Coming Home? Returning Faith Academy Alumni
Coming Home? Returning Faith Academy Alumni
High on a hill overlooking the busy Manila metropolis stand several school buildings painted white and blue. In early April 2022, I was surprised to learn that our Faith Academy tour guide was but one of many alumni who have returned to their alma mater. Over the next several months, I was privileged to meet many of them. Yet always in my mind was the question: Why? Why do so many alumni come back to this place? Is there a similar process in their return to Faith Academy?
To answer these questions, I interviewed 9 alumni and the alumni coordinator (who has served over 25 years at Faith Academy). These alumni hold a variety of roles at Faith Academy, both faculty/staff or otherwise involved. They graduated between the years 1973 and 2017. I found the following 5 common themes.
Theme 1: Embracing the Faith Academy Spirit
Every alumnus I interviewed spoke joyfully about their experiences as a Faith Academy student. The community afforded many opportunities to make lifelong memories. For example, Steve (class of 2002) entered Faith Academy as a boarding student in 9th grade after having attended a smaller Christian school in Davao in the southern Philippines. Steve remembered:
Faith Academy in Manila was always sort of this amazing place, I think because it was bigger and had more amenities and an awesome gym. All these cool programs you could do. In my 3rd-grade class, I think we had 2 people. And then it doubled halfway through the year when we had more students come in. So, suddenly being in a class [at Faith Academy] of 60 or 70 was exciting and fun.
Theme 2: Facing College
After graduating, these alumni all chose to attend college in their passport country. For all but one alumnus, a Filipino, this meant transitioning to the United States. Interestingly, 3 of the 9 alumni, Gabbie (class of 2017), Greg (class of 2014), and Rachel (class of 2009), opted to attend a large state university and one, Tina (class of 2002), for a smaller community college. The rest found their way to smaller Christian universities.
Theme 3: Adapting and Adulting
Each interviewee felt a strong desire to spend at least a few years learning how to live in their passport country. They wanted to show they could “hack it” in a life outside a Christian missionary bubble. This decision meant finishing college, getting married, finding jobs, and starting families. They began to adjust to the idea that their passport country was now their home.
Tina (class of 2002) explained:
We were really settled in [their town in the US] and got married and started having kids. Like, I fell in love with the town, our church, our Bible study group. We really made a life there. I think some of it was like I knew how to do life well as an adult and a mother. And I didn’t want to mix that up, you know?
Theme 4: Here am I, Lord. Send me again?
The most intriguing portion of these interviews is the stories of how God called these alumni to return to the Philippines and Faith Academy. These stories fell into 2 significant categories: (1) each alumnus experienced a genuine and personal call from the Lord to return to the Philippines and (2) each alumnus seriously questioned that call.
For example, after Jen (class of 1996) and her husband explored multiple mission opportunities, she wanted confirmation that she was not returning to simply what was comfortable. Jen clarified, “We actually really felt it would be better if we didn’t go back to the Philippines because of the fact that it would put me ahead of [my husband], as it were, in language learning and culture. And all of those things we felt like they could be really difficult on our marriage.”
Theme 5: Returning with Bumps and Bruises
Even after confirming the missionary call, coming back to the Philippines and Faith Academy was not the smooth landing they expected.
Kimberly (class of 1995) described the moment she and her young family first arrived:
For me, it was really interesting because I knew all the things of what I grew up with. But it was all sort of planted in the back of my head. As soon as we stepped out of the airport and the heat hit me in the face, it was like it all came rushing back. All the memories. And not all good memories! It’s like everything is different, but everything’s the same.
Greg stated flatly, “When I left Faith, I was not just ‘not desiring’ to come back. I was actively opposed to coming back. Which, you say things like that, and maybe God works.”
Through all the changes, Rachel noted how she keeps coming back to her call. “It’s more of, God has said this is where I want you.”
Conclusion
The 5 themes describe a similar journey back for Faith Academy alumni. To depict this process, I developed the following graphic: 
We should not be surprised when God calls people out of their comfort zones, especially if those people have already experienced the “uncomfortable” overseas life. To repeat Greg’s words, “maybe God works” when you say you know your life’s playbook and it all changes seemingly overnight. Such is the story of returning Faith Academy alumni. Such is the story of the Christian who says “here am I” with open hands.
Cameron D. Armstrong (PhD, Biola University) serves with the International Mission Board in Manila, Philippines. He directs the ThM/PhD Orality Studies program at Asian Theological Seminary. Cameron’s wife, Jessica, teaches high school Algebra 1 at Faith Academy. They have two children attending Faith Academy, Sara in first grade and Noah in Pre-K.