Ms. Kendra Turpeinen

I was not born into a family that knew Christ.  When I was five, our neighbors shared the gospel with us.  I was invited to AWANA, and my parents were invited into their home to study the Bible.  Even as a very young child, I realized I needed a Savior.  God mercifully brought my parents, my siblings, and me into His Family at about the same time.  My parents did not know much about Scripture, but wanted us to walk with the Lord, so they decided to enroll us in a small Christian school in the Upper Peninsula.  The Lord formed and established my faith through that Christian school experience.

My story shows the powerful impact of Christian education in providing a young person with roots in God’s Word that withstand the storms of life.  Without many formative years with teachers who loved Christ, I would not have had an anchor for the heavy challenges I’ve walked through in the last decade. Only through the Holy Spirit and the power of the gospel, can we flourish in seasons of disaster and difficulty.  What a joy to help my students anchor themselves in God’s Word and establish their faith.  What a joy to help them learn that the same power that raised Jesus from the dead lives in us!

I have been teaching English since 2000, when I graduated from Bethel University.  My first teaching job was at a Chinese boarding school, but most of my career, I have worked in small public schools in the Upper Peninsula.  My sons and I now live in Rib Mountain.  I enjoy kayaking, hiking, and snowshoeing.  I love making breakfast, and of course, my nightstand is stacked with books to read.