Get to Know Some of the NBC 2020 Graduates
Jill Nicole Mallow:
Hello, my name is Jill and currently I am in my 6th year of youth ministry. I am the youth pastor at Fort Pierce First Church of the Nazarene. I also have reached 10 years of service at Winn-Dixie grocery store where I am currently a customer service lead. I also do Shipt Shopper occasionally, and decorate cakes on the side.
Once I graduate, I will be eligible to partake in the ordination evaluations for our District in April 2021. I pray for whatever God's will is in moving forward. I know something BIG is going to happen in my life before 2022, however, God has not revealed what all that will include. I am excited, and I know God is preparing me for whatever my future may hold. Currently, this page and chapter in my life is turning, and what is to come will be bigger and better than I could have ever imagined for myself.
I am honored to be graduating this year and relieved that I am finished with the school deadlines! God is so good and in this journey He continues showing me what it is to be a Child of His! God Bless! Thank you for all you do; it does make a difference, in Jesus name, go, and prosper!
Donna Louise Bassett:
My current vocational job is a credentialed school nurse working with special needs children ages 3 -22. I also serve part-time at Santa Rosa Nazarene church preaching, supporting my husband/pastor, teaching, leading children's ministry and prayer ministry. I am hoping to preach more often and to grow in my leadership skills in the Kingdom.
I am BEYOND grateful for my learning experience at NBC! It was so far beyond my expectations! I am thankful for my instructors and classmates. I learned so much from all of them and I was always moved to tears reading their biographies. Our God is so merciful, creative, and amazing - he uses us all in wonderful ways. The Kingdom of God is powerfully advancing, and I am fully committed to being a part of it! Online education works and NBC has perfected it!
Desiree Lynn Ferring:
Currently, I am pastoring at Selinsgrove Church of the Nazarene. I am an Associate Pastor of Youth & Young Adults.
With the pandemic, there are no longer any big plans. We originally were planning on attending graduation and taking a much-needed family vacation, however, we will have to do that when things are a little different.
My prayer is for God to use me to the fullest in the ministry that He has brought me to. So thankful to serve and can’t wait to see what He does! Praying that I listen and stay focused on Him throughout the future endeavors!
There’s a culmination of feelings – disbelief, relief for some sleep, and hopefully, less stress…. but ultimately, a thankful heart for this amazing accomplishment and grateful to complete the studies needed in these steps to prepare myself better for the call God has on my life. Thank you, NBC, for the amazing years of growth and preparation! I am seriously so thankful for this tribe from NBC. I never could have done this without so many of you!
Holly Castaneda:
I am currently a Children’s Pastor at New Life Community Church in Pinehurst, Texas alongside my husband who is the Youth Pastor.
My wish is to get ordained as an Elder in the Church of the Nazarene. It would have been this past April, but COVID-19 has postponed that until April of 2021.
I am still in awe and excited to accomplish this lifelong goal to complete my degree. I am the first in my family to get a college degree. I am very excited to see how God will continue to use me and my family in our new home of Pinehurst, Texas. God is good all the time!!!
Aubrey Ann DeBaar:
I will be continuing my work with The Salvation Army together with my husband Shawn (also an NBC alumni) in a new appointment as corps officer of the Kalamazoo, MI corps. The Lord keeps us busy with our two kids, Judah (5) and Joanna (3).
I’m grateful for the knowledge and skills I have gained as part of my degree program and plan to continue learning! Thanks!
Richard George Griffith:
My wife and I are currently planting a church in Ohio from the ground up. I am the Lead and Founding Pastor at Movement Church. The Movement is classified as a contemporary church reaching the 20-year-old demographic. We are a multiplication church with the goal to have five locations besides our broadcast location in ten years.
My prayer is for God to use me in any way He can. I want to be obedient to His call regardless of
I feel accomplished; it’s weird not being able to celebrate together. However, after ten years of college, it is great to be done.
Rick Yant:
I am pastoring a New Start Church in Georgetown South Carolina with my important partner in Ministry - my wife, Christ Yant. I am a co-vocational Pastor and just accepted a position as the Volunteer Coordinator at the Hospice in town, Tidelands Hospice.
I plan on continuing my education in Christian Counseling while I pastor and work for Hospice. I pray I can be a blessing to patients, families, and co-workers. I have an earnest prayer to grow the Church of the Nazarene in a place that used to have a big presence and somehow closed her doors years ago.
I am 52 years old and the journey towards my diploma has been one that would not be possible if it were not for the love and support of my wife and kids. They constantly sacrificed seeing me sit at the table studying and writing sermons. I feel proud to have finally accomplished this. There was a time I thought this would never be possible. My pastor at the time, Pastor Brent Walker, encouraged me to set this goal and that God would help and provide. It has been a joy to see God do just that!
Daryl Blank:
Senior Pastor at Springdale Church of the Nazarene in Cincinnati, Ohio
I am thankful for the education I received at NBC. I am grateful to my professors and classmates who invested in me, my current and future ministry. Thank YOU!!
Eleany Ospina-Arcila:
I am currently Community Outreach Pastor and Hispanic Ministry Pastor of the Fort Osage Church of the Nazarene in Independence, Missouri.
My plan for after graduation is to dedicate myself full time to the ministry. I also hope and pray to be able to complete the Bachelor’s degree program in Hispanic Pastoral Ministries, of which I only need 18 credits to finish.
Today, as a graduate, I feel blessed and amazed! God is faithful – always faithful! I never, ever thought that I would be able to return to school now that I am a grandmother. It is amazing for me to be able to graduate with something that really will help me to be better in what I really love to do: serve God and serve others! Thanks to NBC, today I feel better equipped and more certain that I will be able to fulfill the call that God gave me to go and make Christlike disciples in all the nations. I give thanks to God for His call and for His provision; I give thanks for the education I received at NBC; I thank my family for their patience; I thank my church for support and trust. Today I can say: I did it! We did it! Glory to God!
Soy pastora de Alcance Comunitario y del Ministerio Hispano de la Iglesia del Nazareno de Fort Osage, Independence, MO.
Mi plan después de la graduación de hoy es dedicarme al ministerio tiempo completo. También, deseo y oro el poder terminar el programa de bachillerato de ministerios pastorales, del cual solo necesito cumplir con 18 horas de crédito que me faltan.
¡Hoy como graduada, me siento bendecida y maravillada! ¡Dios es fiel, siempre fiel! Nunca pensé que iba poder regresar a la escuela ahora que soy abuela. Mucho menos, poderme graduar en algo que realmente me ayudará a ser mejor en lo que ahora amo tanto hacer: servir a Dios y a otros. Gracias a NBC, hoy me siento mejor equipada y más segura para realizar el llamado que Dios me ha hecho para ir y hacer discípulos semejantes a Cristo de todas las naciones. Gracias al llamado de Dios y Su provisión, la educación provista por NBC, la paciencia de mi familia, el apoyo y confianza de mi iglesia, hoy puedo decir: ¡Lo hice!, ¡lo hicimos! ¡Gloria a Dios!
Allen Gemaehlich:
I have been serving part-time as youth pastor at Grand Junction First Church of the Nazarene, but was recently promoted to Assistant Pastor as of May 1 in a part-time role. I am also working part-time as a school bus driver.
I do not have any special plans other than to continue to serve in ministry in my church as the Lord leads me. I pray for continued growth in my personal life and in ministry and to find the best fit for me in ministry with the talents the Lord has given me.
I feel blessed. My church is doing well financially and still able to pay me for part-time work. I still have a school bus job waiting for me when school does return. I have a beautiful wife, and I have good health. I feel great about completing the MPP program and look forward to focusing on ministry.
Jacob Paul Story:
Currently I am serving as the lead pastor at Guthrie Church of the Nazarene. We have a great church family here that have been incredibly supportive of me as I have finished my degree and I am preparing for ordination.
My plans are to dive more into ministry, in my home, in our church, and in our community. With no longer needing to give so much attention to course work, I am looking forward to some much-needed family time as well as being able to focus more on helping our church engage our community.
I have to say that it is still very surreal. I finished one 6-week session early, so I haven’t been in class in several weeks, but sometimes it still feels like I need to start reading for my next class or that I need to make sure that I am on track with my assignments. It is definitely a bittersweet mix of emotions. I really enjoyed my time at NBC, but I am also very glad to be graduating!
Vance Tope:
I work full time for CORT. We are a Berkshire Hathaway Company, and we specialize in renting furniture, both residential, as well as office furniture. I am also the Pastor of Assimilation at Hope Community Church of the Nazarene. In my spare time, I am working with Community Bible Study to be trained in the Oral Communication of the Word.
Once the craziness of this new “norm” settles down, I am looking at starting a church that will either meet at one airport or actually relocate regionally each week. I am a General Aviation Pilot and most of us like to fly out on the weekends to find what we affectionately call the “$100 Hamburger.” I feel led to adapt that to capitalize on our love for flying but to have God’s Word be spread too. It will be a church service but unlike any church service in my area.
I truly value my education from NBC. While I think most of us will say that we do not feel prepared for all the challenges that ministry will present us, we are certainly better prepared now than when we started our journey at NBC.
Brian Myers:
I am maintaining my full-time secular job while serving as Interim Pastor for Freedom Church Fort Worth. Freedom Church is a "church on wheels" for men and women reentering the community from the Texas prison system. We take the complete worship experience into two residential reentry facilities in Fort Worth, sharing the Gospel to over 150 residents weekly. In light of the COVID-19 pandemic, I record my sermons and the worship team records their songs. I produce these into a weekly video, burn to DVDs and deliver them to the facilities. With each delivery, I write weekly devotional messages and prepare daily Bible reading plans for the residents to focus on during the week.
It has become my dream to be in vocational ministry full-time, and I do believe it is my calling. I am handcuffed by time in my current situation. My heart yearns to do more to serve God. I desire further learning, mentorship and experience as I follow the path that God provides me.
I feel elated because it was a monumental task to finish this degree. I feel lonely because I miss the deep, intellectual conversations with my instructors and classmates. I feel excited about how God will use me in the future.
Carlton L. McKay:
Thank you to the staff at NBC for publishing this special edition of The Torch. I appreciate your desire to honor the graduates of 2020 even though our world is rather chaotic at the present time.
I am currently working full time but am also the pastor of the Nazarene Church in Las Animas, Colorado. We have seen God's power at work in the drylands of southeastern Colorado. As I look to the future, I only desire to be faithful to the call of God on my life and to preach the Word whenever I get the opportunity. So many people need to find hope since their lives appear hopeless. Although I am glad to be graduating, I am thankful for NBC and for the training I have received in the last few years. May God's richest blessings continue to be upon Nazarene Bible College.
Sharon Renee Baso:
I am currently serving as a Salvation Army officer in Jonesboro, Arkansas.
My hope following graduation is that I will use all I have learned to be a better officer and pastor.
I feel a great sense of accomplishment in earning my degree, with honors. It was a 10-year journey that is finally complete.
Mark L Walters Jr.:
On August 14, 2019, I took my very first ministry assignment. Our family of 7, the Walters 7, moved about an hour North from Gainesville Florida to Lake City Florida. I'm now blessed to say that I serve as the Children and Families Pastor at the Lake City Church of the Nazarene. Our ministry has transformed to include; Children and Families, Youth, Song and Praise, and a multi-facet Compassionate ministry including Prayer, Accountability Partners, Special Counseling meetings/sessions, Food, Home Repairs, Yard Maintenance, and more. God has truly blessed the Walters 7 Ministry Team!!!
My special plan is to continue in my intentional pursuit of outreach ministry. Seeking daily, I pray for His continual guidance and continual will in my family's lives on how we might be used to help fulfill His command to Go and Make Disciples.
I feel accomplished yet hungry. Accomplished that I, with the help and support of my God and my Holiness wife, was able to complete what seemed to be unfathomable, out of reach, and impossible. Hungry, as now that I've had a taste of what it feels like and have felt the experience of deep-rooted education about my God, who I am to Him, and what His purpose is of me; I want more! To God be all the Glory.
Nayomia Anderson:
I am a Salvation Army Officer in Australia, in the role of Youth and Young Adults Secretary (Tasmania)
My calling for full time ministry was along with a calling for missionary work. Sometimes countries require at least a bachelor’s degree for visa purposes, so with the completion of my degree, it helps open the door to my calling.
My journey at NBC started in 2014, and with all the seasons of life that happened in between, it has taken until now to finally complete this degree. Therefore, I am graduating with feelings of relief and accomplishment that I finally finished my degree!
Kristie Selvidge:
My husband Jeremy and I moved from Michigan to Murfreesboro, Tennessee in November to serve as Co-Pastors of Real Life Community Church of the Nazarene. While we have worked together in ministry for over twenty years, this is the first position where we are both employed as pastors and formally leading a church together. We are thrilled to work with a group of people who are passionate about their relationship with Christ and looking for ways to help others encounter Jesus in their own lives. This has been a crazy start to a new ministry with half of our time here being spent ministering from home and having to think way outside the box about reaching our people and still getting to know them. We have a great staff, and a supportive board who are staying connected with each other and with the church during this time. We are making preparations to begin meeting again soon, and we cannot wait to see where God leads us in the coming years.
I would like to say I am so happy about graduating, but it is not quite the same when I cannot gather with my fellow graduates who have worked hard to get to where we are today. However, I am so thankful for what God has done in my life. If you had told me twenty years ago that I would complete a degree in Bible and Theology, I would have looked at you like you were crazy. God reminded me a few years back that His plans for me so much bigger than I thought possible and that He would give me the gifts and graces to complete this degree. This week, I become the first person in my family to complete a four-year college degree. Completing this degree is just one more part of fulfilling the call to ministry God placed on my life 30 years ago. I am thankful for Nazarene Bible College and the way it has shaped me both as a follower of Jesus Christ and as a pastor called to a life of ministry.
Joseph Christodoulos:
Sadly, I am not currently pastoring, which was the reason that I want to graduate. I have my own business. We were in Mexico helping a ministry called WINE AND OIL working in their international legal team for two years. Then in 2020, we moved to California. Today, with all these restrictions caused by COVID19, I have not been able to find a ministry in which to help or be a volunteer.
When I finish my last class at the end of August 2020, my desire is to do a master's degree, then do a doctorate, God willing, and someday teach at NBC.
I am very happy because, thanking God and NBC, this is a dream fulfilled today, of which I can feel proud. Despite my age, this is something that I think can serve as an example to my children and for anyone who thinks that age is an obstacle, which is not true. All things are possible with Christ.
En la actualidad, no estoy pastoreando y estoy triste por esta realidad, ya que para esto me graduaré. Trabajo en un negocio propio. Estuvimos en México ayudando a un ministerio llamado VINO Y ACEITE en la rama legal internacional por dos años. Luego, en el 2020, nos mudamos a California. Hoy, con estos inconvenientes del COVID19, no he podido conseguir un ministerio para ayudar o ser voluntario.
Al terminar en agosto, mi deseo es hacer una maestría y buscar el doctorado para algún día dar clases en NBC.
Estoy muy contento porque gracias a Dios y a la NBC, es un deseo cumplido hoy, de lo cual puedo sentirme orgulloso. A pesar de mi edad, esto es algo que creo que podrá servir como ejemplo para mis hijos y para todo aquel que piense que la edad es un obstáculo, lo cual no es cierto. Todo se puede en Cristo.
Jolinda Shelbourn:
I am currently the corps officer (Lead Pastor) in Davenport, IA, but we just received orders to move to the headquarters in Minneapolis. There I will be the Divisional Adult Ministries Secretary which means I will be working in Women’s Ministries, Men’s Ministries, and Older Adult Ministries.
I am excited to move forward, and I feel that my new degree will be applied right away in my new appointment. I am sad to leave my congregation in Davenport, but I think they will be in good hands. I am very sad that we will not have a graduation, but happy that I will still receive my cords.
Heather Hartwick:
I am currently a Youth Pastor at Faith Community Church in St. Johns, FL. I teach our high school class and am a part of the worship band as well. I also homeschool my 2 children and run a small business.
I plan to take some time off of school after graduation, but I will return shortly, as I have a few courses to complete for ordination. My hopes are to eventually pursue my master’s degree, but whatever I decide, I pray that I am constantly in the center of God’s will.
Sometimes I don’t feel like this is real. I remember being anxious that I wouldn’t be able to take on school with two small children, while homeschooling one of them (eventually both of them), and being active in ministry at my church. Looking back, I am so thankful for God’s provision and guidance through this process. I could not have done this in my own strength. I look forward to what He has in store for my future!
Jessica Lacey:
I am currently enjoying time as a stay at home mom. I have also just started a small business, Hope River Co, where I provide tools for women, teens, and children, to better know and memorize Scripture. I plan to launch it officially in about a month!
Graduation has opened so many doors for my family. My husband is in transition out of the Army, and we are moving to my home state of Georgia. I look forward to more family time and settling into a community after 4 busy years of school and Army life (including 3 moves while in college!). My prayer for graduation is that God would seal this knowledge on my heart and continue to grow in me the desire to know and study His word. I pray that this would just be the start of my lifetime of studying His scriptures and the truth of His heart.
As I graduate I feel so proud! 4 years ago, this goal felt impossible. There were so many hurdles as I tried to finish school. When I got pregnant my last year, I thought this dream would have to end. However, God proved himself faithful to me. My senior year included nursing while doing homework, but I would not trade it for the world. Now my son has seen first-hand that his mom can accomplish her dreams and love him well too! I also feel relieved. While in school I had to miss so many fun things in order to study and do homework. I am looking forward to time outside, and with my family, not missing a moment while knowing this dream has been accomplished!
Alisha Thelander:
Currently, I am serving as a children's pastor and pastoral counselor at our church. I am also a wife and mother, raising three children and fostering children as well.
My prayer after I graduate is to continue my work at the church and expand my counseling ministry. I also am praying about taking the next step in my education in getting my master's degree in the near future.
Graduating is very bitter sweet. I have loved my time at NBC, and I have proven to myself that I can accomplish more than even I was aware of. One thing I am looking forward to is having more free time and going on vacation without homework!
Andrew D. Milligan:
I am not currently in a ministry position. I am praying that God will have me in the right position at the right time though. I am working for the Community Blood Center and Tissue Services currently in Dayton, OH. My job has been trying to get people to come in and donate blood. It has been a crazy time, but God has been working through this by allowing us to be completely full on several days that we are open for operations. Other than working and staying home because of the virus, I have been doing what I can around my new home with my wife. I have also been spending time with her by doing dates at home and doing our regular devotions together.
I really do not have any special plans for after I graduate. One thing that I will want to do is to do a lot of reading. Currently, I am reading through the Left Behind series of novels and am finding those to be quite captivating. Before that, I read Letters to the Church by Francis Chan. That was one of the most phenomenal books that I have ever read. It has caused me to shift my thinking about how we do Church. I hope to be able to apply the things that I have learned from that book and what I was taught at NBC. When schools open back up in the fall (hopefully), I will want to get involved with some of the local Fellowship of Christian Athlete’s (FCA) down in the Dayton area and hopefully get into leading the huddles with some of the high school sports teams down here. There are some things that I will want prayer for once I graduate. If God is calling me to vocational ministry, whether it be part-time or full-time, that the right position at the right time would open itself up and that He would work through me. Secondly, my prayer is that an opportunity could open where I could get involved with the local FCA’s and get into sports chaplaincy with some of the high school sports teams in Dayton.
I cannot believe that the journey that I started in 2016 is finally over. It has been an amazing journey and I have learned so much on the way. I am excited to have a clean break from school for a while. I am so thankful for the experiences that I have gathered and some of the people that I have met along the way at NBC. I am also thankful for the many calls from my advisors and people at the college to show that you truly care about us. I am especially thankful for Dr. Gary Haines and how he connected with me. My prayer is that everyone who is graduating from NBC has God watch over their paths and for those that are going to graduate soon, keep up with your programs and do the best work that you can! I want to close this with a passage from the book of Numbers 6:24-26. This was a blessing that the Lord gave to Moses to tell Aaron and his sons. “The Lord bless you and keep you; the Lord make his face shine on you and be gracious to you the Lord turn his face toward you and give you peace.”
Paul Emil Czarniecki:
I continue to minister as a volunteer pastor in my church, and I have begun graduate studies at Wesley Biblical Seminary. I am working on my M.Div. in Biblical Languages, and I hope to be admitted to the Honors Research track.
Even though I am in class at WBS, I plan to spend time with my son and wife over the summer celebrating the completion of this season of education and looking forward to what is to come. I am praying that God will encourage, prepare, and enable us for this new season in my education.
It feels like I am leaving home for a new adventure, and I keep turning around to look at the certainty of what was unknowing but will be. As I stand on the educational foundation that God has created through my time at NBC, I am confident in the climb ahead. Thank you to my NBC family. I can’t wait to see what God does through us all!
William Terry Davis:
Currently, I am the Worship and Youth Pastor at Calvary Church of the Nazarene in Charlotte, NC. I work full time as well with a health insurance company. I will be getting ordained this summer.
I am leaving the future all in God’s hands. I am interested in going into chaplaincy in the future. I am also interested in pastoring if the right church fits for me.
I am completely relieved. I accomplished completion in 3 years and am just enjoying no classwork at this time. I am grateful to have had the opportunity to complete the coursework with Nazarene Bible College.
Casey Connell:
I am currently full time as the assistant youth pastor at The Woods Church. Along with this, I am in the process of wedding planning for Fall 2021.
I plan to continue serving/pastoring within the Church of the Nazarene, as well as working towards ordination.
I am excited looking towards furthering my education and living out His calling in my life for His glory alone.
Keith Kenyeri:
God has been so good to me. I am currently pastoring Countryside Church of the Nazarene in Norwood, MO. I am a bi-vocational pastor, and I work for the Springfield Fire Department. This year has brought many ups and downs in my life, but one thing that has remained steady was God. He has lifted me and held me close. I have had the opportunity to baptize dozens of kids at church camp and in our own church, plus a few adults. God is using the church, those in it, and myself in miraculous ways. God has given me many opportunities to serve him and minister to others, even when at times I felt like I may not be qualified or worthy to. We serve a huge God who chooses to equip the unequipped (Isaiah 43:19; Romans 8:28).
I don't really know what to do with myself now that school is over. Class at NBC becomes such an intricate part of your life that when you finish, you are not sure what to do with the extra time on your hands. My relationship has grown very deep with the Lord, and my prayer is that God will lead me and continue to use me. I am open to his direction and ready for whatever he requires from me.
I feel very proud of my accomplishment of earning my degree from NBC. I will turn 54 in October, so completing my degree was an endeavor. I feel I have been well equipped to serve. I understand that this would not have been possible without God holding me, lifting me and encouraging me when I felt overwhelmed. I am so excited to belong to such a great family -God/NBC.
Dayrin Lovan:
In these days, I am the pastor of a Latino church in Iowa City. We are following a multicultural church model where we have multiple congregations, and we work together as a team. I also work with the church’s compassion ministry as the Food Bank coordinator, where we serve boxes of food to 400 households in our area to the glory and honor of our Lord Jesus Christ.
The plans that I have are to continue being used by the Lord wherever He wants to use me. Now, more than ever, I am certain that I love serving the Lord in His work, even though this comes with challenges and difficulties. I feel equipped to serve the Lord with love and compassion to be able to reach lost people for Christ, because He is my reason to live, and my life purpose is to serve Him.
Wow! I thought I would never finish. This was one of the greatest goals of my life. Many times, I thought about giving up, because it was a lot for me to be the mother of a special need child, to have the responsibility of a church, and to do the homework that I had to turn in. There were so many things that happened that brought me to the point of giving up, but thanks to God, I had people right at my side that told me, “You can do it, keep going, don’t stop now, you’re going to make it!” Today, I want to recognize one who was there for me, my mentor that God gave me, Timothy, and those phone calls that people made from the College that told me “We are praying for you, maybe this is a moment that you need the prayer.” It was possible that in that moment the thought was passing through my mind to not continue studying any more. However, when I heard that there was someone praying for me, it gave me the encouragement to continue onward. There were many long nights when I was seated at the computer, doing my class assignments, but thanks to God and to every one of you, professors, who had great patience with me. To all of you, thank you very much. May God bless all of you!
En estos momentos estoy de pastora en una iglesia Latina, en la cuidad de Iowa City, en un modelo de Iglesia multicultural donde tenemos más de una congregación, junto con otros pastores que trabajamos juntos en equipo. En estos momentos he estado trabajando con la iglesia de ministerio de compasión, y soy la coordinadora del Banco de comida que tenemos sirviendo en dar cajas de alimentos a 400 hogares en nuestra área, la gloria y la honra sea para el Señor Jesucristo.
Lo planes que tengo, es seguir siendo usada por el Señor, donde Él me quiera tener. Ahora más que nunca, siento la convicción que amo servir al Señor en la obra, a pesar de los retos y dificultades que esto representa. Pero me siento en la capacidad de servir al Señor con amor y compasión para alcanzar a las almas perdidas para Cristo, porque Él es mi razón de vivir y tengo el propósito de servirle.
¡Wow! Pensé que nunca iba a terminar. Este fue uno de los más grandes retos de mi vida. Muchas veces pensé en rendirme, porque era mucho para mí, ser madre de un hijo especial, tener una iglesia a mi responsabilidad, las tareas que tenía que presentar. Fueron tantas cosas que pasaron que hubo momentos de rendirme, pero gracias a Dios por tener gente a mi lado, personas que me decía, “Sí lo puede, sigue adelante, no te detengas; los vas a lograr.” Hoy quiero reconocer que uno que estuvo allí para mí fue el mentor que Dios permitió, Timothy, y las llamadas que me hacían del Colegio que me decían “Estamos orando por ti, que necesitas.” Tal vez, en ese momento, estaba pasando en mi mente no seguir más estudiando, pero cuando escuchaba que había alguien orando por mí, me daba aliento de seguir adelante. Fueron noches largas sentada en una computadora para hacer mi tarea, pero gracias a Dios, y a cada uno de ustedes los profesores, que me tuvieron mucha paciencia. A todos, muchas gracias. Dios les bendiga.
Irene Amador
Praise the Lord for He has graciously enabled me to complete this task. I have to say that it was the most challenging, yet rewarding thing I have ever done in my entire life. I’m enjoying this wonderful feeling of accomplishment. I believe that it is by far one of the greatest things I’ve ever had the honor of completing,
Just recently I transitioned back to Arizona after being in Colorado for 6 years where I was able to get some pretty good experience in Sunday school and Outreach Ministries. Now that I live in Arizona, I am completing some pastoral Service hours while working towards ordination with the Church of the Nazarene. It is a privilege to preach and encourage the body of Christ. Since the COVID-19, as you know, we were all unable to meet in the church building, but when we return, it will be an honor to continue in Pastoral services. I will be preaching one evening per month and leading a home cell group on Sunday nights which will be a new experience.
I have also been invited to take part in the uniting of several churches in the community for Lighthouse Ministries. This ministry is one that serves the underserved (the homeless, addicted, needy). This ministry provides food to those in need, clothing, hygiene packets, life skills, haircuts, showers, furniture, and household items. To assist with these needs, those who need the services of this ministry are able to volunteer so that they can pay for the items they need. We are able to minister while giving encouragement, discipleship, and edification with the Word of God and loving them. There is now a chapel on site where we hold weekly services and events for them.
I hope to continue in the ministry of saving souls, building the church, and making Christ-like disciples. In the future I would like to also do missionary work here in the United States while planting churches and growing the church. I currently feel joy and relief that I have one week of school left. I hope to make Jesus proud and give Him glory with the degree that I will be receiving. I am grateful for all the things I have learned. Oh, how I have grown. I am thankful for all the alumni and professors I have been blessed to know during my time at NBC. Many of them have loved me, prayed with me, counseled me, and have encouraged me through very difficult times. I pray the Lord continues to bless them, keep them, and make His face shine on them. May the Lord bless & grace every student who is currently being educated by NBC and for those who will continue to come. May the Lord be with you all in Jesus name, amen.
Published: 05/18/2020
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