Volume 23 Number 2 Strengthening Our Team Sherita Finds Hope A New Life Soon-to-Be Doctor 2 5 of Service 9 OUTREACH SHERITA FINDS HOPE Hartland's prison ministry team helped one grateful inmate find Jesus in His Word. by Rachel Perry herita had been in prison for a total members, sharing in every Bible “Sof 12 years,” relates prison ministry study and defending the Hartland director Johny Carmouche, “but she had group whenever something negative been in prison four times. This is what happened.” happens in prisons: it’s a revolving door. Sherita shares her side of the story: We do prison ministry because people “I didn’t know a lot [about the Bible], don’t have to go back into prison. If they and that’s what kept me coming have the hope of Jesus Christ in their back. I got close to God, and I found lives, it will keep them from returning.” peace. I learned how to forgive, and Ivonne Restrepo recalls her first that’s what really transformed my memory of Sherita: “What caught my life. Not only did I learn forgiveness; attention was her face. She looked angry I learned how to be humble. I felt all the time—the kind of person one the presence of God, and people saw might be afraid to approach—and she that I was changing. Even the officers never uttered a word. When I’d ask her noticed! When I came home, people something like ‘How was your week?’ said, ‘You’ve changed!’ And I said, she would just grunt.” But as the group ‘That’s because I found God.’” continued smiling and welcoming her, Since Sherita’s release, she has kept they began to see changes. in touch with Ivonne and even shared “After two months,” Ivonne continues, her testimony at one of Hartland’s “she got engaged in the studies and convocations. “She calls me every started asking questions. I remember time she needs to make a decision,” the first time she asked a question, it Ivonne smiles. “She’ll say, ‘I need to was about forgiveness. She said, ‘I need pray with you.’” to know about this.’ And from then on, “We need your prayers,” Ivonne her response was so different. She asked concludes, “because the Holy Spirit more questions, and even began sharing is working not only in Sherita’s praises and prayer requests. Soon she heart, but in many others.” We look enrolled in correspondence Bible studies. forward to many more testimonies She became one of our most enthusiastic like Sherita’s! 2 HARTLAND MINISTRY REPORT | Vol 23 No 2 INTERN A DOOR OF UTTERANCE Nicole sees God’s hand at work in her internship. by Rachel Perry nock, knock, knock. door in answer to Nicole’s prayer to talk K with someone from another faith group. A bitter winter evening found Nicole Though the man refused Bible studies, Bertelli, a Bible instruction intern, in he agreed to help Nicole fulfill a class front of a door at an apartment complex. assignment which required her to find out Feelings of discouragement threatened more about another religion and share her to overwhelm her, but recalling Bible own beliefs. promises strengthened her to move As Nicole learned more about Mr. K forward. She knew that God had brought and built a friendship with him, he became her here. curious. In fact, her internship experience had “Please, why did you knock on my been a leading of God’s providence. She door that day?” Mr. K inquired during hadn’t planned on interning in Michigan; their third meeting. Nicole’s work had she had been very certain of another site. impressed him and he wanted to know Yet, just as her own plans fell through, what motivated her. she received a call from the pastor of the Thus, the way opened for Nicole to Battle Creek Tabernacle in Michigan: share her own testimony. “I told him Would she come there as a Bible worker? that the love of Jesus constrains me.” She Now, she finds herself actively involved shared with him the battle that she had in Bible work and youth ministry faced to knock on doors that evening, but in the Michigan Conference. Her how God had strengthened her with the responsibilities involve leading about assurance that she was doing His work. “I twenty Bible studies, encouraging church also told him about my plans of becoming members in outreach, teaching youth a missionary in a land where Christianity Sabbath School, and working with young is not prominent.” She hopes she can people at the nearby Adventist academy. continue witnessing to Mr. K. “It is extremely rewarding to see God “These [internship] experiences have moving on people’s hearts,” she shares. confirmed my desire to serve God,” says That’s exactly what happened that Nicole. She anticipates working with evening at the apartment complex. A unreached people groups in the future. Muslim gentleman, Mr. K, answered the Please keep Nicole in your prayers! 540-672-3100 | [email protected] | hartland.edu 3 HARTLAND INSTITUTE Hartland welcomes two new staff members and their families. by Jamie Whitaker rom its beginning, Hartland Institute Giancarlo is now the assistant Fhas sought to form and maintain a academic dean for Hartland College and strong staff team having the knowledge, a Bible teacher. With his wife Tatiana willingness, and ability to operate and daughter Sofia, Giancarlo says, according to God’s blueprint for our “We are happy to become part of the schools. This spring, the Lord sent two Hartland family and ministry.” more individuals to strengthen our team. Matz Groschel, also from Brazil, Giancarlo Miranda, from São Paulo, immigrated to the US as a teenager Brazil, immigrated to Canada as a and has extensive experience in teenager, where he became a Seventh-day management, maintenance, logistics, Adventist in 2001. Four years later he auto mechanics, the lumber industry, enrolled at Hartland College. During and construction. He comes to us from summer and winter breaks, he became a Taquara Institute, where he recently skilled student colporteur leader. After served as administrative director. Matz is graduating in 2010 with a degree in passionate about providing every student pastoral evangelism, Giancarlo pursued with a thorough vocational training. His his calling to educate young people goal is to fit each graduate to take up for ministry in his home country. He some type of trade where he or she can be worked two years at Taquara Institute self-supporting while doing ministry. (Rio de Janeiro, Brazil) as academic “We have the resources here for dean and Bible teacher. After that, he agricultural and related industries to founded Santo’s Evangelistic Training succeed,” Matz asserts. We believe Institute, an agricultural missionary he has the potential to help all areas training school in Espírito Santo, Brazil. of the Vocational Division, including He served the institute as president and establishing industries. He plans to begin Bible teacher for five years. Today the by organizing and managing our plant school has proven to be a success, having services, grounds, and auto shop. We are a steadily increasing enrollment and 27 most grateful to have him and his wife graduates to date. Emilia on our team! 4 HARTLAND MINISTRY REPORT | Vol 23 No 2 COLLEGE ALUMNI A NEW LIFE OF SERVICE I pled with God to use me in His service. His answer came from across the world. by Rafael Kopke s a young Christian in Brazil, I fixing the washing machine. The vegan diet Aconfronted daily pressure and cleared my mind, renewed my energy, and harassment at work. One day during strengthened my health. I became a new a break, I knelt in despair and cried, person. imploring the Lord to send me to a place My previous experience with computers where I could work serving Him. God’s encouraged me to choose the Christian answer arrived from across the world. Publications/Media Management major. A group of Hartland students came to Through magazines, videos, audio, Brazil on a mission trip, organized by websites, and many other upcoming Diego Silva and Brian Beavers. Without technologies, the “almost impossible” me telling them my struggles, God mission to preach the gospel to the touched their hearts to invite me to world becomes a tangible reality for this attend Hartland. generation. I’ve learned new ways to reach Hartland provided a place free from people for Christ, and currently God has worldly dangers and distractions. opened the door through my work to reach It became a home to me, with a thousands for Him. loving Christian family and spiritual After graduating and getting married, nourishment that enhanced my my wife and I prayed continually, asking relationship with Jesus. God to guide us to where He would like Being among other focused young us to serve Him next. One day a call came, people with a common goal influenced and today I serve the Lord as graphic me to adopt a different Christian designer for Young Disciple magazine, lifestyle. I was encouraged to wake up using the skills I learned at Hartland. early to study my Bible and spend time The greatest thing one can expect from in prayer. After hearing daily sermons Hartland is not only to gain a focused and prepared by peers, I lost my fear of public awesome experience with the Lord, but speaking and making mistakes. Practical also a valuable knowledge of oneself, of training helped me acquire many other one’s strengths and weaknesses. Hartland new skills, such as repairing my car or College is a place that will fit you not only for mission, but for life.