Letter from the Editor

Last fall, I received a phone call from a parent of a Baylor student. He said his son, Wes Hickey, had just returned from a summer mission trip to the Amazon and had some great photos. Now, my first thought was not as kind as it probably should have been. I immediately imagined blurry, poorly lit photos that only a parent could love. But, if I have learned nothing else as an editor, it is to never turn down even the possibility of a good story. So I called Wes and asked him to show me his photos.

Wow! As you can see in this issue, Wes truly is a gifted photographer. What he does for a hobby could easily be a well-paying career for this talented young man. My staff and I exclaimed over every one of his shots. I wish we could show them all to you. Our art director, Randy Morrison, had the same desire and voluntarily selected several of Wes' photos for a slide show and set them to original music composed by two Baylor alums, Brett and Emily Mills of Bartimaeus Ministries. 

As great as Wes' photos are, the stories he shares are even more compelling. He was one of seven Baylor students who went to the Amazon last summer, and you can read about their experience beginning with the feature story "The River Wide." 
 

Baylor has been involved with missions throughout its history, and there are innumerable stories of how students, faculty and staff have taken their Christian message and their God-given skills and abilities to peoples throughout the world. Robert Darden shares the stories of three who have served, often at personal risk in war-torn or disease-ridden countries. Those stories begin with the sidebar item "The Least of These."
 

Even though we cannot begin to share all the inspirational stories of Baylor Bears on mission, we hope this issue will give you a glimpse of what a powerful witness our Baylor family has for Christ in the world.
And Mr. Hickey, thanks for the great tip!
 

On a much lighter note, we hope you enjoy the update on the recent nonhappenings of the NoZe Brothers that you'll find on page 36. One of the oldest social groups at Baylor, the brethren have had their share of ups and downs but still hold to their belief that "the NoZe knows which way is up."

Satchel,

Vicki Marsh Kabat