The Story
- Sarah as a NNU student, and now in the workforce.
After his death in 1997, the family of active churchman Bob Moench established The Bob Moench scholarship in his honor.
The story, however, began long before...
While Bob and Harriet Moench lived in Medford, Oregon (1969 to 1972), the teens of the Medford Church of the Nazarene were asked to visit a teenager, new to the community and hospitalized as a result of an accident. Teen Judy Moench told her mom that visiting the girl was hard, so Harriet Moench made a visit herself, taking along a Bible for Gail, the young teen—who threw it across the room. Harriet picked up the Bible, put it on the nightstand and said gently, “Maybe you’ll want this later.”
Who could imagine?
The story unfolds thirty years later...
The teen and the daughter met again, this time in Bend, Oregon. Gail Walker, recently widowed, shared with daughter Judy Moench Askren (NNU 1979), now pastor’s wife at the Bend Church of the Nazarene, how the Bible she had first thrown across the room turned her life around. Gail and Judy began to pray for Gail’s own teenage daughter, Sarah, who wanted to go to NNU but lacked the finances. Soon Gail excitedly reported that Sarah had received a scholarship that would make her dream of attending NNU a reality: The Bob Moench Scholarship! Sarah Walker was able to fulfill her dream and graduated from NNU in 2005 with a nursing degree. Following graduation, Sarah spent the summer in mainland China before beginning her nursing career at St.Alphonsus Regional Medical Center in Boise, Idaho, where she quickly attained the position of Charge Nurse in the orthopedic unit.
The story adds a chapter...
In the fall of 2008, another of Bob and Harriet’s daughters, Mary Moench (NNU 1974), now assistant principal at Meridian, Idaho, Middle School, was admitted to St. Alphonsus to have a total hip replacement. Mary tells this chapter of the story: “Going in, the plan was to stay four days—surgery Monday, home Thursday. Surgery went well, but on Tuesday there was a problem... my hip felt great, but there was a lot of pain in my foot on the same side as the surgery, and the doctors were mystified. “The doctor came into my room on Wednesday and said, ‘Well, we know it’s nerve pain and we want to treat you here, so you can’t go home tomorrow.”
“I had had the same nurse all week (an NNU grad), but Friday morning a different nurse from the floor came in. She stood by my bed and said, ‘Mary, I’m from Bend and attend the Nazarene Church. I have more to tell you: I am Sarah Walker, and I am here to take care of you.’
“Oh, my goodness! How great is our God! The full story came flooding back and it dawned on me... now that’s why I’m still here—I needed to be here on Friday morning so God could complete that circle.”
Sarah speaks joyfully of her experience with Mary: “Reading the shift report, I noted the Moench name; when I walked into the room, I recognized Mary because as a student scholarship recipient, I had met her at the NNU President’s Dinner.* I thought, ‘Now I can serve you!’
“God is so good. I’m constantly amazed by His plan—it’s never what I expected. His hand is so evident in each step.”
The story continues...
Following two additional trips to China and Taiwan, Sarah sensed God directing her to begin graduate school. Now enrolled in a Master’s in Nursing of Population Health program, her dream is to pursue medical work in China.
Is giving to provide scholarships for students at NNU worthwhile? Just ask Harriet Moench or Sarah Walker...
*Mary Moench servesas a family representative of The Bob Moench Scholarship.
The 2009-2010 Scholarship Fund... A Time of Need
An endowment is a pool of funds which are given and invested so that the interest from those funds will meet a stated need, such as a scholarship, without ever having to deplete the original gift. Therefore, an endowment is a legacy gift, one that lasts forever. Northwest Nazarene University is blessed to have an endowment that supports her students with scholarships and her faculty with research opportunities. We are so grateful for the thousands of individuals, businesses and foundations who have supported the
NNU endowment across the years. These funds provide financial assistance to students who may otherwise be unable to afford the cost of an NNU education.
Last year the University’s endowment was negatively impacted by what some are calling “The Great Recession” and the massive downturn in the financial markets. As a result, we have a shortfall in funding for 2009-2010 because the endowment income in 2008 was nonexistent. Despite this deficit, we are
committed to meeting the financial need of our deserving students through scholarships.
Thus, we are asking for the support of our friends to provide scholarship dollars for the 2009-2010 academic school year. There are countless students who would not be at NNU if it weren’t for endowed scholarships. This is an important cause during a time of need. Would you be willing to make a gift,
above and beyond your annual University Fund gift, to benefit students with scholarships this year? Reference the 2009-2010 Scholarship Fund on your check, payable to NNU; or contact the Office of University Advancement at 866-467-8987.
3 Ways to Make a Difference
1. Create an endowment.
This can be done now with cash or stock, or later with an estate gift. Your fund, just as the Bob and Harriet Moench Scholarship, will make a lasting difference by producing income every year for the stated purpose.
2. Leave a bequest.
Designate an amount or percentage of your estate for a specific purpose or for unrestricted use. Such gifts provide encouragement and always make a big difference.
3. Explore other giving options.
Consider making a gift of life insurance policies you no longer need, funding a charitable gift annuity or making a gift of property. There are literally scores of creative gifting strategies that will make a profound difference at NNU.
For more information on these and other ways YOU can make a difference at NNU, call the Office of Planned Giving at 866-467-8987, or visit our website at www.nnu.edu/give.
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