End of Quarter

March 2017 Update

                As this quarter draws to a close, I look back and wonder where the time went. Its been a busy quarter, finishing off the New Testament and taking a good chunk out of the Old Testament. There has been a lot that I’ve learned about the Bible, God and myself.

                We have been moving along fairly quickly this past month. Since my last update, we went did Exodus all the way to the Samuels. Its crazy to think about but despite how fast we have been going we need to go faster next quarter to get through all the books. Despite how fast and busy we have been I haven’t felt overwhelmed. The staff have been keeping the homework down on weeks that we have been doing extra things outside of the classroom. Genesis has been the biggest book so far but there is a few bigger ones coming next quarter that are going to be tough (I am looking at you Isaiah and Jeremiah).

                So apart from going through a crazy number of books I have done some fun things. In February, there was an event we call Café Night. It is a night where we get together as a base and enjoy an evening of fellowship. The theme was Hawaiian, and the DTS did a good job with decorating. The main entertainment for the night comes from students and staff that sign up and doing different things. the main thing people did was singing songs, but there were also some comedy acts, and a story or two. It was an enjoyable evening that was a lot of fun. It was fun to see different peoples talents and skills come out.

                Another really fun thing that the SBS did was the Wilderness Experience. Our staff are absolutely amazing, they worked so hard to pull the whole event together and for that I am grateful. So, the Wilderness Experience; we all dressed up like Israelites (the staff made all the costumes) and then we did a mock up of the parting of the Red Sea and getting the Ten Commandments. We then left the base in Lausanne and spent a couple of days at a base in Chatel which is about 45 min away from Lausanne. I had a great time, we built model tabernacles, ate great (I mean absolutely fantastic) food, had good fellowship and got a good message from Jiwung our school leader. It was such a relaxing time. Just being out basically in the middle of nowhere and not thinking about homework or anything was such a blessing. It recharged me quite a bit. The message from Jiwung really struck a chord in me. It was about how the enemy will try to take the Bible away from us, about how he will try to get us to let it go. He used an example that really spoke to me. Up till now I have probably heard things like this many times but this time, this time it became truth to me. That this life I live as a Christian is not an easy thing. There will be failures and casualties and without full reliance on God and the community that we need to have around us there is no way we can make it. Like I said, it is something that I have heard many times, spoken about a few times but in that moment it just became a greater truth to me.

                One of the big things that I got out of Joshua was about choice. Throughout Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers and Deuteronomy God was teaching His people who He is. It was a slow process that took the Israelites quite awhile to understand. But through it all they had the choice of whether to follow God or not and it wasn’t until Joshua’s speech at the end of the book of Joshua that I got revelation in that. My journey with God is my choice, this I have known for a long time but it became so clear to me that the choice happens every day, every moment, every action, every thought, every single thing is a choice as to whether I will follow God in that moment. Reading through the Pentateuch gave me such a clear picture of this, how in every moment the Israelites chose to follow or not follow God.

                Another thing was from Judges. As I was working through it I was struck by how the whole book of Judges could be seen as one lifetime (metaphorically speaking). The constant cycle of sinning, crying out to God and God sending a judge could be seen as one person who sins, some times often and sometimes long periods in between, and then God sends the Holy Spirit (the judge) who shows us the way back to fullness with God. I feel like I have explained this terribly but suffice to say that it just really showed me God’s patience and love that He doesn’t give up on people even though they screw up so much.

                Overall this quarter has been a lot of fun, work, joy and exhaustion. Next quarter ends on June 22 and we head to Israel from June 23 to July 4 and after that will be Egypt. I will head to Egypt directly from Israel and I am not sure yet how long I will be there, probably 3 weeks. Its going to be a busy time next quarter with more homework to be done, more work around the base to be done and preparing things to speak on in Egypt but I am definitely excited. I’m ready for the week break but I am looking forward to next quarter.

Prayer Points:

·         That this next week is relaxing and recharging

·         For strength in the last quarter

·         For more revelation from what I will be studying

Thank you all for your prayers and support. It just wouldn’t be possible without it.  Until the next time, and remember to choose.

PS: I did shave my moustache.

Wilderness Experience Skit (Photo Cred: Hyun Suk Park)

Café Night (Photo Cred: Madison Beasley)

I am aware that I need to take more pictures but it is just not something that I ever think about. Its on the list of the many things I am working on with myself.