Psalms, a Haitian Vacation anyone?, and something new

Matt's Psalms course has been going really well, and followed the usual pattern of taking just a few days for the men and woman to warm up, realize that he was looking for insight, not a "right answer", and get really passionate about what they're learning. They're ENJOYING diving deeper in the Psalms, learning the history and patterns of the Psalms, and "sharpening hermeneutical skills for interpreting the Psalms," says Matt :)

Matt's also having a great time getting to know these students better (most of them also his Hebrew students) and working WITH them through some of the cultural, and non-cultural issues, they are facing in their churches and ministries: What should they do about the growing number of unwed teen mothers in their churches? What IS salvation, really, and how does work with righteousness? What should they do with members of their church that fall into sin? What should their response be to repentance? How do we move away from a ritualistic understanding of worship/prayer/etc and into an intimate relationship with our Father?

They've been having some great discussions, which always help Matt grow and learn, too, more about the Haitian mind-set and culture and more about his own walk with the Lord.

A longstanding goal of OMS Haiti, Emmaus Biblical Seminary and OMS at large has been that EBS would be able to begin classes in our new seminary down the road by January, 2010. The dedication ceremony has been set for January 11th, and despite a gorgeous new seminary that is largely completed, there is still a LOT of skilled and unskilled labor to be completed before we can MOVE in and start class!

We are thanking the Lord: Don H. and Jack F. have agreed to come down for a few weeks in November-December to work on completion! Despite our blog title, this probably won't be much of a vacation. However, if you would be willing to join us, individually or with a group, in the near future for a week, two weeks, or more, we would LOVE to have you, and PROMISE you a trip to the beach!

There is all kinds of work to do, and we would love to introduce you to some of the people and some of the places that the Lord has led us to, taught us through, and is working through in Haiti. We'd love to have you come alongside of us in this tangible way to help transform Haiti for Christ through the teaching and sharing of His Word!

Click here to check out a "Please come and help!" video from our field (starring our soon-to-be famous field director).

Email me with any questions!

Meanwhile, this is the passage that the Lord seems to be running through and through my mind and heart this week...

Behold, I will do something new,

Now, it will spring forth;

Will you not be aware of it?

I will even make a roadway in the wilderness,

Rivers in the desert.

The beasts of the field will glorify me

Even the jackals and the ostriches,

Because I have given waters in the wilderness

And rivers in the desert,

To give drink to My chosen people.

The people whom I formed for Myself

Will declare my praise.

Isaiah 43:19-21