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for college. However, I no longer felt like an
American, having only lived there for the first
four years of my life. The thought of moving to
the States away from my Irish home was not
in any way natural for me. I began praying a
great deal about what the Lord wanted me to
do for college. I asked Him if He wanted me
in the States, even though that was not what
naturally appealed to me. However, the more
I prayed about college, the more convinced I
became that God wanted me in Ireland at least
for the time being.

While growing up on the mission field in
Ireland, I was taught by my parents to love this
new country that had now become our home.

My parents had us adapt to the terminology
and customs of Ireland. We tried our best to fit
in as a family in this country where God had
called us. All throughout my childhood and
teenage years, I saw Ireland as my home and
loved living there. Even though I have not lost
the American accent, I feel more Irish in my
culture and thinking than I do American.

When I graduated from high school, people
naturally wanted to know what I wanted to
do. The vast majority of Christians I knew in
America assumed I would be coming home
My dad had heard about a Bible college in
Romania that was coming to do a Christmas
choir tour in Ireland. I began looking at The
Baptist College International (TBCI) website
and decided to take a few courses online. I
loved the coursework and slowly the Lord
directed my mind to thinking about Bible
college. After praying with my parents, I
decided that I would take a one-year church
ministries certificate from TBCI.

My plan was to actually go to Romania for
the two semesters starting in 2020. Before
the semester started, the coronavirus caused
the borders to close and made travel very
difficult. I thought I would have to wait on my
plans for Bible college until travel restrictions
lifted. However, the staff at TBCI graciously
offered to make the classes available for me to
attend live online. I excitedly started my first
semester of college online. The students and
staff made me feel very welcome as part of
the college. I again hoped that by the second
semester in 2021 I would be able to attend
in person, but the restrictions still made
travel difficult once again. When I finished
the one-year certificate, I started praying
again. Did God want me to continue
with the church ministries program and
do a four-year degree? My parents and I
prayed together and decided that TBCI
was the direction that God wanted me
to pursue.

As the fall semester started in 2021, the
restrictions were only beginning to lift,
and this still prohibited travel to Romania.

I started the term online once again. The
restrictions finally lifted enough that I was
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able to travel to Romania by the beginning of
October. Everyone at TBCI made me feel very
welcome, and I quickly felt like part of the
college family. The classes are all very practical
for working in any kind of church ministry
and for a solid foundation in the Bible. The
teachers give their own spiritual insight and
experiences from their own ministries so
that the students have real life examples. The
insight the teachers give is highly beneficial
as it is directly applicable for life and ministry
here in Europe.

Having a Baptist Bible college here in Europe is a
huge asset to missionaries. The close proximity
to each country in Europe allows for travel back
to each field to assist in ministries. The college
tries to be flexible with students, knowing that
the students are needed at their home churches.

This benefit is vital as most churches in Europe
do not have staff outside the pastor’s family.

Another benefit to having a college in Europe is
the similar cultures throughout the continent.

Though each country is very different, there
are similarities between the countries. A child
who has grown up on the mission field would
experience less culture shock in a college in
Europe than in the United States. Also, the
students are primarily from Europe which
allows for connectivity on a common cultural
ground. Another positive aspect about having
a college here in Europe is in connection to the
size of the college. Due to the fact that there
are fewer Christians in Europe, the college is
naturally much smaller than colleges in the
United States. The small size of the college gives
a more family-like atmosphere where everyone
needs to work together, and one does not feel
lost in the crowd.

I hope the perspective from my vantage point
has been helpful in understanding this aspect of
the life of a Missionary Kid (MK). I have been
greatly blessed by the ministry of TBCI. As an
MK, I would highly recommend anyone in
Europe to prayerfully consider European Bible
colleges for their children. TBCI has provided
an opportunity for missionaries to send their
children to college while still remaining close
to their field locations. W
This college was originally begun by Dr. Carl Herbster, Dr. Ron White, and BIMI missionary Ed
Hembree as the “Independent Baptist College of Romania” in 2000. Courses were prepared and
taught in Romanian, primarily for Romanian nationals. In 2010, Brother Hembree left Romania
to become the Europe Director for Baptist International Missions, Inc. After this, the college
transitioned to English-speaking and came under the leadership of West Coast Baptist College
in Lancaster, California. BIMI missionary Tim Tyler is now the on-field director of the college
which is now named “The Baptist College International.” Students from anywhere in Europe may
attend and their degrees are granted by West Coast Baptist College.

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