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Our 2024 Alumnus of the Year, Ester Warren, was born and raised in Queens, New York, to Korean immigrant parents. From a young age, she was immersed in the teachings of the Bible, attending church regularly. Despite this strong Christian foundation, it wasn't until her Youth Pastor brought her youth group to Snowcamp in the winter and The Island in the summer that she began understanding what a personal rela- tionship with Jesus meant. During testi- mony sharing at the campfire night on The Island, a counselor shared that knowing Christ was knowing that he was never alone. That truth reso- nated with Ester. She knew she was a sinner in need of a Savior, leading her to accept Christ at the age of 13. From there, her life didn’t resemble the typical growing pattern of discipleship after salvation. Her early teen years were marked by a struggle with rebel- lion. Even through that, she sees how the Lord remained faithful to pursue her and protect her. Throughout her high school years, Ester found herself at rock bottom. In this hard place, she looked forward to her time at Word of Life Camps. At 16, she started working as part of STC (Camp Crew), which God used to grow her faith. After high school, she chose to dedicate a year of her life to studying God’s Word at Word of Life Bible Institute, graduating in 1991 where she also met her husband, Kenny. Ester says her year at Word of Life Bible Institute was transformative and greatly impacted her future.
After graduating from the Bible Institute, Ester and Kenny transferred to Liberty University, where they both completed their undergraduate degrees and got married. God brought an opportunity for them to move to Orlando, Florida, where Kenny would be a Bible teacher, basketball coach, and executive pastor, and Ester continued climbing the corporate ladder. They had their first child, Bailey, in 1999. When Bailey was two years old, his development regressed, and he became nonverbal. He was diagnosed with PDD-NOS, a form of autism. This diagnosis led Ester to leave her job to provide the necessary support for Bailey. If it hadn't been for the foundational truth that she was never alone, which took root in her heart all those years ago on The Island, the news of the diagnosis and the years that followed would have been a burden too great to bear. It turns out that the move to Orlando, Florida, was one of God’s many provi- sions for them, as Orlando has a Center for Autism Research through the University of Central Florida. Through that center, they were able to get early intervention services set up and receive help through the initial diag- nosis journey. Over the next year and a half, through speech and occupa- tional therapy, Bailey learned to talk and showed improvement in other areas.
After a brief time in Raleigh, North Carolina, Ester and her family would move back to Lynchburg, Virginia, near Liberty University. Throughout these next few years, Bailey experienced significant deficits. He struggled with transitions, social skills, and executive functioning. Through these hardships, the Lord challenged Ester’s heart with the question, “Do you trust me with your child?” Ester found solace in the words of 2 Corinthians 1:3–5, “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our affliction, so that we may be able to comfort those who are in any affliction, with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God. For as we share abundantly in Christ's sufferings, so through Christ, we share abundantly in comfort too.” These verses became a cornerstone of her faith, reminding her that God's comfort in her afflictions was not just for her benefit but also to enable her to comfort others facing similar struggles. Ester eventually joined Liberty Univer- sity, where she has worked since 2008, including serving as the Dean of the College of General Studies. During that time, Bailey graduated from high school and decided to attend Liberty University.
...the news of the diagnosis and the years that followed would have been a burden too great to bear.
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The Word of Life Experience
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