Ministry Opportunity: Berlin.

Word of Life Germany has an awesome opportunity for alumni to dust off their counseling skills and give a hand (in English!) in Berlin. Take a look:

For more information, click here.

Missions Conference: Join us.

Every year, Bible Institute students around the world participate in Missions Conference, focusing for a few days on how God can use them to reach the world with His truth.

Missions Conference is always an exciting time for students, and some alumni have asked how they can be a part of it. This year, alumni are invited to join the New York campus's Mission Conference from January 4-6, with housing available to those who would like to stay for the weekend and hear what God is doing in the world.

Calvin Varlack, Class of 1978, will be the special speaker. He and his wife, Sylvia, have been Word of Life missionaries to the people of the Netherland Antilles for 15 years. Calvin is the senior pastor of Abundant Grace Fellowship and has been instrumental in starting several Christian organizations that work with moral, social, and missions development.

Calvin will join Harry Bollback and Don Lough, Jr. in speaking on this year's theme, "Outspoken," as drawn from Acts 4:20: "For we cannot stop speaking about what we have seen and heard."

Students will be challenged to think about worldwide missions and continue in their commitment to Christ, but alumni are also welcome to come, be encouraged, and talk with staff, fellow alumni, or students about what God is doing in the world and in their lives.

Alumni can stay at the Word of Life Inn. Rooms are $170 for Friday and Saturday night, and each room can fit four people. Meals will be at the Bible Institute. For reservations, call 518-494-6000.

Alumni can also stay at the Bible Institute for $50 per person (Friday night through Sunday lunch), including meals. Guests need to provide their own bedding and towels for these dorm-style accommodations.

If you want to be a part of Missions Conference weekend, contact alumni@wol.org or waynel@wol.org.

Jeju Update: Raising the walls, and praying for the roof.

We told you a few months ago how a gift to the Jeju campus is helping the Bible Institute move ahead in finishing up the buildings that are needed to run the school. Here's an update on how the project is going from Steve Nicholes, Word of Life's director of Northeast Asia.

The container for the roof trusses should arrive next week. We need to purchase an I-beam with three steel pillars and have them installed as soon as possible. We were able to get the price down to $7,390 today.

We have seven volunteers working with this project-on site. With the I-beam and pillars, we will have everything we need to get this building under a roof. Please pray. If you are willing and able to give you can do this online.

Superstorm Sandy: Help and hope after the devastation.

By Joe Bartolo, first-year student, Whitman, Mass.

Superstorm Sandy swept across several states, but it seems that New Jersey was hit the worst.

A group from the Bible Institute volunteered to help those dealing with the devastation, and 16 of us ended up going for four days to serve those in need. Many homes were left completely unlivable by Sandy, and some families lost almost all their belongings due to water damage. The flood damage was devastating, and many houses required more manpower to rebuild than most residents could offer.

We were asked to fulfill the need of doing the dirty work. Walls and floors need to be demolished due to mold buildup. Some houses had to be fully gutted, and in some of them, all the belongings were completely destroyed. With the help of the RAINE Foundation, which provided tools and food for us, we were able to help many families with dire needs.

With a common goal in mind, our team instantly bonded and formed close relationships. We had "family time" each night, sharing what happened during the day and what God was doing in us. We realized what a great opportunity we had.

Many people were completely overwhelmed after the destruction, and as we worked, we saw looks of relief on people's faces. Some were brought to tears. With the commitment and willingness of all of our team members, we completed several projects quickly, and the thankful looks were a tremendous reward for all of us. Our team strove to show the love of Christ to the people in New Jersey, realizing that is what they needed most. We did the physical work but also showed that we cared about these people.

We didn't want to be another religious group doing work -- we wanted to be a group of guys showing the love of Christ in our actions.

Alumni Gathering: Cedarville.

A special event for alumni. Check it out:

TRACS Accreditation: Success!

By Mark Strout

I am very pleased to report that this afternoon, the TRACS Commission in Chicago reaffirmed the accreditation of Word of Life Bible Institute without conditions for another 10 years! Our appearance lasted 20 minutes, during which time John Nelson, Marshall Wicks, and myself fielded a total of six or seven questions. Thankfully, none of them were difficult to answer.

I have to admit that it was a bit intimidating sitting in front of 17 commissioners and seven other people seated in the back, but the atmosphere in the room was extremely complimentary toward Word of Life!  One commissioner commented on the excellence of our self-study and supporting documentation as being “one of the best that I have seen.” The chairman commented on the low number of issues (recommendations) that we had needed to resolve. All of this is a credit to the excellent work of so many over the last 18 to 24 months. Thank you! Job extremely well done!

Following prayer, we were then excused from the room. The commission deliberated for about three minutes and then called us back in to give us the good news. Needless to say, we came out smiling!

Thank you all for your prayers today and throughout this entire process. I would also like to thank the administrative team and Marshall Wicks in particular for the diligent work that has led to this great result. Most of all, we praise the Lord for His direction and for granting us success. May we continue to pursue excellence as we educate our students in a rigorous academic and structured discipleship atmosphere, preparing them to live a life of maximum effectiveness for the Lord. It’s a privilege to serve with all of you.

On their way back home: Chris Gnanakan, Class of 1985.

Many Christians pray for the people around the world who haven't been reached for Christ. Others have gone, leaving the places they know as home, to tell others of true hope. But often, despite years of training or persistent traveling, some areas remain closed to the Gospel.

That is, unless the Christians already there know how to spread the truth — from the inside out.

Chris Gnanakan grew up in Bangalore, India. His great grandfather was the first in his ancestry to become a Christian, and Chris was saved at 15 when a message about God's love changed him.

Chris became very aware of his sinfulness, but that realization was also met with the truth of God's mercy. Compared with India’s prevalent Hindu idea of karma, which atones for sin with punishment, a Savior Who would actually forgive a sinner filled Chris with hope.

But Chris hadn't considered Christianity's reach beyond the life he knew. He was building a career as a skilled technician in Bangalore, the "Silicon Valley of the East" — until, one day, he was moved to make his faith the focus of his life.

Chris was being discipled by Gene Tozer from New Brunswick Bible Institute in the late 1970s when he met Wendell Calder, who taught at Word of Life's Bible Institute and had founded a ministry called Local Church Evangelism. Wendell, who was visiting India, had been working with Jack Wyrtzen and Word of Life on reaching more countries for Christ. At that time, missionaries from the West weren’t allowed in India — but there was nothing to keep a native Indian from sharing his faith.

Chris Gnanakan: Making a pact for a global impact.

For decades, Bible Institute students have read Operation World by Jason Mandryk together. The book is an evangelical tour guide, profiling the state of Christianity in all of the world’s countries.

Chris Gnanakan read and prayed over the book with classmate Nathan Graves during his Bible Institute year. They met at the old Snack Shack on the New York campus and made a pact to go wherever God would lead.

Chris’ path led to India, while Nathan headed to Albania, which at the time was deemed the most difficult nation for Christians. After 25 years in missions, they met in Macedonia in 2010 at the first Balkan World Mission Conference, led by Eagles of Peace, Nathan’s missions organization. The theme of the gathering was “From everywhere to everywhere,” based on Paul’s mission in the New Testament.

Chris and Nathan looked at the crowd and saw people from all over the Balkan Peninsula who are committed to reaching the many nations there that can't be entered by American missionaries.

While preaching Christ remains a struggle in India, Albania’s religious climate has changed since Nathan arrived. Christians now make up more than 30 percent of the country’s population.

Chris Gnanakan: What's the 114?

When it was time for Chris Gnanakan and his wife, Dorothy, to name their two daughters, they turned to John 1:14, which says, “And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we saw His glory, glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth.”

They named their older daughter, Alethea, after the Greek word for “truth.” Her sister, Charis, gets her name from the Greek “grace.”

“Truth can get harsh, and grace can be too flimsy — turning to disgrace,” Chris says. “The balance of the two is what Word of Life taught me. The strong and soft parts work together in missions and in ministry.”

Alethea is studying pre-medicine at Liberty University, and Charis is a sophomore at Bangor Christian School. Dorothy is a software programmer and technical instructor at the University of Maine.

Chris Gnanakan: Hitting the Books.

While planting churches, pastoring, and teaching across Asia, Chris Gnanakan has also been continuing his theological study.

He received his masters of divinity in pastoral theology from Asia Graduate School of Theology in 1993, his masters of theology and doctorate of ministry from South Asia Institute of Advanced Christian Studies in 1995 and 1998, and his doctorate from Leeds University in the United Kingdom in 2006. Since 1999, Chris has been lecturing and producing curriculum for Biblical Mandate for Evangelism at the Haggai Institute for Leadership Development. He’s also a consultant with the Commission on World Mission and Evangelism and a contributing member of the International Council for Higher Education.

In addition to his work with Outreach to Asia Nationals, Chris teaches, speaks, and produces radio broadcasts with FEBA (Transforming Truth) and TWR (Thru the Bible). He’s currently the missions pastor at Bangor Baptist Church in Bangor, Maine, where he and his family live.

Alumni Homecoming 2013.

Alumni Homecoming will be this spring at the New York campus, where alumni are invited to participate in Word of Life’s Memorial Day Weekend, Founder’s Conference, and a Patriotic Rally as well as celebrate what God has done since their time at the Bible Institute.

Alumni from all years, but especially the classes who are due for five- or 10-year reunions (1973, 1978, 1983, 1988, 1993, 1998, 2003, and 2008) are invited to enjoy the weekend and take advantage of the special events.

The Founder’s Conference speakers will be Dr. Stanley Toussaint and Dr. George Murray.

At the Patriotic Rally, Captain Jeff Struecker will be the honored speaker. He served with distinction as a chaplain and lead ranger in the Black Hawk Down rescue mission in Mogadishu, Somalia, and was featured in the book on which the movie Black Hawk Down was based.

Struecker has been honored with several medals for his service and sacrifice for the U.S., including participating in Operation Just Cause, Operation Iris Gold, Operation Gothic Serpent, and Operation Enduring Freedom (Afghanistan), and Operation Iraqi Freedom.

Wayne Lewis and the alumni crew will also organize several alumni-specific events.

As always, we have special, reduced rates for alumni for the weekend:

Please call Word of Life’s Customer Service Department at 518-494-6000 to book your reservation or for any questions you may have. You can also contact registrar@wol.org.

For more information about homecoming, finding classmates, or planning your own events, contact Wayne at waynel@wol.org. We’ll have more information on the Word of Life Bible Institute Alumni Facebook page and here on the blog. Check the site for updates and to see who else is joining us this spring.

Ask the professor.

Do you have a question you'd like to "Ask the Professor"? We're starting a new Victory Journal feature. Send your questions and ideas — funny or serious — to alumni@wol.org, or leave them here in the comments, and we'll get them answered in the next issue of the Victory Journal.

What is going with alumni?

What is going on with alumni?

Alumni Director Wayne Lewis and new Bible Institute Dean of Admissions Greg Dyson decided to make a video to let you hear it straight from them.

Hear what's going on with Word of Life alumni from beautiful Schroon Lake, and email alumni@wol.org or waynel@wol.org if you want to get involved.

Modeling Christ: Rachel Lee Carter, Class of 1996.

When Rachel Lee (Adcock) Carter, Class of 1996, applied to Word of Life Bible Institute, she didn't expect to be accepted by the staff and students. After all, she wasn’t a seasoned Sunday schooler with a shining recommendation from her pastor. She was a professional model coming off two years in the thick of the fashion industry in New York City.

“Word of Life was very gracious, because I was coming from a really horrible place,” she recalls.

Although she’d grown up in a Christian family in North Carolina and was heavily involved in her youth group, summer camp, and missions trips, Rachel admits she didn’t have a personal relationship with Jesus. But when she met two Christian models on a photo shoot, they encouraged her to get honest with God, to call out to Him, and to ask Christ into her heart. She saw something different about them and wanted what they had. That night, alone on her apartment floor, she got honest with God and asked Him to save her.

“I felt God’s Spirit move,” Rachel says. “I couldn’t explain it, but I knew God heard me and saved me.”

When she woke up the next morning, Rachel was changed. Everything that didn’t glorify God had to go –  her music collection, her use of profanity, her side job at a bar, and the toxic relationships in her life.

“I wanted God, and that was all I wanted,” Rachel says.

She didn’t know much about the Bible Institute or anyone who had attended, but she says she knew God was leading her to go.

Q&A: Jeff Lewis.

The newest dean of men at the Bible Institute’s New York campus has brought a measure of thrill-seeking to the Christian walk. While discipling students and teaching classes, Jeff Lewis makes the most of God’s creation, from kayaking in the summer to snowboarding in the winter — with hikes up and down the Adirondack Mountains in between.

Jeff’s path to ministering at the Bible Institute began at Schroon Lake. (Full disclosure: This dean of men comes highly recommended by the alumni director.) He grew up in the Word of Life family and attended the Bible Institute in 1998. He then studied Bible exposition and later Biblical counseling at The Master’s College in Santa Clarita, California and became resident director there. In 2009, he joined the Bible Institute staff at the New York campus, serving as the assistant dean of men for two years.

Now as dean of men, Jeff is responsible for the leadership development on campus. He also speaks at campus services, teaches electives, and helps with the Contemporary Issues class for second-year students.

What do you like about your role at the Bible Institute?

The thing I enjoy most about my job is its diversity and how it creates a number of different ways to interact with students. One day I may be talking through a significant family situation with a student over lunch, and the next we may be on the local ski mountain in one of the winter physical education classes.

What about the Bible Institute separates it from other schools and ministries?

One of the things I appreciate about the Bible Institute experience is the number of opportunities in which the students get to apply what they are learning in the immediate context of this campus and beyond. I have always appreciated how Word of Life puts an emphasis on taking what you have learned and looking for opportunities to serve.

Testimony Corner: Christine (Jerome) Cuz, Class of 2003

Ten years ago I was honored to be part of the first class of the Bible Institute in Canada. The Bible Institute really helped me to develop sound Christian theology and understand why I believe what I believe. It showed me how to take an exegetical approach to the Bible and to look at God’s Word in a deeper and more meaningful way than I previously had. I can look back 10 years ago and say that the Bible Institute played a pivotal part in my Christian faith that has helped me develop into the person I am today!

Since leaving the Bible Institute, I was able to transfer credits to Briercrest College in Caronport, Saskatchewan, where I received my bachelor’s in recreation leadership. During that time I met and married my husband, Kevin. We celebrated our five-year anniversary in June.

Two years after my husband and I were married, we joined the staff of Athletes in Action Canada, which is under the umbrella of Power to Change Ministries, formerly Campus Crusade for Christ. We now live in Ottawa, Ontario, where Kevin serves full-time, ministering in the lives of athletes on both the Ottawa and Carleton University campuses. After having our bouncing baby boy Elijah (Eli) back in July 2010, I have since decided to run my own daycare business, which allows me to be a stay-at-home mom. It's the best job ever!

Refresh: What we deserve.

By Dr. Marshall Wicks

I was walking across campus one day and greeted one of our current students, “Hey, how are you doing?” I think we generally expect a somewhat innocuous answer to such a greeting, but the answer I got was far from that. The student answered, “Better than I deserve.” Wow! What a perfect answer to a common question. It opens so many opportunities to draw a person into a very meaningful and spiritual conversation.

So many times, we think to ourselves that life is unfair. I remember one Calvin and Hobbes strip where Calvin laments that life is never unfair in his favor.

But life is always unfair in our favor. If life were truly fair, we would all be spending eternity in Hell, and Jesus would never have come to this planet and suffered the humiliation of the cross. 

This made me think about Jesus’ Gospel presentation in the book of Matthew. We know this passage as the Sermon on the Mount. Matthew is probably the first New Testament book written and as such lays down a number of benchmarks for all ensuing Scripture. Before Matthew tells us anything else about Jesus’ ministry, he lays out for all to see a simple and “user-friendly” version of the Gospel — a Gospel for the weak in spirit, a Gospel for those who hunger, a Gospel that comes free of charge. But it is also a Gospel that changes everything about our perspective on present life. We no longer worry about the trials and tribulations that swirl about us. We now see opportunities where we once saw threats.

The dynamic that changes our worldview is faith. We are now believers. We believe that God is working out a beautiful plan of opportunity for all who accept Him. We believe that nothing can separate us from the love of God that flows to us and through us because of Jesus Christ. Or do we?

Matthew 6:25 reads: “Stop worrying about the affairs of this life.” Perhaps some of us are going through difficult times even as we read this little article. God does not ask us to stop taking actions to remedy such problems, but He does tell us to stop worrying about them.

Worry erodes faith. It causes us to look horizontally and not vertically. It is an attempt to force our will on a situation as opposed to seeing the awesome work of a gracious God unfolding before our eyes.

Matthew goes on to write: “Seek ye first the kingdom of God and His righteousness.” Worry seeks the kingdom of man and our own righteousness. It tries to justify our own version of reality and ignore the worldview set forth in Scripture. Worry is not caused by the problems we encounter; it is a condition of the heart. If our hearts are not changed, we will never have the things added unto us that are promised for those who seek the kingdom of God. 

The next time someone asks how we are doing, we need to see it as an opportunity to remind ourselves and the one who greets us that this life is a whole lot better than any of us deserve.

Fall tours: Are any coming to a town near you?

The New York campus is sending three Collegian tour groups, made up of 20 students each, throughout the Northeast this fall. From November 30 to December 9, these groups will minister to local churches and Christian schools and share about the ministry of the Bible Institute and Word of Life as a whole.

Each group will offer a concert, special music, short dramas, testimonies, Sunday School classes, and programs for school chapels. Check out where these groups will be visiting to see if you can stop by and be encouraged, or if you can introduce someone new to the ministry of Word of Life and the Bible Institute.

Group 1
November 30: Poughkeepsie, New York
December 1: Allentown, Pennsylvania
December 2: Allentown, Pennsylvania; Piscataway, New Jersey
December 3: Piscataway, New Jersey; Jersey City, New Jersey
December 4: Jersey City, New Jersey; Paterson, New Jersey
December 5: Paterson, New Jersey; New York City
December 6: New York City
December 7: New York City; Long Island, New York
December 8: Long Island, New York
December 9: Long Island, New York

Group 2
November 30: Syracuse, New York
December 1: Syracuse, New York
December 2: Syracuse, New York; Rochester, New York
December 3: Rochester, New York
December 4: Rochester, New York; North Buffalo, New York
December 5: North Buffalo, New York; South Buffalo, New York
December 6: South Buffalo, New York; Jamestown, New York
December 7: Jamestown, New York; Watkins Glen, New York
December 8: Watkins Glen, New York; Binghamton, New York
December 9: Binghamton, New York

Group 3
November 30: Pittsfield, Massachusetts
December 1: Willmantic, Connecticut
December 2: Willmantic, Connecticut; Warwick, Rhode Island
December 3: Warwick, Rhode Island; Providence, Rhode Island
December 4: Providence, Rhode Island; Boston
December 5: Boston
December 6: Boston; Worcester, Massachusetts
December 7: Worcester, Massachusetts; Springfield, Massachusetts
December 8: Springfield, Massachusetts
December 9: Springfield, Massachusetts

For more information and specific locations (or to ask about hosting a group), please email Micah Melville at micahm@wol.org, or get in touch at studentministries@wol.org.

Testimony Corner: Benjamin Ward, Class of 2005.

In my time at Word of Life, I learned the value of accountability, methods for Bible study that I still put into practice, and so much more. I met several godly men who have become my best friends. We still keep in touch to encourage and pray for each other — which is a huge asset to ministry — even though we live on different continents.

Right now I live in Kpalimé, Togo, West Africa, and I just finished studying the Ewe language. In August I will probably move back to Ghana, West Africa, where I will be involved with children, youth, sports, evangelism, and discipleship ministries. It is exciting to see how the Lord has helped me acquire the language, and I am looking forward to the months ahead and all He has planned.

Camp at Word of Life taught me patience in ministry, self-sacrifice, and how to handle tough situations. These lessons continue to guide me today in my life and ministry, as living in a foreign culture and communicating in a language I am still learning takes a lot of patience sometimes. But the lost must hear! I also appreciate having godly friends back home that I can talk to and ask for advice.

The list could go on and on for how my years at Word of Life and on the Impact Team help me in life and ministry, but it can all be summed up in this: Those two years are still the best years of my life, and I would never trade them for the world.

Book Club.

The Class of 1988 has produced quite a crop of authors and storytellers. Kyle Hammersmith, Twila Zehr Patterson, Sean MacDonald, and Robyn DeVries Graham have each published books since attending the Bible Institute. Three of the authors wrote nonfiction books about personal experiences, but for Hammersmith — now a professor at Liberty University — storytelling was a way to apply the lessons and landscape of Word of Life in a whole new way.

The Legend of Lake Marilee (Fiction) by Kyle Hammersmith

Lake Marilee is not only full of murder theories and a local ghost legend when young Jody Barrett comes to visit — it’s also the setting for a battle between fact and fiction, right and wrong, and good and evil. Christian apologetics meet intriguing storytelling as the lessons Jody learns about families, values, and God change the way he encounters truth.

Where have I seen that before?

When Kyle started writing his suspense novel, he turned to a familiar setting to sketch his characters and scenes: Word of Life. The novel is based in an area that mirrors Schroon Lake and Pottersville, including the central location of the Brown Swan Club (aka the Word of Life Inn). Kyle, who has a master’s in education from Ohio State University and a bachelor’s in English from Liberty University, was a chef at Word of Life in New York and Florida after graduating from the Bible Institute.

Editor’s Take: Looking for a book that will help the young people you know tackle questions of truth, postmodern philosophy, or apologetics? Kyle takes classroom lessons into real life in a suspenseful and entertaining way. This novel is great for teenagers and others who are tackling questions of truth.

Recruit the next generation … and celebrate yours.

By Alumni Director Wayne Lewis

Another class has just enrolled in Word of Life Bible Institutes around the world, and a great year is under way.  Students are showing an eager anticipation for studying the Word.

As always, it is thrilling to see alumni returning with their children, and parents bringing siblings of their older children who are now alumni. As an alumnus, you are the greatest resource for new students, and I want to encourage you to start recruiting now for next year.

Please pray for all the staff as they teach, train, and disciple these students, many of whom have high expectations for what the Lord is going to do in their lives.

The Bible Institute isn’t just training a new generation, though — it’s also celebrating and continuing to encourage those who have walked through its doors in past years.

The biggest way we do that at Word of Life is through our Memorial Day and Founder’s Conference weekend. We are already making plans for May 24-27, 2013, when we welcome all alumni to enjoy Word of Life, reconnect with each other, and grow anew in Christ.

We have specific reunions planned for certain classes, too. Every class that has done a reunion in the past has been blessed beyond measure. In fact, most are planning to gather more frequently.

We want to encourage five-year reunions this year as well as 10-year reunions. So, Classes of 1973, 1978, 1983, 1988, 1993, 1998, 2003, and 2008, come and join us!

If you graduated one of these years, get on Facebook, the phone, email, or whatever, and get your class together.  You will not be sorry you did!

Click here to learn more about how you can help plan a reunion.

Here are some of the details about who will be speaking:

• Friday, May 25, 7 p.m.: George Murray
• Saturday, May 26, 9 a.m.: Stanley Toussaint
• Saturday, May 26, 10:45 a.m.: George Murray
• Saturday, May 26, 7 p.m.: Harry Bollback
• Sunday, May 27, 9 a.m.: Stanley Toussaint
• Sunday, May 27, 10:45 a.m.: Don Lough, Jr.
• Monday, May 28, 11 a.m.: Memorial Day rally: Jeff Struecker

Class reunions: How to make it happen.

We want to host special class reunions for the Classes of 1978, 1983, 1988, 1993, 1998, 2003, and 2008 this year at our annual alumni gatherings for Memorial Day weekend and Founder’s Conference.

We need your help, though, to invite alumni from all over the world to come and make the weekend a great experience for everyone. Some of you have already expressed interest, so we’ve pulled together some information of what we’ve done in the past to help you get started.

If you are willing to help coordinate a reunion for your class, here’s a “plan of action” that we found worked well for other classes:

• Form a planning team that will help you promote the event.
• Put a working schedule together and get it out on Facebook, asking for ideas. If more people get involved in planning, more people will be excited about making the trip in person!
• Take time to track down old classmates on Facebook, and start a group devoted to your class or your reunion.
• Work toward creating an experience, not just an event, by incorporating themes your class can unite around. For example, create class T-shirts, make a handout booklet, or have a theme of the journey your class will take throughout the weekend as you take part in different events. We’ll have several options for you at Word of Life, such as dinners, meeting times, campfires, or sharing time at Council Hall. But you can also take advantage of spring in the area and go to Glens Falls (shopping, go-karts, bowling, Martha’s ice cream, Great Escape), check out Lake George’s tourist attractions or cruises, take a family hike up Mt. Severance, explore the Adirondacks via whitewater rafting, or try any of the other excursions the area has to offer.
• Create some competition by challenging other classes, such as seeing which class can get the most people to come for the weekend or bring the largest family, the longest or newest married couple, or the lowest (or highest) cumulative number of demerits from their Bible Institute year. We can help provide judges and rewards.
• Encourage creativity from class members so they make it “their” reunion.
• Create “buzz” — keep telling people about the reunion, and bring up memories (or future memories you want to make) that will encourage class members to come.
• Tell us how we can help. We can send an email to alumni, post specific updates on our Facebook page or group, or use our blog to keep people updated. We want to make it a success for you!

As always, please let us know if you have specific questions. You can reach us at alumni@wol.org or waynel@wol.org.

Update from Alumni Director Wayne Lewis.

I am rejoicing in the way so many of you have joined the effort to “wake the giant” and encourage greater alumni interaction.

We have moved out in the Southeast, Mid-Atlantic, and Midwest with alumni gatherings, and your responses have been so encouraging. Additionally, several of you are taking the initiative to send us your testimonies and also share what the Lord is doing in your lives today.

Reading and hearing what God is doing through Bible Institute alumni is absolutely amazing! I have come to agree with Wesley Yerkes from the Class of 1986 reunion, who said, “Hundreds of thousands of people are being impacted each year through our class alone.”

This year we passed the 20,000 mark in the number of alumni from the U.S. campuses. You do the multiplication — that’s an amazing impact!

Thanks to each of you who are keeping in touch. Thank you for joining the effort to help deserving students, and thank you for continuing to be the number one source for new students year after year. Thank you.

Past meets present: How you can help.

Take a minute and imagine yourself as a Bible Institute student again. You’re looking at your dirty shoes and thinking of the next time you’ll do laundry, which makes you think of where you’ll get laundry money, which makes you wonder if you’ll ever have money again, or if you’re set for a life of being destitute, a la Paul, Barnabas and all of those pious people you thought never had anything in common with you until you ended up at the Bible Institute and suddenly realized that an amazing God had a grip on your life.

This past fall, one alumnus was in town for the Class of 1986’s “25-year mega reunion.” He walked the path to Colombia, his old dorm, tracing his steps from decades ago to the bed that had been his.

In his old bed was a current student, fast asleep at 10 a.m. after a weekend of ministry — the classic Bible Institute pose since 1970.

The alumnus took $25 to commemorate the 25-year anniversary and slipped it under the student’s pillow, bookending his journey with a gift toward the future.

The amount, he said, “wasn’t a lot, but I figured the students’ need of money hadn’t changed in 25 years.”

Think about what you remember of your time at Schroon Lake. What made a difference for you? What would you not give up if you did it all over again?

Whether it be a gift or a word of encouragement, let us know how you are able to minister, and we will try to connect you with students who could use your prayer or help.

We also encourage you to take the invitation from Word of Life to “come on home.” Take time to revisit the place where you spent a year — or two — seeing God work in your life. And, if thinking about your days at the Bible Institute compels you to help the current student body, bring a small gift to share with whoever now sleeps in “your” bed.

“And His mercy is on them that fear Him from generation to generation. … That the generation to come might know them, even the children which should be born; who should arise and declare them to their children” (Luke 1:50; Psalm 78:6).

Contact alumni@wol.org or waynel@wol.org if you'd like to learn how you can help current Bible Institute students.

Making the most of youth: A message from the chancellor.

By Don Lough, Jr.

Young people have enormous potential to make a difference for Jesus Christ. At Word of Life, we believe in challenging children and teenagers with early opportunities to share their faith and to step up in serving the Lord. I’ll never forget Jack Wyrtzen’s periodic challenge to me as a young man: “Donald, let no one despise your youth.” He was basically telling me, “I believe in you – don’t let your young age hold you back from living out God’s Word.”

Several weeks ago, I had the privilege of meeting a young man from Mexico who recently joined our missionary team. His testimony was anything but ordinary. When he was 20 years old and a sales manager for the Ford Motor Company, he met an 8-year-old boy who boldly shared the Gospel with him and led him to Christ. No, this is not a misprint, nor is it the end of the story. After the young sales manager was disowned by his family for his newfound faith, the little boy swung into action and began personally discipling him. He assigned him 10 chapters of Bible reading every day and then took the initiative to connect him with Christian families and a local church. Today, the fruit of his ministry is a full-time missionary!

We need to be so careful not to allow negativity or low expectations to seep into our interaction with the younger generation. The reality is that it doesn’t take much to discourage a child or a teenager. What are you doing to encourage and motivate the young people in your sphere of influence to step up for Christ? Just think of the possibilities.

Thanks for standing with us as we challenge young people to “know, grow, and show” all over the world.

Drawing from the Truth: Alumnus of the Year Sergio Cariello.

In a world where most people portray Jesus as a kind, mellow guy Who spent most of His time wearing a long robe and telling stories to His friends, Sergio Cariello has a different idea. If you flip through the pages of The Action Bible, it’s clear that Sergio sees his Savior as the ultimate superhero.

Think of it as a Nazarene in action: an athletic man, performing miracles and saving the world.

The Action Bible portrays God as the original action hero. With sketches and ink, Sergio vividly depicts plagues, miracles, and creatures of all kinds. His illustrated approach to the Bible invigorates the ancient stories, engaging readers of all ages and languages in enduring tales of truth.

Sergio’s career in art began when he was a child in northeast Brazil. He doodled on napkins and church bulletins, and by age 5, he had decided to become a cartoonist. At 11 he landed his first gig drawing Frederico, the Detective, a weekly comic strip he invented for his local newspaper, Diario De Pernambuco.

Growing up, Sergio attended church every Sunday, but it wasn’t until he stepped into the electric world of Word of Life camp in Recife that his relationship with Christ really came alive.

"Every visit to Word of Life was a spiritual injection,” Sergio says. “An extreme boost to my spirit.”

Sergio responded to Christ’s call at camp when he was 15, but soon after, he started to struggle in his walk with God. He dealt with many of the challenges teenage Christians face, and he lost momentum.

Then, the following year, Sergio began to return to his faith. What made the difference this time was his pastors, Roberval Lyra and Sergio Lyra, who were both involved with Word of Life.

“They nurtured me back to church” when they asked him to draw charts for a church fundraising campaign, he says.

Sergio recommitted his life to Christ and soon enrolled in the Bible Institute in Recife in 1981, just after high school. There, he was surrounded every day with a full dose of Word of Life’s discipleship, ministry, and personal growth formula: Scripture memorization, Quiet Time, and ministry opportunities such as Open Air Evangelism, sharing the Gospel door-to-door, travels across Brazil with the Collegians, and children’s ministry at local churches.

Sergio stayed connected to local pastors, and eventually his story made it to George Theis, the founder of Word of Life Recife. Theis turned to the Word of Life scholarship program to see if there was a way Sergio could go to the New York campus for further Bible study under the Bible Institute and School of Youth Ministries program (now second year).

For Sergio, moving to the States and attending the Bible Institute as a more mature believer was a dream come true. He deems his experience at the Schroon Lake Bible Institute campus “phenomenal.”

“It was a new land with new dreams,” he says, “(The Bible Institute) in Recife was great, but New York was greater.”

A children’s Bible memory revolution: John Tice, Class of 1990.

When you turn to an online game or app to help your kids pass the time, John Tice is hoping it isn’t Angry Birds — he’d like you to check out some of his Scripture memory programs.

Impress Kids, a 13-year journey that became an official company in 2010, isn’t like most Scripture memory methods. It has gone beyond note cards to full-fledged, color-filled online interactivity — and it’s set up so anyone can take advantage of it with their own Bible Memory plans.

John first thought of the idea for Impress Kids when he and his wife, Andrea, were serving as Local Church Ministries missionaries in western New York. He was troubled by the way the children’s Biblical curriculum was disjointed as kids tried to learn through several programs at once.

“They had Sunday School and mid-week programs; some went to AWANA or learned Bible verses at school. The problem was that none of it was connected. I kept thinking we could do better,” he says.

In 1997, after driving home from church, John says he began to dream of a Bible memory program that could complement what was already being done in churches, schools, and homes — something fun for kids and useful as a ministry tool.

John would work on his idea some, lose clarity, and then neglect it. But he kept picking it back up.

“It was a dream God never let me put aside,” he says.

Why am I here? A message from the chancellor.

By Don Lough, Jr.

In the rush of life, it’s all too easy to lose sight of the fact that God has placed us on this earth for a purpose. Philippians 2:15 reminds us that God has strategically placed us “in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation” and that we are to “shine as lights in the world.” We are not here simply to exist. Our lives should be all about taking every opportunity to show and share the difference that Christ can make in life.

I was reminded of this truth while waiting for a flight a few months ago. I couldn’t help but notice a businessman just a few seats away. He was sobbing uncontrollably as he talked on the phone. It was clear that he was coming to terms with some very difficult news. To be honest, my first instinct was to find another place to sit. After all, this man really needed some privacy, right?

Then I was reminded, “Why am I here?” I knew this had to be a divine appointment. With my heart pounding, I slid next to the man and asked, “Sir, are you going to be okay? Would you mind if I pray for you?” His hostile response caught me off guard: “No — I don’t believe in God!” I said, “Excuse me, sir, I don’t know what you are going through, but God does exist, whether you believe in Him or not. Matter of fact, God loves you, and it’s pretty obvious that you need Him right now.” With words punctuated with profanity and sobbing, he began to unfold his story. He was highly educated and a successful robotics engineer. He admitted to me, “Until today, I thought I was God.” The devastating phone call had come from his son, his pride and joy, who was a professional athlete in the National Hockey League. He had called to tell his dad that his career was likely over and that he was on his way to rehab and prison for possession and use of drugs.

I responded, “Sir, I have some more bad news for you. God, in His Word, says that not only are you not God, but you are not even good” (Romans 3). I continued, “You said you don’t believe in God, right? Has it occurred to you that God put us together today? I could’ve sat in any number of seats in this airport. My being here at this exact moment is no accident. God has to exist!” He nodded affirmatively and replied, “You got me.” I prayed for him and his son and gave him a Gospel tract before we parted ways. While I’ve not been able to reconnect with this man, there’s no doubt that this was an assignment from God.

Of course, we all have work to do, places to go, and people to meet. But the primary reason we are here is to represent Christ and to “hold forth the Word of Life” to this world that so desperately needs Him. I’m convinced that God puts divine appointments on our calendars every day. Our responsibility is to recognize and seize these opportunities to share what Christ has done in our lives.

From heartache to a full heart: Lori Beth Blaney, Class of 1988.

In December 2006, Lori Beth Blaney, Class of 1988, was in a Georgia hospital. She and her family had been in a car accident, hit head-on by a teenager from the local high school. Everyone made it out alive except for one: Lori Beth’s unborn daughter, whom she and her husband would later name Rachel.

The day after the accident, in an almost unspeakable state of grief, Lori Beth had to deliver her stillborn baby. After the birth, she didn’t see much of the hospital staff — they seemed to avoid her. No one looked to ease her despair, and she was left alone without much help to deal with her loss.

“I felt like I had a hole that needed to be filled,” she says.

As time passed and Lori Beth’s sorrow threatened to swallow her up, she felt God laying something on her heart. She was painfully aware of the lack of support for mothers in her situation and felt God leading her to do something about it.

“I didn’t want to do it at first,” Lori Beth says of creating Rachel’s Gift, the faith-based nonprofit that would emerge in 2008. “I’m more of a worker bee and not one to start something from scratch.”

But after much lost sleep and time spent arguing with God, Lori Beth knew what she was supposed to do.

She started by reaching out to other moms dealing with the loss of an infant, women who felt isolated during the grieving process. She did extensive research and connected with counselors and nurses to help understand how best to work with parents in crisis.

Four years later, Rachel’s Gift now works with seven (soon to be eight) Georgia hospitals to provide grief assistance for parents and families experiencing infant loss. It also helps train nurses and caregivers to address issues that families face while dealing with such tragic situations.

Testimony Corner: Marisa Irizarry, Class of 1986

I made the decision to accept Christ at age 7 during a Vacation Bible School program at a friend’s church. The program definitely stuck with me: I currently help lead VBS with the youth ministry team at the same church where I was saved — Quinton Baptist Church in Quinton, New Jersey.

I’ve had a heart for ministry since that young age, and I’m still amazed by the opportunities God has given me over the years. Growing up, I found many ways to show Christ’s love through community service and share His Word through visitations as a teenager.

During my junior year of high school, my youth pastor took our group to Word of Life Snow Camp. I remember watching the counselors and thinking, “If the same God lives in them that lives in me, then why am I not as happy as they are? And if this is the place where they came to become that happy and joyful, I’m coming, too, because I want what they have!”

I enrolled in the Bible Institute right out of high school and moved to Schroon Lake with that renewed faith and inspiration that can only come from a fruitful mission trip. I had spent the summer sharing the Good News in England, and I felt God calling me to do missions overseas as an adult. The Bible Institute was the first step.

During my time at the Bible Institute, I grew so much spiritually. I didn’t have a breadth of the reality of Scripture in my life during my childhood nor in my teens, but through my courses I gained a deep biblical knowledge that continues to support my decision making as I minister to youth.

My Bible studies and Quiet Time with my Savior would influence my heart and inspire me to reach out with Jesus’ hand and affect the world. I joined the Open Air Evangelism ministry and remember Jack Wyrtzen talking to us about having a vision and then doing it: “Stop praying about it, and just go do it!” So, some of my friends and I started a campus outreach. We would go to different college campuses every Monday, hand out tracts, and talk to people.

After finishing Second Year at the Bible Institute, I went to Appalachian Bible College and earned my degree in Bible and youth ministry. I met my husband, Albert Irizarry, and we wed in 1992. Albert also attended the Bible Institute, Class of 1991, before returning to Appalachian Bible to finish his degree.

We have two children: Eric, 18, and Megan, 16. Eric got his acceptance letter from Word of Life in the mail three days ago! He says he knew he was going to the Bible Institute — it was written on his birth certificate. With two alumni as parents, I guess it’s hard not to end up at Schroon Lake! Megan also plans to attend when she graduates high school.

I’m thrilled my children will have the opportunity to experience the joy I found at the Bible Institute. I got a fresh dose of that joy when I attended the 1986 class reunion. What a spiritually uplifting, encouraging, and amazing time we had together!  Although we hadn’t seen one another in 25 years, it was like we never left each other. I enjoyed such sweet fellowship with the alumni, and I know I can always call on them for prayer support.

As I shared with my former classmates at the reunion, Albert and I have been leading on the youth ministry team at our home church. We love to watch the teens grow in Christ. Our youth group has attended the Island and goes to Snow Camp every year. (Our kids won first prize in the banner competition — that place is still 48 hours of sheer energy!) We’ve also planned activities, taught Sunday School, and hosted a teen prayer group at our home on Friday nights.

Besides ministering to the youth, I have been involved in a variety of ways at Quinton Baptist Church, including missions, serving as a deaconess and church secretary, attending and leading Bible studies, and singing with the worship team. I also held director of development and event coordinator positions with Bridgeton Christian School and worked in sales at a local Christian radio station. Right now, I am a stay-at-home mom.

As I list these things, I know that God sees them, but really I just want to be known as a woman who loved God and prayed — not this or that accomplishment or title. When people remember me, I just want them to say, “She loved to pray — to talk to Jesus.” That might sound simple, but I do love to pray, and that’s what I want my legacy to be.

Victory Journal Issue 4: Online in PDF form.

If you'd like to see Issue 4 of the Victory Journal in PDF form, click here. We'll be rolling out the articles from that issue on this blog in the coming days, but you can get the full treatment of what the magazine looks via the PDF.

Reunion Report: Class of 1986

Word of Life is always welcoming alumni to come on home for a class reunion, Bible Institute visit, or conference at the Word of Life Inn. While the main event for alumni to visit each year is the Memorial Day and Founder’s Conference weekend, alumni are also invited to plan other get-togethers throughout the year. Word of Life is also willing to help alumni plan local meetings across the U.S.

If you’re interested in planning an alumni reunion, contact Wayne Lewis at waynel@wol.org. To book a spot for the Memorial Day/Founder’s Conference weekend, which includes alumni reunions for the classes of 1973, 1983, 1993 and 2003 this spring, call Dawn Wayson at (518) 532-2290.

Here’s what happened when one member of the Class of 1986 got to work on planning a reunion for his class this past spring.

By Wesley A. Yerkes

About two years ago, I received a message on Facebook from some Bible Institute classmates who wanted to get together for a reunion that year or the next. I had been to Founder’s Conference, Homecoming, and Memorial Day events at different years, and the turnout for my class had always been small — 15 to 20 people at a time, and that was the largest of any class that came.

I thought about it and responded, “Let’s wait two years until our 25-year anniversary from graduation and have the biggest class reunion they have ever had.”

I wanted to make our class reunion different. Twenty-five years is a milestone — a quarter of a century! I thought, “Let’s make this huge!”

We started with almost a year of chatter and brainstorming on Facebook, throwing out all kinds of ideas of when, where, who, and how. Then we began narrowing our options and plans. Nobody said for me to kind of take the lead on this idea, but I had one broad goal in mind: to try to get as many of my classmates together as possible in one place, at one time, to glorify God with our testimonies and praise and to encourage one another in the faith while there is still a little time left in this life.

I designed a brochure, recruited a classmate to help me with some artwork, and bounced all of our ideas off the folks at Word of Life. Things really began coming together. I gave portions of the responsibilities of contacts and music preparation to those who were willing to help, and it really became a group effort.

Along the way, I was blessed to find so many of the exciting things my classmates have done since graduation. Many have thriving ministries. Some have become authors. Several are excellent pastors of local churches. Others have become school teachers, youth pastors, missionaries, Christian counselors, or are serving in many other positions of ministry that are touching lives around the world. This one class of Bible Institute students could literally be responsible or used by God to touch the lives of and bring thousands of people, maybe even a million souls, into the family of God in just 25 years.

“Our God is in control though pressures burden the soul. His sovereign plan is a sym-phony!” were some of the lyrics to a song we sang on the Daniel Tour, and these words still ring true in my heart today. Some of my classmates have gone through incredibly difficult experiences (divorce, cancer, loss of loved ones, loss of jobs, depression, huge financial struggles, and more), and it has been my privilege and joy to share their pain and their burdens in prayer to our Heavenly Father as well as to encourage them in the midst of their suffering.

There are times that I don’t understand what God is doing, but then years later when I look back and see the big picture, I see the “touch of the Master’s hand” in composing this wonderful symphony of life. If my classmates are encouraged and strengthened in their faith because of this class reunion, and if the work of Jesus Christ is magnified through it all, then all of the investment of time and energy will be worth it.

So, I would encourage other alumni to help us “awake the giant.” Get your classmates talking and plan regional alumni events with Bible Institute faculty and staff. Encourage one another in the faith. Pray for each other and share your burdens. Then pick a milestone year and plan a huge reunion in New York, Florida, or Owen Sound to come together and rehearse all the great things that God has done. Enjoy the Word of Life experience all over again as you praise God together!

A gift of growth.

By Rhonda Nicholes
Word of Life missionary to South Korea

What would you do if a friend came to your house one evening and said, “I’m going to give you $230,000?” Well, that is exactly what happened to us this past March. As you can imagine, we were floored and at a loss for words. God had blessed a friend from church, and she wants to see the cafetorium here at the Bible Institute’s Jeju campus completed this summer.

Finishing this cafetorium will officially bring Phase 1 of the Jeju building project to a close. We have been able to run the school without it until this point by using one floor of a dorm to have classes, operating our offices out of a construction storage container, temporarily housing the kitchen in a maintenance garage, and serving meals in a greenhouse/tent structure (very hot in summer and very cold in the winter).  As you can see, this will greatly enhance the experience of students who come, make the campus much more attractive, help us recruit students, and make the program much more efficient for the staff.

We were not necessarily planning a work project this summer, but God obviously had other ideas. So, we are looking for a few more donations to bring us up to the $300,000 needed to complete the project. We also need workers — skilled and unskilled — to come and help to raise the roof between July 17 and September 17.

It will be one of the cheapest overseas short-term mission trips I know of — just the cost of a plane ticket.

The logs for the building are already on their way from Lincoln Logs in Warrensburg, New York. They should arrive around July 17. God is also sending Eugene Webster and his family back as the general contractor to oversee the project.

Anyone interested in investing his or her construction skills — carpentry, electrical, plumbing, roofing, tiling — or simply two hands is invited to help at the Bible Institute in Jeju this summer. Please contact cherylgredlein@wol.org for more information, and be praying that God will send the funds and friends needed to make this happen!

Sparks of Ministry: Q&A with Doug Reider.

One man’s journey from electrical engineer to missionary in Poland to the Bible Institute’s Owen Sound campus

On how going to school for electrical engineering led to him being called to Eastern Europe:
I had always wanted to be an engineer and was good in math and the sciences. When I graduated from high school, I was encouraged to attend Bible college but felt that I already knew the Bible, having attended Christian school and church for most of my life. But the Lord began to convict me. I knew there was more purpose for my life than designing computers. It was in my last few weeks of university that I wanted to see change. A friend suggested I consider the Bible Institute, but I didn’t want to quit my job. Then he suggested I study the Bible at the graduate school level. By the time I finished at Capital Bible Seminary, the Lord led me to be part of what He was opening up in Eastern Europe.

On coming to Word of Life:
At the time, I was an associate pastor in my home church. The senior pastor suggested I consider Word of Life as a mission board, since they were already in Eastern Europe. I worked in computer operations at the Bible Institute, and met my wife, Sue Washburn, a fellow missions-minded Christian.

On ministering in a country that went from communism to Scripture memory cards:
After the Lord supplied our financial support, we moved to Poland with our year-old son, Sam. Most of what we did the first several years was language training, but a missionary wears many hats. I got to do all kinds of things, from speaking at camp, teaching in a seminary in Warsaw, and directing Bible Clubs to doing necessary computer work, laying out the Bible Club material, and cutting out every individual memory verse card (yes, somebody has to do it!).

On helping start a brand-new Bible Institute:
A lingering medical situation took us out of Poland, but the Lord had a plan: we moved to Owen Sound, Ontario, to organize and start the English-speaking Bible Institute there.

Since all of the staff (at Owen Sound) are also missionaries, we didn’t exactly have staff and couldn’t just go hire people. They, too, had to raise support. As little as 30 days before the Bible Institute opened in 2002, I was still the only staff person working full-time. Every letter that went out, I sent, and every phone call, I answered. But with the end of summer camp that year, all hands were on deck for that fall.

On challenging times:
The 11 months before the Bible Institute opened in Owen Sound were traumatic. John MacQueen, who handled all the maintenance on property, was killed in a tractor accident on Thanksgiving Day. The very week of registration, a second staff member, Craig Watson, was killed while driving from his home to campus to speak to the students who had come early for leadership training. The Bible Institute started with much pain. As a side note, both staff members who died were from the local area. Often we think that it’s missionaries on the other side of earth that die. Sometimes it’s when they’re in their hometown.

On the Bible Institute’s first decade, which has already given birth to a new spiritual generation:
We’re now in our 10th class at the Owen Sound campus. In fact, as I write, Missions Conference is going on. It’s exciting to see how the Lord has led the alumni from past years. Last year during a Campus Days while I was teaching theology, I was struck by the thought that the four pastors sitting in the room who had brought students to that Campus Days were all former students in Owen Sound! It’s exciting when I hear from alumni who are in ministry, whether they are pastors, missionaries, or working in their home churches. God continues to do great things!

Check out the latest issue of the Victory Journal

We're going to keep posting individual stories from recent Victory Journals here, but if you'd like to see a PDF version of the complete spring issue, click here.

The Bible Institute in Jeju, South Korea: Asia comes within reach.

The Bible Institute’s latest satellite is Word of Life’s most distinctive stretch into the lost countries of Asia. See what we wrote when the campus first opened in 2011.

China censors its media and restricts its citizens, hanging a black cloak over society even as it preaches growth and builds new bridges and homes with promises of a bright future.

Japan boasts some of the finest technology in the world, with innovation a second nature, but the island nation also has the highest suicide rate worldwide, with young people having everything to live for but deciding it’s not worth a try.

Russia lives under the grasp of narrow ambition, its leader playing societal roulette with a vision that works to grip only the moment with violence, restrictions, and silence.

Laos, Cambodia, Thailand, and the islands lay in the squalor of want, the heat of the day baking hungry bodies, the rags of need covering lives searching for meaning.

Campfires began on the shore of Schroon Lake 65 years ago and then lit up the world, country by country. But of all the nations filled with campfire glow on a given summer evening, one place has stayed very dark: Asia.

Until now.

What has Jeju meant to you?

This is what members of the first class at the Jeju campus had to say about the Bible Institute's inaugural year in South Korea in 2011.

Jonah Keita Hoshino
Kashiwazaki, Japan
“It has been a new experience. I came here to see how to start a new mission or a new school and not just to study. It is hard to explain, but I am learning so much just from life here.  It is like a new start.”

Graeme Buchanan
Sherbrooke, Quebec
“It has definitely been a turning point in my life.  God has used this time to really help me apply what I already knew. I’ve been encouraged a lot by students, teachers, and Quiet Time. It has produced changes that will last for a lifetime.”

Gene Cho Yong-Jin
Seoul, South Korea
“It has changed my future. Before, when I thought about my future, it was all about becoming a success. But through the missions trip to Thailand, the missions conference and the Bible classes, I have gotten many ideas about how I can change my future family environment and my friendships.”

Alyson Donley
Pottersville, New York
“I could have gone to the Bible Institute across the street, but I wanted a challenge and something new. I’ve definitely found that here! It has also really made me appreciate my family.”

Any sides with that bulgogi?

What do you eat if you go to the Bible Institute in Korea? If you’re there for lunch, you’ll get your usual American dishes: hamburgers, French fries, and chicken tenders. But during other meals, they may try to sneak some bulgogi (Korean marinated, barbecued beef), yakisoba (fried noodles), bi bim bop (Korean beef and veggies), or katsu (Japanese fried chicken) past you.

The Bible Institute serves mostly conventional American foods for breakfast, keeping with the spirit of the Korean school being a satellite of the main U.S. campus, but it also mixes in Asian entrees throughout lunch and most dinners. And for dessert, it’s international tastiness: Rice Krispie treats, cupcakes, make-your-own sundaes, and homemade pie.

Jeju: A satellite campus

What makes the first-year Bible Institute program different in Korea — and the same?

One of Word of Life’s strongest qualities is that it reaches across cultures and nationalities to connect people to Christ and His message of life and change.

Jeju, the first Asian Bible Institute, is no different. It has a lot in common with the Bible Institutes and discipleship training centers around the world that tackle cultural differences while teaching God’s Word each day.

But even as it gathers students from Korea (14), Japan (5), the United States (11), and Canada (3), Jeju’s approach is to be a satellite school of its North American counterparts in New York, Florida, and Ontario. With similar ministry, teaching, and discipleship structures, the Jeju campus takes students through the same first-year program as the other Bible Institutes. Many of the same professors teach in Korea, and students graduate with the same academic coursework and ministry opportunities as they would if they went to a North American campus.

The advantage of offering the same base in Asia, of course, is that these students are that much closer to ministry in Korea, Japan, China, and other Asian countries, both during and after their Bible Institute years.
All five Japanese students are looking into full-time Christian service — most of them in their home country, where many Christian leaders and pastors are from the older generation. North American students are seeing firsthand what missions in Asia looks like.

Most Jeju students come from the discipleship training centers, and Bible Institute enrollment will likely grow as more of these centers are established across Asia.

The Jeju Bible Institute is continuing to recruit new class members, both for next year and future terms. If you know someone who may be interested in having a Bible Institute experience in Korea, check out wolbiasia.com, which has frequently asked questions, updates about the ministry, and links to the admissions process, which is mostly the same as applying to a North American Bible Institute.

Refresh: Transitions.

Transitions come our way all the time. But the most important ones are those we make happen ourselves.
By Mike Calhoun

Transition is a natural part of the life cycle. I have been with Word of Life for 38 years and find myself transitioning again. We all begin the process of changing, growing and transitioning from one life stage, position, sphere of influence, circle of friendships, and personal goals to another from the time of our birth.

Your graduation from the Bible Institute was one of those transitions. Depending on the amount of time since then, you have gone through many other transitions. Some have brought joy and some pain, but they all have contributed to the formation of the person you are today. Some of life’s transitions are intentional; some appear to be accidental, while others just seem to happen naturally with the passing of time.

It could be post-graduate work, getting a bachelor’s, master’s, or even doctorate degree. You may have married and raised a family, or even reached that glorious state of being a grandparent (Betsi and I love that one).

Then there is that transition called aging, with its novel aches, pains, and unwelcome restrictions — gentle and not-so-gentle reminders of our new limitations. I am not trying to depress you; these are just some of life’s realities.

We can control some of the transitions of life, but some are just going to come into our lives uninvited, unannounced, and uncontrollable. The uninvited ones usually capture most of our attention and time. These are also the ones that tend to drain our physical, emotional, and spiritual strength.

I want to suggest, though, that instead of being jolted by the many transitions we can’t foresee or control, we put our energy into “intentional transitions.” This is not to say that we are going to be oblivious to the realities of life. It is simply that we are making a choice as to the priorities of our lives and how we will live. Here are a few concepts that will intentionally shape our lives, making them more meaningful and productive while the normal transitions are taking place.

1. Spiritual Growth. Never stop growing spiritually. Our spiritual walk with Christ should be stronger today than it was at this time last year. We need to build some intentional practices for spiritual growth into our daily lives, creating space for Quiet Time, prayer, Bible study, or Scripture memory.

I love the example of the Apostle Peter in 2 Peter 1:5-9, where we find him at the end of his life, still growing in his faith. From the world’s perspective, he had gone through many positive and negative transitions, but here we see him living life intentionally.

2. Friendships. Have you developed friendships that encourage you to move forward in your faith? We all need good friends who are godly and willing to “stir us up” about our faith walk. In 2 Peter 1:13 and 3:1, Peter speaks of stirring up his friends by reminding them of what is important. Living life intentionally includes friendships like this.

3. Personal Witnessing. We have all heard Jack Wyrtzen quoted as saying, “It is the responsibility of every generation to reach their generation with the Gospel of Christ.” That statement is timeless. It is our responsibility. We all should be doing what we can to share the good news of the Gospel. Jack often quoted Romans 1:16, reminding us that the gospel is the power of God and challenging us to intentionally share it.

4. Personal Goals. Do you still have a dream? Are you still excited about life, or have you given in to the world’s “treadmill existence” approach to life? Your life is going to keep transitioning, but while it does, you can continue to set new, intentional personal goals. Don’t accept the status quo — reach for more!

I love the spirit of Caleb in Joshua 14:11-12. Here he is in his 80s, and he is explaining to Joshua his future plans and how he is ready to fight. Oh — and by the way, he still wants that mountain!

Now that is intentional living.

Mike Calhoun, senior vice president for Word of Life Fellowship, speaks to thousands of students, leaders, and youth pastors through a diversified ministry of camps, conferences, and evangelistic events. He has a deep burden for evangelism, discipleship, and development of future leadership. Mike has written several books and produced DVDs for students and local church leaders. He makes his home in Schroon Lake, New York, with his wife, Betsi. Find more of his writing online at mikecalhoun.wol.org/blog/blog.