Support Staff
Rachelle has a number of years in the food service industry and some of this experience is in the school setting. She holds a current food service license runs her own home bakery, and has applicable professional catering experience. When asked what drew her to East Linn for employment, Rachelle was quick to report that “the real draw was the morals and standards of the school.” as well as “the opportunity to partner with others in a ‘like minded’” working environment that really made her want to work here. When asked for her favorite scripture reference, Rachelle went immediately to Hebrews 13:5 “Keep your life free from love of money, and be content with what you have, for he has said, “I will never leave you nor forsake you.”
Alfrieda comes to us all the way from The Republic of South Africa. She reports that her unlikely arrival in Sweet Home and East Linn Christian Academy is a clear testimony that “God went before us.” Her story is amazing. But when I asked her why ELC for her two boys, and what was the most salinent point in her decision making process to come here she was quick to say “people in the church told her about the school,” but the deciding factor was Mrs. Detweiler’s words. “I was shocked at how bold she was for Christ in our interview” & said “Janelle said if you are going to be a Christian in this time you have to be bold. I knew then that this is where I wanted my boys to be going to school.”
Alfrieda was born and raised in South Africa. She is a fluent speaker of Afrikaans, a derivitive of Dutch and the only truly African language spoken by the descendents of European white slaves. Alfrieda and her husband Machiel were pastors in South Africa but left the country to become missionaries to the Americas. The last four years have been challenging working through the immigration process and having the “Highway 20 Church of Christ” waiting on their efforts to be approved for a green card through Covid-19. “All I can say is, it was an experience” & “Coming here was a culture shock.” Before leaving South Africa safety had become a concern for her family, and recent instability in government and infrastructure made it impossible for her family to follow the call into career ministry there.
Alfrieda’s has trouble choosing a favorite verse. She says the words of the Apostle Paul resonate in her heart strongly and Philippians 1:21 is a pretty good one: “For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain.” She also shared in her interview that 1 John 1:5-10 really spoke to her heart when in a study she able to personalize verse six addressing “fellowship with him” to mean that “we have the opportunity to really have fellowship with the Trinitarian God” and that this was a profound life changing insight for her. It is wonderful to know that we have another employee who is bold and unashamed of The Gospel of Jesus Christ, and who lives in awe of the relationship he offers to his children. Welcome home Alfrieda.
Our Jack of all Trades!
Mr. Larson is a jack of all trades. He serves as the owner's representative in campus construction projects, is involved in facility maintenance, purchasing, and meeting the directives of the board on regular and deferred maintenance planning for the entire 23 acre campus. At times you will even see him working on the grounds during high needs seasons in the fall and spring. From time to time Mr. Larsen can be found filming and editing school productions that you see on the school website and Facebook pages.
My Work History and technical background:
I spent twelve years in construction, specifically in the area of cutting and installing granite countertops. Then I spent time as a long haul truck driver, but did not like being away from the family so I returned home and got into sales for Allann Bros Coffee company before working for a sanitation service in Sweet Home immediately before coming to ELC. While at Allan Bros I became acquainted with the ELC marketing director (Julie Lara) who asked me to get involved in creating some promotional videos. That’s when the administration learned of my construction background, and the rest is history.