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Greeting from Rev. Dr. Lowell Stime
Alumni Portrait: Sandy Mollerup ‘92
Student Sketch: Trevor Kawamura
Hi to all of you, Alumni and Friends of Trinity.
It has been four and a half years since I retired from Trinity, and there are parts of it that I have missed very much—you students, my colleagues on the faculty and staff, and the good routine of meaningful work. I have been serving as Pastor at St. Paul's of Shorewood Lutheran in West Seattle and enjoy this very much.
Dianne and I recently returned from a 13-day tour of Greece, following the footsteps of the Apostle Paul through Greece and western Turkey at Ephesus. Several Trinity alumni were on this trip, as well as Dr. John and Elaine Stamm. Spring was a great time to visit this beautiful country as the trees were in blossom, the weather still cool, and no crowds at the sites. We started in ancient Macedonia where Paul did and followed him south to Athens and Corinth. A four-day cruise took us to Ephesus, Patmos, Rhodes and Crete and several other charming Greek islands. Along the way we renewed our baptisms at Philippi, celebrated Holy Communion at Corinth and sampled delicious Greek pastries and special foods whenever we got the chance.
On January 13-29, 2014, Dianne and I are leading a 17-day “Journey through the Bible Tour” to the Holy Land. There is plenty of room so if you want a brochure just let me know. I can be reached at (425) 392-0271, or you can contact Linda Kent at Trinity. I would love to show you the significant places of our faith and the life of Jesus. God bless you all.
Pastor Lowell Stime
Growing up in Kalispell, Montana, my dad worked for a construction company and was a part-time farmer, which meant we were all part-time farmers. I think I had an ideal childhood: I knew love, never wanted for anything (I don’t recall needing anything more), and was close to my grandparents. The youngest of three daughters, we were raised in the Lutheran church. After high school, we each attended LBI. Amazingly we all met our husbands there and were each married at the young age of 21. I am happy to say that we are all still married 20 some years later! I guess God knew what he was doing when he led us to LBI.
I met Jonathan in the spring of that first year, and we were pretty much inseparable after that. I still have a note in my Bible that he wrote to me in Pastor Stime’s class—it says, “Sandra you are wonderful.” I have left it where he put it in Proverbs for 25 years, and it still brings a surprised smile to my face every time I stumble upon it. Funny, God must know when I need that little boost because I always find it when I need it most.
I came to LBI in the winter of 1989 as a transfer student from Concordia College in Minnesota to immerse myself in God’s word and to be closer to my sister Bev and her husband Corey, who was head of Admissions. Being in the Word everyday was balm to my wounded spirit, although it was tough coming into the community mid-term.
Friendships had already formed in this small, close-knit community, and I spent much of my time feeling like an outsider. However, a few students reached out to me and it was great being with my sister, working in her daycare center, and being with her family. After that first year, I returned home to finish my general education requirements. In October Jonathan asked me to marry him, we were married in September, and returned to LBI for another year.
God had some interesting plans for us. Jean Wahlstrom asked if we would join the traveling music team, Servant Song, for a year. As we prayed about it, a wise teacher said either it would ruin our marriage or make it stronger—it must have made it stronger. We spent a year traveling, singing and leading small congregations and youth groups in praising the Lord. We formed good friendships; I am sure we drove our teammates’ crazy with our disagreements and growing pains, but God faithfully saw us through it all.
After LBI, I pursued a teaching degree at Seattle Pacific University and Jonathan continued to consult for LBI. Then I began teaching in Bellevue, while Jonathan went to SPU to earn his BA in Computer Science and then began working for Microsoft. We enjoyed our years in Bellevue, being especially active in our church community with music and the youth.
Since 1993, we’ve lived in Woodinville, WA and our family has grown with three sons: Luke, 14; Tim, 13; and Sam, 11. Over the years I taught kindergarten, first and second grades in Christian schools, but after Luke’s birth I left teaching to be home, and worked part-time as the high school youth director at our church in Woodinville. God taught me in many ways, especially through mission trips to Puerto Rico, Missouri, and Texas where I saw firsthand how God works in the lives of many people.
For the last several years I have been blessed to be home full-time with our kids and support Jonathan. We are all active at our church, Canyon Hills Community Church in Bothell, where Tim went on his first mission trip last summer. Our LBI degrees –Jonathan in Youth Ministry and mine in Biblical Studies—have complemented each other over the years as we have ministered to youth in our churches. He is the guy behind the scenes doing much of the planning, and I am the face out front that puts it all in play.
Right now we are in the midst of raising our boys and navigating them through their junior high and elementary school years. My passion is their education, academically and spiritually. I am very involved in both Tim’s and Sam’s parent/teacher coop classrooms, am on the board, and also support the teachers by helping in the classroom, and teaching from time to time. A good friend and I bring enrichment opportunities throughout the school. I am also concerned about education on a larger scale, and do what I can to make it the best that it can be in our state.
Most of all, I enjoy having this time with my family. I thank God for the blessings he has bestowed upon us and am grateful for this life He has given me. I look back on my years at LBI with nostalgia and a peace. God used that time to set me on a path that has led me to a deeper relationship with him, and a life that is brimming with love.
Trevor Kawamura ’13 always seems to have a smile on his face. As you talk with this young man, you realize that the smile is simply an outward expression of who he is on the inside.
Puyallup, Wash., is home to Kawamura, where he has lived in the same home with his parents and older brother his entire life ... and he loves home. So how did he land in Everett? “To put it simply,” says Kawamura, “God had a plan for me.”
Growing up Kawamura especially loved and excelled in soccer and baseball, but when he hit high school, he had to make a choice. Even though he had the potential to go further with baseball, he chose soccer because he loved the game and added with a wry grin, “I like to prove people wrong.” He was the first freshman ever to start on his high school soccer team, and remained a starter all the way through to the State tournament in his senior year.
Unfortunately that State tournament ended in a most devastating way for Trevor and his teammates. As a strong student, he had been accepted to six large, very reputable universities; had settled on Oregon State; and had even chosen his dorm. But when that last high school game ended, Kawamura realized he wasn’t done with soccer.
The local community college coach had been trying to recruit him for months, and before he knew it he was playing for Pierce Community College. But then he happened to meet Trinity’s women’s soccer coach who encouraged him to check out Trinity’s new men’s program; he’s been a Trinity scholar athlete ever since, playing three seasons with the Eagles.
His parents, Vic and Libby (“the best soccer mom ever”, according to Kawamura) became the team’s biggest fans making nearly every game, including the National NCCAA Tournament in California. They adopted the team as their own--treating them to home-cooked barbeques and extending special hospitality to the numerous international players over holidays.
Coach George Dremousis had this to say—“Trevor is as nice of a young man as I've been around in 26 seasons of coaching. He was always willing to help our program in any way and constantly worked to get better as a player. He made the most of his minutes and was the complete "team" player, supporting others and helping build an outstanding chemistry. His role off the bench in our last three matches of the season really got us over an emotional lull we had endured, and spiked our intensity as we pushed towards the play-offs. Trevor is both intelligent and respectful; the perfect role model for what I want future Trinity recruits to be. I'll miss his good nature, quick wit, and great conversations about life and current events.”
Kawamura now sees more clearly how God has been fitting the varied pieces of his life together. He grew up attending a Lutheran church “to make his mom happy” and in high school became involved with the youth group. Yet, when he entered that first Biblical core class his first semester at Trinity, his usual academic confidence felt a little uncertain. This was mostly new territory for him.
Kawamura credits Professor Beth Elness-Hanson for “knowing her audience, keeping this first class at a level that was accessible to new students.” Even so, he knew that he was going to have to work hard in this new subject area. He increased his work ethic from high school. The course helped him grow as a person, as well as set the tone for his college career. Very grateful to Elness-Hanson he says, “She’s one of the best teachers I’ve had.” Not surprisingly, he got an A in the class, will graduate next month with honors, and has served as a student government officer this final year.
Kawamura also recognizes God’s plan in bringing him to this unique, small school environment. Knowing himself well, he strongly suspects had he gone off to a huge university, he would have been drawn into a style of college life that was not who he wanted to be. “At Trinity if you miss class, the professor is going to notice and care enough to find out what’s up. They know me; they know who I am,” says Kawamura.
As a business major, Kawamura’s tremendous energy shows as he is already on the way to his career. Through networking at the school, he has been working with alumna and board member, Donel Pederson, to pave the way for a career with Thrivent Financial Services. This young man who stays two steps ahead can’t wait to dive in, and hopes to complement his business career with coaching soccer.
Trevor Kawamura is without a doubt a bright, motivated, and fun young man, but when asked what he’s especially passionate about, it’s service to others that makes him tick--always on the lookout for someone to help. His teammates and fellow students will attest to that. He says forthrightly, “I am who I am because of my parents.”
Where did you grow up? I was born in Rotterdam, the Netherlands. Grew up in Indianapolis, Indiana until age 8; then Canoga Park, CA until age 16; then Thousand Oaks, where I went to HS and where my family and 5 brothers and sisters still live.
Education: Did a B.A. in Biblical Studies at Biola University and then a Ph.D. in Biblical Studies at The University of Manchester, England. My dissertation was on the topic of the use of the OT in the Book of Revelation.
How did you come to Trinity and how long have you been here? What do you appreciate most about Trinity? I have been teaching at Trinity since 1999, after a colleague at SPU declined an adjunct offer and recommended me. Among the things I appreciate about Trinity is its commitment to both Scripture and remaining relevant in the world.
Interests, passions, hobbies: Music has always been a sort of second vocation, playing guitar and piano. I enjoy writing and arranging songs and hymns, as one of the worship leaders at my church.
Top of your Bucket List: Be part of an archeological dig in Israel or Egypt.
Your happy place: sitting on my deck on a spring day reading a book or doing a crossword.
Favorite Trinity memory/story: It's great to reconnect and catch up with former students at special events and graduations.
Favorite anything: Music: Jazz; foods: dark chocolate and bread and butter; favorite cheese: Gouda
Childhood ambition: archeologist
First job: muffler warehouse
Inspiration or hero: Erasmus of Rotterdam
Colleague Quote: Jan is a huge blessing in our Biblical Studies Faculty. He is a gifted instructor, being chosen by students for the Excellence in Teaching Award last year. I've had students who plan their courses trying to take "as many courses with Dr. Fekkes as possible." His breadth of biblical knowledge is amazing, as he's taught so many courses. I enjoy my interactions, because I keep learning from him. He embodies the integration of deep faith and excellent scholarship that inspires me. Jan has also been a great host, opening his home for student and faculty "Get Togethers," with a highlight of Jan playing guitar and leading us in folk songs. He is the faithful anchor of the department. – Beth Elness-Hanson