Photo by Tony Cece

Wednesday, September 18, 2013

Law Students Make International Impact

Ra Hee Jeon participating in a
WHC fundraising event.
Photo courtesy of Ra Hee Jeon
By Brett Wilson
September 12, 2013

Though school was out of session for most Regent University School of Law students during summer break, serious issues such as assault and human tracking do not take a hiatus.

The Center for Global Justice, Human Rights, and the Rule of Law interns understood this as they traveled to different corners of the world, following the Biblical calling of "seeking justice" and "encouraging the oppressed."

One Global Justice intern, Kellisia Hazelwood, 3L, spent her summer interning at Dream Ghana, combatting the legal issues revolving around gender-based violence unfurling within many of the country's schools. Hazelwood, along with Dream Ghana, worked to support the efforts of the Human Rights Advocacy in Africa.

Hazelwood explained that in the nation of Ghana, many women attending schools are being abused, kidnapped and raped simply because of their gender. Her work with Dream Ghana entailed educating parents and students and giving presentations to raise awareness of this issue.

As the summer progressed, Hazelwood was encouraged by the number of people who would attend the trials of perpetrators of these particular crimes to see justice served.

"It was like a baseball game or something," said Hazelwood. "Everyone wanted to come out."

Along with her law degree, Hazelwood is also working toward her M.Div. And while she knows the two degrees together are not a traditional educational pursuit, Hazelwood is simply following her calling.

"It just came to me when I went on a mission trip last year to Ghana—I heard God say, 'international law,'" said Hazelwood. "I just wanted to help in a way that was different from a typical missionary, to protect people from a legal aspect."

Like Hazelwood, Ra Hee Jeon, 2L, spent her summer weaving together the threads of ministry and the law as she worked to combat human and domestic violence in her home nation. She interned with Women's Hope Center (WHC), an non-government organization (NGO), in Pohang, South Korea.

Jeon presented research projects regarding the rights of adolescents and single mothers in Korea. She also explored South Korea's social infrastructure to aid victims of sex trafficking. While she was thankful for the exposure to international law in South Korea, Jeon explained her ability to minister to those she worked with was what was most meaningful about her internship experience.

"I loved that I could share how God's grace and love changed my life when I was 20 years old," said Jeon. "Seeing the clients making conscious choices to learn about God's teaching and love, I was reminded of God's love for me as well."

Jeon explained that serving and learning about her home country's legal system was humbling. And though she is quite confident that God has plans for the nation where she was sent to complete her legal education, she also knows there is much work to be done in the nation that she calls home.

"Honestly it was heartbreaking to learn about the social reality of my home country and of the world," said Jeon. "However, I am hopeful this will change because the people of South Korea have a deep care for one another and that carries the power of unity and love."

Learn more about Regent University School of Law and the Center for Global Justice, Human Rights, and the Rule of Law.

PR/NEWS CONTACT: Mindy Hughes, Public Relations Phone: 757.352.4095 Fax: 757.352.4888 E-mail: mhughes@regent.edu

Monday, September 9, 2013

Center for Global Missions Travels to China


Members of the Center for Global Missions team.
Photo courtesy of Lauren Pell
By Brett Wilson
September 6, 2013

"When you're in America, in a Christian school, you get this familiarity with the power of the Gospel," said Regent University associate professor Dr. Clifton Clarke. "You've grown up with it, you've seen it, and you've grown personally in its power."

Though he has a heart for seeing his students grow in Christ from an educative perspective, Clarke is also passionate about ministering to the unreached and unfamiliar. This summer, Clarke and a team of students spent two weeks in China, ministering to university students, some of whom had never even heard the name of Jesus Christ.

According to Clarke, in present-day China, the younger generations are rejecting communism as an ideological approach to life. However, the effects of the Communist Revolution—which replaced religious icons with ideals of the political party—has left gaping holes in the spirituality of the Chinese people.

"There is this vacuum where people tell you that they don't have a religion and that they have envy for people who do have that worldview," said Clarke.

This curiosity about faith was, according to Clarke, the greatest advantage his team had while sharing the Gospel. One young man in particular, a young student named David, stands out. Clarke ministered to him one year ago, and invited him to accept Christ into his heart. David did, and invited his friends to do the same.

"It was the most powerful conversion I've ever seen," said Clarke. "You've got this guy who was saved thirty minutes ago and he was sharing the Gospel—not just sharing, but sharing in a way that was integrated in the Chinese culture."

A year later, Clarke was able to reconnect with this same "dynamic" young man. Clarke continues to share this story with the students who accompany him on these trips.

"It was life-changing, it was eye-opening and it was daunting in many respects, but our students were amazed by how God used them to win people to Christ," said Clarke.

One such student was Lauren Pell, a junior in the College of Arts & Sciences (CAS). Pell said that though she was timid at first about sharing her faith with others, fearful that her efforts would be "awkward" or "ineffective."

"God proved me wrong, and I loved having deep conversations about Him with people who have been told He wasn't real," said Pell. "They asked such genuine questions and were so interested in hearing about Jesus."

Pell explained that she was strengthened in her faith, and appreciated the chance to become bold as she evangelized with her team members this summer. However, she also had the opportunity to grow scholastically, as she learned to collaborate with the other members of the team, and communicate with people from different parts of the world.

"This trip gave me opportunities to work with and learn from a lot of different types of people," said Pell. "And working on a team of both graduate and undergraduate students from different parts of the country and walks of life really helped me grow as a person."

Learn more about the School of Divinity and the Center for Global Missions.

PR/NEWS CONTACT: Mindy Hughes, Public Relations Phone: 757.352.4095 Fax: 757.352.4888 E-mail: mhughes@regent.edu

Alumni Help Engage Current Center for Global Justice Interns


Jaclyn Walliser supporting the Jubilee Campaign.
Photo courtesy of Jaclyn Walliser
By Brett Wilson
August 29, 2013

As the summer draws to a close, Regent University School of Law students are opening their Black's Law dictionaries once again. But some Center for Global Justice, Human Rights, and the Rule of Law interns spent their summers continuing to learn under the supervision and training of Regent alumni now submerged in their own legal careers.

"It was great to work with someone who understands the laws, but also understands my values," said Kyle Carter, 3L, who worked alongside Evan Henck '08 (Law), director of Freedom Firm. "He was incredibly open and willing to talk about everything."

Freedom Firm, a non-profit, non-governmental organization (NGO) in India, is dedicated to rescuing young females from child prostitution by giving them an opportunity to sell a commodity other than themselves: jewelry.

Carter's work involved researching business decisions for the organization as it seeks to expand operations outside of India.

"One of the things that makes a big difference when you're reading through things like corporate tax law is when you realize that it's companies like [Freedom Firm] that will make a world of a difference," said Carter. "And that gives your work a lot of purpose."

Erica Weston, 2L, also found purpose in interning with the general counsel's office for Campus Crusade for Christ (Cru) in Orlando, Fla. Though her primary passion is fighting against slave trading and human trafficking, Weston explained that her internship experience this summer opened her eyes to a different area of law she enjoys.

"I have a passion for Cru and the work God is doing through their ministry," said Weston. "This internship experience was a great combination of my passions and a great eye-opener to the field of law in general."

Weston worked alongside Tara Powell '09 (Law), an attorney with the organization. Weston explained that working with Powell encouraged her to look into working with non-profit organizations upon her own departure from Regent.

"She had some great insight into how God leads people who are willing to listen and follow Him," said Weston.

Jaclyn Walliser, 2L, spent her summer working with the Jubilee Campaign in Fairfax, Va., an international organization dedicated to promoting religious freedom of minority peoples around the world. During her internship, Walliser worked alongside Ann Buwalda '91 (Law).

"She gave me a lot of real world advice for being a lawyer," said Walliser. "And all of my experiences reaffirmed the calling I believe God has placed on my life."

To Walliser, her summer spent interning ignited her desire to stand up for the persecuted people of oppressed nations. She recalled witnessing a specific trial where a young woman from Eritrea was seeking asylum from the religious persecution she was facing there.

"The tears of joy that came to her eyes when the judge announced that he was granting her asylum brought tears to my own eyes, and I thought of how blessed I am to live in this country," said Walliser. "And how blessed I was to be able to be a part of her journey."

Learn more about the School of Law and the Center for Global Justice, Human Right, and the Rule of Law.

PR/NEWS CONTACT: Mindy Hughes, Public Relations Phone: 757.352.4095 Fax: 757.352.4888 E-mail: mhughes@regent.edu

Roman Holiday: Students Experience Early Christian History


School of Divinity student David Hunter
poses in front of St. Peter's Basilica in Rome.
Photo courtesy of David Hunter
By Amanda Morad
August 29, 2013

Regent University students spend their summers in all kinds of places, embarking on all kinds of exciting adventures. This July, the College of Arts & Sciences (CAS) sponsored a group of 12 students who spent seven days in Rome exploring early Christianity.

"The [point] of this trip is to ask this big question: what was it about early Christians that they were able to go to the heart of the beast, the Roman Empire, and in the midst of extraordinary persecution and challenges were able not only to survive and thrive, but to ultimately overcome the whole empire?" said Dr. Corné Bekker, professor in CAS and the trip's leader.

Looking at the first 300 years of the Christian Church, the team visited multiple historic sites each day, taking in the ancient past first-hand as they discussed how the early Christians lived.

"We would look at issues such as, how did the early Christians view truth? How did they consider life? What were their beliefs about death? How did they transmit their message? How did they organize churches?" Bekker said. He conducted onsite lectures and led group discussions at each location, up to four a day.

Sites included the burial place of the Apostle Paul; the Catacombs; Circus Maximus and the Stadium of Hadrian, where early Christians were martyred; the Pantheon, Coliseum and Roman Forum; and the prison where both Apostles Paul and Peter were kept before they were killed.

The group stayed in the historically-significant area of Trasevere, now a wealthy and thriving sector, but once a very poor part of the city where Jews and early Christians lived. On this world stage where so much of the New Testament played out, students also had the option of taking courses for credit while on the trip.

"It's one thing to read, for instance, Ignatius of Antioch where he writes about his impending death," Bekker explained. "To stand on the historical site where this person died for their faith is something quite different." For School of Divinity student David Hunter, the visit to the Catacombs of San Calisto had the most impact. "The sheer number of burials there was humbling; to know that so many martyrs were buried in those underground tunnels was a tremendous faith boost," Hunter explained. "We learned that many of those early Church Christians worshiped in those same tombs—then we heard singing in the catacombs!

"We saw a Polish church celebrating mass and heard their singing voices ring through the tunnels, and it took me back to the first century when the early Church worshiped there as well. It was a spiritual and mysteriously enchanting experience."

The group of undergraduate, master's level and Ph.D. students trekked through 12-hour days, collecting experiences that will last them all a lifetime.

"Every day there was a particular event where students were able to consider what true Christianity meant in the context of this overwhelming presence of the Roman Empire," Bekker said. "The early Christians had literally no buildings, no power, no privilege, no prestige, no money, no wealth, but they had faith, and that ultimately is what overcame the Roman Empire; faith that taught these Christians not only how to live, but how to die."

Plans for future trips to Rome and other sites around the world that will enable students to further explore the foundations of their Christian faith are underway.

Learn more about the College of Arts & Sciences.

PR/NEWS CONTACT: Mindy Hughes, Public Relations Phone: 757.352.4095 Fax: 757.352.4888 E-mail: mhughes@regent.edu

PCE Encourages Global Connections

International students sign a banner during the closing
ceremony of the two-week leadership camp
By Brett Wilson
August 19, 2013

Regent University's division of Professional & Continuing Education (PCE) is changing the world one student at a time. This summer, PCE continued in its efforts to train students on the basics of leadership during its annual International Collegiate Leadership Institute Program.

The two-week program hosted an array of culturally and intellectually diverse students as Regent faculty and staff members facilitated courses on topics such as leadership and personal growth. More than 40 students traveled from China and the Ukraine to take part in this year's camp.

"In a dynamic and increasingly globalized world, the camp offered students the opportunity to learn, share and grow within a culturally diverse, value-driven leadership framework," said Dr. Bramwell Osula, assistant professor for the School of Business & Leadership (SBL) and facilitator for the camp. "If the future demands students who are globally aware and capable of leading at the edge, then these leadership camps help fulfill an important Regent mandate."

Osula explained that students were encouraged to "hit the ground running" as they developed a sense of their own abilities through the camp's lecture sessions and the encouragement of self-directed learning.

While most of Osula's favorite moments from the camp came from his interactions with the "visibly energized" student participants, he explained that the most edifying part of his involvement came from witnessing the students' final presentations. These ranged from PowerPoint presentations and skits, to an interactive series of participatory trust games.

"The depth of the presentations confirmed just how much each student had learned and was able to apply," said Osula.

As a parent of a student participant, Toni Stubbs explained how she witnessed her daughter, Maiya, learn and transform during the two weeks she spent at Regent.

"I wanted her to have exposure to students from other countries—and I wanted her to go throughout the rest of her education learning how to be a leader," said Stubbs.

"You have to go internal and external, and you have to change your heart to be a good leader," said Maiya. "And definitely my heart has been changed."

She also noted a newfound enthusiasm for developing friendships around the world as a result of her time spent learning from PCE's program.

Ruth Chai, an international student participating in the camp from Beijing, China, was one such friend. Chai, after her pursuits as a graduate student in social work, hopes to return to the United States for her doctorate studies.

"I liked this program very much," said Chai. "And maybe I will come back to Regent one day."

Learn more about Professional & Continuing Education at Regent.

PR/NEWS CONTACT: Mindy Hughes, Public Relations Phone: 757.352.4095 Fax: 757.352.4888 E-mail: mhughes@regent.edu

Friday, September 6, 2013

Trauma Team Travels to the Nation of Kenya

Kenyan children.
Photo courtesy of Dr. Benjamin Keyes.
By Brett Wilson
August 23, 2013

"I find myself being honored that these clients will let me see into the very depths of their souls and allow me to be a part of their healing journey," said Dr. Benjamin Keyes, Regent University's School of Psychology (SPC) professor.

As the director of Regent's Center for Trauma studies, Keyes and 12 other members of the Trauma Team traveled this summer to Kinangop, Kenya—a township nestled within the mountains of the Rift Valley, just 90 minutes northwest of Nairobi.

Though the 15 years of political unrest and the rivalry between the Kikuyu and Luo tribes in Nairobi has finally subsided, the people still grapple with the mental aftermath of the nation's perpetual discord.

Many Kenyan people are suffering from Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), Keyes explained. And as he traveled through the nation, he was hard-pressed to find a member of the community unaffected by witness to violence or abuse.

This was the second year SPC students and faculty traveled to Kenya with the Center for Trauma Studies. Keyes, along with the rest of the team, spent the trip visiting local schools, churches, an orphanage and a lingering Internally Displaced People (IDP) camp.

The nation of Kenya has noticed improvements following its political unrest—the number of IDP camps has decreased from five to one in the course of a year—and Keyes has also seen improvements as a direct result of the seeds the Trauma Team planted before.

"If we ever had any doubts about our effectiveness, they've been washed away," said Keyes. "It's working; it's all being implemented."

Keyes explained that pastors of the churches in the IDP camp were making monumental changes in how they dealt with domestic violence cases within their congregations. The pamphlets and PowerPoint presentations the group had left behind were being used in schools around the city.

Sarah Gooss, a third-year SPC student, joined Keyes on her first trip with the Trauma Team. Gooss worked with a local church, teaching the community leaders about how to help their congregants with substance abuse.

"It empowered them; it made them feel like they had something to offer and that they could make their communities different," said Gooss.

Gooss relished working with the orphans, and offered her free time by giving attention to and hugging the children who needed love the most.

"Their joy just sort of rubbed off on you, and that was really healing," said Gooss.

In the midst of the nation's struggles, Keyes was encouraged to see the Christian faith alive and growing within the hearts of its people. Since last year's trip, Keyes noted that four new churches have sprung up in the IDP camp the team returned to.

"We came to bless them, but they ended up blessing us—they were just on fire for God, and it showed in how they ran their lives and how they raised their children," said Keyes. "It was both wondrous and magnificent to see that in the midst of such darkness."

Learn more about the School of Psychology & Counseling and the Center for Trauma Studies.

PR/NEWS CONTACT: Mindy Hughes, Public Relations Phone: 757.352.4095 Fax: 757.352.4888 E-mail: mhughes@regent.edu