Category: Gushee News

June 17, 2022 Today smoky haze follows the horrendous winds of yesterday that threatened to uproot the giant Ponderosa surrounding my little house. And before that, there were fires. Driven by ferocious gusts of up to 70 mph, they chased hundreds of families from their homes for weeks at a time. People are angry, confused,Continue reading Late June 2022

Blessed day to you. Amid the constant barrage of bad news, let me share some good news with you! Thank you for praying for the end-of-the-year events and for the Koppen family as they worked through moving back into their sooty, dusty, fire-impacted home. Good progress is finally being made, though they are still waitingContinue reading June 2022

Dear friends, Thank you for your prayers for Jason and others affected by the Tunnel Fire in Flagstaff, AZ. I understand that the fire is 92% “contained,” and those who were in the path of the fire have been allowed to return to their homes. Unfortunately, many of those homes that were not destroyed orContinue reading May 2022

Thank you for praying for the students as they went on their Ministry Immersion Trip (MIT) last week. This ended up being the most diverse and internationally focused trip the school has ever sponsored! What a variety of opportunities the students enjoyed as they ministered to (and were ministered to by) Congolese, Afghan, Burmese (ofContinue reading April 2022

Dear friends, With Ukraine captivating our attention these days, it is surely God-ordained that our mission conference this year focused on international student ministry in Ukraine.

Is your heart heavy? Is it breaking with what’s happening in our world, with the divisions in our nation, and with the continuing trauma of COVID? Is it hard to say “Happy” New Year? Indeed. It seems like I started out my January 2021 letter similarly. Is there no end?

Longevity. That has been one of my goals throughout my life. When I was five years old, I told my parents I wanted to become a missionary to American Indians, whatever that meant. As I grew in understanding, my desire was to devote my life to something bigger than me, to something meaningful, and, ifContinue reading Christmas greetings and an update

“Even though I’m not actively coaching at IBC this semester, I’ve found the principles and techniques I learned through coaching at IBC to be helpful in raising my teenage son,” shared one of the coaches. “How cool is that!,” I thought. I oversee the coaching program at IBC. We have five active coaches and twoContinue reading November 2021

Thank you for praying for us! I gave my last presentation for the summer at my home church here in Flagstaff on Sunday and am now concentrating completely on the Fall semester at IBC, well, almost completely.

Dear friends, Remember this spring and early summer when Arizona was so dry that one spark would have set the whole state ablaze? Remember when there were over 60 wildfires burning in the state? You prayed with me for rain. Well, God sent rain- 5.66” in July and 3.5” in August, at the Pulliam airportContinue reading September 2021

It has been a beautiful, mostly restful summer. It will soon be winding down as I head home starting Friday. Here are a few photos to sum up the summer. I have traveled to the island of Martha’s Vineyard, walked on the beach, gone kayaking three times, and tried out a paddleboard. People have blessedContinue reading August 2021

I only encountered a few minutes of rain all the way across the country. The car is running flawlessly. Meetings are going well, and people are amazingly generous and kind to me. I could get used to this!

I am writing this from a motel near Hannibal, MO. After a refreshing time on the Grand Canyon North Rim over Memorial Day weekend, I am scurrying to get my travel plans in place and have begun my wanderings across the country.

One thing we have learned as a result of the pandemic is the value of synchronous online learning, that is, allowing online students to dial directly into the classroom while the class is in session. This has enabled us to accommodate far more students than the physical classroom can hold. It has also provided accessContinue reading May 2021

It started with strange electrical impulses coursing through my left side. Then I felt like I could pass out, but, I always feel like I might pass  out whenever something isn’t quite right in my body. I felt good enough to walk home from school that Friday evening March 12. We planned to go onlineContinue reading April 2021

By the time we landed in Orlando, we were wondering out loud why we hadn’t heard anything. Jason (IBC President), Gene (Academic Dean), and Coreen (Dean of Women) went before the accreditation committee that morning and we had expected to hear shouts of joy by email or text but had heard nothing.

Spring semester is well underway. Thank you so much for praying for us! All the students returned after Christmas break. One stepped out of full-time classes and is submitting to more intense discipleship, and God brought one new full-time student A middle-aged Navajo woman, this new student brings fresh enthusiasm and appreciation for the opportunitiesContinue reading February 2021

Riots, violence in the streets, many in the Church of Christ divided and caught in apathy, political upheaval, social unrest, a global pandemic, isolation, anxiety, racial tension, constant disappointment, loss of hope. The media has bombarded us with death statistics and dire predictions until, in order to survive emotionally, we have been forced to beContinue reading January 2021

Here’s my 2020 in review! January: Jason and family take a sabbatical for Spring Semester. I taught Personal Finance, Intro. to Missions, and music. Students were engaged and enthusiastic, particularly in the missions’ class.

The weather was fantastic—warm enough to hike without a winter jacket but cool enough to keep from overheating. Fall foliage was at its peak. Golden coins fluttered and tentatively fell from various heights above us. The three of us tromped steadily upwards until we hit around 11,000 feet in elevation. We still had about 1,300Continue reading November 2020

I’m sorry, but I just can’t come up with anything profound to say this time around (not to imply that I usually do!), so here is a quick rundown of what is happening:

Who would have thought this pandemic and accompanying restrictions would still be influencing our lives to so great an extent in September!? In this area the discomfort and anxiety is compounded by weather patterns that are equally strange: a persistent wind night after night, almost no rain during our normal monsoonal period, and excessive heat.Continue reading September 2020

Honestly, I am finding it difficult to prepare for classes, to maintain a positive outlook, and to find joy in the mundane routines of life. There is so much uncertainty, so much death, suffering, chaos, rage, injustice, and evil. It is overwhelming! I know you feel it, too. I told the Lord the other dayContinue reading August 2020

As for man, his days are like grass; as a flower of the field, so he flourishes. When the wind has passed over it, it is no more and its place acknowledges it no longer. Psalm 103:15,16

What next?! The lostness, restlessness, anger, and despair of our world becomes more and more obvious by the day. How I wish I  could make more of a difference in some of those desperate and lonely lives!