Half way there

Hi everybody. It has been a while since we posted an update, and we're sorry for that. It seems like we have many things that are vying for our time and we find it hard to keep up with the blog. Since we last posted we have had three weeks of school. They call this "lecture phase" but it really involves much more than that. There is lecture time, but along with the lecture there is often significant time allowed for responding and ministry to the application points of the lecture. We also have extended worship time (1 hour) three times a week, we have prayer/intercession twice a week. The class is divided into small groups and each small group meets twice a week. Plus, we have "one on one" times with a staff member once a week--all in order to process what we are learning. Last week we went to the Salem Art Festival and mingled, looking for opportunities to share our faith. That was a stretch for many of us, since cold evangelism is not something any of us are used to, and none of us are really comfortable with.

Each week introduces a new area of teaching. We have had: Hearing God; Kingdom Dynamics; A Lifestyle of Repentance; Plumbline; and Relationships. This week we are talking about "God". Sometimes it is easy to just assume that we know all we need to know about God, but in reality God is so big and awesome that there is really no such thing as knowing Him as well as He wants to be known. We have been challenged already that the real issue is letting God know us. Ever since the fall of man we have been hiding from God whose greatest desire is to be known in all of his goodness, but we hide. One of the highlights of the time here for both of us is a growing awareness of God the Redeemer, the one who can take every area of our life (or any one's life) and redeem it. His passion is to restore our lives, to work in every circumstance, past, present and future, to bring healing. Hallelujah!

If you recieved our newsletter you know that we are headed to Thailand for our "outreach" and we are praying that God will open a way for us to spend some time in Burma (Myanmar) as well. We will be working in the northern part of Thailand out of a city called Chang Mai. This is near the Burmese border so even if we cannot get into Burma we will be working with refugees and immigrants from Burma.

One news note is that William P. Young, author of "The Shack", is speaking on campus today and tomorrow. He is not speaking in our school but we will get to hear him Tuesday evening. If you have not heard of the his book, you need to check it out. The Shack is a novel that will awaken all kinds of things in your heart and mind. We have read it a couple of times and each time it challenges our minds and touches the depths of our hearts.