Adjunct Reaches Out To World With Medical Ministry

Unless you saw him on television recently, you may have never heard of Frank Wyatt.

This humble, gracious man - described by his coworkers as an "awesome" missionary - had a vision two years ago that has led his 60 church members and volunteers from area churches on a worldwide mission.

An adjunct electronics instructor at A-B Tech for the past 13 years, Wyatt put together and oversees a coalition of area churches which has built an ever-changing medical ministry sending teams of medical personnel, fully-stocked ambulances, antibiotics, clothing, medical equipment and supplies to over 30 different countries. Wyatt's church and its mission work were recently featured on WLOS news.

"We have directly impacted 30 countries. We have sent five mission teams to different places and we are sending another one to the slums of Guadalajara in December. This is pretty much our personal focus at Liberty Covenant. We are seeking to combine a world evangelistic outreach with medical service and humanitarian aid as we also assist other ministries with feeding programs and street mission type work," Wyatt said.

Not bad for a church with only 60 members - about 70% of which are retirees with limited means.

"If you look at the members ... we are just a little church full of retired people and single moms. There's just no money - it's mostly people on fixed incomes ... but it comes; it's always there," Wyatt said.

Wyatt founded Liberty Covenant Church in his living room in Micaville in 1989. "It was just a handful of us." The church's medical ministry made sense, says Wyatt, because many of his members work at the hospital or in the medical field. This highly-active group - 100% of which collected or contributed last year - raised $26,000 toward the medical ministry. "This thing has sort of exploded. It's an amazing thing to watch. You take 60 people and link 'em up with 60 more," Wyatt said. "My role as a pastor is to oversee and releasing people and giving them the resources and guidance to just do it."

Next, he plans to place a permanent, floating clinic in the rivers of Indonesia, send medical teams to offer care and train medical personnel, build churches and clinics and establish feeding programs throughout needy countries. The missionary teams are usually made up of five or so medical personnel from different churches and hospitals. "It's different people, different teams every time. We don't have a committee or a name; it just comes together," Wyatt said.

Liberty Covenant Church is a full gospel charismatic church affiliated with a national group of Liberty churches and a mission organization called Globe Missionary Evangelism - a world outreach ministry. For more information about Liberty Covenant Church, email Frank Wyatt at fmwyatt1@netzero.net. For more information about Globe, visit www.fellowship.org.Return to top

Two A-B Tech Culinary Graduates Serve Up Great Dining Experiences

Chef and owner Reza Setayesh, an A-B Tech Culinary graduate, greets his guests at his newly opened restaurant, Rezaz, in Asheville's Biltmore Village. Tom Young, also an A-B Tech Culinary graduate, opened Expressions in 1982 in Hendersonville. Both restaurants enjoy great success.

A steaming tangine of monkfish, baked in a miniature elegant casserole with onions, sultanas, and pistachios and served with couscous. Grilled Maple Leaf Farms orange and honey marinated duck breast with a raisin, onion and garlic compote. A skewer of skirt steak, prepared in the Persian style with saffron, onion and sumac and served with basmati rice. Lavender crème brulee and a crème caramel.

These are just some of the scrumptious dishes served at restaurants owned by two A-B Tech Culinary graduates recently featured in Smoky Mountain Living magazine. "The food is marvelous; the service impeccable. The well-organized staff answer questions eagerly and seem excited to be working there," says Smoky Mountain Living magazine writer Susan Lefler of Rezaz restaurant in Biltmore. Rezaz is owned by Reza Setayesh, a 1987 A-B Tech Culinary graduate. Opened in April 2002, the restaurant features an enormous variety of fine food choices from the Mediterranean region and has had rave reviews. "I want to build trust with my guests," Reza says, "then the relationship can blossom and people will return again and again."

Smoky Mountain Living writer Linda Davis March touted Expressions in Hendersonville, owned by A-B Tech 1971 graduate Tom Young for its "intentionally imaginative menu and award-winning entrees." The restaurant has been successful for 20 years serving a "splendid array of lamb, fowl, shellfish and beef dishes." Through the years, Tom has seen the tastes of diners change from the Mom-and-Pop fare he served as a teenager. "Food has changed over the years," Tom explains. "You don't just put a steak on a plate anymore. Today, food (and fine dining) is really a work of art, an experience to be shared."Return to top

Giddy-Up And Do Good

As part of the curriculum for the Community Resources class, these students enrolled in the Social Services program volunteered at several local agencies. Here they are pictured with a "special guest," Cherokee, they brought to Magnolia Health Care where they visited with the elderly residents. As part of this curriculum, students visit different agencies that provide services to the community. Other agencies they visited were Manna Food Bank, A Hope and Irene Wortham Center. Pictured are (l to r) Teresa Gaddy, Eva Leonhardt, Becky Eldridge, Tony Spriggs, Sara Holland, Brenda Rice, Cherokee, Amber Mousseau, and Gina Collins. Return to top

Registrars Reunite

A-B Tech hosted the fall meeting of the Western Region Registrars, coordinated by Martha McLean, Director of Enrollment Management, and Faye Muse, Director of Admissions, Oct. 31. Dr. Dennis King, Vice President of Student Services, welcomed the group - registration and admission staff from community colleges in Western NC - and provided lunches prepared by the Hospitality Education Department. The top topics were changes in INS regulations for international students and the new SEVIS computer system for entering and tracking international students, the transition to the Datatel computer system, and accepting transcripts from distance education institutions. "This was an excellent networking meeting for us, especially in light of the statewide conference being canceled this year due to the state budget problems," McLean said.

Help Make Christmas A Big Deal With A Big Wheel

AB Tech's Annual Children's Holiday Party for underprivileged children will be held Dec. 6 at 11 a.m. in the Oak Gym. Campus participants can purchase a big wheel, and a helmet from SGA from Dec. 2-5 in the Employment Security Commission office of the Oak Building.

A Word Of Thanks

On behalf of the McDonald family, we would like to thank everyone for the beautiful flowers, the many calls, cards, visits to the hospital, your thoughts and prayers during Wallace's illness and death. We deeply appreciate all who could attend visitation and the service. It meant so much to us. We truly have a wonderful and caring family here at A-B Tech. Thank you- Fran McDonald

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