Team Bio's

Graham McDonald

Team Coordinator

St. Jacobs, Ontario

I grew up in a Christian home where my parents loved the Lord and when it was time to go to school put me into a Christian school.  It was there in kindergarten where I heard that Jesus Christ loved me and died for my sins, rising again so that I could have a relationship with him.  Throughout high school I was very involved in my church but at school never shared my faith with my friends. After high school I decided to take one year and study at the Word of Life Bible Institute in Owen Sound.  That year changed my life. I had never been in the Word so consistently before that year.

After my first year at Word of Life I had the opportunity to travel with Resonate in 2009/10. That was a great year of ministry for me. This past year I went to Schroon Lake, New York to continue my studies in the 2^nd year program with the Word of Life Bible Institute. God has given me a passion for ministry and for the country of Canada and I am so glad for the opportunity to be the Resonate Coordinator this year.

Luke Playford

Listowel, Ontario

My name is Luke Playford and I was very blessed to grow up in a Christian home. At the age of 12, I went to a summer camp and it was there that I heard that Jesus loved me and died for my sins, and then rose from the dead so that I could have a personal relationship with Him. As I went through high school and grade school, I was involved in youth group and praise team but I never shared my faith with my friends. In Grade 12 I knew that I wanted to learn more about God and grow in my relationship with Him so I decided to come to the Word of Life Bible Institute. That year changed my life, because I realized how important it is to our relationship with Him to read His Word. After my first year I was given the opportunity to be on a travelling ministry team called Resonate. It has been great seeing God use me to impact the lives of teenagers in Canada. 

Kyle McDonald

St. Jacobs, Ontario

I was blessed to be raised in a Christian home where I went to church every Sunday and got involved in youth group and kids’ club. When I was eight years old, I went to a kids’ program at my church and that was when I decided to accept Jesus Christ as my Saviour because of what He did for me on the cross. Through high school I stayed involved in my church a lot but didn’t let it affect my life too much so I decided to go to the Bible Institute. During that year I truly started living out what I said I believed all my life. After Resonate I plan on going to get more Bible education and go into full-time ministry.

Nathan Clock

Goulais River, Ontario

Hey, I'm Nathan! I live near Sault Ste. Marie where I was raised by godly Christian parents. I grew up as a pastor's kid but it wasn't until I was seven years old that I truly realized that I was a sinner condemned to hell, and in need of a Saviour.  So I asked Jesus to save me from my sin.  As life continued I didn't take my faith seriously -- I didn't make my faith a priority in my life but instead relied on my parents’ faith and my church.  Nearing the end of high school I decided to come to the Word of Life Bible Institute because I knew that I needed to get serious about my faith and make it my own.  Taking last year to study God's Word completely changed my life through classes, discipleship, and ministry.  Now I see the importance of having the Word of God and my relationship with God as my #1 priority. Next year I plan to go for more Bible education, and then later go into full-time ministry somewhere.

Sophia Lorusso

Kitchener, Ontario

Hello, my name is Sophia. I was born into a family were we would often go to church but it was not until I was 16 that I accepted the Lord Jesus Christ as my Saviour. I came to know Jesus at the Word Of Life Youth Camp -- there Jesus became real and I knew I needed to trust in Him. It was then I knew for sure that I needed to come to the Word of Life Bible Institute! I am now a graduate of the first year program in Owen Sound, Ontario. It was during my year at the Bible Institute that I was presented with the opportunity to be a part of the WOL Resonate team. After much prayer and consideration I knew it was what the Lord wanted for my life. I am excited to see what the Lord has in store for me this year. I am also excited to get into the lives of the teens I will be in contact with and show them the importance of spending one year learning more about God from His Word!

Sarah Kary

Olds, Alberta

I was raised in a home where both my parents loved and served the Lord. Because of this, my parents taught me at a young age why I needed to have a relationship with Jesus Christ. Around the age of five, I understood that my sin separated me from God and that because of the sin in my life I would one day die and be forever separated from God, but that it didn't have to be this way. The death of Jesus Christ on the cross was payment for my sin. As my walk with God grew and was challenged by the world around me, I knew that spending a year studying God's Word would give me the foundation I needed to continue on. Coming to the Bible Institute really had a huge impact on my life and really showed me the importance of building a growing relationship with my Saviour!

Brandon Swartzentruber

Elmira, Ontario

Hello I’m Brandon and I was raised in a Christian family. As a kid I went to a kids program at my church where I heard the gospel regularly. When I was five years old after hearing the gospel at that program my grandma and mother lead me to the knowledge of Jesus as my saviour. As a teen I never really knew what I wanted to do when I graduated high school so I figured I would spend a year at the Word of Life Bible Institute. While I was there I grew a desire to read and study the Word of God. The Word of God really was a lamp to my feet and through different mission conferences and reading God’s word I realized that I wanted to teach Bible and theology. So I plan to go onto more education so I can see this goal realized.