My name is Marcelo Warkentin, born and raised in a Mennonite Colony in Southern Brazil. (Not to confuse with the modern Hollywood definitions of the colony). After high school, I moved to the US and got a BA in Christian Ministries from Fresno Pacific University and an MA in Latin American and Iberian Studies from UC Santa Barbara. Although I could have returned to Brazil, I decided to stay and find a job in the US. This leads me to Bethany Christian Schools in Goshen, Indiana, where I taught Spanish for 12 years. Besides teaching Spanish, I also lead foreign language trips to Paraguay and Brazil and coached JV Boys Soccer.

In 2012, my wife and I were tired of trying to become US citizens and asked God the big question: “Where do You want us to go?” He did not fail to answer, and we received a clear call to move to Paraguay and lead a new school in the city of Juan Eulogio Estigarribia.

Our school, Colegio Johannes Gutenberg Campo 9, is a Christian missional school that has the purpose of providing a quality Christian education to all students. Over 60% of our students receive scholarships. Many come from lower-income homes. This job has challenged me in many areas, to the point that I sense the need to get further training as a leader, which is why I enrolled in the MAL program at TWU. I believe, many times, leadership is situational. I could have never imagined myself being a principal in the US or Canada, but it seems to fit me here in Paraguay.