Spring is in the air! For many that means the end of the cold, white fluffy stuff. For us that means empty school halls and the heat waiting just around the corner! I've put together an update highlighting many of the awesome things that took place over the course of the past few months. Indeed the school halls are empty but it has been a blessing to see God work in the lives of these students. Read below or click here to view the update.
Tuesday, April 28, 2015
Monday, February 23, 2015
Halfway there!
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!
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!
Monday, January 12, 2015
Day One
We're coming to the end of the first 12 hours with our new students, some having arrived already yesterday evening and the rest showing up this morning. We have 7 students so far with another two possibly on the way hopefully within the next couple of days (pray that all would fall into place for them to make it here si Dios quiere, if God so desires!) What a wonderful group of students so far! I apologize for no pictures, they will be forthcoming soon!
Today was spent in orientation, laying down some of the structure of the schools, expectations, all those typical first day activities. Later on in the afternoon as staff we took some time to share our stories, how we came to know Christ and also how we came to be serving at the school. It's always hard to gauge things on the first day but by every indication that we see so far, we have an excellent group of students, whose hearts are clearly to serve the Lord and with a deep passion to learn. One young couple comes from the southeast end of the country, close to Veracruz, having spent several days on bus to get out here. They come with two young children, 2 years and less than 1 year, I believe. A pastor has joined us from a church up in the mountains northeast of us, about 4 hours away. Another young man has come who is from Honduras originally but has spent the last 10 years here in Mexico and the last year or so as a believer. He has a tremendous testimony of how God rescued him from a past in drug addiction. Another three young people come from a local church in Guaymas whom had been a part of the conferences that we had earlier this fall. We are hoping that a pastor's wife from neighbouring Emplame as well as an older man who has regular services in his home in Hermosillo will be able to take care of some business concerns and show up in the next day or two.
As first days typically go, everyone was relatively reserved and quiet but everyone has come with a passion to serve the Lord and a desire to grow and learn to be able to be more effective in their ministries. As a staff we are super excited to finally step out of planning mode into action.
Tomorrow is my debut in teaching a new course, Spiritual Disciplines. God has been placing on my heart not just the material and focus for the course but in my life personally, this deep need we have to send our roots down deep into Him. Our relationship with Him is so very important and vital, something that needs to be so central in our lives. Reading through the Psalms or through some of Paul's writings one can hear these very things and it makes me realize how far I have yet to go! Pray for me as I teach; I'm thankful that it's the Holy Spirit who is the actual present Teacher and I just pray that He would speak through those classes exactly what each of the students need to hear!
Thanks for your prayers!
Today was spent in orientation, laying down some of the structure of the schools, expectations, all those typical first day activities. Later on in the afternoon as staff we took some time to share our stories, how we came to know Christ and also how we came to be serving at the school. It's always hard to gauge things on the first day but by every indication that we see so far, we have an excellent group of students, whose hearts are clearly to serve the Lord and with a deep passion to learn. One young couple comes from the southeast end of the country, close to Veracruz, having spent several days on bus to get out here. They come with two young children, 2 years and less than 1 year, I believe. A pastor has joined us from a church up in the mountains northeast of us, about 4 hours away. Another young man has come who is from Honduras originally but has spent the last 10 years here in Mexico and the last year or so as a believer. He has a tremendous testimony of how God rescued him from a past in drug addiction. Another three young people come from a local church in Guaymas whom had been a part of the conferences that we had earlier this fall. We are hoping that a pastor's wife from neighbouring Emplame as well as an older man who has regular services in his home in Hermosillo will be able to take care of some business concerns and show up in the next day or two.
As first days typically go, everyone was relatively reserved and quiet but everyone has come with a passion to serve the Lord and a desire to grow and learn to be able to be more effective in their ministries. As a staff we are super excited to finally step out of planning mode into action.
Tomorrow is my debut in teaching a new course, Spiritual Disciplines. God has been placing on my heart not just the material and focus for the course but in my life personally, this deep need we have to send our roots down deep into Him. Our relationship with Him is so very important and vital, something that needs to be so central in our lives. Reading through the Psalms or through some of Paul's writings one can hear these very things and it makes me realize how far I have yet to go! Pray for me as I teach; I'm thankful that it's the Holy Spirit who is the actual present Teacher and I just pray that He would speak through those classes exactly what each of the students need to hear!
Thanks for your prayers!
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