As part of the Homecoming festivities, Indiana Wesleyan University hosted Tailgate Village, an annual event where various programs and student organizations can connect with alumni and other visitors before the Homecoming football game.
Several alumni attended from Indiana Wesleya’s Marion campus, the National Global campus and Marion College, IWU’s former name.
Mike Helvie, a graduate of Marion College, served as a missionary for 31 years in several countries including South Africa, Albania and Zambia along with his wife Cindy Helvie, also a graduate of Marion College. Most recently, the couple have been serving the Lord in Papua New Guinea where they train pastors.
“We met in Baldwin,” Mike Helvie said, “And then, got engaged a week later in the middle of our senior year.”
Cindy Helvie said that she felt called to be a missionary when she was 11.
“I came from Oregon to Marion College,” Cindy Helvie said. “I’d never been on campus, I’d never met a Wesleyan, I just came because I knew they trained missionary nurses and that was my calling.”
Mike Helvie said that Marion College prepared him well for life on the mission field. He and his wife are currently teaching pastoral counseling and care at IWU, but they still go overseas to Nepal for a month or two every year.
The two will celebrate 44 years of marriage this December.
Several current IWU students also visited Tailgate Village. Abbey Toner is a freshman honors ministry and writing student at IWU this year at her first IWU homecoming.
“I’m excited, and they have so much stuff happening, it’s cool. I’ve never tailgated before,” Toner said.
Toner said that her favorite thing in Tailgate Village was the face painting area set up by The School of Theology and Ministry. She said she plans to attend the Indiana Wesleyan v. Taylor University football game at 4:00 p.m.
“I’m going to watch us destroy Taylor, and that’s enough for me,” Toner said.
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