar of sacrifice. This is the position of the true child of God—willing to go where duty calls, to deny self, to sacrifice for the Redeemer’s cause” (Ministry of Healing, page 502).

I have always felt called to serve in the church. While only 5 or 6 years old, I recall telling my grandfather I wanted to be a pastor. However, in my teenage years I rebelled against that calling. I hated the sacrificial life I came to associate with ministry. However, in spite of my rebellion, I always felt God's call. Interestingly, I could never clearly define what that ministry would look like, for it was not like anything I had ever observed. 

In 2013, left a COO position in Barbados to enter the Seminary. One of my classes, SEEDS (Church Planting) with Tom Evans, exposed us to a piece of software called Ministry Profile which generated demographic data for communities by ZIP code. One ZIP code changed my life: 49022.

Benton Harbor, Michigan—49022—is a small city about 15 miles from Andrews University, with a population that the most recent census stated had a number of felt needs that were higher than the national average. Major issues facing this community include: Lack of food, drug and alcohol abuse, relationship abuse, racial prejudice and need for spiritual leadership. This community has an interest in religion 11 percent higher than the national average, but where the national average for affinity to Adventism is 0.5 percent, Benton Harbor has an affinity to Adventism of 0.3 percent. I was shocked that a community so close to my school, which had such a rich Adventist heritage, views us so poorly.

I firmly believe the promise that when Christ is lifted up, He will draw all men to Him. So I began to pray. One Sabbath morning as I opened my eyes, the idea was given to me to address the issues in Benton Harbor by sharing the resources of Andrews University. I know many people have been praying for a solution and I believe H.E.L.P.—the Human Empowerment Life Project—is an answer to prayer.

I quickly recognized, however, that what I dreamed of achieving was outside of my present capability. While I had experience in management and leadership, I did not have the technical skills to be able to perform the needs assessments, policy writing, program evaluations, grant writing, etc., that were needed to build an effective intervention. So in fall 2015, I began working toward a Master of Science in community and international development in addition to my seminary degree.

Finally, H.E.L.P. was off the ground.

Volunteers with H.E.L.P. aim to enhance literacy in Benton Harbor by reading to Grade 2 & 3 students, then discussing with them what they just heard before passing out art supplies for the students to illustrate what they learned. Our goal is to engage the students by identifying key words in the story to expand their vocabulary and help them articulate their understanding of the story. Then we offer them an opportunity to be creative.

The responses of the children, the teachers, the principals, the school district administration of Benton Harbor and the participating Andrews University volunteers have been encouraging. The excitement of the kids when our volunteers walk into the classrooms and the satisfaction you can see on their faces as we collect their artwork and congratulate them on a job well done is really rewarding.

This experience is a weekly reenactment of the story in Matthew 19:13–16, when Jesus blessed the little children. These small acts of kindness are touching lives and reminding the community that we are present and here to make a difference. We are not there to run a baptismal class or to seek new converts but just to say, "I see you. You are important. I am here to help." 

I dream of a day when every campus department, every student and, indeed, every Adventist church believer, asks the question, "What do I have, and how can these means be used to add value to the community in which I live?" I believe it is making a difference in the daily lives of those around us that we are afforded an opportunity to tell of the love of God. I am hopeful that as we continue to acquire knowledge centered around Christ it will affirm our faith, and we will be moved by both to change the world. The only limit to what we can achieve lies in our inability to envision it. 

For more information on how you can be a part of H.E.L.P. email human.empowerment.life.project@gmail.com.

Carlisle Sutton