Inspire, Fall 2006

Grace Trimble Kintner ’67 and her husband, David, are happy to report that their church in Brazil is now being led by Brazilians. They have worked four years towards this goal and can see God’s hand in all the circumstances and blessings they have encountered along the way. They eagerly await the path God has planned for them next. Jon ’67 and Katy Griffin Skillman ’69 have been able to complete many projects at the radio station in Alaska the past few months. They have been thankful for the good weather and great help in accomplishing their goals. In September, they attended the National Quartet Convention in Kentucky in hopes of connecting with others who are interested in missionary work in Alaska. Dan ’68 and Nancy Norton Brower ’69 are pleased that the construction of the Christian Education Annex at Faith Baptist in Brazil was completed in April 2006. They are thankful for how the Lord has provided for their ministry for more than 20 years. They ask for prayer concerning the safety of believers and the national pastors in Uberaba. 70s Clif ’71 and Hannah Stowell Jensen ’71 are thankful for the new lodge at Doe River Gorge in Elizabethton, Tennessee. This new lodge will increase their capacity to almost 200 campers per week, which translates into nearly 2,300 spaces for the summer Adventure Quest program. Donna Bingham Williams ’73 has been named principal of Zeman Elementary School in Lincoln, Nebraska. She is married to Charles ’72 . Evandro Batista ’77 is an interim pastor for a church in Portugal. He asks for prayer for this church because they have encountered many challenges this year. Evandro and his wife, Elina, desire to continue their work, but will await God’s leading and direction. Barrett Mosbacker ’79 has been named superintendent of Briarwood Christian School (Birmingham, Alabama), a school associated with Briarwood Presbyterian Church. He is also an adjunct professor at Covenant College in Lookout Mountain, Georgia. 80s Aaron ’85 and Annegret Grosse Bowes ’87 are thankful for the many opportunities to share the gospel in Germany. Pray that the new believers there will have the courage to live a new life in Christ. Aaron and Annegret have sent out several thousand postcards which give recipients the option to receive free items such as a New Testament, Christian book, and the Jesus film. They are praying that God will use this evangelical tool to reach out to the people in the city. Sonya Nichols Burton ’86 and her husband, Mike, have three children, Mallory (11), Madison (6), and Seth (4). They reside in Port Charlotte, Florida and are active members at the First Baptist Church of Port Charlotte. Mike is the head golf professional at Riverwood Golf Club, where he teaches golf and holds youth golf clinics. Sonya teaches kindergarten at Kingsway Elementary School and enjoys writing children’s literature on the side. She has had articles and stories published in Hopscotch for Girls , Story Mates , Our Little Friend , and Wee Ones e-magazine. Most recently, Sonya wrote an article on Abraham Lincoln which appeared in the February 2006 issue of Highlights for Children . Mary Newsome ’86 is the school guidance counselor for Santiago Christian School in Chile, where she will be serving for the next two years. She enjoys helping the students with life lessons and decisions. Pete Wright ’86 and his wife, Sonya, are thankful for the many blessings and opportunities in their multimedia ministry. The provision of a one year’s salary for their audio/visual technician will allow this ministry to grow even more. Dana Messinger Cook ’87 and her husband, Tom, announce the birth of Larissa Danielle on December 17, 2005. She joins Justin (15), Jonathan (13), and Lauren (7) in Goldsboro, North Carolina. 90s Jeff Czyzyk ’90 and his wife, Lori, are ministering to children and teens on the west side of Grand Rapids, Michigan. Within the past few months, they have had many outreach programs and have been pleased that several neighborhood children have been a part of the programs. Alumnotes 60s Irene Benson ’63 celebrated her 40th anniversary as a missionary among the Waiwai Indians of Brazil in April 2006. She is a member of CrossWorld (formerly Unevangelized Fields Mission) and teaches Bible in a bilingual school for the Waiwai. John ’64 and Judy Marcellus Bigelow ’67 were encouraged by attending the Baptist Mid-Missions conference in June 2006. They look forward to allowing the Lord to lead and direct them concerning a building project for Bethany Baptist Church in Juneau, Alaska. They are praying for five new families to become a part of their church in the next two years. Ty Bryant ’64 works for Future Path Medical, LLC and is the editor of Flight Plan , a quarterly publication that gives executive news updates in the healthcare industry. He and his wife, Pat (Adams) ’64 , reside in Columbus, Ohio. Marv ’65 and Joan Carter Stephens ’65 ask for prayer concerning Joan’s lung cancer. They are praying that the cancer goes into remission without any additional treatment. Norm ’67 and Louise Stutesman Barnard ’67 hosted the sixth Asia Baptist Theological Seminary (ABTS) triennial conference in March 2006 in Thailand. They were challenged with adaptations they need to make to be better servants for the Lord in church planting, missions, and education. In 2003, Rebekah DeLancey Trittipoe ’78 said goodbye to husband Gary ’76 and sons Caleb ’10 and Seth (15) and set off for the Amazon jungle … to go running! Rebekah competed in a seven-day, 160-mile ultramarathon through intense heat, humidity, and swampy terrain. “The time in the jungle proved to be more than a race; it was an examination of life and priorities,” she said. “It was a test of resolve and character. It was an experience of a lifetime not to be missed – and I would do it all over again!” Rebekah’s adventure is chronicled in her new book Under an Equatorial Sky , which was recently published by E-BookTime. Her story reveals the ups and downs of her extreme sport experience, as well as the ways her faith was challenged and strengthened. Under an Equatorial Sky is Rebekah’s second foray into authorship. She co-authored A Quest for Adventure in 1997 with David Horton. Rebekah resides in Bedford, Virginia and is a cardiovascular perfusionist and director of quality management and professional education at Trident Health Resources, Inc. She is currently working on an M.Ed. in e-learning with a specialization in technology and design. For more information on Rebekah and her books, visit www.extremeultrarunning.com. Rebekah may be e-mailed at rtrittipoe@aol.com. Jungle Marathon 26 Fall 2006 Dr. David Hoffeditz ’92 found himself under the hot lights of a television camera recently. Dr. Tom Dallis ’82 and his wife, Amy, founders of Ensign Media, interviewed him for their documentary, tentatively titled “The Gospel of Judas and other Gnostic Secrets Revealed.” Tom says the goal of the film is to inform Christians about what the Gospel of Judas and other Gnostic texts teach. The Gospel of Judas contradicts the canonical gospels by painting Judas Iscariot as a reluctant hero who receives secret enlightenment and betrays Jesus out of obedience. Tom stated, “We felt the truth needed to be stated, and our hope is that our documentary will do just that in a format that will be both educational and entertaining.” David, who is an assistant professor of Bible and Greek at Cedarville University, was one of four biblical scholars selected to give commentary in the Dallises’ documentary. “I am honored to participate,” he noted. “Such a project should serve as a crucial voice in a society which needs guidance in discerning fact from fiction.” The documentary, scheduled to be released in the fall of 2006, will be distributed worldwide through Vision Video/Gateway Films ( www.visionvideo.com, 1-800- 523-0226). Tom noted that the films can be helpful for personal or small group studies. The Judas film will join the Dallises’ previous projects, titled “Where Facts and Fiction Meet: The Biblical Christ in a Da Vinci Code Society” and “Advent Calendar on DVD.” Their next documentary will be about C.S. Lewis and his book The Screwtape Letters . Tom and Amy reside in Huber Heights, Ohio, with their daughter, Carissa (3). They welcome you to visit their Web site at www.ensignmedia.com or to e-mail them at tomdallis@ensignmedia.com or amydallis@ ensignmedia.com. David resides in Jamestown with his wife, Dr. Lori (Anderson) ’97 . They may be reached at hoffedid@ cedarville.edu. On Camera