Sometimes God leads us in directions we never intended to go, but in November of 1997, as a young missionary in Athens, Greece, Jennifer Roemhildt’s eyes and heart were opened to the presence of women in prostitution. She began to pray, and God answered in unexpected ways.
   The statistics are staggering. International estimates tell us that at any given time, there are as many as 12.3 million people in forced labor, bonded labor, forced child labor or sexual servitude.  
   Many people look with despair on these numbers, believing that little can be done by just one person. Jennifer (Roemhildt) Tunehag does not just see numbers, but faces. For her work in easing the pain of countless thousands of men, women and children forced into prostitution, Jennifer has been named NNU’s 2009 Alumnus of the Year.
   Jennifer’s ministry efforts toward those caught up in prostitution began in Athens as a street outreach under the name of Lost Coin, using the imagery of Jesus’ parable in Luke 15. As understanding grew with regard to the depth and breadth of the needs of these individuals, Nea Zoi (New Life) was formed to foster restoration by building bridges of help to social services and the like, as well as bridges of hope in the God who loves us.
   For the last 12 years, Jennifer, NNU class of 1989, has been at the forefront of advocacy for the thousands of people brought into Europe who are then forced into prostitution. Her calls to action have been heard at the highest levels of both national and global governance, and she has clearly been a spokesperson for those without a voice. The world has largely turned a blind eye to this modern-day form of slavery, but Jennifer seeks to mobilize people to respond to the horrors of prostitution.
   During the months leading up to the 2004 Summer Olympics, Jennifer and her team worked in concert with a number of agencies to minimize the threat of women and girls being trafficked into Athens to meet the increased demand for sexual services. Experts estimated that up to 10,000 women had flooded Sydney, Australia, during the 2000 Olympics, and Jennifer’s goal was to see that trend not repeated in Athens. Her hard work and the countless hours of prayer by untold hundreds paid off. Greece, which has legalized prostitution, actually noted a decrease in demand during the weeks of the Olympics. The God who hears the cry of the oppressed answered in a mighty way!
   Since leading the charge in Athens five years ago, Jennifer has seen her work grow and has witnessed the hand of God in the midst of it all. She is currently living in Sweden with her husband, Mats, where she is a leading figure on global trafficking issues. She has taught Central Asian church leaders how to address the needs of victims in their communities; has testified before the European Parliament and the U.S. House of Representatives; and is helping to promote a model of legislation for overcoming the sex trade that is being looked at throughout Europe.
   Jennifer considers her time at NNU foundational to her call to advocate for those trapped in sex slavery. Without the theological and philosophical foundation for incarnate and urban ministry, she says she “would not have had the eyes to see the issue or the resources to respond!” She also expresses thanks for the “profound gift of professors who believed and invested in me” and for a “church that encourages women in leadership, in ministry and in mission.”

   The Professional Achievement Award honors an alumnus whose distinguished record of achievement has brought honor and recognition to the University. For 2009, the award will be presented to Dr. Rand Michael, NNU class of 1968.
   Dr. Michael–an international speaker, writer, trainer, consultant and clinician–is the developer and director of George Fox University’s marriage and family therapy program as well as founder and president of TELOS international, an organization that trains mental health professionals and “listeners” worldwide.
   Focusing on mental health and relational well-being from an informed Christian perspective, the mission of TELOS is to provide culturally sensitive, holistic mental health services dedicated to encouraging, empowering and equipping underserved people and communities by offering training, counseling and related mental health resources.
   Recognizing the wholeness of truth, TELOS seeks to wed the best resources in mental health with a faithful Christian worldview. To date, TELOS and its team members have provided services and training in such diverse locations as Albania, Australia, Bulgaria, Burundi, Cyprus, East Asia, Germany, Hungary, Israel, Jordan, Kenya, Kosovo, Lebanon, Mexico, Mongolia, Nicaragua, Palestine, Romania, Russia, Taiwan, Thailand, Uganda, Ukraine and Venezuela.
   Dr. Michael’s work in Central Africa, which included participants from Burundi, Rwanda and Congo, has resulted in the establishment of over two dozen "listening centers” that have served thousands of people, and the founding of the Burundi-based Trauma and Healing Reconciliation Services, directed by one of Dr. Michael’s former students.
   Congruent with how Jesus prepared His disciples to train others for ministry, Dr. Michael is committed to “training-the-trainer.” He has trained hundreds of counselors and “listeners” worldwide. In East Asia he, along with his team, has equipped counselors and family-life educators who are now training others in counseling and prevention services. The number of persons that have been served thus far by these nationals is over 8,000.
   Dr. Michael’s wife, Phyllis, is associate professor and chair of the social sciences department of Warner Pacific College. Together, the Michaels were the recipients of the Oregon Counseling Association’s 2008 Human Rights Award for their work. Their service has included working with trauma care providers and trauma victims, such as the Kosovars, Albanians and others during and after the Kosovo conflict of the 1990s; Burundians, Congolese and Rwandans after the Central African genocides; and Chinese after the May 2008 earthquake.
   Dr. Rand Michael understands his work as an expression of God’s grace to those who have no other place to turn. He views his career not simply as a job, but as creating what he calls “sacred space,” giving people, regardless of their background, the time and opportunity to share their inmost secrets and pain. By creating a “sacred space” for the hurting and vulnerable of the world, Dr. Michael embodies the character of Christ.
   After completing his undergraduate work at NNC and his Masters of Divinity at Nazarene Theological Seminary, Dr. Michael served as a pastor for six years. His earned doctorate combines training in theology, therapy and prevention services. He is a member of the Portland First Church of the Nazarene. He and Phyllis, married 40 years, have two married daughters, Elizabeth and Sara, and five grandchildren.

     Described as a gracious, artistic servant, Judy Stallcop is the recipient of the Distinguished Service Award for 2009 for her years of dedicated service to the NNU community.    
    NNU professor emeritus and former Distinguished Service Award recipient Dr. Lynn Neil describes Judy as a touch of beauty at any event. It’s easy to see  where Dr. Neil would get that idea. Judy has a way of making anyone she talks to feel welcome, and her grace is unmistakable.
   However, like any true servant, Judy is reluctant to take credit for decades of hard work for the NNU community and the people of the Treasure Valley. Always trying to give praise to those who have helped her on the way, she shows that real servanthood is from the heart.     
   Judy’s service began in her hometown of Havre, Mont., a small town about 40 miles from the Canadian border. Watching groups from NNC come to her church, she knew that the college in Nampa was the place for her. After convincing her longtime boyfriend, Marvin Stallcop, the two enrolled. The rest, as they say, is history.
   She and Marvin married, and after he finished graduate school in Arizona, they moved back to Nampa where he became a professor of music (a position he would hold for the next 41 years). They were also the resident directors of Mangum Hall at NNU, influencing countless students, including Dr. Ron Galloway, who still calls her “mom.”
   Over the years, Judy noted that NNU seemed to be isolated from the Nampa community. So she made it her personal mission to incorporate the college she loved with the city she lived in. This led her to a host of volunteer positions throughout the Treasure Valley. Among the more notable were her positions on the Snake River Homebuilder’s Association for Canyon County, which has gained state and national recognition for its annual tour of homes; the board of directors for the Canyon County Festival of Trees; and Mercy Medical Center’s “Women of Vision” program.
   However, it is as a volunteer with NNU that Judy Stallcop excels in service to her alma mater, often in ways that enhance and beautify campus facilities and public events. President Emeritus Richard Hagood commented, “For years Judy has brought a touch of class to such events as baccalaureate and commencement and has worked with the President’s Office to decorate and enhance the annual President's Dinner and countless other events.” Hagood said, “I have been grateful for the many times we were able to receive her counsel on office layouts, color and carpet schemes, library furnishings and hundreds of other design and decoration issues.”
   In addition, Hagood praised Judy’s work as a long-term member of the Business Advisory Board which has supported the growth and expansion of the School of Business over the past several years and continues to do so today.
   In addition to her tireless work with NNU and the Treasure Valley, Judy enjoys reading, biking, cooking, gardening, floral design and, above all, spending time with her family. Son, Gregg, lives in Nampa along with daughter LeAnn and son-in-law Craig Stensgaard. Craig and LeAnn serve in administrative and faculty positions respectively and have two boys Jared and Jayden.
   For the past 15 years Judy and her sister Janet Rodriguez have owned their own company, Innovative Interiors, in Nampa.

John Wesley implored us to “do all the good you can, by all the means you can, in all the ways you can, in all the places you can, at all the times you can, to all the people you can, as long as ever you can.” The NNU Alumni Association is proud to honor Dr. Christine Johns, NNU class of 1999, with the 2009 Leon Doane Young Alumnus of the Year Award for her work in helping to care for the poor of Laos.
   After graduating with honors and a Bachelor of Science in chemistry and biology, Christine was accepted into the University of Utah School of Medicine, where she again excelled in the classroom. Upon completion of that program, Johns entered an internal medicine residency at the University of Minnesota, followed by a nephrology (branch of medicine dealing with kidneys) fellowship. Finally, after 13 years of postsecondary education, she was ready to join the ranks of medical professionals. Despite all those years of excelling in the classroom and working on hospital floors, Christine learned she would not be content simply practicing medicine.
   Rather than use her education to further her own personal ambitions, Dr. Johns joined a group of healthcare providers who look after the “least of these” in the Southeast Asian nation of Laos. Health Frontiers, a nonprofit organization that is completely volunteer based, asked Christine to join its team in Laos. She agreed and is now the internal medicine residency coordinator. Her primary mission is to help strengthen the training of internal medicine specialists in Laos and thus improve the availability of its overall healthcare. Dr. Johns also has the distinction of being the only nephrologist in Laos.
   Health Frontiers began as a pediatrics-focused organization. Prior to the opening of Health Frontiers in Laos, the country had only four pediatricians for over 1.5 million children. In its 11 years, Health Frontiers, with the help of Dr. Johns and others, has trained 50 pediatricians and 30 internists.  Christine’s passion for medical training has created positive change in the landscape of healthcare in Laos.  
   Christine’s time at NNU certainly had an impact on her career choice, and she is quick to note the many members of NNU’s community who influenced and encouraged her on her journey. During the summer prior to her senior year, Christine spent two months at Kudjip Nazarene Hospital in Papua New Guinea, where she assisted the staff and learned firsthand what it means to practice medicine outside the United States. She credits her NNU professors, whom she was able to know better through NNU’s small class sizes, with preparing her for her future work. It was their dedication that made the biggest impact on her choices. “I remain thankful to the science faculty who modeled that one’s career can be a mission field,” Christine said.