In October of 2016, we received the disturbing news that after decades of faithful church planting, two of our alumni—Andrew ’88 and Norine Steiner Brunson ’89—had been taken prisoner in Izmir, Turkey.

I recognized their names instantly because Andrew had been on my floor at Wheaton and ended up graduating with my class in 1988. Although we were not close friends, I knew that he had missions in his blood and he was serious about following Jesus Christ.

Norine was soon released; however, the news about Andrew kept getting worse and worse. His tormentors held him without charge and would not permit him to speak with a lawyer. Then they transferred him to a different prison, where he suffered harsh conditions.

When Andrew finally appeared in court, anonymous witnesses falsely accused him of being a terrorist and a spy. The Turkish government attacked him in the media and used him as a scapegoat for public unrest. If convicted, he faced a sentence of up to 35 years in prison—a virtual life sentence.

Meanwhile, the Brunsons’ plight was teaching our campus community valuable lessons about the call of missionary work and the cost of discipleship.

Although there were letters for us to write and government officials to contact, the only thing that seemed as if it could make a difference was prayer. So, we prayed for Andrew, Norine, and their children. We prayed for Andrew’s release, yes, but also for his perseverance in the face of persecution and faithful witness to the gospel. We prayed for the church in Turkey, which is under constant threat of intimidation.

As we continued to pray, from time to time we would hear news of Andrew’s personal struggles in prison. He had doubts and fears, with gloomy days of unremitting grief and long nights of soul-crushing despair. This was another learning opportunity for us: suffering is real, and even the most faithful Christians may have to wait years for their deliverance.

The Brunsons’ long struggle ended with Andrew’s dramatic release on October 12, 2018. The news of his freedom was greeted in Edman Chapel the next morning with an explosion of joyful, grateful praise.

Through the example of these missionaries, our students can learn to follow Jesus faithfully. When I was a student at Wheaton in the 1980s, we sometimes wondered which of our classmates would be added to the missionary board in Blanchard Hall. Now students can trace the names of Andrew and Norine Brunson alongside many other faithful witnesses.

By the grace of God, today’s Wheaton students will become tomorrow’s missionaries, willing to go any distance and suffer any hardship to proclaim the good news of Jesus Christ.