starting the year in Romans...

...a servant of Jesus, set apart for the gospel of God...

The 2011-2012 school year is officially underway, with more beds being moved into the men's dorm, 75 people eating lunch together and about 55 students (still working on a final number!)  From the buzzing market, the crowded dusty streets, the tops of the mountains and the stretches of Haitian desert, one by one men and women have emerged and come together in one place with one purpose.

...now we know that whatever the Law says, it speaks to those who are under the law, so that every mouth may be closed and all the world may become accountable to God...


It is a beautiful thing to walk down the halls or past the chapel and hear the Word of God already being dug into.  Matt is teaching Romans to third and fourth year students and an Introduction to the Old Testament to first year, Guenson, Biblical Interpretation and Systematic Theology, Vilmer: Biblical Culture and Geography and Methodology, Lucner: Christian Philosophy, Fan Fan: Pentateuch (1st five books of the Bible)...

...who will separate us from the love of Christ? Will tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or the sword?...


The year hasn't begun without its peril...one of our first year students became so sick on Tuesday that he was rushed to the clinic, aggressively vomiting blood.  He is still with his family and not doing very well.

One of our night watchmen, Augustine, lost his 5-year-old daughter on Monday morning to "sickness".

Pastor Elizay has been sick as well, and is facing surgery next week, a big deal (especially here).  Belony is STILL not recovered from his stomach pains of last year, and not feeling great at all today...all things for your prayers.

Also, Irene has dumped a lot of rain on us, but thankfully, never really "hurricane'd" us...just rain and some wind.  Even our visitors were able to get out today without problem, and students and staff have had no major issues coming and going.

...be of the same mind toward one another; do not be haughty in mind, but associate with the lowly.  Be at peace with all men...

Then, some playful new student "induction" traditions got carried away and really hurt some feelings.  A very concerned and somewhat discouraged administration met yesterday and had a meeting with the whole student body this morning.  Matt was dreading it, and just hates the discipline-side of administration in general (who doesn't!?), but then the meeting was fantastic...The problem was well articulated, and the students quickly agreed that they had taken playfulness too far, and left the chapel of the same mind and at peace...Praise the Lord!


...since we have gifts that differ according to the grace given us, each of us is to exercise them accordingly...be devoted to one another in brotherly love...


Uncle Don, Emily and Phil all left this morning.  I cannot begin to count the ways that Don has blessed us these past two weeks...here's just a few of his (and Phil, too) finished projects.  

new plants...

new house for Boone

new house for Lily

new blender for Mama!

new aluminum screens (so rats can't eat through!) THANK YOU Sharptown!!

Lily woke up so sad this morning to find Uncle Don and "my friends" gone, and Matt and I feel the loss as well.  We had such a good time getting to know Phil and Emily better.  The help is fantastic...but the friendship is even better.  Don is one of those rare people who doesn't seem to even think about himself or his own rights, but just pours out what God has given him freely and joyfully.  Can't help but feel a bit lonely in the house this morning!  (hint-hint...our guest room is empty!)


...how will they call on Him in whom they have not believed? How will they believe in Him whom they have not heard?  How will they hear without a preacher?  How will they preach unless they are sent?  How beautiful are the feet of those who bring Good News of good things...


Let me squeeze a quick pitch in here!  We have SO MANY men and women at Emmaus right now that are in great need of being under-written.  While it costs $2500 each year to feed, educate, house, and care for every student, each is only charged $500.  This is already a very difficult amount of money to obtain for the large majority of our student body, so part of what I do here is seek out the other $2000 to back each man and woman.

I have shared and will continue to share SO many stories of what God is doing in Haiti through the lives and ministries of the students at Emmaus, and we need help keeping these same students in training, fed and cared for.  If you or your family or your Sunday School class or business or church or small group is interested in aligning life and ministry with His kingdom-building here, PLEASE contact me for a student name, photo, testimony and giving info.

Your "little bit" can go a long way in providing for beautiful-footed-preachers of the Word to learn It well and to take it out to those who have not believed.


...being fully assured that what God has promised, He is able also to perform...


At staff retreat on Saturday, we talked a lot about different visions everyone has for the Seminary and for Haiti.  As I've pondered these, I've been going back to the basics in my heart: what has God promised?  What's He promising for this year?  There are a lot of unknowns, but here's just a few of the things He's PROMISING, just in Romans alone...


He will render to each person according to His deeds (2:6).
There will be glory and honor and peace to everyone who does good (2:10).
The doers of the Law will be justified (2:13).
The righteousness of God through faith in Jesus is for all those who believe (3:21).
The one who believes in Him, his faith is credited to him as righteousness (4:6).
We have peace with God through Jesus (5:1). 
Tribulation brings about perseverance, perseverance, character, character, hope (5:3).
The love of God is poured out within our hearts through the Holy Spirit (5:5).
Christ died for the ungodly, while we were still sinners (5:6).
We shall be saved from the wrath of God through Christ (5:9).
We can be united with Him in His death and in His life (6:5).
Sin does not have to master over you, for you are under grace (6:14).
Though we deserve death, the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ (6:23).
We can serve in the newness of the Spirit and not in the the oldness of the letter (7:6).
There is now no condemnation for those who are in Jesus (8:1).
The mind set on the flesh is death, but the mind set on the Spirit is life and peace (8:6).
He who raised Jesus from the dead will give life to your mortal bodies through His Spirit (8:11).
We are not under obligation to the flesh (8:12).
We have received a spirit of adoption as sons (8:15). 
The sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory that is to be revealed to us (8:18).
The Spirit helps our weakness (8:26).
God causes all things to work together for good to those who love Him (8:28).
Nothing, nothing, nothing will separate us from the love of Christ (8:35).
In all things we overwhelmingly conquer through Him (8:37).
He loves us (8:37).
It all doesn't depend upon us, bot on God who has mercy (9:16).
Those who were not His people shall be called Sons of the Living God (9:26).
The gifts and the calling of God are irrevocable (11:29).
We are one body in Christ (12:5).
God will repay (12:19).
The authorities which exist are established by God (13:1).
Through perseverance and the encouragement of the Word we might have hope (15:4).
Christ accepted us to the glory of God (15:7).
There is power in the Spirit (15:19).
The God of peace will soon crush Satan under your feet (16:20).
He is able (16:25).

I am SO fully assured that what He has promised, He is able to perform...which makes this new year just drip with hope!