By Nathan Welsh
CLEVELAND, Ga., TMNews – Rebekah Welsh, a senior psychology major at Truett-McConnell, shared her journey to TM and passion for serving others, both in the United States and abroad.
A big family and a big change
Welsh is the second of six children and is from Suwanee, Ga., although she originally grew up in Cleveland, Ga. When she was seven years old, she went to her dad and told him she wanted to ask Jesus into her heart. After her dad asked her some questions to clarify her decision, Welsh prayed and surrendered her life to Jesus as her Savior.
Although she was never considered a “bad” child, she did not truly put God first during her elementary and middle school years.
In 2009 as a freshman in high school, she went on a mission trip to Guatemala, which changed her outlook on her relationship with Christ. “I remember one night I was there and the Holy Spirit was tugging at my heart saying ‘Something needs to change,’” recounted Welsh.
“[I knew] I was to follow God and let Him lead me,” revealed Welsh. While still in Guatemala, she prayed that God would show her what He wanted her to do.
She continued, “Automatically, God put in my heart a passion to minister and serve teenage girls.” Once she returned home, she started a Bible study for the middle school girls at her school.
Answering the call to help others
After she graduated from high school, she visited a couple of colleges, but she decided on Truett-McConnell, feeling that God lead her there.
The only difficulty came in choosing a major. “Before I came to Truett-McConnell, I didn’t know what I wanted to major in,” said Welsh. “All I knew was that I wanted to help people, and psychology seemed to be the best fit.”
Welsh has also been able to serve on the campus of TM as a Resident Assistant. During her time in school, she has been on three additional mission trips: two to Vancouver, Canada, and one to Haiti with the TM Resident Assistants.
In her mission trips to Vancouver, she served as an assistant to a local church planter. Her main task was to form relationships with the students at the University of British Colombia, in order to show Christ’s love and share the Gospel. In Haiti, she helped lead VBS for a group of children.
Following the footsteps of fellowship
Her favorite part of Truett-McConnell is twofold. “I like the professors that I have here,” said Welsh. “They’re not just professors. Some of them really do care. They mentor you and guide you in your spiritual life.”
A valuable aspect she has loved at TM is the sense of fellowship she experiences with her fellow students who are also serious about their faith.
Welsh is a member of First Baptist Cleveland where she serves as a mentor and teacher for the teenage girls there.
While she is unsure where she will go after she graduates, she is positive of one thing: “I know God has called me to ministry with teenage girls and help with discipleship. I’m not sure what that looks like, but that’s what I want to do when I graduate.”
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Nathan is a senior Christian Studies major and a freelance writer for the college.
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