School Review

This is my third year in graduate school and I was asked by someone recently if it was all that I thought it would be. It was a good reason to stop and ponder the last 4 semesters as I look at my last two and what I have taken away from this experience.

I know that I have enjoyed the other students in my classes and what I have been able to learn from them. I have had classmates from South Korea, Brazil, Japan and China, as well as many from various parts of Texas and the US (even one currently living in Nebraska in one of my online classes). My professors are experts in their fields and many of them have a number of years in missions or full-time ministry work.

There have been those classes and assignments that challenged me to think outside the box, or at least outside my normal realm of thinking. There have been classes that affirmed things I already knew, hopefully deepening that knowledge and understanding. There have been times along the way that I have questioned if this is really what I should be doing. Once I get to the field, will it really be helpful to have a Master’s degree? Will that make it even harder for the local people to relate to me? Will I set a precedent that school is needed before one can start ministry?

I have wrestled with these questions and have come to the conclusion that God led me to DBU and to this program. While I would not suggest that additional schooling is at all necessary for following God’s heart in missions, for me it was the right decision. I have seen many examples of missionaries from the past that have served as an encouragement to me, or shown me what not to do. I am excited to graduate in the spring and look forward to how God continues to teach me and further develop the lessons I have learned.