February Update:
Time just seems to be going faster and faster. Already I am
at the halfway mark of my time in Switzerland (I’m sure my mom is counting down
the days.) I don’t understand how it has already been a month since I got back
into Switzerland.
When we got back we definitely hit the ground running and
did the last 9 books the New Testament in 3 weeks and then had our final for
the New Testament. That was a busy week because we did Revelation, which is a
pretty hard book to understand and no I still don’t understand everything in it
but I understand a bit more, and we were also studying for our final which
involves having to memorize a huge amount of what we had spent the last 4
months learning about. There was quite a noticeable difference in the SBS
students after we had finished the test. A certain life and joy that had been
missing, lost to the stress of it all.
This past week was Genesis, with my favourite speaker, so it
was a really good week. It is also the longest book we’ve done so it was the
most work. But next week is going to be longer because we are doing Exodus and
Leviticus together. So, no slowing down in sight. But it is good, I enjoy being
busy and doing things though at times I miss really doing things with my hands.
I am part of the maintenance team which helps in that regards.
This past month has been notable for a couple of things I’ve
been working on/struggling with. A big one is I’ve felt myself become more
withdrawn. Sometimes I even feel like a hermit. Part of it was the workload
increasing but that is just a feeble excuse. A large part of it was that in
this place I am in there is very little privacy because of the nature of the
base. That is just the way it is and it is not a good thing or a bad thing it
just is. I am by nature an introvert and I haven’t been handling not ever being
truly alone very well. Thus, because I never feel alone I don’t ever really
recharge and so, even though I want to spend time with people I find it hard.
It is a weird balance that I haven’t quite worked out yet. But the good part is
that being in this place is the perfect place to try to figure things out
because the community is so supportive and loving and they want you to succeed
and grow. I haven’t figured out the best solution yet but God and I are working
on it. The great joy of life is that it is all about continuing to grow.
Another big part has been what I feel I have been getting
out of this SBS. One of my fellow students helped to put it into words which
really helped me figure out how I need to change. I had been feeling
disappointed with my SBS so far and there’s no way to sugar coat it. I had come
into this expecting great knowledge and revelations to come from this. So many
of the staff shared the amazing things of their SBSs and I wanted those same
things. I wanted to be overwhelmed by God from what I was learning but it
didn’t seem to be happening. It took quite awhile and a lot of prayer to get to
a point where I kind of let those expectations go and decided to have knew
expectations. I want great things to happen but I now really want them to be in
Jesus’ timing and with His blessing. I don’t want my SBS to be like someone
else’s but I want it to be mine and for Jesus to work what He wants in this
time. I now expect less things in a broader sense but I expect more from the
one from whom it matters, Jesus. I see this SBS so much more clearly as my
journey with Him and growing with Him. It mattes so much less if I get great
revelations, don’t get me wrong I still want them, but what really matters is
that I am doing this all with Him. There are so many things I want to learn but
I know that it will take many years to scratch the surface of this. So, I want
to focus on just growing that relationship with Him during this time and
continuing on from here.
So, prayer points would be to work on me introvertism and to
continue working out my relationship with Jesus more. Also for continued
motivation to do my school work.
If you have questions/encouragements feel free to contact me
at my email address:
Thank you for your prayers and support.
Tyler
