Our road to seminary

Not even two years ago, seminary was the furthest thing from our minds. We were living in Winnipeg and life was going well. Lavonne was working as a dietician. I was unemployed due to the closure of the agriculture business I worked for, but for the time being I was fine with that.

We took a month’s holiday in Greece in September 2001. For two weeks, we relaxed on various Greek islands (highly recommended). We spent the other two weeks at a Bible camp, where we partook of daily Bible exploration, interacted with other Christians, and participated in activities around the area. In hindsight, we see it was there that God began working in us, challenging us to think more seriously about our relationships with Him.

Don and Lavonne Harms

Then we were back in Winnipeg, wishing we were still in Greece. I did not get a job I thought would be my future and we experienced a death in the immediate family. I had been struggling with what God wanted me to be doing and then this happened. Soon afterwards my pastor asked if I had ever thought about seminary. Fat chance! How could we leave when our family needed us? That very same day a friend of Lavonne’s told her she could see me working in a church. Coincidence? I think not.

While we were still thinking that seminary was out of the question, we accompanied a group of about a dozen youth on a visit to MB Biblical Seminary in Fresno, California. It was a wonderful weekend and we both left with a feeling that we would return.

A month later we finally decided that God was leading us to seminary. It was not an easy decision. We would be leaving much of how we defined who we were – our house, the cars we drove, our jobs. But was this how we really wanted to define ourselves?

I also didn’t think I was qualified to go to seminary. It continues to be a tough lesson to learn, but God enables if we are faithful. We both felt that if we were going to make such a large change in life, it had to be really large. For me to simply go back to school in Winnipeg after being out for six years wasn’t enough. The experience of moving to a different culture (Fresno is very different from Winnipeg) is so enriching.

Our time in Fresno has been great, although I can’t say it is always easy. There have been adjustments such as tight finances, more reading than I have ever done, and being away from friends and family. But it is so clear to us that this is where we are to be right now. God is continuing to work in our lives as we come to learn more about Him and depend on Him more.

The close community at Seminary has been great. Lavonne’s and my relationship has never been tested more, but we have also never been closer. We greatly miss our friends and family, but at the same time are excited about the many ways God is enriching our lives.

Where is God leading us? We’re not sure, and that’s OK. We know that in following Him we can’t go wrong. I’m taking a Master of Divinity degree and will graduate in spring 2005. Lavonne is working as a dietician and also taking a Diploma in Christian Studies. We appreciate your prayers for us as we continue in studies and experience God’s work in our lives.

Don and Lavonne Harms are members of Fort Garry MB Church, Winnipeg.