"For as the rain cometh

down, and the snow from

heaven, and returneth not

thither, but watereth the

earth, and maketh it bring

forth and bud, that it may

give seed to the sower, and

bread to the eater: So shall

my word be that goeth

forth out of my mouth: it

shall not return unto me

void, but it shall accomplish

that which I please, and it

shall prosper in the thing whereto

I sent it." (Isaiah 55:10-11)

od’s Word changes what it

touches. Sometimes it ﬂoods

with conviction and sweeps us along

to new places of revival. Often it

quietly soaks down into the soul,

enriching in secret, preparing the way

for new seasons, new harvests.

It was a privilege to share my

reﬂections on this passage in May,

2006 as the female speaker for the

senior class at Appalachian Bible

College. Over ten years later it has

been laid fresh on my heart as I leave

behind the familiar to begin a new

season of life.

By the time you read this article, my

husband and I, along with our three

children (and a fourth on the way),

will be replanting our family in South

Korea, serving as missionaries with

Word of Life. Over the last three years

we have been traveling around the

United States, raising support. It was

always a highlight to visit a fellow

ABC graduate. Walking together

through a season of study and seeking

God nurtured a bond that has only

grown deeper over the years.

Men and women faithfully serve their

families, churches, and communities,

speaking of their desire for gospel-

centered, God-glorifying lives. Tyson

and Bethany Hodge minister to youth

at a camp in Tennessee; Jamie and

Sara Stout serve at a church in Iowa

where Jamie is the pastor.

Caleb

and Tiffany Korth have planted their

family in West Virginia to serve in

a worship pastor role, while Kevin

and Lori Brosius serve their church

in the same beautiful state, where

Kevin is Associate Pastor and US Army

Chaplain. Karisa Clark faithfully

invests her life into college ministry

at ABC. There are many more families

and graduates than I have space to

mention who pour out their lives

in selﬂess ways for the building of

Christ’s Church.

I remember the hours spent soaking

up truth and wisdom alongside these

friends in classes and chapel. We

shared meals together once again, not

in Hanmer Dining Hall, but around

a kitchen table. Hospitality in many

shapes refreshed us, reﬂecting Jesus’

own heart to welcome

us into God’s family.

Not one of these

individuals has escaped

the touch of sorrow or

struggle, but I could

sense that these trials

have only reﬁned their

faith. It was a special

joy to observe that their

journeys, like my own,

have transitioned from

storing up to now pouring into

a new generation. The waters

of God’s Word are still seeping

down, nurturing new growth.

There is a popular idea

that an education must be

an investment yielding an

exponentially greater return in

ﬁnancial security and status.

Yet life is too precious—its

value set by the price our

Savior was willing to pay—to

be traded and trivialized by

solely such a standard. None

of the alumni we interacted

with are wealthy in worldly terms,

but they demonstrated that their

treasure is in God’s eternal kingdom.

We saw generosity, kindness, grace

and love in abundance. Not all are in

paid ministry positions, but God is

giving these servants full and fruitful

ministry in thousands of ways that

touch eternity. These sowers have

seeds in their hands, ready for God’s

plan for a new harvest. The hungry

receive the Bread of Life in the gospel

lived out daily before their eyes. Our

Lord has sent His Word into our

hearts and it continues to prosper in

eternal ways. How many times did we

sing “The Prayer of ABC” in chapel?

Now it is reality: Sowing, reaping,

gath’ring fruit, together we’ll rejoice!

"And he that reapeth receiveth

wages, and gathereth fruit unto

life eternal: that both he that

soweth and he that reapeth may

rejoice together..."

(John 4:36)

Elsbeth Rodgers (née

Gaunnac) is a 2006 graduate

of Appalachian Bible College.

She met her husband, Jeremy,

while both were serving as

missionaries in Asia. You

can follow their new ministry

and growing family at

rodgersinasia.com.