Alumni News - Hannibal-LaGrange University

ReflectionFall03.qxd 9/22/2004 4:31 PM Page 24
Alumni Profile
by Brandy Campbell • Public Relations Staff Writer
Michele Geurink is not your
stereotypical missionary.
She didn’t major in Bible, a large
part of her job is taking care of guard
dogs, and she recently was able to
help a homeless man accept Christ
at a McDonalds in Africa. Each day
is an adventure.
Geurink works with Bethesda
Outreach, a ministry started by
Evangelical Baptist Missions in 2000.
They are located in Hammanskraal,
South Africa, a country rated second
in the world for having the widest
gap between the richest and the
poorest people.
“The people we are ministering
to are living in third world conditions,”
said Geurink. “Many of them
have no running water, no electricity,
and their only shelter is a tin
shack. The AIDS crisis affects
mainly the poor in the cities and out
in the villages. Our goal at Bethesda
is to raise orphans affected by the
Alumna Serves in the Land of the Living
AIDS crisis in South Africa.”
Bethesda’s mission is “By God’s
grace and for His glory Bethesda
Outreach exists to assist local
churches in meeting the needs of
orphan children that the children
may become disciples of Christ.”
Currently, 15 children are cared for,
with more to be added soon.
“Our goal is to have a village of
400 children along with a school to
help prepare them for life through
Godly education,” explained
Geurink. “We are in the continual
process of going through all the red
tape of preparing to build as well as
seeking out who God would bring us
as houseparents, teachers, and staff
members.”
Geurink’s journey to Bethesda
began years before she actually
arrived in South Africa, with the
verse James 1:27: “Religion that God
our Father accepts as pure and faultless
is this: to look after orphans and
widows in their distress…”
“I grew up in a family that cared
for kids that either had no family of
their own, or were not able to be
with their families,” said Geurink.
“In my senior year of high school I
became a nanny for a family that
also cared for young children who
were not able to be with their families
because of abuse and neglect. It
was at that time that this verse personally
became real to me. I realized
that we don’t just care for orphans
because that’s what Christians do,
but because Christ loved them, and
we are to be like Him in His love for
them.”
Geurink began college at HLG
in 1995. “I wasn’t really interested
in missions when I got to college,”
she said. “I majored in human services
and criminal justice, so traditional
missions really didn’t enter
into my education all that much.”
During Geurink’s freshman year,
she and Tara Walker (Ryan) were
trying to decide what to do for
Spring Break, and were looking at
going to Arizona for a vacation.
After much thought and discussion,
Tara suggested a mission trip and
serving others instead. The following
year, the two went to Urbana ’96
for a missions conference. That
conference helped change Geurink’s
views about missions and ignited a
passion for what would eventually be
her life’s calling.
“I had never been involved in
overseas missions because I could see
the great needs of children in the
United States,” said Geurink. “I also
had a very limited understanding of
missions. All I had ever known missions
to be was people going to other
countries and planting churches. At
the missions conference, I was
exposed to the need for compassionate ministry on the foreign mission field.
It was there I saw the many opportunities available to care for hurting children
around the world. God worked on my heart, and I became open to the
possibility that God may want me to go overseas to care for hurting children.”
Throughout college, Geurink continued to pray and seek where God was
leading her. Two years after graduation, she first learned of Bethesda
Outreach. In May of 2001, after training and raising her support, she was on
a plane bound for South Africa.
Geurink’s official title at Bethesda is Assistant to the Managerial Director.
She is currently responsible for office work, supervising the maintenance of
the property, co-leading ministry teams, and the maintenance and care of
eight guard dogs.
“Though the privilege of working directly with our children belongs mostly
to their parents and teachers, I enjoy the moments I have with them and
the fun times we are able to have together.”
“What God has prepared me for is being fulfilled here at Bethesda
Outreach,” said Geurink. “Sometimes the statistics are so staggering and disheartening,
almost causing one to give up hope. However, ‘I am still confident
of this: I will see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living!’”
(Psalm 27:13)
1960s
Sharon Johnson Canada ’63 is
choir director at Wesley Memorial
United Methodist Church in Festus,
Missouri. Sharon and husband Jim
live at 13119 Lakewood Drive, St.
Genevieve, MO 63670. They have
a daughter, Linda, and two grandchildren,
Christina and Joe.
Thomas Maddox ’66 has retired as
Deputy Director of Health at the
Kansas City Health Department
and moved to Virginia. He has
since accepted a position at
Arlington County Public Health
Services in Arlington. His email
address is tmaddox@comcast.net.
Lynn Mason ’66 is MIS Director
for the Collier County Clerk of the
Courts. He and his wife recently
built a home in Naples, Florida.
Their address is 218 Newport Dr.
#701, Naples, FL 34114.
1970s
Phillip Begley ’74 would like to
know if any of his classmates would
be interested in getting together for
a 30th year class reunion at homecoming,
November 7-8. If you'd
like to help Phil organize a reception,
send him a postcard at 1440
Kentucky St., Quincy, IL 62301.
Jim Luders ’78 and his wife, Cathy
visited Bill Harris ’78 and Merilee
Gallin Harris ’78 in Texas this past
spring. The Harris family now
resides in Burlson, Texas, and the
Luders live in Cedar Rapids, Iowa.
1980s
Gina Cox Kingsley ’80 recently
sent an update on her family. Gina
was married in 1985 to Thomas
Kingsley. In 1992 their son Thomas
was born, and daughter Lauren in
1994. The Kingsley's live at 1074
Idaho, Carol Stream, IL 60188.
Lisa Collins Hofstetter ’86 and
husband Bill announce the birth of
a son. William James Hofstetter
(Will) was born May 7. The family
lives in Brookfield, Missouri.
1990s
Brett Akright ’92
and Melinda
Stinson Akright
’90 recently sent an
update on their
Alumni News
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