Inspire, Summer 2008

facul ty voi ce South Africa, in the fall of 2007. Joel received a prestigious Gilman International Scholarship for his studies. He plans to return to Africa to work for a non-government organization in relief and development. Kristie Ronan ’09 (theatre and international studies) spent a semester at Handong Global University in Pohang, South Korea, studying Korean and Bible. She wants to work with theatre companies internationally. Have Passport; Will Travel International programs aren’t limited to students, however. Dr. Peggy Wilfong (English), Dr. Sandi (Welch) Harner ’64 (technical communication), and Dr. Annis Shaver (German) led a group of Cedarville students to Phillips University in Marburg, Germany, for the May term. In June, Dr. Don Deardorff (English) and his wife, Julie (library collection services), taught The English Novel with 11 Cedarville students in Oxford, England. And Dr. Don Grigorenko (Bible) accompanied 10 students to study and serve in Varanasi, India, for seven weeks. Meanwhile, international programs are experiencing rapid expansion, focusing on the growth areas of the global south and east. Along with our academic exchange with Handong Global University in South Korea, we are conducting site visits to potential study centers for Cedarville, including Hong Kong Baptist University. We are sending our first students to the Romanian Studies Program and the Creation Care Program, as well as implementing a social work course in Uganda. In June, we piloted our Spain program for freshmen, giving them the opportunity to study and live in Seville the summer before attending Cedarville. A wide array of scholarships is available for students wishing to study abroad, some specifically earmarked for minority students. The office of international programs also promotes the Fulbright Program as well as the Critical Language Program run by the U.S. State Department. Coming Home As director of the office of international programs, I often interact with many returning study abroad students. They have taught us that the most important and difficult bridges usually take a long time to build, and that conveying truth to others often can only happen after that cultural, relational, and linguistic bridge is strong enough to hold the weight of God’s truth. Communicating Christ cross-culturally is often complex and difficult, requiring a deeper understanding of the other’s world. The office of international programs strives to help students realize that they are Christians first and that their being Americans should be a distant second. These realizations are important if they are to build bridges of understanding and communicate the Gospel effectively with other cultures. Dr. Andrew Wiseman is assistant professor of Spanish and director of the office of international programs. He taught in Tashkent, Uzbekistan, in 2004 as Cedarville’s first Fulbright scholar and recently returned from a one-year fellowship with the U.S. Department of State in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan. Dr. Wiseman, his wife Sevara Tursunkhodjaeva, and five- month-old daughter Jasmine enjoy both real and virtual travel. He has been at Cedarville since August 2000. You may contact him at wisemana@cedarville.edu. “The world is a book, and those who do not travel read only one page.” — St. Augustine Monroes Minister Overseas Some people retire with a mind toward an easier life — a condo on a beach somewhere, leisurely excursions, visits with the grandkids. But former Cedarville professors Drs. Allen (social science) and Beverly (education) Monroe did so with a far greater purpose in mind. Since retiring from Cedarville in 2002, the couple has enjoyed numerous trips to 12 countries, including Ukraine, Uganda, Bangladesh, and Egypt. Dr. Allen Monroe is a project director with Equipping Pastors International, which involves trips to Africa two to three times a year to teach pastors who have never had the opportunity or resources to attend seminary. Just this past April, he was teaching pastors in Romania while Dr. Beverly Monroe was at their home in North Carolina, having just returned from seven weeks in China and Manila. One of her main overseas tasks is automating libraries in underdeveloped countries. In 2005, they taught English to members of the Chinese Olympic Committee and ministered to Chinese house churches. Last year, they traveled to Uganda where Beverly spoke to more than 1,000 women. And they went to São Paulo, Brazil, this July for a Word of Life staff retreat, along with speaking opportunities during opening week at Word of Life Seminary in Brazil. “We’re having the time of our lives,” said Beverly. “We’re grateful for health, stamina, and safety to keep going. We’ll go as long as the Lord allows.” And yes, Dr. Monroe still sells diamonds on the side. Where Are They Now? You may contact Drs. Allen and Beverly Monroe at monroea@citcom.net or monroeb@citcom.net. i