Hope for the future
During Advent, I often find my thoughts drifting back to the biblical theme of hope: hope in Christ, hope for our families, hope for our neighbors, and hope for our world. I have the privilege of hearing the stories of many of our students, and would like to share one with you that speaks deeply to me of Christ’s love.
Delphin Monga, born in the Democratic Republic of Congo, experienced first-hand the devastating impacts of war. Forced to flee his village at the age of six, Delphin and his two siblings made a solo trek across the country, landing in Uganda, where they would spend the next several years at a refugee camp.
In 2013, Plains Mennonite Church in Hatfield, Pennsylvania, sponsored Delphin and his siblings’ resettlement in the United States. Here Delphin faced another enormous challenge: attending school for the first time, and in a new language. Despite only a few years of formal education, his curiosity, perseverance and ability to learn quickly earned him a diploma and in 2016 Delphin and Goshen College took a chance on each other.
That same year, Ben Fox also arrived on campus as a new student from Grand Rapids, Michigan. I believe it was God that brought these two students together. Their’s has been a rich and loyal friendship, and Ben saw Delphin’s academic success as equal to or more important than his own. Beyond the hours spent studying and living together, they have also enjoyed traveling and spending time with Ben’s family when classes haven’t been in session.
Delphin continued to gain confidence as a scholar, and continues to demonstrate his academic potential. Last summer, after being accepted to several internships, Delphin, with Ben’s encouragement, completed a pancreatic cancer research assignment with the National Institute of Health in Hershey, Pennsylvania.
Your gifts transform lives in many ways. I am filled with so much hope for Delphin’s future and I am encouraged to think how his life will touch others. Without you, and your support of the Goshen College Fund, Delphin would not have walked through our doors, and he and Ben both would’ve missed out on a friendship of a lifetime. This Christmas season and in our 125th year of transformational education, I invite you to consider a meaningful gift to students through the Goshen College Fund. May the hope of Christ fill you and your loved ones with joy and peace this season.
Merry Christmas!
Rebecca Stoltzfus ’83
President