I grew up on my family's third-generation wheat farm in north-central Montana. I was blessed to be schooled at home through the twelfth grade, and I am forever grateful for my parents' sacrifice so that I could grow up in a godly environment with a solid education and close relationships with my family. I grew up thoroughly “Christianized” and was active in church, but it wasn't until I was fifteen that God became real to me. The Christian rock group Harvest ministered in my town for a week, and the ferver they had for Jesus softened my heart, and my faith became my own. I was enflamed with a passion to love and serve God forever, a passion that has never died, though it has faced some heartbreaking times. A real revival swept through and transformed my youth group and the surrounding towns in the months after Harvest came. It was then that I discovered a gift in music when I swiftly learned how to chord on the piano and play the guitar. Sadly, The revival died out in a year, but God had something very special planned for me.
After I graduated from high school, I went to Briercrest Bible College in Saskatchewan, where I had all the dear friends I could ever hope for, all the biblical and musical training I ever desired, one-on-one mentoring by my professors and their wives, opportunities to learn and play Celtic music, and a rich atmosphere for spiritual growth. Two years turned into five, which turned into ten, but life at Briercrest never ceased to be a blessing.
My years there were also not without sorrow, as I struggled with deep depression after experiencing the death of a number of close friends by illness, accident, and suicide. Mercifully, God's provision of supportive friends and medical intervention kept me from taking my own life. My greatest grief was a true “dark night of the soul” - the hidden God of John of the Cross, Martin Luther, Oswald Chambers, and Mother Teresa. These experiences have left permanent scars, but I have been tempered by them, and, I hope and pray, am being fitted to minister effectively to a broken and hurting world.
At Briercrest I earned degrees in music and biblical studies, graduating as valedictorian of the college. I also went on a missions trip to Ghana, West Africa, for a summer internship with Wycliffe Bible Translators. It was an amazing adventure working with national ethnomusicologists, though the best part was the fulfillment of my life-long dream to visit England. After working in secular jobs for a few years I returned to Briercrest to complete a masters degree in New Testament toward the goal of teaching Bible at the college level. Again, my time there was a mixture of great joy and deep pain, as I relished the richness of my studies, but was crippled by an undiagnosed illness that forced me to move home. I finally graduated and I am presently seeking teaching opportunities anywhere I can, in any format (modular, semester, etc.) available. The classes I have taught so far have completely confirmed my passion and gifting for teaching, and I can't wait to see how God will use these to serve Him in this capacity!
Along with my passion for teaching, I love learning and playing musical instruments (especially of the Renaissance/ Celtic kind), listening to and figuring out music (like epic movie soundtracks, Loreena McKennitt and Mannheim Steamroller), reading a variety of genres (especially historical biographies, classic fiction, and fantasy, with LOTR and Narnia topping my list), watching movies (especially historical and superhero movies), Facebooking, art (drawing, painting, sculpting), photography, riding (whenever I can find a horse), swordfighting (whenever there is someone to clash steel with), recurve archery, travel, hunting for Montana sapphires, spending quality time with friends and family, and dreaming of busking on my harp at Warwick castle.
After I graduated from high school, I went to Briercrest Bible College in Saskatchewan, where I had all the dear friends I could ever hope for, all the biblical and musical training I ever desired, one-on-one mentoring by my professors and their wives, opportunities to learn and play Celtic music, and a rich atmosphere for spiritual growth. Two years turned into five, which turned into ten, but life at Briercrest never ceased to be a blessing.
My years there were also not without sorrow, as I struggled with deep depression after experiencing the death of a number of close friends by illness, accident, and suicide. Mercifully, God's provision of supportive friends and medical intervention kept me from taking my own life. My greatest grief was a true “dark night of the soul” - the hidden God of John of the Cross, Martin Luther, Oswald Chambers, and Mother Teresa. These experiences have left permanent scars, but I have been tempered by them, and, I hope and pray, am being fitted to minister effectively to a broken and hurting world.
At Briercrest I earned degrees in music and biblical studies, graduating as valedictorian of the college. I also went on a missions trip to Ghana, West Africa, for a summer internship with Wycliffe Bible Translators. It was an amazing adventure working with national ethnomusicologists, though the best part was the fulfillment of my life-long dream to visit England. After working in secular jobs for a few years I returned to Briercrest to complete a masters degree in New Testament toward the goal of teaching Bible at the college level. Again, my time there was a mixture of great joy and deep pain, as I relished the richness of my studies, but was crippled by an undiagnosed illness that forced me to move home. I finally graduated and I am presently seeking teaching opportunities anywhere I can, in any format (modular, semester, etc.) available. The classes I have taught so far have completely confirmed my passion and gifting for teaching, and I can't wait to see how God will use these to serve Him in this capacity!
Along with my passion for teaching, I love learning and playing musical instruments (especially of the Renaissance/ Celtic kind), listening to and figuring out music (like epic movie soundtracks, Loreena McKennitt and Mannheim Steamroller), reading a variety of genres (especially historical biographies, classic fiction, and fantasy, with LOTR and Narnia topping my list), watching movies (especially historical and superhero movies), Facebooking, art (drawing, painting, sculpting), photography, riding (whenever I can find a horse), swordfighting (whenever there is someone to clash steel with), recurve archery, travel, hunting for Montana sapphires, spending quality time with friends and family, and dreaming of busking on my harp at Warwick castle.
Copyright © 2011 Laura Welker. All Rights Reserved.
