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A Year in ReviewBy Drew Cochrane and Kelsey Nannemann - Advanced Students

Summer 2010: Windsor Alpha The Summer 2010 semester was full of firsts: first banquet, first orientation, first meals, first Kiddo Nite, first Musicians Fellowship, first prayer meetings. Fifty-five students arrived on May 31, and charged straight into life at Ellerslie. The opening banquet that evening was a night to remember, w i th Er ic shar ing h is seventeen-year-old vision of Ellerslie, and five-year-old Hudson giving an unplanned invitation to the students to share their hearts. On June 16, “Revival Week” began and the very first Ellerslie baptisms took place. We stepped into the calm, slightly chilly water and 33 men and women publicly professed the death of their flesh and new life in Christ. The next few days were filled with confession of sin, prayer, and aligning ourselves with the King of kings. We put the theory of “praying through” to practice, and learned a lot about what it means to really pray. On July 4, the first ever Epic Ellerslie Games took place, and the Red Team took the overall victory. During those eleven weeks, we learned important lessons about fortification and paying attention to the little things in life - obeying the Lord no

matter how small a situation may seem. Toward the end of the semester, the ladies hosted a fundraising tea for His Little Feet, hoping the smiling faces of the kiddos would soon be all over the campus. On August 13, we participated in a 5k walk/run to raise money for their traveling expenses from Haiti. The first ever Ellerslie graduation took place August 15, and a new chapter of life unfolded for each of the students.

Fall 2010: Windsor Beta The foundation had already been laid in the previous semester for the Holy Spirit to begin working in the Beta students, and it was beautiful to watch the Beta class go faster and farther in their pursuit of Christ. The semester kicked off on October 11 with a lovely, soul-stirring banquet that readied the hearts of the incoming students. It wasn’t long until another God-ordained “Revival Week” began. Prayer, fasting, and reckoning with the power of the Gospel was the order of business. Seventeen students were baptized in freezing cold water and what seemed like 90 mph winds. (By the grace of God, no one got hypothermia.) Three days later, six more students were baptized and made public

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Table of ContentsA Year in Review …….……………... 1Timeline ......................………...…... 3Being Left Behind? .…….……...….. 4Sweet Conviction …….….…......….. 5The Secret Place …………………… 5Alpha Semester ………..….....…..… 6Beta Semester .…………………..… 8Gamma Semester ..……....…….… 10Alumni Interviews ..............…….… 12We Shall be Fools ......………….… 15First Year of Ellerslie Statistics ..….. 16

Special Edition

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declarations of their new life in Christ. God greatly moved upon our hearts and many were convicted and compelled to confess sin and repent of their mediocrity. One Friday evening we received the news that we had been waiting months for: the Haitian kiddos who would make up the first His Little Feet children’s choir were finally on their way to Windsor! Many hours of prayer and labor went into this remarkable feat. Three days later, we were all lined up outside to greet the kids as they arrived on campus, many of us shedding tears of joy that they had finally come. On November 8, the Lord placed a burden for a man named Marty on all of our shoulders through our dear brother and fellow student, Nick Thomson. The students raised nearly three thousand dollars to meet Marty’s desperate physical and spiritual need. Soon after the money was collected, it was decided that Nick Thompson and Nick Frodermann should set off for Michigan to share the Gospel with him. Though the road wasn’t easy and it even took a few days to find Marty, God opened the right doors and they were finally able to meet with him. Back in Windsor, the Beta students began to fight for all of the “Martys” in their lives, which marked the beginning of “Operation 5000 Martys.” The Beta students celebrated all God had done during the semester with a graduation ceremony on December 17.

Winter/Spring 2011: Selah On January 10, 2011, the first ever five-week Selah began. The days and weeks were filled with much quiet and reflection, and a whole lot of Jesus! One night, the Advanced students gathered together for “Family Time” and had an evening full of spiritual preparation for the weeks ahead. They confessed sin the Spirit had revealed and aligned themselves as a body with the Lord. It was a time of breaking, and though brutally hard on the soul, the Selah as a whole was a time of much growth and the students emerged stronger on the other side.

Winter/Spring 2011: Windsor Gamma On February 14, we kickstarted the Winter/Spring 2011 semester of Ellerslie Basic with a welcoming banquet, and were graced by the presence of some special guests, the His Little Feet kiddos. They performed several songs for our new students, and, oh, what a glorious time it was! The first week of the semester was full of laying foundations, and by week two the body as a whole was forgiving and seeking forgiveness from those the Lord had placed on their hearts. We said goodbye to His Little Feet, as they headed out to tour the East Coast. The third week was full of wrestling and revival. Many of the students came to grips with the Gospel and were forever changed by the power of God. The tradition of the victory shout was solidified and many students reckoned themselves dead indeed unto sin but alive unto God through Jesus Christ. At one point, the men of

Ellerslie faced a bit of conflict amongst themselves that had not taken place in the previous semesters. However, God won the day and there was reconciliation. It was a precious joy to see them unite in victory and stand strong in the unity of our Lord. Throughout the nine weeks, God faithfully brought people into our midst who were ripe for reckoning with the Gospel. Whether they were potential students visiting, family members of current students, or even family members on the phone, many were changed by the massive work God was orchestrating in bringing people into a living, breathing new life with Him! Great, unquenchable joy filled us as we saw the power of God at work in the body of Christ. The last week was filled with great expectancy, and after graduation on April 17, most of the Basic students left the beautiful little town of Windsor to follow God’s leading. Those who stayed and became Advanced students launched right into the next Selah.

Spring/Summer 2011: Selah During the Spring Selah, God has continued to press His burdens upon our hearts. We’ve spent countless hours in prayer for the lost and have allowed God to use us as His hands and feet. We’ve seen great revival begin at the University of Northern Colorado, have become more aware and eager to do something about the orphan crisis around the world, and have sought out more opportunities to love and serve the community around us. Throughout this time, God has continued to knit our hearts together as we stand side by side and march ever onward, closer to Him. These last five weeks have been a crowning jewel for many of the Advanced students. As the time at Ellerslie is coming to a close for some of us, we eagerly await the adventures that God will take us on, and are thrilled at the thought that every single day that goes by brings us one day closer to seeing our Jesus face to face. A main theme of Ellerslie has been to know the Gospel, share it with others, and live it out on a daily basis. We have learned that by the power of Christ, true and victorious Christianity can be realized today. God has worked mightily at Ellerslie, breaking, molding, and transforming us into the blessed image of Jesus Christ. He undoubtedly has a great plan for this powerful training ground, and He will use its soldiers to empower and rescue a dying generation with the Gospel of Jesus Christ. The full reality of the Gospel will be known in Windsor, Colorado and the uttermost parts of the earth!

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“I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me:

and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God,

who loved me, and gave himself for me.”

Galatians 2:20

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“I feel so utterly dependent,” I wrote a few days after driving fourteen hundred miles across the United States and finding myself back in the life I’d come from ten weeks earlier, “and it doesn’t look like I’ll be growing out of it anytime soon.”

The training ground of Ellerslie was a time I look back on with soul-deep joy. I was excited about coming home to the spiritual battles among the people I know best and love most, but I also knew it would be a test to see how strong I stood in Jesus Christ. This was where Jesus needed to take me from being surrounded by the Gospel to having my life look like the Gospel. I remember the day the Selah winter began, a few weeks after our semester ended. I listened to Eric’s welcome to the Advanced students with an intense feeling that I was missing out. Everything within me longed to be part of what was continuing to take place. “The Furthering,” I called it. I left my muffins baking in the oven and went upstairs to a dark room. I needed to pray. I knew God had distinctly called me back home, I knew His hand was on me, I knew His Spirit would sustain me, but I needed to be strengthened in the call. The words of First John poured into my mind: "The anointing which ye have received of him abideth in you, and ye need not that any man teach you." But… isn’t that Paul’s Christianity? Don't I need God plus the teaching of Eric Ludy? God plus E l le rs l ie? No. I need God. In unmistakable black and white, I see Jesus saying, “Come to Me… and learn of Me." I’m not being left behind. He wants to teach me Himself. He wants to give me Himself. It keeps going back to dependence. “Do not in any way expect to go home and do it yourself,” a former student told me. “You have to realize how absolutely dependent you are on Jesus for every single moment.” And so it became my prayer, morning breathed and heart desperate: “Jesus, I need You today.”

Those days the alarm goes off in early darkness and I must choose whether I’ll give way to extra sleep or extra time in God’s presence. “Jesus, I need You.” Those days I give my last stretch of energy to a youth center crowded with kids who bring out frustrations I didn’t know I had and keep me pausing in the middle of moments, blurry-eyed, to cry out for love. “Jesus, I need You.” Those days I look into the eyes of a new believer and wonder how to show her what the Gospel looks like in her life of constant ridicule for her Jesus-stand and every day danger from the abusive father in that run-down trailer park. “Jesus, I need You.” Those days when my job feels like just a job and I get home at the end of a long day and

feel like I have nothing left for my family. “Jesus, I need You.” Those days the temptation comes to take just a little downtime and I need Spirit-power to say “no” because I am pursuing something Higher. “Jesus, I need You.” Those days when I wait for a delayed email from the other side of the world, needing an answer so I can buy tickets, yet resting in timing more perfect than mine. “Jesus, I need You.”

Not once have I been disappointed. Not once has He failed to respond to my neediness. He works His power in my weakness and He gives the enabling grace that propels me forward into the richness of life abundant. He shows me what is not just good, but most important. He reminds me if I have not love, it profits nothing. “Nothing” doesn’t leave very much room for self-goodness. I love the feeling of looking back over the time

since Ellerslie and seeing I’ve gone deeper with Jesus, but realizing it’s nothing compared to where I could be in a few months, a few years, what’s left of my lifetime. He is so beautifully endless in His capacity to be known. This place of dependence is a place I wouldn’t trade for the world because it’s teaching me how capable He is. It’s that right arm of strength upholding me, and it’s feeding on His faithfulness. It’s that place of wearing a soul smile that knows I lack nothing even when the world is calling me deprived.Ian Thomas was right when he said this life we are living is impossible. Romans 12 sums that up rather nicely: verse after verse stacked with defining qua l i t i e s una t t a i nab l e even i n superheroes: “Let love be without

dissimulation...abhor that which is evil...cleave to that wh ich is good. . . re jo ic ing in hope. . .pat ient in tribulation...continuing instant in prayer...be not overcome of evil...overcome evil with good.” It’s not to create overwhelming despair, we have to realize; it’s a pointing invitation. Look to the life that is in Christ. Let Him do these things in you. Don’t even try a trial run in your own strength. Come to Him and allow your heart to prepare the way of the Lord. We miss so much when we perform; we gain so much when God indwells.

My prayer is that Almighty God would enable me with the grace to wield the sword more skillfully in Lancaster than I did at Ellerslie. I desire to go above and beyond where I have been, to spend much time in prayer, to lace up my shoes and rise to my feet with a new resolve and a bigger vision. There’s more of my life that needs to be given, more weight still to be leaned, more casting myself at His feet that needs to take place, more of God’s heart to be gained. His blood-dipped ring has sealed our lives and we are to live like it. May we walk worthy.

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Being Left Behind? By Ervina Barkman - Alumni

Photo by Josh Kinabrew

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Sweet conviction, oh what blissMy Jesus set me free!

't is such joy to feel His rodGently probing me

I will not listen to the lieThat 't is unkind or cruel

't would be much worse to stumble onWithout His gentle rule

His guiding hand ever uponTo comfort, probe and keep

't would be sorry, without a shepherdTo be a wayward sheep

But do not tremble, dread or fearOur Lord is at the helm

He knows the things that must be doneTo reach the heavenly realm

So gently will He guide usThrough valleys of death and life

And we will reach that sweeter landNo more to harbor strife

But e'er to dance before our King“All glory honor and praise”

Will be the song we love to singAnd worship all our days.

Inspired by the session Pain~ Given by Eric Ludy

Sweet Conviction By Kourtney Priest - Advanced Student

The Secret Place By Christy Osborne - Advanced Student

Meet me in the secret placeDraw me in to You

Empty me of myselfBreak me, make me new

Hold me in the secret placeLet all else fade away

Hide me underneath Your wingsAnd teach me there to stay

Feed me in the secret placeOh precious Bread of Life

You are my Portion, and only YouCan truly satisfy

Consume me in the secret placeOh Lord, rain down Your fire

‘Till all I am is only YoursAnd You’re my one desire

Build me in the secret placeTrain my hands for war

Send me out to fight and winThe reward You suffered for Photo by Leslie Bugg

Photo by Brooke Berberich

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Alpha SemesterMay 31 - August 15

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Number of Alpha Students: 56Ratio of Guys to Girls: 12 : 44

States Represented: 24Countries Represented: 6

Oldest Student: Steve RosenYoungest Student: Sarah Cedras

The Ben Zornes Song of the Semester: Full Possession

“When you ask to see God do you realize you are asking for a death?” - Ben Zornes

“Jesus was restrained by the Father to do only what the Father was doing, and You are to be restrained by the Spirit to do only what Jesus is doing!” - Eric Ludy

“You’re looking for counselors, there are 66 in the Bible.” - Eric Ludy

“When we pray in the name of Jesus, we carry the authority of heaven.” - Eric Ludy

“God is not interested in you doing this for Him, He is interested in doing things THROUGH you.” - Eric Ludy

“Questions are like lettuce for your spiritual digestive system!” - Ben Zornes

“He wants to free you from you, to be about Him!” - Eric Ludy

“I’m glad our God is not the guy with a pony-tail who wants to toss a frisbee with His saints.” - Eric Ludy

“Everything in this world is designed to oppose your forward movement!” - Eric Ludy

“How bad can Amalekite sheep be?” - Grace McConnaughey

Semester Statistics

Top Semester Quotes

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AlaskaMegan BrucknerArizonaErica PajakArkansasMichelle TolomeoCaliforniaChelsea GoochMaranda JilesAaron KinabrewJosh Kinabrew*Bri TablerGabriella VehrsColoradoBrooke BerberichLeah CoenGrace, McConnaughey, Staff InternBen Zornes, Staff InternFloridaThaysse Costa*Madison Morton*Nathan RogersGeorgiaNikolai EllisonCourtney Wieszchowski*Mike Wieszchowski*IdahoJohn FosterIllinoisAmy Meyers*IowaSamantha AllgoodCarrie PerrineMichiganSusanna DeSotaMinnesotaSteve Rosen*New HampshireRachel Cedras*Sarah CedrasNew MexicoLeah MorfordKelsey NannemannKelsey Ortwerth

New YorkElizabeth Gambee*OhioRachel BakerTessa Hershberger*OklahomaKourtney PriestOregonMelodious Echo MasonPennsylvaniaDavid ErfleyMegan ErfleyMandy Saeler*Camille WhittedSouth Carolina Ben McElmurray,*Alyssa Pinkham,TennesseeKala Fullner,Melissa Sehar,TexasTheresa Gonzalez,**Penny Jones,**Katy KisskoVirginiaHannah StovallWisconsin Erin (Moore) JonasJames JonasLeRoy JonasChelsea MillsCanadaBronwyn GrayPhilippinesEugenice Grace PalaruanFrench CaribbeanElisa AventurinHaitiEstherline CelestinSouth AfricaMarlene deVente*

*Currently living in CO** part time student

Alpha Class Roster

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Beta SemesterOctober 11 - December 17

“Fact is fact. Truth is Truth. It does not matter how you feel. We do not listen to our feelings. We believe the truth of God's word.” - Eric Ludy

“Real faith is life and death kind of stuff.” - Nathan Johnson

“My calling is Jesus. It never changes. My position in life can change, but our focus isn't supposed to be there... but on our calling.” - Nathan Johnson

“If Christianity isn't practical, it is useless.” - Eric Ludy

“We are to be holy as He is holy. If we deny that in our lives, we are proclaiming to the world that His power is not enough.” - Ben Zornes

“Real Christianity is the ultimate exchange of my life in Christ's. You cannot just fit Jesus into your life. Our lives must be built around Him.” - Leslie Ludy

“If you want to live the Christian life, you will have to realize that Someone Else has to be in control.” - Eric Ludy

“Jesus says if you want to have me, you must give up that other thing that has you.” - Eric Ludy

"The road to martyrdom is paved with a thousand daily deaths." - Ben Zornes

"You cannot have complete joy without complete surrender." -Elsje Bothe

Number of Beta Students: 50Ratio of Guys to Girls: 11 : 39

States Represented: 22Countries Represented: 3

Oldest Student: Pat O’Brien Youngest Student: Kristyn McIntyre

The Ben Zornes Songs of the Semester: The Glory Due Your Name, God Most High

Semester Statistics

Top Semester Quotes

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AlabamaCarlee ClarkeArkansasMelinda KaneyCaliforniaLea Gooch*ConnecticutElizabeth RibeiroColoradoChase CollinsRachel HartmanMicah McConnaugheySarah RiceJosiah SchroederJohnny WescheIllinoisNick Thompson*Lauren Torres*Elizabeth WacaserIndianaAlex EhrhardtKristen MontgomeryKristi WitekMaineKristyn McIntyreLarissa SimondsMassachusettsAmelia Arnold*Katie McKennaMichiganNick Frodermann*Melissa HaleHeather Newkirk*MissouriAbbie DearingNevadaChante Owens*

New MexicoHeather HopeNew YorkRhea DuranNorth CarolinaDrew Cochrane*Julianna StuckeyOregonNathan Bedard*Olivia BedardBriawna MuellerPennsylvaniaErvina BarkmanDanielle LeavittMegan LeavittTennesseNathan Johnson, Staff InternTexasJoy Skero,WashingtonLexcie WearWest VirginiaKaitlin MontgomeryWisconsin Erica HansonSarah JacksonPat O’BrienKarissa Rose*CanadaEvelina GavrilovaAmanda GlanzNicole Griffiths*Robert GriffithsAvelina PoliashovSouth AfricaGerda Aartsma*Elsje Bothe

*Currently living in CO

Beta Class Roster

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Gamma SemesterFebruary 14 - April 17

“Be a man, Bride of Christ!” - Ben Zornes

“You could take just a slice of the gospel and study it for over a month of your life.” - Eric Ludy

“A heart set-apart is closed to everything that is contrary to the nature of God.” - Grace McConnaughey

“You do not sit at the feet of Jesus so you can correct others. It is not your job to convict; it’s the Holy Spirit’s.” - Thaysse Costa

“Jesus may be your homeboy, but if He isn’t your Savior and Lord, you’re still going to hell.” - Ben Zornes

“When I add an extra “kak” to “ekkakeo” I’m adding the blubber to the flab. So if I say “ekakakeo” that means you’re really unhealthy… Don’t listen to me right now… blubber ring…jiggle, jiggle, jiggle.” - Eric Ludy

Number of Beta Students: 40Ratio of Guys to Girls: 15 : 25

States Represented: 16Countries Represented: 2

Oldest Student: Steve Osborne Youngest Student: Daniel Osborne

The Ben Zornes Song of the Semester: Awake

Semester Statistics

Top Semester Quotes

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ay 22, 2011CaliforniaLeslie BuggAmity Ferguson*David Ferguson*ColoradoCaleb AndersonJason BrentHannah CoenJosh KaufmanChris PetersheimJohn SchroederFloridaAlison GilhooleyGeorgiaMay KramerIdahoKayla BlountMary FosterSarah MillerChristy OsborneDaniel OsborneDavid OsborneKelly OsborneMary OsborneSteve OsborneIndianaChami Ayres*Tim Meier**Krista Mitchell**

*Currently living in CO

KentuckyRebekah Van HornVictoria Van HornMichiganBreana OstranderMontanaAmanda KurtzNew HampshireBeth WheelerOhioMicah PoteetOklahomaGrant LindseyPennsylvaniaRachel BeallHannah BeilerChris BlaiseTexasHannah BottomWashingtonKramer O’KeefeChelsea PetersonWisconsin Shalea Nellis*Paul SplinterCanadaJacie AllardJodi Tuckett

** part time student

Gamma Class Roster

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Alumni InterviewsBy Nik Ellison and Kelsey Nannemann - Advanced Students

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1. What have you been doing since Ellerslie?

Josiah Schroeder: Working, praying, digging into God's word, and watching God do “exceeding abundantly above what I could ask or think” (Eph. 3:20) or conjure up in my wild imagination. I have never prayed so hard, so long, and so much in my life! Not just in the morning and at night. God showed me a way to able to pray ALL day! “Oh, what a Jesus!” as Nathan Johnson would say! God’s Word has become so alive to me it is like a new view of my King every time I open it! He is changing me through His Word.

Pat O’Brien: I jumped right back into my role here at The Wilderness Fellowship Ministries.  It was strange to be back home and honestly, the transition was more difficult than what I had expected.  I was tremendously blessed by my time at Ellerslie -  the rest I found, the friends I made, and the truths I learned and experienced were a wonderful gift from my Savior.   

Elisa Aventurin: Since I left Ellerslie, I have been back in England to finish my course in Politics (I am graduating this July.) The Lord opened doors for me to serve more in my community with the homeless and also share about Christ with my Muslim friends. I was in Haiti for the second time in March/April 2011 as the Lord miraculously provided. This year I am the women’s leader with my sister Shunelle and our campus fellowship is growing in maturity and fear of the Lord which is an answer to prayer!

Bronwyn Gray: Getting home to my church, youth group, and Young Adults group there, God really filled me with this sense of joy and deep 'knowing' that I was exactly where He wanted (and still wants) me to be. To contrast this year, compared to where I was this time last year, God has grown me so much, and I'm so blessed and encouraged by Him - it's almost unbelievable! I feel like I've walked into something He's already been doing. With this life He's given me, I don't want to start something, but rather how can I jump in and be a part of what He's up to? He's at work! Even when all around me I see deception, dry bones, and great lack, I know He's raised us all up for 'such a time as this.'

Melinda Kaney: After leaving Ellerslie, I spent about 2 months at home, continuing my job as a pediatric nurse and spending time with the high school girls at my church. Honestly, the adjustment home from Ellerslie was challenging, and I had plenty of opportunities to 'answer the accuser' in my own life. It was not always a victorious, standing-firm-on-truth walk during those few months, but it showed me my desperate need for Him, my own inadequacy to do anything 'right' on my own, and kept bringing me back to the foot of the cross.  The beginning of March I moved to Freetown, Sierra Leone to work with Mercy Ships as a nurse on their hospital ship. The past few months have been some of the most challenging and most growing times in my life. My eyes have been opened to, and my heart overwhelmed by, the great needs of this continent.

Josiah Schroeder Melinda KaneyElisa Aventurin

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John Schroeder: God has taught and is still teaching me how important it is to be made well in the private life and how important it is to stay focused on Christ.

David Erfley: There's a big difference between obeying God's word out of a sincere love for Him and obeying it out of sheer duty. I've known that for some time – but actually putting it into practice is something different entirely. C.S. Lewis wrote, “A perfect man would never act from a sense of duty; he’d always want the right thing more than the wrong one. Duty is only a substitute for love (of God and of other people) like a crutch which is a substitute for a leg. Most of us need the crutch at times; but of course it is idiotic to use the crutch when our own legs (our own loves, tastes, habits etc.) can do the journey on their own.” My prayers have changed from “help me obey you, Lord” to “Lord, give me the joy you promise so that I want to obey you.”

Bri Tabler: One of the major things that God has shown me is what it actually means to rejoice in persecution. It's something I have always believed, but only felt the gravity of recently. I have been reviled more than I ever imagined, and as a result have felt the power of God's love and embrace more than I ever knew. It is sweet beyond words.

Bronwyn Gray: As a star in Daniel 12:3 - He is teaching me to shine, still building me up in the secret place, and is also teaching me to have a totally God-centered perspective. I guess you could say He's teaching me patience and faith but also love, diligence, and to fear Him alone, seeking to be pure and pleasing always.

Estherline Celestin: When I was at Ellerslie, I don’t really understand if I had this power to speak the word of God! When I’m sharing the Gospel in Haiti, God gives me His Word, not me speaking but the Spirit of God speaking in me! That’s amazing! When I’m speaking the Word of God, I find a lot of things to say and I cannot stop me! God continues to teach me that without a job, He can take care of me! And use me to take care of others!

Melinda Kaney: Lately, God has been teaching me much about abiding. Especially here, in Africa, with countless desperate hurting people, I have felt at a loss about what I could do to help, and what difference one person could make. As I've been reading John 15 and the analogy of the vine and the branch, it started to make sense. The branch itself isn't responsible for and doesn't worry about producing fruit. The branch's responsibility is to stay connected to the vine so the life-giving sap of the vine can flow through it, and that alone is what causes the branch to bear fruit. My purpose is to abide, to find my everything in Him and Him alone, and He then gives the increase.

Bronwyn Gray John Schroeder Esterline Celestin

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3. How can we pray for you?

Josiah Schroeder: Pray that God would continue to rise in my life so that his enemies will scatter (Psalm 68:1). Pray that He would give me His wisdom as He gives me a flock and says, “Feed my sheep”. Pray that I would never grow weary and faint but that my hand would cleave to the sword as I run straight into the lion’s lair, shouting, “For the King and His Glory!!!”

John Schroeder: I have been going through some really strange things since I left Ellerslie. For example, my health is very poor, I am having a very hard time connecting with my church and family, work isn’t going very well, etc. Pray that I won’t let these things hinder me in my walk with Christ.

David Erfley: I want the courage to be weird to those around me. I see God as a big God with big plans for my life, marriage, and hometown. Acting on those is painfully embarrassing at times, especially when it seems like so few share the same hope and vision. I want to find my righteousness in Jesus alone, so that I can stand confident when I fail, and humble when I succeed. I want to be willing to suffer shame or embarrassment to follow the Holy Spirit's leading, but more than anything I want to want each of these things more.

Pat O’Brien: 1) I stay connected to Jesus for strength and patience as we move into a very busy and stressful season here at the ministry.  2) Keep my priorities in order.  3) Wisdom in guiding my family.  

Elisa Aventurin: The Lord recently confirmed that He wants me to serve Him in Haiti from September 2011. I will be there as an independent missionary which means that I will not be ‘working’ for any ministry and will need to raise my own support. Please pray for my time of preparation. My flesh is weak but my spirit willing. I just want to do what He wants, I just want to bring Him glory and see Haitians restored through knowing Him. He wants me to count my life cheap so that He can do what He desires, please pray that I will not hinder Him and find my all in Him. I know He has a perfect plan!

Bri Tabler: I have to move out of my apartment mid-June. My housemates asked me to stop bringing homeless people to our house, so this is a great opportunity to move into a place where the homeless can have a home. Unfortunately, I haven't been able to find anyone who is comfortable with living with me under those conditions. I would love prayer for a miracle: either housing that I can afford to live in by myself, or a girl who has a heart for the broken, the addicted, the marginalized, and the overlooked. I would be so blessed by your prayers in this area.

Estherline Celestin: Please pray for me for God's wisdom, Provision and protection. I have project to help some Haitian’s Children go to school in September, I’m just thinking and working on that, I will let you know about that then you can see how the Ellerslie students can help or encourage with that!

Melinda Kaney: Please be in prayer that God would continue to take me deeper in Him, that He would teach me what it truly means to abide, and that He would fill me yet never satisfy me. Every day I am begging for more of Him, and a greater awareness of His presence. Please also pray for clear direction whether I am to return to work at the children's hospital back home, or if I am to stay to West Africa long-term. I want God to do whatever it takes to engrain in me the secret of a poured-out life, to be an Amy Carmichael or Gladys Aylward to the forgotten and unloved.

David Erfly Bri Tabler Pat O’Brien

15

“We are fools for Christ’s sake.”1 Corinthians 4:10a

The lilacs are blooming in abundance and early morning walks around the neighborhood are again bearable, which means that summer is soon approaching and an entire year has gone by since the first semester of Ellerslie began. It was the evening of May 31, 2010, and fifty-three brave (and nervous) students stood outside the chapel doors, waiting for the first-ever Ellerslie Banquet to begin. About five hours later the banquet was over, and the Alpha class had wasted no time establishing its legendary love for the microphone (thanks to an unplanned invitation from Hudson Ludy). Since that memorable night, ninety-six men and women have graduated from Ellerslie Basic Training over the course of three semesters. Within that time, numerous friends and family members have had the great privilege of visiting the campus and getting their own small taste of Ellerslie. Having been a student for a year now, I’ve many times walked into Corporate Stillness in the morning to find several of these new faces - moms, dads, brothers, sisters, and even grandparents - and I’m always left wondering, What do they think this place, this atmosphere, this way of life? After all, we do some pretty strange things around here. We sit still. We pray through the night. We limit our time on the internet. We get up to pray while the moon is still out. And some of the things we talk about here, well, let’s just say we might be accused of having our heads a bit up in the clouds. Death to self. Victorious battles against the enemy. Triumph over sin. Wielded swords. Poured-out compassion for the least. Persistent prayer. Honorable conduct. Holy affections. Unwavering faith. Courageous audacity. The unchanging Word of God. Tireless intercession.

A carried cross. A martyr’s crown. An all-powerful and mighty God. These are the things we sing about, talk about, learn about, read about, pray about, and write about. Together, they reflect a firm foundation, an unshakable conviction that, though the world may call us fools and the modern Church may reason us naïve radicals, Jesus Christ is alive. He is enthroned, sitting at the right hand of God, ruling above all authority, power and dominion. Though He was crucified upon a bloody cross and darkness appeared to prevail, though it seemed the eleventh hour had passed - heaven triumphed, death was defeated, and Jesus walked out of the grave with a heavenly swagger and the powers of hell beneath His feet. This is the truth that compels us to pray for the impossible, attempt the impractical, and expect the unprecedented. It is the truth that gives us the audacity to declare the body of sin destroyed and reckon Romans six our reality. It is the truth that allows us to laugh at billowing waves and smile at the thought of death. It is the truth that makes us willing to appear as incoherent fools and unintelligible children in the eyes of those who believe otherwise. And it is the truth by which we need not be daunted by skeptical onlookers and suspicious misconceptions. A new semester of Ellerslie will begin in just a few weeks, and soon the campus will be teeming with nearly one hundred new students who are hungry for a Christianity that works and a Truth that becomes their reality. And as the students pour in, a growing number of spectators will continue to look on from the outside, eager to monitor our methods and debate our doctrines. They will raise their eyebrows in question of our claims, and they will watch with an eagle eye, ready to cry, “Farce!” They will label us to be narrow-minded legalists and wishful-thinking romantics. Let it be so. Let them do as they wish. Let them even call us fools. Jesus Christ is still alive - and we will not believe otherwise. For we remain convinced of an empty tomb and a reigning King. We stand immovable upon a Rock we have felt to be firm, a joy we have tasted to be true, and a power we have perceived to be unmatched. We have made our decision and we will not be afraid of a doubting world. We shall spend our energy on what the world deems worthless, and we shall defend the Word of God to the grave. We shall not shrink back when we are misunderstood and we shall not diminish Truth to save our reputation. We shall be fools - for Chris’s sake!

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ay 22, 2011We Shall be FoolsBy Tessa Hershberger - Advanced Student

Photo by Melody Mason

www.ellerslie.com Want to submit a comment or article? E-mail Ben Zornes at ben@ellerslie.com

Unless otherwise noted, all quoted scripture is from the King James Version.

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AlabamaCarlee Clarke, BetaAlaskaMegan Bruckner, AlphaArizonaErica Pajak, AlphaArkansasMelinda Kaney, BetaMichelle Tolomeo, AlphaCaliforniaLeslie Bugg, GammaAmity Ferguson, Gamma*David Ferguson, Gamma*Chelsea Gooch, AlphaLea Gooch, Beta*Maranda Jiles, AlphaAaron Kinabrew, AlphaJosh Kinabrew, Alpha*Bri Tabler, AlphaGabriella Vehrs, AlphaConnecticutElizabeth Ribeiro, BetaColoradoCaleb Anderson, GammaBrooke Berberich, AlphaJason Brent, GammaHannah Coen, GammaLeah Coen, AlphaChase Collins, BetaRachel Hartman, BetaJosh Kaufman, GammaGrace, McConnaughey Alpha Staff InternMicah McConnaughey, BetaChris Petersheim, GammaSarah Rice, BetaJohn Schroeder, GammaJosiah Schroeder, BetaJohnny Wesche, BetaBen Zornes, Alpha Staff InternFloridaThaysse Costa, Alpha*Alison Gilhooley, GammaMadison Morton, Alpha*Nathan Rogers, AlphaGeorgiaNikolai Ellison, AlphaMay Kramer, GammaCourtney Wieszchowski, Alpha*Mike Wieszchowski, Alpha*

IdahoKayla Blount, GammaJohn Foster, AlphaMary Foster, GammaSarah Miller, GammaChristy Osborne, GammaDaniel Osborne, GammaDavid Osborne, GammaKelly Osborne, GammaMary Osborne, GammaSteve Osborne, GammaIllinoisAmy Meyers, Alpha*Nick Thompson, Beta*Lauren Torres, Beta*Elizabeth Wacaser, BetaIndianaChami Ayres, Gamma*Alex Ehrhardt, BetaTim Meier, Gamma**Krista Mitchell, Gamma**Kristen Montgomery, BetaKristi Witek, BetaIowaSamantha Allgood, AlphaCarrie Perrine, AlphaKentuckyRebekah Van Horn, GammaVictoria Van Horn, GammaMaineKristyn McIntyre, BetaLarissa Simonds, BetaMassachusettsAmelia Arnold, Beta*Katie McKenna, BetaMichiganSusanna DeSota, AlphaNick Frodermann, Beta*Melissa Hale, BetaHeather Newkirk, Beta*Breana Ostrander, GammaMinnesotaSteve Rosen, Alpha*MissouriAbbie Dearing, BetaMontanaAmanda Kurtz, Gamma

NevadaChante Owens, Beta*New HampshireRachel Cedras, Alpha*Sarah Cedras, AlphaBeth Wheeler, GammaNew MexicoHeather Hope, BetaLeah Morford, AlphaKelsey Nannemann, AlphaKelsey Ortwerth, AlphaNew YorkRhea Duran, BetaElizabeth Gambee, Alpha*North CarolinaDrew Cochrane, Beta*Julianna Stuckey, BetaOhioRachel Baker, AlphaTessa Hershberger, Alpha*Micah Poteet, GammaOklahomaGrant Lindsey, GammaKourtney Priest, AlphaOregonNathan Bedard, Beta*Olivia Bedard, BetaMelodious Echo Mason, AlphaBriawna Mueller, BetaPennsylvaniaErvina Barkman, BetaRachel Beall, GammaHannah Beiler, GammaChris Blaise, GammaDavid Erfley, AlphaMegan Erfley, AlphaDanielle Leavitt, BetaMegan Leavitt, BetaMandy Saeler, Alpha*Camille Whitted, AlphaSouth Carolina Ben McElmurray, Alpha*Alyssa Pinkham, AlphaTennesseeKala Fullner, AlphaMelissa Sehar, AlphaNathan Johnson, Beta Staff Intern

TexasHannah Bottom, GammaTheresa Gonzalez, AlphaPenny Jones, AlphaKaty Kissko, AlphaJoy Skero, BetaVirginiaHannah Stovall, AlphaWashingtonKramer O’Keefe, GammaChelsea Peterson, GammaLexcie Wear, BetaWest VirginiaKaitlin Montgomery, BetaWisconsin Erica Hanson, BetaSarah Jackson, BetaErin (Moore) Jonas, AlphaJames Jonas, AlphaLeRoy Jonas, AlphaChelsea Mills, AlphaShalea Nellis, Gamma*Pat O’Brien, BetaKarissa Rose, Beta*Paul Splinter, Gamma

CanadaJacie Allard, GammaEvelina Gavrilova, BetaAmanda Glanz, BetaBronwyn Gray, AlphaNicole Griffiths, Beta*Robert Griffiths, BetaAvelina Poliashov, BetaJodi Tuckett, GammaPhilippinesEugenice Grace Palaruan, AlphaFrench CaribbeanElisa Aventurin, AlphaHaitiEstherline Celestin, AlphaSouth AfricaGerda Aartsma, Beta*Elsje Bothe, BetaMarlene deVente, Alpha*

*Currently living in CO** part time student

WritersErvina BarkmanDrew Cochrane

Nik EllisonTessa HershbergerKelsey Nannemann

Christy OsborneKourtney Priest

EditorsTessa Hershberger

Amy Meyers

Photography & Design

Ben McElmurray

Total Number of Students: 146Ratio of Guys to Girls: 38 : 108

States represented: 36Countries represented: 6

Oldest Student: Steve OsborneYoungest Student: Daniel OsborneAverage Student Body Age: 21.7

Duplicate Names: Four:Hannah - Rachel - Sarah Three:Amanda (Mandy) - Brianna (Briawna, Breana) - Chelsea - David - Elizabeth - John - Leah (Lea) - Megan - Nathan - Nick (Nik)Two:Ben - Chris - Christy (Kristi) - Courtney (Kourtney) - Erica - Grace - Heather - Josh - Kala (Kayla) - Katie (Katy) - Kelsey - Kristen (Kristyn) - Mary - Melissa - Micah - Steve

First Year of Ellerslie Statistics

Alumni Roster: Summer 2010 - Spring 2011