Six weeks are gone, just like that! We are almost at the halfway point and each week seems to be picking up more and more speed. It's been quite a ride so far but all in all we are excited with the students that God has brought us and how we se Him at work in their lives! Before I go any further, read up on our students below or click here to view a write up of students.
It has been a fairly intense first month for myself with the majority of my teaching responsibility already taken care of. For the first four weeks my role was taking the students through the different spiritual disciplines, focusing on their relationship with the Lord first and foremost. Often the highlights of their experiences while at school are the "desert times" which take place once every other week. They are an opportunity to get away from the routine of school, the constant noise of living in community, and to spend some extended one on one time with the Lord. We literally take them out into the desert where they find a little bit of shade, their Bible, some water, and just spend several hours in prayer, meditating on the Word, and just listening to God's voice.
The students have come with such a hunger to learn and have been very receptive to each and every one of the classes. They have mixed together so well, forming one solid group, with no one being left out. We've seen them get excited in opening in the Word and learning how to study it more profoundly and indepthly, seeing what God has to say behind each word and detail.
For myself it has been a good challenge and a stretching experience being in class almost every day. The first four weeks for myself were centred on the spiritual disciplines and last week I started into a course on music ministry. As a foundation we took a look at the Old Testament Tabernacle to see what it looks like to approach God which later on we will build off of as we look at what it means to worship and how to lead others in worship. I have to say that the process of teaching and daily being in the Word in preparation (and sensing deeply that inadequacy and need for God!) has been a good experience. I know that some days I've leaned on Him more so than others, and those are always the days that go better! As obvious and basic as this truth is, like Peter getting out of that boat, even though he had Jesus standing on the water in front of him, still got overwhelmed by the wind and the waves around him. As challenging as these experiences are at times, what a great testament they are to His goodness, mercy and strength!
We as a staff are very excited with what we see happening. Thanks for your prayers and keep praying for us. As things have moved from the freshness of the first couple of weeks to the routine that naturally develops, pray for energy and strength for us as staff, for a continued freshness in the student's lives, in their relationships with the Lord and as they continue to study His Word, that it would shape not just their understanding but their hearts! ¡Dios les bendiga!
