|
Pearson has a heart for God Nell Pearson has traveled the world as a missionary since she graduated from Bryan College in 1949 but she has never forgotten the lessons she learned on Bryan Hill. "Bryan means a lot to me," she said. "It gave me the foundation I needed for missionary ministry. I want to see the college continue in a great way." Miss Pearson transferred to Bryan after learning about the Dayton school in a God-Appointed coincidence. "I was working nights at the Young Women's Christian Association in Dallas where we had rooms for transients and longer-term residents." She explained. "Somebody came through who had been to Bryan" and told her about the college, leading her to transfer for her sophomore year. She majored in English because she liked English and literature. She wanted to major in Bible but wound up a credit short of that goal when she graduated. Reflecting on her time as a student, Miss Pearson said, "The most important thing in my life was the spiritual influence, the foundation in the Scripture, the emphasis to serve the Lord. Missions were really emphasized. That confirmed my calling to serve the Lord as a missionary. Several times she heard Mrs. James Stewart speak in chapel. "She and her husband founded and directed the European Evangelistic Crusade mission." Miss Pearson said "I got to know here and know about that mission. When I graduated I wrote EEC and asked if they needed help in the office. They did, and I spent two years working in the office in Buffalo, N.Y." As the Lord provided funds, she left for Austria, where she spent the next 41 years as a missionary. "The mission's primary focus was on evangelism," she said. "That was what Europe needed- still does." Her efforts included child evangelism, children's ministry, Sunday school, children's church, weekday Bible studies, operating a lending library for Christian material, leading a camp ministry in the summers for 35 years, and vacation Bible schools. "One of my greatest efforts was showing Moody Science films. The Lord opened doors in hundreds of schools, jails, old people's homes over 20 years," she said. One major ministry was organizing teams for evangelism with a Gospel caravan, which was used widely year-round. In 1992, she moved to South Africa and worked for a year and a half until health issues forced here to return to the states in April 1994. Miss Pearson volunteered part-time for several years at the Rio Grande Bible Institute before moving to be near the school in Edinburg, Texas, in 1999. Now she volunteers in the office of the library at RGBI. Too busy to be "retired" Miss Pearson also volunteers at the Wycliffe Center in Dallas each fall, and has made mission trips to Mexico, Republic of Georgia, Russia, and Austria. In 2001, she was recognized as Bryan's Alumna of the Year. Miss Pearson realized the value of the education- spiritual and academic- she received at Bryan, and plans to purchase an annuity which will leave a legacy at her alma mater. "I would like to share a little bit of what the Lord has given me," she said. "I appreciate Bryan that much. I also want to encourage other alumni to contribute. Bryan means that much to me." "Our class verse, Psalm 32:8 - 'I will instruct thee and teach thee in the way which thou shalt go; I will guide thee with mine eye' - has been a guiding light for my life. The Lord Jesus has been so good and faithful through the years, and I give Him all the glory. It has been a privilege to share Christ, but the greater joy is to know one day I will see him face to face." The above article was taken from the Bryan College current issue - Spring 2008. A Heart for God Nell Pearson graduated from Reagan High School in 1944. She is still a very active volunteer at the Rio Grande Bible Institute. She still drives and attends the Reagan homecoming and is now 81 years old. A life very well lived. Kay and Carl Evans Reagan
|
