Studying at George Whitefield College
Annika Krumpholz
GWC Children’s Ministry Student
We look like real students.
Never in my entire life of 27 years would I have ever imagined that I would study theology. Even writing about it now feels strange. I am studying theology. Awesome!
When I dropped out of high school before my matric, I was ready to work for the rest of my life. And really, any job would do because, let’s be honest, beggars can’t be choosers.
But throughout the years God has been very gracious and has allowed me to work and save up money to do some missionary work around the world. When I ended up in South Africa doing an apprenticeship at Christ Church, Stellenbosch, it was clear that the next step would be college. So here I am now.
2017 is the year I am able to study at GWC. What a privilege. I must say that it was a scary thought. I didn’t even know how to use a library, sit in class and listen to a lecture, or write an academic essay. So, as you can imagine, I wasn’t too sure if I would make it or not but I was ready to give it a try. And so it happened, and the first term has come to an end and I have found time to reflect on it. I guess all I can really say is, “Wow!” But then there are so many wows. Wow to the friends I have made. Wow to the challenges I have faced. Wow to writing and passing essays. Wow to all the new things I have discovered about God’s word. Wow to awesome lectures, thought provoking sermons and ‘lekker’ food. Wow to the many times I laughed, cried and thought deeply, and lots, about Jesus. Wow to the amazing view of the beach, even from the library. Wow to the love GWC has for its students.
Of course I could go on and on but the biggest wow definitely belongs to how I have begun to know more about God, and who I am in Him, during this time. Yes, I came to college with a view of learning more about God, but I guess I didn’t take into consideration that …
God is a living God and his word is alive.
This clearly means that it works in our hearts. Is God’s word changing ones’ heart when one reads all sorts of things about God: who He is, what He came to do, why we need to understand the Bible and how we teach it to children? I never ever thought about that question before, and yet here I am writing, knowing the answer. “Yes, definitely”. If I can choose one subject that has impacted me the most I would choose…of course I can’t choose. They all have had a great impact on my life already.
The children’s ministry stream is amazing and challenging at the same time. It combines digging deep into and understanding the Bible, and how best to teach it to children. That is a lot of work.
And yet, God is so graciously revealing things that I can only stand in awe of how powerful and mighty, and yet so kind, gracious, loving and humble He is. Try teaching that to a 5-year-old. But it is true, and the Gospel is for everyone, especially children.
This is only the first term. 1 out of 4. How many more wows will strike me? I don’t know. But I am ready and excited to see how much more God will reveal himself to me and others. How amazing is that and how amazing is God?
Muizenberg’s Sunsets are stunning on a nice study break.
