Demystifyer-In-Chief and Career Tour Guide

Building friendships and partnering with them to share the Gospel has come surprisingly easy.

“They don’t live in fear of repercussions for following Jesus,” he says.

Language studies, however, have not come easily. Jon, who majored in accounting and business management at GU, dedicates many hours each week to learning a language that bears no semblance to the rules, syntax, and grammar of English. In languages like Chinese, Vietnamese, Thai, will?

and Hmong, a single word can have multiple meanings. Only slight tonal nuances distinguish one meaning from another. Jon struggles to master half-adozen of these nuanced tones.

A stubborn truth fuels his persistence: Many spiritually lost persons— an estimated three billion people worldwide—have not discovered the Gospel because no Gospel messengers speak their languages. Among unreached people groups, 70 percent communicate mainly through the keeps Jon on a slow but steady track to mastering syntax, tense, and tone. His relentless practice today may help seekers unlock kingdom treasures tomorrow. If he does not persist, who

spoken word. This somber reality

*To ensure their continued progress and security, this article omits that organization’s name and the host country in which Jon serves. Jon is not his real name.

GU Core Value: Service

LaRyssa Herrington ‘17, a PhD student at Notre Dame, holds a master of divinity from Emory University’s Candler School of Theology.

What does he mean

THIS KNACK?

I remember my professor looking at me with disbelief when I told him I wasn’t a theology major, since—in his words—I had a “knack for this stuff.” My “knack” for theology really wouldn’t take shape until I signed up for a Foundations of Christian Doctrine course. I instantly fell in love. Theology stirred my heart and imagination. It was impossible to hide my new-found passion. Dr. Brian Hartley later asked me to seriously consider advanced theological training. Did I know then as a humble twentysomething senior that curiosity would open doors to seminary, a conversion to Roman Catholicism, and now a PhD in systematic theology at the University of Notre Dame? No way! But Dr. Hartley and others believed in my potential, and that was enough for me to take the leap of faith and apply to Candler. Looking back, I only ever knew the immediate next step in my journey, and just attempted to be faithful to what I believed God was calling me to at that moment in time.

At GU, LaRyssa received multiple donor-funded scholarships including the Dean’s Scholarship and the Christian Unity Scholarship.

Thank you for giving.