Meet Students

Salome Matter

Fri, 10 Feb 2012 11:50:30 -0500

Salome is from Switzerland, where her father is a medical doctor. Their family lives not far from Zurich. Having grown up in a home that enjoyed the study of the English language, her father began looking for a place to allow Salome to broaden her horizons culturally and linguistically for a year after her completion of high school.

At this same time, he also began to compare scripture with the church that he was attending. He found definite differences between the two. The Charismatic movement had crept in, and Scripture revealed serious error. After he came across Biblical material written by David Cloud on the Way of Life website, the errors of this movement were made increasingly clear.

Through contact with Brother Cloud, Salome was recommended to a church in Canada (Bethel Baptist Church, pastored by Wilbert Unger) as the place to spend her "student exchange" year. Her dad was determined to send her to a place that she would get Biblical instruction and proper influence, in addition to sharpening her English language abilities.

After a rewarding year with the Unger family in Canada, Salome returned to Switzerland and began work on a three-year teaching degree. In the mean time, her younger brother Josh was encouraged to go to Bible College. He spent the 2009-2011 school years at Fairhaven Baptist College, earning two one-year certificates. He has since returned home to fulfill his Swiss military requirements.

Salome plans to return to Switzerland at the end of this school year and use her influence as a teacher. She is thankful for the Christian education classes that she is taking at Fairhaven, enabling her to understand education from a Biblical perspective. Switzerland is an extremely difficult country in which to spread the gospel. Mission work is nearly impossible. Please pray for Salome, Josh, and their entire family as theyseek to serve God in Switzerland.

GRADUATES AROUND THE WORLD

Thu, 14 Jul 2011 14:53:01 -0400

Our philosophy has never been to “push” our young graduates into a pastorate. Rather, we recommend that they work under a man for an extended time while they continue to learn both about themselves and the work of the ministry. I Timothy 3:6 says, “Not a novice, lest being lifted up with pride he fall into the condemnation of the devil.” Novice pastors have done much harm among Independent Baptists.
We are pleased that among our graduates there are forty men pastoring churches across America, including the following states: Arizona, Illinois, Idaho, Iowa, Kentucky, Maine, Michigan, Missouri, Maryland, North Carolina, New York, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, South Dakota, Texas, Utah, Washington, and Wisconsin. Pennsylvania and Illinois lead the list with six Fairhaven graduates in both states. Of course, we are no less pleased to have hundreds faithfully serving God as missionaries to foreign fields, youth pastors, teachers, assistants, and laymen.
Not one of these pastors would say that they are perfect, however, we desire to maintain a Bible college that directs young men along the way to being “throughly furnished unto all good works.” We plan to continue accomplishing this by providing a training atmosphere that includes depth in the academic program, rejection of the modern emerging church movement, and a commitment to a vibrant local church.

Stephanie Campos

Tue, 19 Apr 2011 12:06:02 -0400

Stephanie began riding the church bus to Fairhaven as a pre-schooler. Each Saturday, she received a token from the bus workers with a Bible verse to memorize for the next day. She rarely, if ever, missed a week riding the church bus. Bus workers visited her each week and were glad to do so, in part because Stephanie's mom often greeted them with some delicious, homemade Mexican cuisine.

Stephanie started coming to midweek church and worked hard at her Master's Club assignments. In the summer, she was challenged both physically and spiritually at Camp Fairhaven. Soon, her parents enrolled her and her sisters in Fairhaven Baptist Academy.

When she was in 7th grade, Stephanie's family moved closer to Fairhaven so they could be more active in the church. She went on retreats and attended many Empowered Youth meetings and Preaching Conferences. As a member of the teen group, Stephanie climbed the Grand Canyon and visited Utah. She jumped right into working in the bus ministry, transitioning directly from "bus rider" to "bus worker."

All of these things, along with some tough decisions to separate from the world, brought Stephanie to the place where she wants to serve God with her life. While she studies secondary education during the week, she uses her weekends to encourage other bus riders to follow the path that she is on.

Hannah and Jenny Schwaderer

Thu, 19 May 2011 15:43:06 -0400

Foreign missions is a huge part of the Schwaderers' life. Hannah and Jenny Schwaderer are "missionary kids" whose parents have been serving in the Canary Islands since 2007. These Spanish-speaking islands are located in the Atlantic Ocean off the northwestern coast of Africa. Their older brother is a missionary to Mozambique.
During their time at Fairhaven, the Schwaderers have assisted in local nursing homes and the bus ministry in Michigan City. College chapel has been a special time of challenge and growth in their lives. The strong preaching that is delivered there has enabled them to make solid commitments spiritually. "The Lord wants to do more with us than we are capable of doing ourselves, and when we get to this place, we recognize that God must do the work."
Both Hannah and Jenny are engaged to be married next summer. Hannah's future husband has a pilot's license and desires to be a missionary pilot for the country of Papua New Guinea. Jenny's future husband also will be graduating from Fairhaven Baptist College and desires to serve the Lord in full-time service.
Hannah and Jenny will be graduating from Fairhaven this coming spring and both of them will be getting married in a "double wedding" ceremony next July when their parents are home on furlough. Hannah (secretarial) and Jenny (secondary education) have different majors and will probably end up at two different locations, but they share one desire, which is to serve God with their whole heart for all of their life.

Tyler Brock

Thu, 19 May 2011 15:50:39 -0400

Tyler Brock came to Fairhaven Baptist College from the beautiful black hills of South Dakota. When he was eight, his father moved his family from Florida to become the school principal of Liberty Baptist Academy in Rapid City, the school from which Tyler would graduate. Tyler's mom taught here, and Mrs. Williams, the wife of Tyler's pastor, Dr. Wayne Williams, was his influential music teacher. Tyler counts it a privilege to have "grown up" at Liberty Baptist Tabernacle-a church that stands for God-honoring, first-class music and strong Biblical separation. These truths were reinforced to him as a Pastoral Theology/Music major at Fairhaven Baptist College.
Tyler put his musical training to practice by playing the piano and organ for college chapel and specials, as well as joining the Fairhaven Baptist College traveling ensemble. The summer tour group enjoyed making a stop at his home church for a service followed the next day by a tour of nearby Mount Rushmore. As an ensemble member, Tyler visited many other places including Canada, Texas, Pennsylvania, and New York. He even joined the teens of Fairhaven Baptist Church and together they climbed the Grand Canyon.
Tyler points to several particular teachings at Fairhaven that have helped mold his ministry outlook. He believes that the Biblical aspects of spiritual warfare, toughness, discipline, and strength taught in a practical manner in Dr. Voegtlin's Christian Education class have helped him comprehend that the ministry is not for "show," and that his commitment must be "for the long haul." He has seen that ministry is life, and it is a battle.
After graduation in May, Tyler anticipates applying what he has learned both in and out of the classroom. He plans to go back to his home church in South Dakota and get to work in the ministries of his local church.

Holly Smith

Thu, 23 Jul 2009 10:39:24 -0400

Holly Smith's father, Mike, graduated from Fairhaven Baptist College when Holly was just five years old. Mike had joined the military right out of high school; and while in the service, Mike got close to God and decided to attend Bible college upon his release. While a Marine, Mike found West Coast Baptist Church of Vista, California. Led by Pastor Phil Clark, it was here that Mike heard of Fairhaven Baptist College. Soon, Mike and his family, including little Holly, were on a trek across the country to begin preparation for service.

Mike was called to missions at Bible college, and so Holly soon experienced the life of a missionary kid. Both deputation travel and the first term of work on the mission field proved very exciting for Holly, particularly since their field of service was in Magadan (near Siberia), in far east Russia. While here, young Holly learned to speak fluent Russian, experienced temperatures of 40 degrees below zero, and saw her father love people who were very poor and often steeped in sin. She saw people being saved; in fact, two young people from this ministry came to the United States to attend Bible college at Fairhaven. The Smith family soon realized, however, that government control of religion was still very much at work in this region of Russia; and after about six years of ministry, the Smiths were forced to leave Magadan.

In the following years, God directed Holly's father to Estonia, another former Soviet country. Now Holly spends her summers there, working in the church ministry and involving herself actively in the summer Vacation Bible School.

When asked about her future, Holly said, "I'd love to be a missionary if God directed that way. I never felt shortchanged growing up on the mission field. I love it."

Pray with us that we have more young people with the same spirit of surrender to whatever God wants for their life.

Brian Boots

Fri, 24 Jul 2009 09:00:23 -0400

Fairhaven Baptist College students never lack for ministry opportunities in the summer. Just this summer alone, students have taken missions trips, attended missions institutes, and traveled to churches, assisting in revivals and Vacation Bible Schools. In addition, all students are expected to be active in the ministries of their home church each summer and not "sit on the sidelines." This summer has been no different for Brian Boots. Just after the end of the spring semester, Brian boarded a plane going to Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia, where he spent five weeks assisting the Muller family in their missionary labors. Jason and Becky Muller, both graduates of Fairhaven Baptist College, have labored in Mongolia for eight years. As a part of his missionary preparation, Brian experienced the work of the missionary firsthand. Adapting to a new language and a radically different culture are two aspects of this preparation trip that Brian will not soon forget.
Brian has expressed a desire toward missions since his high school days. Being raised at Fairhaven Baptist Church since his childhood, he heard many missionaries in Fairhaven's pulpit preaching about the worldwide need for the gospel. His parents sacrificed to put him through Fairhaven Baptist Academy for his entire education. This was no easy task, as Brian has nine brothers and sisters.
Several things contributed to Brian's surrender of his life to God's harvest. First, his parents took him to church consistently. Brian has been in the same church his entire life. Next, the good example of his oldest brother, Steven, played a part in his desire to live for God. Brian saw Steven graduate from our academy and college, and then follow God's leading to be an assistant pastor near Richmond, Virginia. The example of the staff and preachers also influenced him to live for God.
Brian is looking forward to his senior year with anticipation and a deep desire to be used of God in the pursuit of souls on the foreign field, and he feels privileged to train at a college that will prepare him to do just that.

Samuel Kim

Thu, 23 Jul 2009 10:42:23 -0400

Samuel grew up in Kunsan, South Korea, in a predominantly non-religious home. He would attend the occasional church service but was unable to view church as anything more than religion. Upon completing high school and fulfilling his two-year obligation of Korean military service, Samuel enrolled in a university to study tourism. He sought a job helping people plan trips to other countries and directing their travel plans.

While in college, Samuel developed a desire to learn English. This drew him to attend an English-speaking church nearby, which was positioned near a US military base. The pastor of The Haven Independent Baptist Church, Bill Stewart, was wise in his handling of Samuel, and men would gather to memorize Bible verses. Samuel recounts his experience in memorizing John 3:16 for the first time, realizing God's tremendous love for him as a person. "Not religion," he says, "but reality."
Through studying God's word and seeing a congregation that treated Christianity not as a religion but as a life-changing lifestyle, Samuel turned away from his sins and turned to Christ.

Samuel was told of a Korean ministry nearby that needed a translator. His ministry began with translating the midweek Kings Kids program into Korean. Though his English was nominal at first, with practice, study, and much preparation, he became more comfortable. Soon, the need arose for a translator for the adult service. With fear and trembling, Samuel agreed to do his best. He asked for the service schedule and sermon notes early, and then would spend hours each week looking up words and translating on paper to prepare for each service.

Every year, Fairhaven Baptist College enrolls a few foreign students. These students come from other countries with a student visa and a strong recommendation from an Independent Baptist missionary or pastor. At this Korean church, pastored by Jim Taylor, Samuel met a couple of Fairhaven Baptist College graduates who were assisting Pastor Taylor. With a desire to be used of God in a special way and with a strong recommendation from his pastor, Samuel applied for a student visa to Fairhaven Baptist College.

As a student at Fairhaven, Samuel was challenged deeply by the sermons and testimony of a missionary to China who was speaking at Fairhaven. Samuel's burden for China became so great that he spent over a month with this missionary last summer, learning the ministry, culture, and basics of the Chinese language. Samuel's passion for the lost was evident as he preached to the congregation of Fairhaven Baptist Church recently.

Samuel Kim will graduate in May. He plans to finish a master's degree while simultaneously learning Chinese, after which he desires to enter China as a missionary. In a sense, his desire to work in the travel industry is being fulfilled. He would love to help the people of China, but not for travel to countries on this earth; he wants to direct them to the heavenly country. Please pray for this fine, sincere young man as he continues down the path of God's will for his life.

Sarah Unger

Thu, 23 Jul 2009 12:50:06 -0400

Sarah Unger's providential path to Fairhaven Baptist College began nearly a century ago in the World War I era. Her great grandfather, a German, was living and farming in Russia. At the onset of "the war to end all wars," the Russian government put tremendous pressure on him to enlist. Being a Mennonite, his religious belief of pacifism precluded his involvement, resulting in his moving to Canada. Here, he began farming "in peace."
Soon, Sarah's grandfather was born, and though he was saved as a younger man, he observed firsthand the numerous doctrinal fallacies and ecumenical drift of the Mennonite denomination. It was not long before he found truth at a Bible-believing Baptist church. As a result of this, Sarah's father, Kevin, was reared in a Baptist church. He and his brothers were deliberately kept from worldly influences. They worked on their father's farm and ran a very successful produce market.
Sarah's grandfather taught her dad to work, and her dad passed that same trait along to Sarah. Her parents provided many "opportunities" for her and her siblings. He rented land for a family garden and purchased chickens so Sarah "could have something worthwhile to do." There wasn't much time for video games in the Unger household! Sarah appreciates parents who cared enough about her to teach her the benefits of physical labor. She has applied this teaching to her campus job as a library assistant.
Sarah's grandfather is Pastor Wilbert Unger, who started Bethel Baptist Church of London, Ontario, 25 years ago. One day, while going door-to-door, he "happened upon" a family with a daughter. This daughter was the lady who would eventually marry Pastor Unger's son Kevin. Sarah would be their first child. Sarah looks again to the providential hand of God in bringing her parents together.
Sarah's church knew little of Fairhaven Baptist College until Pastor Unger attended a spring Preaching Conference. Soon after, Sarah's entire family and several others from her church took several days to visit the college for themselves. Though feeling slightly out of place as a result of visiting on an "I Love America" Sunday, the group from Canada nonetheless saw a college with beliefs compatible to their own, even if none of the flags that were flying that day displayed the red maple leaf! Since then, six young people from Ontario (including Sarah) have chosen Fairhaven Baptist College for their college education.
When asked to delineate the key traits she has gained from her 2½ years at Fairhaven, Sarah noted first, that there is joy in serving. "A person can either get discouraged or jump in and serve," she said. She also spoke of the theme of the college as being the desire of her life - to find God's will and do it.
Seeing the godly examples of her pastor/grandfather and her parents challenges Sarah that "to whom much has been given, much more shall be required." We thank the Lord for students like Sarah who are striving to serve, to please God, and to find His will and do it.

Jason and Melodie Landis

Fri, 24 Jul 2009 08:52:04 -0400

Jason and Melodie Landis both came to Fairhaven Baptist College from the state of Pennsylvania. Jason feels fortunate to have grown up in a Christian home; in fact, all of his grandparents were saved also. As a young teenager, Jason's parents moved to Lancaster County, where Evangelist Rodney Stewart, who was preaching in a nearby church, introduced Jason to Fairhaven Baptist College. Not long afterward, Dr. Voegtlin came to Jason's church, and Jason settled on attending Fairhaven Baptist College.
Jason's plan was to attend Fairhaven for a year or two, taking various Bible classes; however, midway through his freshman year, he felt God's leading to preach. Although already active in outreach ministries (as are all students), his classes and ministries took on new life. Working on Pastor Whitecar's bus route proved to be a tremendous ministry experience for Jason. Weekly getting into the homes of the lost and patiently discipling new believers were two things that brought reality to Jason's ministerial preparation.
One ministry event in particular had a huge influence on Jason's life. His bus route was able to see both parents of a family of children come to know the Lord as Savior. Soon afterwards, the entire family was baptized, joined the church, and began to grow. Eventually, all of the children enrolled in Fairhaven Baptist Academy. Several years later, while Jason sits in church, he looks across the auditorium at this family at each service, still growing in the Lord.
While in college, Jason married his high school sweetheart, Melodie, also a Fairhaven Baptist College student. Melodie grew up in a pastor's home. Her father, Pastor Alan Gardner, pastored in both New Jersey and Pennsylvania. He has been the pastor of Bible Baptist Church in Leola, Pennsylvania, for about 7 years. She is anticipating Jason's graduation, at which time she will become the church secretary for her father, putting to work the rigorous two-year secretarial program degree that she received from Fairhaven.
Jason anticipates involvement in the music and youth ministries at Pastor Gardner's church. He and Melodie will join the staff of Bible Baptist along with two other Fairhaven graduates, Mike and Stephanie Roadcup. All of them will be busy, as Pastor Gardner plans to start Victory Christian School of Leola in the near future.
Jason says that he looks forward to applying the principles he was taught in college to his ministry in Pennsylvania. He is thankful for Fairhaven's "strong, unchanging stance" mentioning the very practical principle he was taught and saw practiced at Fairhaven: hard work. "The ministry is not easy. It requires a lot of work." Jason feels prepared for this work, however, and is looking forward to "rolling up his sleeves" in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, this fall.

Martin Watkins

Wed, 01 Jul 2009 08:02:05 -0400

Among many things that a person may regret in his life, one of those will never be taking the time to leave a cozy abode, put on some nice clothes, grab a handful of good gospel tracts and a Bible, and knock on doors, both sharing the gospel and inviting people to church.

Substitutes for door-to-door canvassing are as abundant as the numbers of modern Bible versions in circulation today. People often say "taking the gospel to the streets does not work anymore." Could we be so bold as to say that it is not up to us to determine what does and does not work? It is up to us to obey; and when God spoke about taking the gospel to every creature, certainly taking the message of "repentance toward God and faith toward our Lord Jesus Christ" actively to the people of our area fits this requirement.

Martin Watkins rejoices that there was a church twenty minutes from his house less concerned with analyzing whether or not going "door to door" works but was more concerned with taking the gospel out. Martin grew up in the spiritually depressed city of Gary, Indiana, in a brick house tucked away on a dead-end block of Maryland Street. Martin recalls other churches "running buses" into Gary for special events a few times each year. He is thankful that Fairhaven Baptist Church sends workers 52 weeks a year into his home town, and has done this for over thirty years.

It was through the bus ministry that Martin became a Christian, was baptized, and was discipled in the truths of God's Word. Martin's summers were spent at Camp Fairhaven, a summer-long day camp, where Martin heard two Bible lessons and one practical Bible message every day. Dr. McNeilly (for nine months of the year a Bible college professor par excellence and each summer actively involved in Camp Fairhaven) was a special help to Martin spiritually. Several church families chipped in the funds for Martin to come to Fairhaven Baptist Academy, into which he was enrolled in 1998. In 2003, Martin enrolled in Fairhaven Baptist College.

A key influence in Martin's life was Todd Wright, bus captain for over two decades in Gary. Being raised in a single parent home, Martin profited much from Mr. Wright's influence. Martin started off as a faithful bus rider. Then he was brought faithfully to Sunday evening and midweek services. It was when Martin learned the importance of prayer that his life for God began to really take root. Being surrounded by the strongest of the world's temptations forced Martin into a vital relationship with God.

Some say that venturing into the streets and homes of cities and the countryside with the message of salvation "does not work anymore." Martin (and numerous others at Fairhaven) have good reason to disagree with that.

Portia Lewis

Wed, 01 Jul 2009 08:04:54 -0400

After moving to Southern California from Detroit at the age of two, life continued much the same for Portia Lewis until the age of 12, when she was invited to ride a bus to church. Being the oldest child in the family, Portia assisted her brother and two sisters in getting ready for church each Sunday. Portia soon realized that although she was not yet a member of the church, she was far more than "just a number" to the people of West Coast Baptist Church in Vista, California; she was a real person who needed a Savior, and afterwards, needed people to sacrifice their time to help her grow in her relationship with God. Under the leadership of Pastor Phil Clark, many of his members did just that. Portia recalls as a "bus kid" being invited often to the houses of church members on Sundays. She was visited regularly, not only by her bus captain, but also by other church members. Portia was saved and baptized, and soon began to take some steps in her Christian life.

Her church bus driver, Mr. White, took an interest in the life of young Portia. He was not a pastor, nor even an assistant pastor; he was an unpaid layman who gave of his time on Sundays and through the week to try to reach "his Jerusalem" with the gospel. That extra time produced fruit in Portia's life. He encouraged Portia to find God's will for her life and to consider attending Fairhaven Baptist College.

There was no "silver spoon" in Portia's life. Being raised by a single mom necessitated that she work her way through college largely on her own. Portia recollects some tough times in college trying to balance work, ministry, and class schedules. Despite the difficult times, she never felt alone. Todd and SongSu Wright, long-time staff members of Fairhaven Baptist Church, had a profound influence on Portia's life. She remembers their patience in encouraging her along through the ups and downs that come with being a student over 2,000 miles from home. "Their interest in me means a lot," she relates. Yearly visits to Fairhaven by Pastor Clark further renewed her determination to finish the task that she had started.

God's work demands a lot of effort, and Fairhaven Baptist College seeks to instill this principle into its students. This trait was evident in a very practical way for Portia. "When I went home to California during Christmas break or the summer, and Saturday morning rolled around, I was ready and wanting to take the gospel out into our community. This was taught to me before I went to college, and it was sealed in as a habit during my time at Fairhaven. Reality is that there is no vacation, whether Christmas or summer, from serving God."

Matthew 6:33 is a verse that Portia looks back on as reality in her life. She sought to give herself to God, and God in turn led her to the man of His choice while at college. In 2004, Portia married Courtney Lewis, a Fairhaven Baptist College graduate called to start a church in Chicago in the near future. Summarizing her journey to her present situation, Portia said, "Maybe all of this stretching of my faith was the Lord's plan to prepare me for the monumental undertaking of being a faithful pastor's wife in the city of Chicago." Please pray for Portia and Courtney as they prepare to step out into the wonderful task of planting a New Testament church in the very needy inner city of Chicago.

Neil Fultz

Wed, 01 Jul 2009 08:08:00 -0400

"It wasn't that they did not want me to enroll; it was that they wanted me to enroll only if I was certain that the Lord wanted me to enroll. That is what stands out the most to me." This is how freshman Neil Fultz describes his first impression of Fairhaven Baptist College when he was nearing the end of his military career.

The United States Air Force, which Neil joined right out of high school, took this Topeka, Kansas native across the globe for 20 years. He spent time in Okinawa (where he was led to the Lord at Maranatha Baptist Church, then pastored by Ed Gibson), England, the Azores, Guam, Texas, Korea, and finally Germany. With each new assignment, Neil joined an independent Baptist Church near his base. Becoming active in these churches was a key to Neil's spiritual growth.

Neil was called to preach at Eifel Baptist Church in Bitburg, Germany, where Pastor Herb Curriden put him to work. While his job in the military was to be a firefighter, his job at Eifel was to be janitor, groundskeeper, and a soulwinning partner for Pastor Curriden. "I wanted to help the church all that I could." Neil retains fond memories of Eifel Baptist Church-from Pastor Curriden's personal attention to and interest in him, to Mrs. Curriden's delicious, home-cooked meals and extra care for the single soldiers of their church. Because his 20-year military career placed him in quite a few military church ministries across the world, Neil met representatives from many Christian colleges. "You need to be here...," he recollects many college representatives telling him. "We want you at our college." While preaching at various military churches in Germany, Dr. Voegtlin met Neil and encouraged him to find out what God wanted him to do, and then to follow Him step-by-step in faith. After much prayer, that next step was enrolling at Fairhaven Baptist College in January 2005.

Neil is adjusting to college life as a 39-year-old "freshman." His use of the G.I. bill enables him to be active in church ministries such as our Wednesday Senior Citizens outreach and the Portage bus ministry on Sunday, while giving him plenty of time to concentrate on his schoolwork. Neil remarked, "Dr. McNeilly [one of his favorite teachers] doesn't pass out free grades, so I am working hard at my studies!"

Liana Johnson

Wed, 01 Jul 2009 08:10:31 -0400

Liana Johnson was born in Rochester, New York, at the end of her parents' deputation to go to South Africa as missionaries. With her parents, Jim and Rosie, serving as missionaries for over twenty years, Liana has lived in Central Africa Republic, the Ivory Coast, France, and the United States. Her parents are currently serving as missionaries in the land of Ghana.

Liana was saved in 1991 while her family was back in the United States on furlough. One evening after her father had conducted family devotions from John 3:16, seven-year-old Liana had a desire to know more about the lesson; and as the other children went off to bed, she stayed to talk more with her dad. After this discussion Liana then received Christ as her personal Savior.

Liana helped her parents, along with her three older siblings, in their work on the mission field. She especially enjoyed working with young children and even worked at organizing a nursery in one of the churches her father pastored. Since her dad was able to use his training as a lab technician on the field, Liana was afforded some unique opportunities including observing a surgery when she was only ten years old.

Following in the footsteps of her siblings, Liana returned to the States for her senior year of high school. Having been home schooled on the mission field, Liana looked forward to being a part of a Christian school and enrolled at Central Christian Academy in Southington, Connecticut. As her brother and sisters had attended Bible colleges, Liana began to pray for God's direction in her life about furthering her education after finishing high school. During her senior year she became acquainted with Fairhaven Baptist College through the pastor of the church where she was attending school, Jim Townsley, and Rodger Bottrell, the new pastor at her parents' home church, Maranatha Baptist, in Lyons, New York. Liana visited Fairhaven that spring and enrolled for college in the fall.

Liana is working towards a degree in elementary education. She views her future work as a teacher as an opportunity to impact a child's life for God. Liana says that college life has been a good learning experience for her as she has participated in various ministries of Fairhaven Baptist Church including bus, Sunday school, junior church, Reformers Unanimous, and nursing home.

Shikhikhutag Bayaraa

Wed, 01 Jul 2009 08:13:35 -0400

Two years ago Shikhikhutag Bayaraa came to the United States as an exchange student from his native Mongolia. Having been born and raised in Mongolia, Shikhee was excited about this opportunity to live in an "interesting" country. However it was soon determined by school officials that his grasp of the English language was too limited to succeed and he would be sent back home.

Before returning to Mongolia, Shikhee went to visit his sister Mandi in Oklahoma. Mandi had also come to the United States as an exchange student a few years before Shikhee. She had been placed with a Christian family in Oklahoma which eventually resulted in her salvation. While visiting his sister, Shikhee was witnessed to and after a couple of days was saved. He followed the Lord in baptism before returning to Mongolia.

Shikhee returned home to a mom, Ouynou, who had been saved as a result of the efforts of Mandi and missionary Jason Muller, a graduate of Fairhaven Baptist College. Shikhee and his mother became faithful members of the church the Mullers were establishing. As Shikhee grew in Christ his desire to learn more did as well. Missionary Muller told him about Fairhaven Baptist College; and after praying about attending Fairhaven, he followed the Lord's leading and enrolled in the fall of 2003.

While attending Fairhaven Baptist College, Shikhee has kept himself busy with his studies, ministries, and working for Mr. Todd Wright in the school kitchen. He has been involved in Mr. John Rinehart's fifth and sixth grade Sunday School class and on a bus route in Gary. He greatly enjoys his classes and hopes to learn and grow in order to eventually go back to help Brother Muller in Mongolia.

Lee Burkardt

Wed, 01 Jul 2009 07:58:40 -0400

Lee Burkhardt was saved as an eight-year old growing up in the state of New Jersey. One Sunday in the summer of 1988 he sat listening to his pastor deliver a message on hell. Lee was convicted about his sinfulness. Although he had grown up going to church, he saw his need for Christ for the first time. On the way home from church, Lee discussed how he felt with his mom. When they arrived home, she took time to show Lee from the Bible how to be saved and that afternoon he trusted in Christ.

As a teenager Lee became involved in his church's bus ministry. As he began serving God, he felt God begin to speak to him especially when attending youth rallies with his youth group.

It was about this time that Lee and his mother took a vacation to Alaska. They enjoyed this trip so much that they moved to Homer, Alaska, about a year later. In Alaska, the Burkhardts came into contact with Pastor Stan Roach. Lee attended Pastor Roach's summer camp and felt God calling him. It was at this time that he surrendered his life to God.

Knowing that God wanted him to do something for Him with his life, Lee began searching for a Bible college to be trained for full-time service. He sought counsel from Pastor Roach and from Pastor Siebold, his former pastor in New Jersey, and found that they both recommended Fairhaven Baptist College. As he continued to pray, Lee knew God was leading him to Fairhaven and enrolled in the fall of 2000.

Lee says that the experiences of Bible college have helped him to learn to rely on God, a lesson he has been learning since losing his dad in an accident as a small boy. His dad was a Bible college graduate only about six months into an assistant pastor position when a young person running a stop sign claimed his life. Without his dad around, Lee learned to look to his Heavenly Father.

While attending Fairhaven, Lee has been involved in the bus ministry, nursing home, and as a helper in a Sunday School class. He says that involvement in the ministries has showed him that the ministry is hard work, but well worth it.

Also while attending Fairhaven, Lee met and in the summer of 2003 married Rebekah Thompson. Rebekah came to college from East Moline, Illinois, and has graduated with a secretarial degree. Upon graduating this May, Lee is looking for the opportunity to be an assistant and to see God continue to work in and through his life.

Mike and Elizabeth Roadcup

Wed, 01 Jul 2009 07:55:49 -0400

Michael and Elizabeth Roadcup are the children of Mike and Andrea Roadcup. Mike is the pastor of Community Baptist Church in Westminster, Maryland. Pastor Roadcup met his wife while he was serving in the United States Marine Corps and stationed near Memphis, Tennessee. He became involved in a servicemen's ministry in the church he was attending and met Andrea at this church who was teaching third grade in the Christian school. They eventually married and moved to Midland, Texas, where Pastor Roadcup became an assistant pastor and Christian school principal. Michael and Elizabeth were born during their dad's time of service there and enjoyed their West Texas lifestyle.

When Michael was 12 and Elizabeth was 11, the family moved from Texas to Maryland. They were glad for the opportunity for their dad to be a senior pastor, but it seemed to them like their life had ended. They left behind all their friends and the only life they ever knew and found themselves in culture shock in Maryland.

A year after their arrival in Westminster, the Roadcups were introduced to Fairhaven Baptist College by one of their church members, Jim Motter. Jim's children, Susan Leake and Kim Hunt, had graduated from Fairhaven, and he invited Michael and Elizabeth to go to Fairhaven's annual preaching conference with his family that spring. Michael and Elizabeth greatly enjoyed that week and attended the preaching conference every year afterwards. As they finished their high school years and contemplated their future, they decided that Fairhaven Baptist College was the place for them to train for God's service. Michael enrolled in the fall of 2000 to study Pastoral Theology and Elizabeth came the following year to study Elementary Education.

Michael and Elizabeth had made professions of faith while living in Texas. However, God began convicting them after their move to Maryland that they were not truly saved. On the way home from church one night Elizabeth entered a discussion about the end times with her dad and was saved that night. Michael also doubted his salvation, but excused it as the devil trying to discourage him. He wrestled with the issue of his salvation all through his teen years and even his first year of Bible College. He finally gained assurance by getting saved at the end of a Sunday morning service the second week of Fairhaven's fall push in September of 2001.

It was shortly after his conversion that Michael started noticing shortness of breath and even heart palpitations while exercising. He mentioned this to a doctor while getting a physical the following summer who ran some tests, but found nothing. Eventually, an electrocardiogram was performed and it revealed that Michael had an aneurysm on his aorta. He was permitted to return to school but put on blood pressure medication and limited in his activities. At Christmas break more tests were done which showed that the aneurysm had grown. The doctor said that the risk of the aneurysm now outweighed the risk of surgery. Michael was scheduled for surgery on two different occasions at the beginning of the year only to have the surgery postponed both times. He was finally able to have this very dangerous procedure done at the end of February. He then started a rehabilitation program that allowed him to return to college this fall. Michael is thankful for all of the cards, calls, and prayers during that trying time and that God has allowed him the opportunity to be back in school to finish and follow on as God leads.

Elizabeth has used her talents here playing the piano for the college choir, and both Michael and Elizabeth will be graduating in May of 2005. They are looking forward to fulfilling God's will in their lives.

Jeff Ferguson

Wed, 01 Jul 2009 07:52:30 -0400

Jeff Ferguson started riding a bus to Bethel Baptist Church in Jackson, Tennessee, at the age of ten. He rode the bus regularly for the next four years along with his two younger brothers. Although he had many opportunities, Jeff did not get saved until a tragic accident claimed the life of his youngest brother. Shortly after Joshua's death God showed Jeff his need for salvation during a message preached by his pastor, Dr. Rick Savage. Jeff went forward during the invitation at that service, and Dr. Savage showed him from the Bible how to be saved. Jeff prayed receiving Christ as his personal Savior. Dr. Savage invested a great amount of time into Jeff directing him towards finding God's will for his life.

Two years after being saved Jeff felt the call to preach. He surrendered his life to God to fulfill this calling and began praying about where to attend college. He had already been introduced to Fairhaven Baptist College by attending Fairhaven's annual Preaching Conference and the Empowered Youth meetings. Through these opportunities to visit Fairhaven and with God's leading, Jeff enrolled in college in the fall of 2001. He got a head start on attending school by winning a scholarship in the preaching competition held during the week of Preaching Conference.

While at Fairhaven Jeff has enjoyed the challenge of the academics to prepare him to best serve God. He has been active in the bus ministry of the church and has helped Pastor Steve Damron with the youth group. Jeff has participated on both the college basketball and soccer teams as well.

Jeff's biggest blessing in attending Fairhaven has been the staff. He loves the fact that the staff takes a genuine, personal interest in each student as a person and works with them to realize their potential in serving Christ. He has been challenged by the staff's example of having a real walk with God and is pursuing this in his own life.

After he graduates with a degree in Pastoral Theology, Jeff will be marrying one of our own "bus kids," Tracy Malenky, who graduated from college this year. He plans to work somewhere as an assistant pastor as God leads him, and they are both eager to enter the ministry.

Joe Lemon

Wed, 01 Jul 2009 07:50:01 -0400

Joe Lemon grew up in a small town in Wisconsin where he received religious training at a Lutheran church. After being confirmed at the age of 14, Joe soon turned away from having any religious desires. He got a job out of high school and then tried college for a semester. Figuring that neither one of these was really for him, Joe enlisted in the United States Air Force.

Eventually, Joe received an assignment to South Korea. Here he was given a gospel tract that separated all of his religious training as a youth from true salvation as taught in the Bible. At a servicemen's center after a Sunday evening service, Joe received Christ as his personal Savior. A few months after being saved Joe surrendered to the call to preach.

Shortly after answering the call to preach, Joe received an unexpected deployment to Alaska. It was here that God brought Joe into contact with Kristin who would become his wife and return to South Korea with him for his last one-year tour of duty. This last tour ended with an assignment to Anchorage, Alaska, where the Lemons began attending Independent Baptist Church led by Pastor Stan Roach.

While at Independent Baptist Church, God spoke to Joe about surrendering to the mission field. Upon surrendering, Joe was given an early discharge from the military for medical reasons and after much prayer and wise counsel came to Fairhaven Baptist College in the fall of 1999.

Joe came to Fairhaven intent on following the advice of Pastor Roach to "get everything you can get and give back everything you learn." Thus Joe has not only striven to take good notes and file them but also has served in the ministries of Fairhaven Baptist Church. During his college years, Joe has been involved in Awanas, a bus route, Saturday soul winning, nursing home, and second grade Sunday School. Involvement in these ministries, Joe says, helped him learn how to balance compassion with biblical wisdom.

Although college life has been difficult at times for a married student with three children (Abigail, Joseph Jr., and Jonathan), Joe says the key that keeps him from quitting is that he came with an understanding of God's will for his life. In knowing God's will, he realizes that nothing he has encountered at college has been a surprise to God, so all he needs to do is trust God and be faithful.

Joe graduates in May, and he is planning to return to Independent Baptist Church in Anchorage. He is seriously praying about returning to South Korea to work in the military ministry there.

Jenny and Heather Lewis

Wed, 01 Jul 2009 07:45:56 -0400

The Lewis sisters, Jenny and Heather, were raised in a military home. Their parents met in Korea and then lived in the states several years before being stationed in Germany. While living in Germany, Mrs. Lewis was saved at a revival meeting and began praying for her family. Once they were back in the States, she would take the girls to any Korean-speaking churches she could find.

While in Madison, Alabama, Mrs. Lewis realized they needed to start going to church as a family and told her husband she would go to an English-speaking church if he would just go with them. They attended a church one time, and that was enough for him. However, Mrs. Lewis asked if he would consider giving her one more chance and he agreed. Later that day, some old friends from Germany stopped by to invite them to their church, Madison Baptist Church - the very church Mrs. Lewis was interested in attending. Dr. Mike Allison preached and Mr. Lewis was saved.

The girls watched their father's life change completely. They began attending services regularly, and the girls were enrolled in the Christian school. As a result, the girls were saved and became very involved in the ministries of their local church. Mr. Lewis was later called to be a missionary to the United States military in South Korea.

The year they left for Korea, Jenny enrolled at Fairhaven Baptist College. Heather looked forward to joining Jenny in a couple of years as she heard Jenny's reports of the new experiences that college brings and how she was growing in many areas of her life. In the meantime, Heather had the privilege of helping with the ministries of Yongsan Baptist Church and teaching English to many Korean young people from elementary age to university students.

Both Jenny, a senior, and Heather, a sophomore, love working with children and are studying to be teachers. In Alabama, Jenny had Dr. Allison's daughter, Kathy, for a teacher in school, and all the students loved and respected her. Jenny has a desire to follow her example and be the best teacher she can be for the Lord. Heather plans to return to Korea to teach and help in her father's ministry.