Meet the Alumnus – Caleb Fetterhoff

What is your name, where are you from, and can you tell us about your family? 

My name is Caleb Fetterhoff.  I am from Dauphin, Pennsylvania, though I now live in the Kingdom of Lesotho in southern Africa.  I am single, but I’ve made my family a group of semi-nomadic shepherds in the Maloti Mountains.

Tell us a little bit about your salvation experience.

I grew up in a church-going Christian family, which created in me a desire to know Jesus. I prayed with my mother to receive Jesus as Lord and Savior when I was four years old.  Later, when I was about twelve years old, I was reassured of my salvation after a period of doubting.

 When did you come to Word of Life Bible Institute?

I came to study at WOLBI for the 2006-2007 academic year.

What is your favorite memory of WOLBI as a student?

As Frosty the Snowman in the Sights and Sounds of Christmas production on the Florida campus, I remember the second to last performance (out of so many flawless personal performances!) when I tripped on my costume and flailed around on the stage helplessly for a few very embarrassing moments; my costume was such that, without help from castmates, I could not get back up!  I vividly recall the unified gasp from the audience as I hit the floor, then the laughter.

A more serious memory which I love to recall were the crisp winter nights on the NY campus when the lake was frozen, the snow fresh, and everything was quiet.  Those were great evenings for walking in prayer or in friendship with another student.

What are some ways you are applying what you learned at the Bible Institute today, whether in daily life or vocational ministry?

The BI’s strong emphasis on world missions certainly encouraged me in my choice to become a missionary.  Also, the outreaches and camps which we were all involved in gave opportunity for practical experiences of sharing the Gospel of Christ and sharing one’s personal testimony of encountering that Gospel.  This practice gave me the confidence to share with others on a regular basis. As a missionary, I’ve made it a habit to share the Gospel with others on all sorts of various occasions, which was something ingrained in me as a student-minister at WOLBI.

What is your life verse and why?

Habakkuk 3:17 – 19 says,

“Though the fig tree does not bud

and there are no grapes on the vines,

though the olive crop fails

and the fields produce no food,

though there are no sheep in the pen

and no cattle in the stalls,

yet I will rejoice in the Lord,

I will be joyful in God my Savior.

“The Sovereign Lord is my strength;

He makes my feet like the feet of a deer,

He enables me to go on the heights.”

This is my life verse for a few reasons: I love the imagery of God supernaturally giving me mountaineers’ feet.  With him, I can travel the highlands of life where the terrain is difficult and precarious, but the views are spectacular!  I also love how these verses make it clear that my joy is in God despite the difficult times which I may find myself in. When my physical needs seem not to be met, He is still enough, and I should not despair.

If you could speak to a younger you today – what would you say?

I would have told my younger self to seek a godly mentor (outside my own family) who could help me process and walk through all that I was learning and experiencing those years during high school and college, someone who could have been both listening ears and a spiritual life advisor. While this was provided for by RAs and unit leaders at WOLBI (as well as people in similar positions over me at other institutions before and after my year at WOLBI), I only took what was offered at the most basic level; I wish I would have asked a professor, pastor or other leader to invest in a more intense mentoring relationship with me.