Meet the Alumnus: MaryAnn Mella

My time at Word of Life is something I’ll cherish forever. The thought of saying goodbye hurts, but it also pushes me to imagine a life without depending on an incredible environment that pushed me to seek the Lord and be a better version of myself. 

I’m nowhere near perfect, and sanctification is a process that will continue for a long time, but the growth I got to experience at the Bible Institute really set me on the right path. As a young kid I heard about the Bible several times, but I never really understood what this “historical book” had to do with the current world. During my teen years, I went through a very difficult time, and it was through that time that I really understood the Gospel for the first time. That’s when it hit me– I finally realized my purpose, the struggles suddenly made sense. It had to be all for God. Each soul that has entered and left my life since then has played a part, and I will never forget them. 

That’s the bitter-sweetness of Word of Life Bible Institute… saying hi and goodbye, then carrying the hope that we will one day see each other again in Heaven. Until then, it’s bye to the old and hi to the brand-new moments in life. 

As I say goodbye to the old and continue to pray for a path that pursues God, I’ll continue to remind myself of the most valuable moments I spent at the Bible Institute. The nostalgic feeling that forms butterflies when I would speak to my loved ones about the King of Kings, when praising and worshipping would be done as a community with no judgement, even the silly moments while in class and the inside jokes you’d giggle at as soon as you looked at your friend and instantly understood what they were thinking. My two years at WOLBI were spent well, and looking back, I have no regrets. 

Life goes on and you learn from it, grow from it. I pray that as you read this, you are growing farther away from your selfish desires and closer to God– that your time at the Bible Institute remains one of the best decisions you’ve made, and that your walk with Christ has reached further than you could ever have imagined. Continue to be fearless conveyors of the Gospel and God-fearing believers, always remembering that God’s love is unconditional and worth pursuing!