This Q&A is part of a series of interviews featuring RUF Alumni. Today’s post features Jordan Buster , currently working at a national mortgage company and pursing film projects on the side.
Let’s start off with who are you and what do you do?
My name is Jordan (Lohkamp) Buster and I am a born and raised New Mexican. I’ve been here the majority of my life and would happily spend the rest of my years here. You can’t beat New Mexico sunsets and roasted green chile! I currently work for a national mortgage company, Academy Mortgage, and then do film projects in my spare time.
What college did you graduate from?
I graduated from New Mexico State University in 2013 with a bachelors in creative media and a minor in finance.
Who was your campus minister when you attended RUF?
I was blessed to have Sid Druen as my campus minister all four years I attended NMSU. His first year was my freshman year and his final year before moving to Davidson college was my senior year. The Druen’s had such a massive impact on who I am today. I think in a lot of ways, they know me better than a lot of people because they saw my best days and my worst days, the strengths I have in serving the church and the ways that I’m prone to sin, and they’ve walked along side my husband and I through singleness, dating, and now marriage.
What is your favorite memory from RUF?
It’s extremely difficult to pick a favorite memory because RUF was a huge part of my day to day life for the four years I was at NMSU as a student and then for another 2 years after that as an intern. But one of the memories that stands out the most when I think back is being at Summer Conference and singing the doxology with all the other students from around the country. No instruments, just several hundred voices all singing the doxology, that’s one of my favorite memories.
How has RUF impacted how you approach your career?
RUF gave me a new lens to look through when it came to working. Instead of working because I need a paycheck to pay bills, I am working to serve others and ultimately serve Christ. Even though my day to day is sitting in front of a computer and sorting through paperwork, the end goal is for me to help families to get into homes. It can be a terribly stressful process and going into work with the mindset that I’m there to serve those families and help them through a challenging situation makes all the difference. Work isn’t about me at the end of the day I know that I have an opportunity to share the gospel through something as simple as a mortgage.
What would you say to an incoming freshman?
Definitely join a local church in addition to going to RUF. My campus minister used to always say that to us and I’m so thankful that we were able to get plugged into University Presbyterian in Las Cruces. They adopted all of us college students and made us feel at home. RUF is important and while we were hearing sermons and worshipping with other students, we still needed a local church that was taking communion, doing baptisms, and worshipping together as a larger body of people from all ages.