New location, samepriorities

Coming to Bethany Collegewas definitely a step out of my comfort zone.Going from a fast paced suburb of Dallas, Texas, to rural Bethany, WestVirginia, was undeniably a transition. This transition was full of manyadjustments — moving from flat plains to the AppalachianMountains, a warmer climate to a colder climate, family a room away to family being hundreds of miles away, and a densely populatedtown to a town with a very scarce population. The two places are asdifferent as night and day, for example the nearest movie theater to mein Allen, Texas, is a two-minute drive as opposed to a good 30-minutedrive when I’m in Bethany.

All of the differences made me changesome aspects of my living, for instance how seldom I now ate out atfast food restaurants. I no longer have the option of using a cellphone because a lack of service in the Bethany area.Although many of the changes I had to make were because of thespecific place I had chosen to attend college, I found that the hardestchanges weren’t unique to me. In fact, they were probably the changesthat most college kids go through all of the time.

The changes ofleaving home, no matter how far away, center on becoming moreindependent. College life is something totally different then what youwere use to before and with college life having priorities is key. Whenit comes to priorities, I’m sure many people wouldagree that taking time for God seems to become a challenge once youenter college. Or at least it seemed that way for me compared to theexperiences I had before as an active youth involved in activities withmy home church.

This challenge to stay connected to my spiritualityseemed at first so hard because I was adjusting to all of thedifferences. I also wasn’t sure where to begin because what I had knownbefore was no longer true. However, I soon found a new home at BethanyMemorial Church and became involved in campus ministries. I am veryblessed to share the ministry experiences I now engage in at Bethany.They all have enabled spiritual growth and I am surrounded with a newsupportive community of believer’s.

From this experience I discoveredthat I knew that although it may seem like a challenge to lead aspiritual life, it is more of a challenge to lead a life without aconcern for spirituality. Also, when you find yourself in anuncomfortable or different place it could just be an opportunity toexperience God’s glory in a new way.

Rebekah Cypert is inher secondyear as a HELM Leadership Fellow and isa member of First Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) in McKinney,Texas.