Emmaus Sunday

Everyone made it safely on Saturday, and yesterday kicked-off the first Emmaus Sunday of the school year, this time held at alumni and staff member and friend's church, Claudin.  You may remember praying for he and his wife through the losses of many pregnancies, and rejoicing with us when God finally gave them a miracle baby in Christie!  She is pregnant again and we are praying for a safe term and delivery!

Claudin is our dean of student life, works incredibly hard, is very servant-hearted and is so full of integrity.

When he was a student while we were still at the old seminary campus, he and several of his peers went out every afternoon to evangelize an area about a mile from the school.  By the time he had graduated, there was a firm group of believers there, and upon graduating, he planted a church there with those believers.

Since then, he and his wife moved a few blocks from the church, and have been faithfully discipling it ever since.  

It was awesome to worship there with him yesterday, along with our visiting professors and 10 other staff and students from Emmaus.

Our students and staff led the service, and Dr. Leroy, who is here to teach the Doctrine of Holiness class, preached.

We were also able to spend some good time praying with and for Claudin and his family as they minister, which was a great encouragement to him and to us.  Nothing beats going to where people are, looking into what ministry and life is like for them, and asking God to meet and provide for them right there in that spot.

Nora was strangely obsessed with figuring out who this guy was.

Afterwards we headed across the street to a hotel for burgers and some pool time, to Sabbath with our visitors and to celebrate Phil and Emily's 17th anniversary!  17!  crazy.

When Matt is particularly embarrassing (something he loves to be for my benefit :) Emily laughs and concedes, "He's ALL yours, girl!"  Phil tries much harder than Matt does to NOT be a total goof-ball, but either way, Emily couldn't be happier that Phil IS all hers, and I'm just so happy for their lovely marriage and thankful to be a part of their lives!