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Woman on a mission: Tennis instructor Janet Williams serves Indonesian students by helping their education

02/21/08 By Charlotte Atkins, Rome News-Tribune Editor Respond to this story Email this story to a friend Indonesian students Rudi Nefid (left) and Syaweli (center) are among six student candidates who may get to further their education in Rome. (Contributed photo) ... ...Serving has never been more important to Janet Williams — on the tennis court and off. Most who know Williams know her as a tennis pro and instructor teaching locals the game that’s synonymous with Rome. But she uses the game and her mentoring to reach far beyond the tennis courts of Rome, Ga. She also serves her faith and others by doing mission work abroad with the support and blessings of her church, First Baptist, through the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship. She was drawn to mission work a few years ago, especially after connecting with a husband-wife team of missionaries. After a weeklong mission to Honduras with the local church, she was ready for a more long-term mission. She thought she’d have to put the tennis racquets away while she devoted her time to God’s work. But her destiny would include both. The CBF has an educational foundation, and it worked out that she was called to Indonesia t Janet Williams (second from right) poses with students she taught in Indonesia. She was so touched by their desire for education that she founded a nonprofit group to help. (Contributed photo) o be a tennis instructor in June 2006. “It turns out tennis is the most popular sport there, so it’s a fantastic in with the people,” said Williams. “When I first felt God’s call to foreign mission work, I had no idea tennis would be part of it. But it is a great way to form relationships there.” Williams lived in Bukittinggi in west Sumatra for about eight months. Click here to see a Google map. She was teaching tennis to students at a three-year high school for impoverished students in the small fishing village of Muko-muko on Lake Maninjau. The high school is fairly new and graduated its first class last year. Education is a luxury for many there and the ultimate dream is higher education in the U.S. Williams was touched by that yearning. When she returned to the States, she wanted to stay connected and continue to help. She didn’t know quite what path would unfold before her, but during talks with CBF colleagues the seed was planted that perhaps a nonprofit organization could help students further their education. “That’s so not the direction I thought I was going — starting a nonprofit group. It’s a great idea if you’re Oprah Winfrey,” said Williams. But after much soul-searching and praying about what was next in her life — with the Indonesian students still on her mind and in her heart — she decided a nonprofit group would be a way to maintain that connection and help some of the kids’ dreams of college come true. “These are the brightest of kids from the poorest of families, and I really wanted to help them.” With the help of people like Allison Brooks, a fellow First Baptist church member, and others, she is making great strides. “These are bright kids, but they had nowhere to go after middle school,” said Brooks. “We felt led to try to help these kids.” So the group — called Ruble International Education Initiative — decided to try to tap into Rome’s notable educational community. Williams, a Berry College grad, looked within her church family for connections to local colleges and schools. The group approached Berry College and Shorter College about the prospect of scholarships. Each college agreed to give a four-year full-tuition scholarship to a student. Darlington School was also asked to help and agreed to give a one-year scholarship to a prep student. “People were moved by the story, and it really wasn’t difficult to get them engaged and on board for fall 2008,” said Williams. “I was stunned at how easy it was.” But the work is far from over. The group is raising money to help with all of the other student costs such as books, clothes, living expenses and some room and board. The Darlington student will have housing included as part of the scholarship, and an anonymous donor has offered to take care of the room and board for four years for the Berry student. Williams returned to Indonesia in January to screen applicants and narrow the list to six students, three of whom will come to Rome next fall to further their education. The group hopes to also provide funding for three more of the students to attend college in Indonesia “for a fraction of the cost” as well. The effort has gained momentum and “is very real now” for Williams, who is spearheading it. Fundraising is paramount. It’s key for making sure the students’ experience here in Rome is all it needs to be. The mission is one of helping on a global spectrum through the lives of individual young people. After helping students from Indonesia, Williams hopes that as the initiative matures it will be able to assist students from other countries. “Our goal is to get impoverished international kids here and get them an education with the expectation that they will go back and help their community and make a difference,” said Brooks. For example, a couple of the student candidates want to become doctors. So by changing the lives of a few poor-but-motivated students, Williams and other Romans hope to touch the lives of many more in a remote village along the shores of a crater lake in the mountains of Indonesia. If you’d like to help Contact Janet Williams, founder of Ruble International Education Initiative, at 706-802-8307.