by Stephanie Green ’09

Jordan Moberg (left) and Will Pearce (right)

British native Will Pearce was not too impressed with Bethel student Jordan Moberg when the two were thrown together as roommates during their study abroad semester at Franklin College in Switzerland. “Jordan walked in with big boots and a worn-out Bass Pro hat cocked slightly to the side,” said Pearce. “I was just thinking, ‘What a knob.’”

But after several weeks together, they realized how much they had in common despite very different backgrounds. “We both like to goof around and have pretty laidback attitudes,” said Moberg, a life science education major. “Will’s a pretty magnetic kid.”

“We love sports, are pretty competitive, and both like to be the ‘go-to guy’ for anything,” said Pearce. “Jordan’s a genuine person who has complete trust in God, and you can see it by the way he lives his life. He was easy to talk to and confide in. I think we both saw in each other something we wanted for ourselves.”

Moberg and Pearce visited Scotland during their semester abroad.

Pearce listened to Moberg talk about his home and family in Minnesota, and about Bethel, and he was intrigued. “It made me want to be a part of it,” said Pearce. The two discussed the possibility of Pearce coming to the United States, and combining his travelling and soccer hobbies by with an education at Bethel.

Still, Pearce wasn’t fully convinced until after the two friends said their goodbyes at the end of the term. “When it came time for me to pack up, I found a Bible and a picture of Jordan and his family in my sock drawer. I can say I’ve never been so happy to own a Bible,” said Pearce. It was then that he decided to visit the United States and Bethel.

In July 2008, he flew to Minnesota to visit his old roommate and the Moberg family. “He just fell in love with the people and the area,” said Moberg.

“It really was everything I was looking for and it just felt right,” added Pearce. “It felt nice to have support around me and not have to rely on myself so much.”

Pearce is now a full-time student at Bethel majoring in international studies. He is also a member of the men’s soccer team, and works in the office of off-campus programs/international studies. His story is rare at Bethel, as he is one of only two Bethel students from the United Kingdom, according to Carol Chang, associate dean of international students and programs.

“It is very unusual for us to get a student from England or Western Europe, nonetheless one that was prompted by a Bethel student who studied abroad,” said Vincent Peters, associate dean of off-campus programs. “I am very proud of our students for making such an impact in their host cultures.”

Though at times Pearce encounters difficulties with U.S. class structure and performing well on the soccer field with a new team, he enjoys other aspects of his transition to Bethel and to the United States.

“I love that everything here is cheap, and everyone is nice here,” he said. “I like the way people keep talking about winter, and telling me to watch out!”