Playing the 'Dead Girl' - After Many Years of Playing Jairus' Daughter, Bethany Fitzwater Joins Easter Pageant Once Again as a Student

Bethany said she felt right at home playing a role in the Easter Pageant at age 5 because she has grown up on the UMHB campus — literally. Her mother, Wendi Fitzwa­ter ’21, has served as the resident director of McLane Hall for more than 20 years, Bethany has always lived on campus — eating in the din­ing hall, attending countless games and performances, and running and playing on the grassy fields that now house the tennis courts.

“It is a very unique situation, and I feel very blessed to have grown up here, and now I'm going to school here,” Bethany said. “It was very surreal this year to be on the stage singing and playing a crowd mem­ber again.”

Her father, Mark, who works in the media department at Belton High School, agreed that it was a memorable moment. He also partici­pated in the pageant when he was a student here in the late ‘80s, singing with the Master Choir during his freshman and sophomore years. But being on the stage with his daughter made it even more special.

“I love singing with her anyways, but singing at this venue was a really special thing,” he said. “It was even a little emotional for me. When I watched Jesus lift the little girl, I remember that being Bethany, and I almost got choked up when I saw that.”

Bethany said she accepted Jesus when she was 7, and feels confident that her participation in the Easter Pageant played a part in leading her to Christ.

“I feel like when we hear about the Gospel, it’s easy to be like, ‘OK, Jesus died for me,’” she said. “But I’m a very visual person, so when you’re living it in a way and inter­acting with it, it’s different than just hearing the stories in Sunday school. I think it’s had a big impact on my life because it’s a distinct memory that I’m always going to carry with me.”