To be an international student in America is not the easiest path to an educational degree. There are language barriers to overcome and cultural differences to navigate. But one area that can transcend language or culture is the gift of music. And it is what drew Andrés Pasos to International Baptist College and Seminary.
Home for Andrés is Cuernavaca, Mexico; he heard about IBCS through a friend of his father. This friend highly recommended the music program of IBCS and encouraged Andrés to make a visit to the college to inquire about their Church Music program. Andrés loves playing his violin but admits he was not too excited about visiting the campus as a 16-year-old. “But what really sold me was meeting the faculty and staff and experiencing their love for God and their love for music.”
Andrés came to IBCS as a newer Christian and learned to have a personal and authentic relationship with God and better know His teachings through the Scriptures. “My relationship with God has grown in ways that I never could have imagined possible. I can now say that my fellowship with Him is empowered by the Holy Spirit. Before coming to IBCS, I really did not understand the role of the Spirit in my life.”
Andrés has valued the mentoring that he has received through the faculty and staff at IBCS and the frequent exposure to good doctrine and its practical applications. He has seen in his own life that, in the past, doctrine could just stay with the Sunday sermon and never make its way to transform his heart. “My mentors are helping me to take what I am learning in Scripture and apply it to my daily life.”
The music training at IBCS has expanded his understanding of God’s purposes for music in his life. He is getting firsthand training that he is able to use at his local church. His choir instructor models a music philosophy that is changing the way Andrés views the purpose of music. “He interacts with each of us as members of the choir and treats every song that we sing as theology, not merely something that is going to be sung. Every song is a sacrifice of grace.” Andrés is learning that this mindset allows him to more deeply communicate with his music so that he can train others to worship God through their music.
In addition to on-campus activities, IBCS has created exciting outside connections that are tailor-made for Andrés. He was able to be a part of the Youth Symphony of the Southwest during the last couple of years through the connection that the music department has with the orchestra. Through his training as a church musician, he has also been able to grow his leadership by being asked to be first violinist at his local church.
This type of personal mentoring allows IBCS to maintain its distinctiveness throughout each of its varied programs. And Andrés views this as a tangible way to show care for the students at IBCS. “They really love the students and it allows them to equip us for ministry — there is no better way to do that than through mentoring,” says Andrés.
Andrés does not know exactly where God will take him with his degree, but he says that he “wants to be a good and faithful Christian who can serve in music or wherever needed. Because of IBCS, I now understand the importance of the local church in the lives of its people.” Andrés has enjoyed the excellence of his violin training and every performance opportunity is building expertise through a Biblical understanding of the gift of music.