Mentee Stories

Dr. Colin Gan Cheong Kiat

Colin is a Management and Training Consultant. He is a Hedge Fund Manager.
He is the Chief Information Officer for Acoustical Technologies Singapore
Pte Ltd. He is responsible for the strategic management and planning of
the company and new product development of medical devices using
ultrasonic technology. Relevant projects completed are new product
development for SAW (Surface Acoustic Wave) Biosensor and Marketing Plan
Audit for the company. He is an Advisor at ra+. He is a Risk Management
Advisor for AiKaigo Pte Ltd.

Dr. Thangboi Haokip

Thangboi Haokip arrived at the University of Minnesota in January 2009 on a special fellowship from the US State Department. He was not only eager to develop his capacities as an educator but also as a follower of Christ. A month after arriving in US he connected with Wilberforce International Institute and became an early program mentee. With the help and mentoring of Wilberforce, he developed a plan to launch a K-10 Christian school for the poorest of the poor in the little village in NE India where he was from. Now, over ten years later, nearly 600 students are enrolled in two campuses and receiving a quality Christian education that multiplies the redemptive change started by Thangboi.

Abbel Joseph

Abbel Joseph was born and grew up in Solino, a small community in Port-au-Prince, the capital city of Haiti. He is a former sponsored child of the sponsorship program of Compassion International. He majored in Business Management at Institut des Hautes Etudes Commerciales et Economiques in Haiti and then got his Master’s degree in Spiritual Formation and Discipleship at Moody Theological Seminary in Chicago.

Waihon Liew

Waihon Liew is a Malaysian national, married with three children. He has masters in Theology and in Educational Leadership ThM and M Sc (education leadership). He currently works as an educator and life coach at Sejong Academy, St Paul, Minnesota which serves primarily Karen (Myanmar) refugees. He does mentoring, teaching, and discipleship (for the multiplication of disciple makers). Waihon also works training teachers in Malaysia. Through his collaboration with churches in Minnesota and Malaysia he is able to teach sports education and conduct educational projects with schools and communities in Malaysia through virtual learning (during covid-19) and 2-3 short trips each year.

Masango Matimura

Masango Matimura is a Zimbabwean who lives in the Manicaland (eastern) Province. He is an ordained Minister. He is the founding Director of Holistic Peace and Development Zimbabwe (HPDZ), a groundbreaking not-for-profit organization promoting reconciliation, spiritual and economic development in Zimbabwe. Masango was a 2010-2011 Hubert H. Humphrey Fellow, a professional development program sponsored by the US State Department. As a Humphrey Fellow he was based at the University of Minnesota Law School where he studied Human Rights and Law.

Marageret Mwale

Margaret Mwale is Associate for Community Development and Constituent Relations with the Presbyterian Mission Agency Self-Development of People (SDOP) program. She brings grantee partners and SDOP together to move people and places out of poverty. Currently Margaret also serves on the Board of Directors of the Dougbe River School of Liberia (Africa) and Chairs its Strategic Planning Committee. She is currently working as a Fundraising Fellow with Wilberforce International Institute. She has previously served as Director of Admissions with the University of Indianapolis School of Physical Therapy. Margaret has dual master’s degrees in Economics (1994) and in Education (1996) from Eastern Illinois University. She earned a BA in Economics from Bluffton University (1993).

Eunice Salim

Eunice is a former classroom teacher who longs to see education be the primary transformative tool in realizing the best version of Indonesia’s future generation. With her people-oriented nature and organizational skills, Eunice is currently the Chief Networking Officer at Paideia Educational Solutions, a newly established educational initiative for human flourishing, as well as a part-time Curriculum Developer at Sekolah Kristen Calvin, a local Christian high school in Jakarta. Eunice enjoys being challenged in the professional environment, working alongside passionate people, and having opportunities to learn deeply towards a purposeful impact. In her spare time, she recharges through social interactions, journaling/hand-lettering, as well as mindless labor work.

Ricardo Sandcroft

Ricardo Sandcroft of Jamaica is a Wilberforce mentee and a former Humphrey International Fellow at the University of Minnesota. He and four other Christian former Humphrey International Fellows are working together to promote religious freedom and combat religious persecution especially against Christians in countries.

David Widjaja

David Widjaja (Indonesia) has a double BA in Computer Information Systems and Business Management (Marketing) from Calvin University. Currently he is working to build genuine workplace relationships despite the dehumanization of the workplace by bringing the gospel through demonstrating work excellence and living up my Christian faith in the workplace at Deloitte, San Francisco. In his home country of Indonesia, he has created a community and platform called MyNeighbor (TetanggaKu) where we help people pivot their career to software related jobs (e.g. UI/UX, SDE, etc.). The aim of the app is to create a culture of genuine giving in Indonesia. He is active in FICA (Fellowship of Indonesian Christians in America) and his church.

Dr. Emmanuela Nyam

Since she became a Wilberforce mentee in 2014, Dr. Nyam, a graduate of Southern Baptist Seminary, has championed a focused effort to empower Cameroon’s pastors and parents to train and equip young people to become Christ’s disciples. Under the auspices of Children Treasuring Christ Cameroon, she writes children’s Christian education curricula as well as training churches so that Cameroon’s children develop a biblical worldview. Wilberforce staff have visited her at her base in Douala, Cameroon on two occasions in support of her work.

Martin and Stephanie Digler

Our approach through this ministry is for pastoral/medical/teaching staff, elders, deacons, congregation, and students to be directed in a path that will transform their lives. In doing so, they can effectively apply the biblical knowledge and understanding learned to their personal lives, which will in turn impact their communities and country as a whole.

Bill Rein

William C. (Bill) Rein has been an attorney and healthcare administrator in Kansas and Wyoming for 43 years. His most recent positions were Superintendent of the Larned State Hospital in Larned, Kansas and Administrator of the Wyoming State Hospital in Evanston, Wyoming. Both hospitals have general psychiatric and criminal forensic programs. Prior to his work as a hospital administrator, Mr. Rein practiced mental health, hospital, and administrative law where he represented state agencies before district courts and legislative committees. His career includes work as the chief administrative law judge for a large health agency and State Commissioner of Behavioral Health. In 2018 he received the “Lifetime Achievement Award for improving Mental Health Services to Kansans.”

Michael Lovett

Dr. Colin Gan Cheong Kiat

Colin is a Management and Training Consultant. He is a Hedge Fund Manager. He is the Chief Information Officer for Acoustical Technologies Singapore Pte Ltd. He is responsible for the strategic management and planning of the company and new product development of medical devices using ultrasonic technology. Relevant projects completed are new product development for SAW (Surface Acoustic Wave) Biosensor and Marketing Plan Audit for the company. He is an Advisor at ra+. He is a Risk Management Advisor for AiKaigo Pte Ltd.

He has a Bachelor of Information Technology from University of Queensland, Australia, Master of Science in Software, Systems and Information Engineering from University of Sheffield, United Kingdom, Master of Computer and Information Sciences and Master of Science in Management of Technology from University of Minnesota - Twin Cities, United States of America and Doctor of Philosophy in Finance from Bandung Institute of Technology from Indonesia.

Area of Specialties:
Strategic Planning and Management, Financial Planning, Microfinancing,
Microinsurance, Microinvestment, Micro venture capital, Micro private-equity,
Micro angel investing, Micro hedge fund and Knowledge Acquisition.

What has your association with Wilberforce meant to you personally, spiritually, and professionally?

Personally, it has inspired me to make changes in the lives of others.
Spiritually, it has challenged me to walk closer with God.
Professionally, it has connected me to a network of like-minded people wanting to make a difference in the lives of others through their work.

What are you doing now that is creating “redemptive change” in your community/city/country/profession?

I am a Member of the 12 Mutiara Nusantara Task Force assisting in Human Flourishing Projects Glorifying God in the 12 Pockets of Christianity from Indonesia.

Dr. Thangboi Haokip

How has Wilberforce influenced you?
“My association with Wilberforce International Institute has enriched me simply beyond my ability to express. Wilberforce provided me with conceptual clarity about different worldviews, both Christian and those of other faiths and how these views impact/impacted the world. I learned that historic Christianity and Judeo-Christian culture is the foundation of Western/Modern civilization. I learned that God’s purpose and plan for mankind was to glorify Him and take care of His creation. I can help do this as a redemptive change agent in my own country.”

What redemptive work are you doing right now?
“Besides my professional work as a Public School Principal, I have founded an NGO and run several Christian Schools with an enrollment of nearly 600 students. Our goal is to teach Biblical values so that in the future they become God glorifying future leaders. This is in addition to our Christian calling, as all Christians are called to, of witnessing and preaching the Gospel of our Lord."

Abbel Joseph

Connection with Wilberforce International Institute:

In 2012, Abbel joined Wilberforce International Institute as a mentee. Abbel has worked for Compassion Haiti since 2013 where he is currently working as Manager of Program Support. Currently his work touches higher education, entrepreneurship, microloans, building infrastructure, and more. He is also a member of the pastoral team of his church in his home community. His vision is to work as a catalyst for a holistic development of his native neighborhood through a Discipleship program as well as a long-term community development plan for his home community.

How Wilberforce has influenced Abbel:

“Wilberforce biennial summits help me to be refreshed, refilled, and inspired to continue the race. Sometimes, the road appears to be long, and I sometimes feel that I am losing sight of my original vision due to day-to-day reality that is still so far from the vision. But Connection with Wilberforce International Institute helps me to be reminded of God’s call for me. It helps me to be encouraged by the testimony and ministry of other mentees around the world.”

“I also feel challenged knowing that to who lot has been given, lot is required, and God has poured so much in me through this ministry for international students.”

“My work is in development, but the dynamic of Wilberforce International Institute helps me to continue to think outside the box and to expand my vision.”

Waihon Liew

Waihon Liew is a Malaysian national, married with three children. He has masters in Theology and in Educational Leadership ThM and M Sc (education leadership). He currently works as an educator and life coach at Sejong Academy, St Paul, Minnesota, which serves primarily Karen (Myanmar) refugees. He does mentoring, teaching, and discipleship (for the multiplication of disciple-makers). Waihon also works training teachers in Malaysia. Through his collaboration with churches in Minnesota and Malaysia he is able to teach sports education and conduct educational projects with schools and communities in Malaysia through virtual learning (during covid-19) and 2-3 short trips each year.

What has your association with Wilberforce meant to you personally, spiritually, and professionally?

Being a part of Wilberforce Institute has enabled me to learn from many Christians on how to use my professional skills to make an impact in my community and my nation. For example, I was able to learn from Joseph Abbel (from Haiti), Dr Thangboi (India), and Masango Matimuta (Zimbabwe). Being able to ask questions and learn from those Christian leaders from other countries is very helpful.

What are you doing now that is creating “redemptive change” in your community/city/country/profession?

I am working part time at a charter school in St Paul, Minnesota which serves predominantly Karen refugee students from Myanmar. I am using this education platform to serve these new immigrants by mentoring and discipling them both inside and outside the school. I also collaborate with schools and churches in Malaysia - using my training in education and sports as a platform to serve and influence them through various programs.

Masango Matimura

Masango Matimura is a Zimbabwean who lives in the Manicaland (eastern) Province. He is an ordained Minister. He is the founding Director of Holistic Peace and Development Zimbabwe (HPDZ), a groundbreaking not-for-profit organization promoting reconciliation and spiritual and economic development in Zimbabwe. Masango was a 2010-2011 Hubert H. Humphrey Fellow, a professional development program sponsored by the US State Department. As a Humphrey Fellow he was based at the University of Minnesota Law School where he studied Human Rights and Law.

During his Fellowship year Masango became a Wilberforce International Institute mentee which led him to his current work promoting peace and human rights in Zimbabwe. Masango presently provides a model for economic and community development through knowledge-based and technology-aided farming. His aim is to ensure household food security in Zimbabwe. He holds an MA in Peace and International Relations and earned his BA as a double major in Community Development and Biblical and Religious Studies.

What has your association with Wilberforce meant to you personally, spiritually, and professionally?

My association with Wilberforce has been incredibly important to me personally and professionally: It has expanded my network of friends not only nationally but internationally as well. I now have Christian friends from many parts of the world as a result of my participation in the Global Summits. I came to the USA in 2010 as a Hubert. H. Humphrey Fellow studying Human Rights and Law at the University of Minnesota Law School. My Human Rights Cohort had 12 members and I was the only one from Africa. However, as I participated in Wilberforce organized activities I realized that there were many mentees from Africa. Secondly, it was through my association with Wilberforce that I managed to connect my ministry, Holistic Peace and Development Zimbabwe (HPDZ), first with Global Horizons Inc, and later with The Ministry Office. For an entire academic year (2010-2011), I met with my Wilberforce mentor every Tuesday for our of mentorship discussions. They were life-changing meetings that culminated in further connections with the ministries above. As a Pastor and a Christian, the concept of a "Christ-animated redemptive change agent" forms my motivation to please Christ and serve Him in whatever situation I face back home (Zimbabwe). I seek to develop a theology of peacemaking and development based on a holistic worldview drawn from a deeper understanding of the Bible and Christian teachings.

What are you doing now that is creating “redemptive change” in your community/city/country/profession?

Now, I am currently working in the following areas: Pastoral ministry, peace, reconciliation and community healing and community development.

Pastoral ministry: I strongly feel that God called me to serve him by preaching and teaching the Bible to those around me. In 2015 I planted a church from scratch. Over time the numbers have been increasing as new members are joining the group. We are operating under the name Mt. Hermon Community Church.

Reconciliation work: I promote reconciliation, community healing, and nonviolent approaches to addressing conflicts. This is a task I do together with fellow pastors and other church leaders. I work with church groups such as Churches in Manicaland, Zimbabwe Council of Churches, Evangelical Fellowship of Zimbabwe, Catholic Commission for Justice and Peace. Representing the Evangelical church groups in Manicaland Province, I am part of the Provincial Peace Committee under Zimbabwe's constitutionally instituted National Peace and Reconciliation Commission. Using all these platforms, I work to bring the light of Christ to community and national redemption.

Community Development: I am also promoting community development here in Nyazura, a rural and farming community. People of Nyazura have more access to land than most rural communities around. Farmers here own land ranging from 5 to 35 hectares. Unfortunately, most of these farmers struggle to feed their families. In addition to food insecurity, the people lack stable incomes.

Margaret Mwale

What has your association with Wilberforce meant to you personally, spiritually, and professionally?

I have appreciated the genuine interest and encouragement of Wilberforce staff in its mentees. Spiritually, I very much appreciate the opportunity to connect with both staff and fellow mentees from a similar Christian worldview, to pray for WII and to be prayed for.”

What are you doing now that is creating “redemptive change” in your community/city/country/profession?

I am trying to connect a student from African Christian University to the Africa Working Group to assist the group if there is interest with its communication needs. I hope both the student and the Africa Working Group benefit.

Eunice Salim

Eunice is a former classroom teacher who longs to see education be the primary transformative tool in realizing the best version of Indonesia's future generation. With her people-oriented nature and organizational skills, Eunice is currently the Chief Networking Officer at Paideia Educational Solutions, a newly established educational initiative for human flourishing, as well as a part-time Curriculum Developer at Sekolah Kristen Calvin, a local Christian high school in Jakarta. Eunice enjoys being challenged in the professional environment, working alongside passionate people, and having opportunities to learn deeply towards a purposeful impact. In her spare time, she recharges through social interactions, journaling/hand-lettering, as well as mindless labor work. She has a B.A in Elementary Math Education from Calvin University (2016) and an M.Ed in Learning Design and Technologies from Arizona State University (2020).

What has Wilberforce International Institute meant to you?

Wilberforce has been constant family-like support that not only keeps me laser-focused on my passion and calling for Indonesian education but has also challenged me to sharpen my critical thinking and professional competencies.

What are you doing now that is creating “redemptive change”?

My teammates and I at Paideia wholeheartedly believe in holistic education centered on relationships with God and with others. By utilizing technology, we aim to help Indonesian teachers to be creative “creators,” utilizing their God-given talents! Last February, we released an Android app able to reach even the most remote areas with only 2G connections. Our app is designed to help teachers create and plan lessons holistically and with the end goal of human flourishing in mind.”

Ricardo Sandcroft

Before entering private practice, Ricardo worked both within the Jamaican court system and the Child Development Agency of Jamaica. Ricardo was a Master (Judge in Chambers) [Ag.], Child Law and Child Rights Specialist who spent many years advocating on behalf of and aiding vulnerable children in Jamaica. In addition to his work with children he has worked directly with Child Protection and Family Services Agency, Office of the Children’s Advocate, and the Children’s Courts to revise child protection laws in accordance with international standards and advise on the treatment of children within the court system.

Ricardo Sandcroft is an ordained minister and has been a Christian for over thirty years. He is married to Annalisa and has three sons: Matthew, Nathan & Israel. He loves to lecture on Apologetics, the Church, and the Law. He has a passion for advocacy and sharing the Word of God.

David Widjaja

What has your association with Wilberforce meant to you personally, spiritually, and professionally?

Personal benefit of Wilberforce: “It is a time where I was able to meet my great mentor, Bob Osburn and become involved with Wilberforce as a mentee.
Spiritual Impact of Wilberforce: Wilberforce is the spiritual mentorship program where I was able to learn what it really means to live up to my faith through my work and learning how I could make an impact on society from a Biblical worldview.
The Wilberforce Advantage: Wilberforce is a network of likeminded believers, from all over the world, where we are able to connect together to think and work together for Redemptive Change both in the private and public spheres of our home societies.

Dr. Emmanuela Nyam

What has your association with Wilberforce meant to you?

I've been associated with Wilberforce now for seven years. For these years, I have been encouraged through one-on-one mentorship, seminars, and conferences to be a faithful agent of change through the redemptive work of the gospel of Christ. I have received helpful resources and made connections that helped me set up a ministry back home in Cameroon and continue to encourage me for my current ministry work.

What are you doing now to create "redemptive change"?

I currently partner with churches to educate parents on their role to disciple their children in the way of the gospel. Also, I provide training for teachers and church leaders on the significance of Christian Education, especially in the discipleship of families and equipping parents to assume their God-given role of discipleship.

Martin and Stephanie Digler

I (Martin) am a result of being raised in a Christian home in Liberia, West Africa. With my family, I went to church and heard the pastor preach the Word of God on Sundays. Yet, I did not apply what I learned preached to my daily living. The same is true for many other Liberians. During my primary and secondary education, I was taught in a school that did the best they could with the resources they had.

As a young boy growing up, my eyes were not yet open to the lack of resources and biblical teaching I personally did not have. This is one of the reasons I struggled to apply the Bible to daily life and to live a life experiencing the joy in knowing Christ.

God, in His sovereignty, opened the door for me to come to the United States and further my experience in the boundaries He had established for me in eternity past (Acts 17:36). As I have grown older and experienced life in the United States, God has opened my eyes to the needs that exist in Liberia. During college, I had the opportunity to attend a summer program at Focus on the Family Institute where I studied discipleship, Christian Worldview, parenting, marriage, and family. I was taught how to be a godly man and eventually a godly husband and father. ISI (International Students Inc) also had an impact on me. Through participating in this organization, I learned the importance of Christian leadership and showing Christ's love to others through service and generosity. Through my college education, profession, and attending churches that were biblical and had Christ-centered teaching, God has opened my eyes and given me the knowledge, desire and dreams to embark on this life-changing ministry in Liberia.

What has your association with Wilberforce meant to you personally, spiritually, and professionally?

“Our association with Wilberforce has resulted in networking. We attended our first Global Summit in the fall of 2019. During this time, we met many people that have a heart for Africa and have been collaborating and encouraging each other in their efforts since then.”

What are you doing now that is creating “redemptive change”?

“Currently, we have a Nursery - 12th grade school in Bensonville, Liberia. We are working to train and disciple our teachers. We purchased 10 acres of land. We eventually hope to have a clinic/hospital and Bible-teaching church. We also have the heart to have a teacher training program and possibly a vocational jobs program.

Bill Rein

William C. (Bill) Rein has been an attorney and healthcare administrator in Kansas and Wyoming for 43 years. His most recent positions were Superintendent of the Larned State Hospital in Larned, Kansas and Administrator of the Wyoming State Hospital in Evanston, Wyoming. Both hospitals have general psychiatric and criminal forensic programs. Prior to his work as a hospital administrator, Mr. Rein practiced mental health, hospital, and administrative law where he represented state agencies before district courts and legislative committees. His career includes work as the chief administrative law judge for a large health agency and State Commissioner of Behavioral Health. In 2018 he received the “Lifetime Achievement Award for improving Mental Health Services to Kansans.”

How has being a mentor for Wilberforce impacted you?

“It is hard to imagine anything more promising than the chance to work with Christian international students and professionals as they assume responsible positions throughout the world. When people bound together by Christianity focus on issues in government, business, and culture the result should be improved understanding and mutual encouragement. This is happening for me at a time when factionalism is tearing nations apart. Christianity is the uniting force which can explain history, inform culture, and further true justice.”

What advice would you give a future Wilberforce mentor?

“Mentorship is about listening, explaining, sharing, and encouraging. Administrators use a similar process to help young professionals learn how to do their jobs. While no teacher can develop mature relationships with every student, mentors can. Mentors bring the lessons of experience to questions and new ideas. The anticipated results are improved understanding, growth, and confidence for everyone involved. However, this can only occur in an environment of mutual respect based upon Christian concern for all who chose to participate.”

Michael Lovett

From 2008 through 2017, Dr. Lovett was superintendent of the White Bear Lake Public Schools in Minnesota, after serving as assistant superintendent with the Minnetonka Public Schools from 1988 to 2008. Between 1970 and 1988, he was a public-school teacher in New York, an on-site school and district administrator in Minnesota as well as serving in a leadership role at the Minnesota Department of Education. Since retiring as superintendent in 2017 he has been passing his knowledge along at the graduate level to the next generation of leaders in education. Sr. Lovett currently serves as adjunct faculty at both the University of Minnesota and University of St. Thomas while providing both pro-bono and fee-based strategic leadership mentoring and management consulting to educational and nonprofit leaders through Lovett Leadership LLC, and is active on several nonprofit boards. Dr. Lovett earned his B.A. in History from Carleton College, Northfield, MN, in 1970, also attending Doshisha University in Japan in 1969; and M.A. (1973) and Ph.D. (1979) degrees in Educational Leadership and Policy from the University of Minnesota. For more detail please see https://www.linkedin.com/in/michael-lovett-phd/ What has it meant to you professionally, personally, and spiritually to be a Wilberforce Mentor? From our first video “remote” conversations, I grew to understand my mentee’s professional and personal aspirations, and her motivation to teach and lead in the United States and in her home country. We have met in person twice, once in the public school where she taught, and again when we jointly presented at an international student conference. What have I learned? Personally and professionally, I have come to understand and respect my mentee’s commitment, courage, and determination in the path she has chosen. Spiritually, I am grateful for the opportunities to be a “partner” as she reflects on formidable personal, cultural, and political challenges in her home country. What would you say to a Wilberforce mentor? What do they need to think about? Approach your mentor- mentee partnership with humility. As mentors, we may have professional knowledge and experience to offer, but first we must offer genuine listening, empathy, and commitment.

Stories

Mentee Stories

Dr. Colin Gan Cheong Kiat

Dr. Thangboi Haokip

Abbel Joseph

Waihon Liew

Masango Matimura

Marageret Mwale

Eunice Salim

Ricardo Sandcroft

David Widjaja

Dr. Emmanuela Nyam

Martin and Stephanie Digler

Mentor Stories

Bill Rein

Michael Lovett

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Dr. Colin Gan Cheong Kiat

Dr. Thangboi Haokip

Abbel Joseph

Waihon Liew

Masango Matimura

Margaret Mwale

Eunice Salim

Ricardo Sandcroft

David Widjaja

Dr. Emmanuela Nyam

Martin and Stephanie Digler

Bill Rein

Michael Lovett