Tuesday, March 18, 2014

Life After Bethany- Alumni Update








It feels like only yesterday we were attending chapels and classes, as well as working in the kitchen and maintenance. We are happy to share an update of how our lives have changed and progressed in the Lord since attending Bethany!

Almost four months after graduation, we were married in Florida and moved to Virginia. As students, sometimes we get in our minds that after graduation we must become pastors and plant a church. However, that is not always how the Lord works. Daniel became a heating and air conditioning technician and I became a preschool teacher. We quickly became rooted in a church in Fredericksburg, VA, and began serving in any way possible. We did anything from assisting in leading the youth group to greeting at the doors on Sundays. Where ever we were needed, we allowed the Lord to use us. This included our jobs as well. Being a Christian is living for the Lord every day and taking every day as an opportunity to minister in any way we can. The Lord really used the first year and a half of our marriage as a time of pouring out what the Lord had poured into us at Bethany.

A year ago, our lives changed in a very dramatic way. After much prayer and discussion, Daniel and I decided that the Army was the direction in which the Lord was leading us. This was never what we had planned to do, but God has a way of changing "our plans" and guiding us into His own. It was definitely a trying time for both of us. Daniel was gone for 9 months of training to become a cook as well as an Airborne Ranger, with only a few opportunities for us to see each other. Although this was hard on both of us, the Lord was working in and through us each and every day. He taught us to depend on Him completely. Luke 1:37 says "For with God nothing shall be impossible." Daniel has been able to minister to his fellow soldiers, and set a standard that is not "normal" in the military. This is all by the grace of God.

We were stationed in Washington State as of January 2014. We have found a church here, and are looking forward to how the Lord will use us here on the west coast. We are expecting a baby boy in August, which is such a blessing from God. Daniel deploys soon, and we are praying for grace and favor over him where ever he may go. We are so thankful for what the Lord has done, is doing, and will continue to do in our lives.

God Bless you all!

Daniel & Tabitha



Daniel & Tabitha Canton graduated Bethany in May, 2011.

Tuesday, March 11, 2014

Student Testimonies








My time at Bethany has been one of the most challenging and rewarding seasons of my life. The Lord has helped me to see how real a relationship with Him can be, and He has challenged me to cultivate that relationship as the most important aspect of my life. In the process of cultivating my relationship with Him, He has also been healing me and making me more like Him. It hasn’t been easy at times, but it has definitely been worth it. Besides a personal relationship with Him, the Lord also has individual plans for each one of our lives, and since coming to Bethany He has given me new clarity, purpose and direction regarding His plan for me. He has opened doors for me and is leading me down a path that is better than anything I could have ever imagined or planned for myself. I feel like I’m on the adventure of a lifetime with my best Friend!

Second Year Student, Joseph Bourg
Olympia, Washington



Since being at Bethany, I have come to know the Lord in a very intimate way. I have seen the wonder working power of the blood of Jesus and the manifestations of the Holy Spirit. The Lord has taken away my anger and sadness, and has replaced it with His love and joy. He has led me to His still waters and restored my strength. I will live to testify of His goodness and great faithfulness.

Second Year Student, Exhilda Mwuape
Zambia



Looking back at my first year, I am in awe at the work God did in such a short period of time. I learned what it was to truly desire the Lord, to want Him and only Him. God revealed Himself to me as my Father, my Bridegroom, and my Redeemer. I found my identity in Christ my first year, and everything else just fell away. Now that I am in Virginia for my second year, I am eager and excited to see what the Lord has for me. He has truly remolded my life at Bethany and I know there is only more to come.

Second Year Student, Jaimie Bornemann
Long Island, NY





I am only in my second quarter at Bethany Bible Training Center and already my time here has been very fruitful. The Lord is really placing a hunger in my heart for more of Him. I am becoming more sensitive to God’s voice through seeking Him one on one and through learning to wait on Him. The more time I spend with the Lord, the more I want to get to know Him. The more He reveals of Himself, the more I love Him. This time at Bethany is not just an experience which will be fondly looked back upon. Instead, it is a time of laying the foundation necessary to live a life continually with Christ as the center. I am eager to use this training and let the Lord build upon it.

Second Year Student, Michael Manion
Cazenovia, NY




I had every intention on going to college after graduating High School, but the Lord quickly changed my plans and called me to Bethany. Since being here, the Lord has transformed and healed me. God has met me so personally both in and out of chapels. I sometimes think of what my life could have been if I followed through with my original plans of going to college, but then I realize that nothing could ever replace my time here. I have come to know God in such a deeper way and for that I am forever thankful.

Second Year Graduate, Ashley Negron
Bronx, NY