Logos StaffAwarding scholarships to our SeminaryScholarship.com and BibleCollegeScholarship.com applicants has become an exciting opportunity for us to gain a little insight into winners’ lives.
Last time, we learned about Charissa M.’s desire to live in a third-world country. The time before that, we received very appreciative follow-up email from Joseph K. and his family which explained a little about how receiving the scholarship was a blessing and answer to prayer.
Our latest SeminaryScholarship.com winner, Gene (Eddie) Painter (New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary), and latest BibleCollegeScholarship.com winner, Jenna Guthmiller (Biola University) have provided similar appreciation. While corresponding with Eddie, we learned that his recent past reads like a sequence of newspaper headlines. Eddie, his wife, and his daughter attend NOBTS. In his own words, here is the path they’ve taken to get there:
In 2006, God made it plain that He wanted me to continue my education. I resigned the church where I was pastoring and moved my family to New Orleans. We were in the first group of families to move on campus after Hurricane Katrina. During those first months, I worked for UPS and campus police while going to school full time.
In April 2007, God called me to pastor Barataria Baptist Church, about 20 miles from New Orleans. This is a community on the bayou with many commercial fishermen who have lived here all their lives. In early 2008, I bought a boat and began crabbing as a means of becoming a part of the community.
In September 2008, Hurricane Ike flooded our community and we lost our home. Many thought we wouldn’t return. However, God called us here and we were back (living in a Sunday School room) within days. This really cemented us as a true part of the community. God continued to bless my crabbing during this time also. (Here’s a link to a local article written during that time.) God also greatly blessed us in restoring our home. The church put in a new modular home and generous fellow Christians donated so that we could buy furniture for it. We moved into our new home in August 2009.
When the oil spill hit in 2010, we wondered what would happen. I couldn’t crab for the summer to earn money for tuition. My wife had two part-time jobs and lost both of them. That’s when God opened another door. My boat was hired to work the oil spill. I wasn’t able to captain the boat, so I hired a captain and deckhand. Because of this great blessing, we were able to pay off debt and my wife began working at NOBTS on degree in counseling.
God has been faithful to us. Last fall, our daughter was called to the music ministry. This fall, three of our family members will be at NOBTS. I sometimes wonder how we will manage to pay for this, but your scholarship was evidence that God is still providing!
Gene (Eddie) Painter
Over the past five years, Eddie and his family have had first-hand exposure to some of the United States’ major headline events, yet he sums it up with, "your scholarship was evidence that God is still providing!"
It is such a blessing to learn our scholarships are blessing winners. As both Eddie and Jenna will likely read this, why not take a second to leave a comment and congratulate them on being our latest winners?
Then, consider applying yourself. Hopefully next time we will be able to hear your story. But we won’t hear it if you don’t first apply.
Going to Seminary? www.SeminaryScholarship.com
Going to Bible College? www.BibleCollegeScholarship.com
Vik Rajagopal
Leah Parker