A fall 1981 intercultural to Jerusalem left a lasting impression on the late Christine Good Shenk ’83. 

The accounting grad, who passed away in July 2024, formed friendships that semester that endured long after she graduated from 91����Ƶ. Nine of her fellow students on the intercultural became part of a close-knit circle of friends known as “The Gang,” which has continued to gather regularly for decades.

Her widower, Ed Shenk ’83, was not part of the intercultural. At the time, the international agricultural development and biology education major was studying at Pennsylvania State University. Over the years, though, as the Lancaster, Pennsylvania, couple attended biannual reunions in major cities, members’ homes, beach houses, and even aboard a Caribbean cruise, he deepened his friendships with members of The Gang.

In her memory, he donated $90,000 to establish 91����Ƶ’s new Intercultural Programs Alumni Grant Fund and intends to make additional gifts going forward. The fund provides financial support for students who want to participate in intercultural programs but may not have the means to afford them. 

91����Ƶ’s intercultural programs have impacted thousands of graduates, offering opportunities to engage in different cultures, build global relationships, and experience a new perspective.

“When I began to think about the impact of intercultural programs, it was the friends, the experiences, and the exposure to other cultures that really lasted for her,” Ed Shenk said. “This is something she would’ve supported.”

His donation marks the largest-ever gift from an alum specifically for intercultural programs, according to Tim Swartzendruber ’95, senior regional advancement director for 91����Ƶ. 

“This is the first fund, in the 53 years of excellence in crosscultural learning at 91����Ƶ, that will go 100% to undergraduates who need financial support to seize this life-changing opportunity, and stipends for our adventuresome professors who lead interculturals!” he wrote in a recent Facebook post.

Christina Harrison, director of 91����Ƶ intercultural programs, called the grant fund a “game changer” for students. “This alumni-funded support will eliminate financial barriers for so many students who may be unable to consider an intercultural travel program due to lack of resources,” she said. 91����Ƶ leaders said they hope the fund will reach $500,000.

For more information about 91����Ƶ’s unique experiential intercultural learning opportunities, including future programs, visit .

Note “IPAGF” when you and you will join alumni like Ed Shenk who are paying it forward in a meaningful way for today’s students. 

Cornelius, a sophomore, was one of 17 students from 91����Ƶ who participated in the spring semester intercultural trip to Guatemala and Mexico. Professor Wendell Shank, who teaches Spanish and linguistics, and Liz Miller, from Intercultural Programs, led the group in exploring history, culture, and language within the context of colonization. They spent eight weeks living with host families in Guatemala City, followed by some free travel time, and then two weeks of community learning in various Guatemalan organizations before traveling to Mexico City.

Zoe Clymer, a junior at 91����Ƶ, described her two weeks of community service at a private clinic on the outskirts of Guatemala City as “eye-opening.” She shadowed various positions in the clinic, prompting her to consider her role in health care and how she wants to help people stay healthy. Several other students worked in a clinic in San Juan. Ivy Miller, a sophomore, helped take patients’ vitals and sorted through piles of medicine for the pharmacy. She described the two weeks as “nerve-racking at some points,” but also appreciated the opportunity to “be helping hands to the clinic staff and expand our knowledge one day at a time.”

Another group of students worked with the Community Cloud Forest Conservation, an organization that teaches leadership skills and environmentally friendly agricultural practices. Nathan Miller, a junior, reported that he and other students helped harvest vegetables, prepare soil at the tree nursery, and cook meals for the group, all while being surrounded by a beautiful landscape.

Besides community service, students spent the semester learning about migration, economics, human rights, health and education systems, and Mayan history and culture. They visited museums, refugee shelters, schools, and nonprofit organizations, but also got to relax at the ocean, take hikes, and explore volcanoes.

Caleb Metzler said he’s not sure how to compare his level of learning from this past semester with an ordinary one on campus. “While I haven’t been sitting in a classroom for three to six hours every day cranking out scholarly papers until my hands feel numb, I’ve had opportunities to learn every time I leave the confines of wherever we are staying,” the 91����Ƶ junior said. “It’s almost as if this semester has been a test-run on what life is like, and I feel as though I’ve learned quite a lot about what I want for my future.” 

Metzler, a triple major, is still thinking about what he wants to do after graduation. Several key experiences on this intercultural trip made him say, “Hey, I think I could enjoy doing this for my career.” These experiences included a presentation from a Guatemalan sociologist, a conversation about legal advocacy surrounding environmental health, and a volunteer experience at a migrant house in Mexico City.

Students on the intercultural trip sometimes felt overwhelmed with their immersion in a different language, but Spanish classes and placement with host families boosted their language skills. Still, with 22 indigenous Mayan languages spoken in Guatemala, students found themselves in situations where they couldn’t understand the language people around them were speaking. Malia Bauman, a sophomore, worked with the organization in an area that spoke Tz’utujil; she said it was sometimes difficult to find her place since she didn’t know the language. But she still appreciated hearing their native language since it “helped me see authentic interactions between my family, teachers, students, and community.” 

Similarly, Clymer reported that even though it was challenging to express herself in Spanish, one of her highlights from the trip was living with host families “because I got to form meaningful connections with people that live very differently from me.”

Students on the trip included Malia Bauman, Noah Buckwalter, Zoe Clymer, Malachi Cornelius, Lily Gusler, Claire Hurst, Emae Klompenhouwer, Esme Martin, Caleb Metzler, Ivy Miller, Nathan Miller, Samuel Myers, Kaylin Ozuna, Rose Short, Payton Simmons, Sarah Wheeler, and Amanda Yoder.

Members of the group shared their experiences and stories from the trip at Convocation on Wednesday, April 30. Watch a recording of their presentation .

The earth was without form, and void; and darkness was on the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God was hovering over the face of the water.

After leading groups of students and alumni to the Mediterranean for more than two decades, Dr. Linford Stutzman ’84, SEM ’90, and his wife Janet Stutzman SEM ’91 are putting together a “grand finale” of a trip. And they’re pulling out all the stops for this one. 

The trip, named “On the Face of the Deep” after a verse from Genesis, will take travelers on a voyage that follows parts of Paul’s mission journeys in the book of Acts, October 4-13, 2025. Passengers aboard two gulets (a traditional Turkish wooden sailing vessel) will explore the archeological sites of Ephesus and Perge, take in the Aegean islands of Samos, Patmos, Kos and Rhodes, and immerse themselves in the rich culture and history of the Mediterranean. 

“When you see the Mediterranean Sea in person, it blows your mind,” Janet Stutzman said. “People can’t believe how blue the water is. They’ve never seen anything like it.”

Take of the gulets!

Guests on the 10-day tour will spend each night on the gulet in private suites. They’ll savor Mediterranean cuisine each day, learn stories of the sea from history and from Scripture, enjoy performances of original sea shanties by alumni a cappella group Cantore, and engage in spirited discussions. 

“People will be sharing their own life stories and observations,” Linford Stutzman said. “Those conversations can go on for hours after a meal is done because they’re so fascinating. That’s what makes this more than a tour.”

The gulets sail from the port of Kusadasi, Turkey, on Oct. 6, ending in Fethiye, Turkey, on Oct. 11.

“It’s my favorite time of the year to visit,” said Linford Stutzman. “The water is warm and the days aren’t hot.”

The trip is part of 91����Ƶ’s “Alumni and Friends” series of cross-cultural tours and is open to alumni, current and former parents, and friends of alumni. There is space aboard the gulets for 60 guests who will travel together. The total cost of the trip is $5,500 per traveler plus airfare. The first payment of $2,500 is due Sept. 1, 2024.

All proceeds from the trip go directly to current 91����Ƶ students in need of financial support on their intercultural semester.

Learn more about the trip and register here!

91����Ƶ the leaders

Linford Stutzman spent more than 25 years as a professor at 91����Ƶ teaching culture, religion and mission courses. Janet Stutzman served as director of alumni and parent relations for 13 years.

The globe-trotting couple is well-known in the 91����Ƶ community for their decades of experience leading intercultural programs and Alumni and Friends tours. This tour is one that Linford and Janet Stutzman say they’ve dreamt of sharing with others since a sabbatical trip 20 years ago.

From 2004 to 2005, the Stutzmans sailed 4,000 miles over 16 months to visit every port linked to Paul’s travels in Acts. Their journey is detailed in Linford Stutzman’s book, published by Good Books. 

The couple has led similar sailing trips in the Mediterranean since then, but not to this scale. It will also mark the first to feature the sea shanties sung by Cantore, Linford Stutzman said. 

“We’ve never done anything of this magnitude before,” he said.

Lyrics to the shanties were written by the 91����Ƶ professor emeritus and are based on biblical stories involving the sea.

Listen to clips of the album of sea shanties .

Through their years of leading tours in the region, Linford and Janet Stutzman have built up a network of connections. They’ve tapped into that network to reserve the top gulets and travel guides. 

Those who have taken trips with the Stutzmans form lifelong friendships with one another and meet for reunions years after their trips end. They say their experience forever changed the way they read the Bible and the stories of Paul in Acts, Linford Stutzman said.

“It’s a story you can’t fully appreciate unless you experience it yourself and immerse yourself in it,” he said.

For more information, contact the alumni office at 540-432-4206.