catch up on...well...everybody!

Intensive Session #2!

After a big changeover weekend...lost three, kept 2, added 3...we are back at it in the classroom this week doing our final intensive session of the semester.

Chris Palmer has come all the way from Wales to teach for his first time at Emmaus.  With Simeon's help, first year is working through Missiology with Chris.  As I popped in this morning to take the picture, the class was discussing whether churches should require people to be baptized again if they were baptized through a different method than their church baptizes the first time.  

"Well, what does the Bible say about it?" Chris finally asked, and I always LOVE watching the class dive energetically into His Word.  "I really like to try to depend wholly on what His Word says..."

That's a good class.

Leroy Lindsey is back with us again, this time working through Wisdom Literature with our second year class and with Elio's help!

Pam's class is so full as they pick their way through Church History that it was actually 10 degrees hotter in there than any of the other rooms!  This morning they were looking at some of the symbols used during times of persecution to represent Christianity and why...good stuff!

Meanwhile, Phil and Pehpay have been all over the campus, pickaxing trenches to put in cable that will do...something good...for the internet situation, which is simply. never. resolved.    I hope that something good happens.  No matter what, they've been working like crazy.  

For Alfie and Maud asking about Junior and Ezechiel and Enick...here's a quick update:

Junior is back from his two weeks of residency at Indiana Weslyan, and loved it, even despite the cold.  He is back to work at Emmaus as the internet/computer guy, and is back to being a full-time student, this time online.  Getting the hang of that is proving to be a bit challenging...online learning isn't easy, especially with said internet issues, and with ESD (extreme social-ness disorder).  I get that :)

Ezechiel was here yesterday, and continues to pop through once every 10 days or so to check email, catch me up, so that we can pray together and sometimes to get some help for the school or church.  Should have taken his picture!  

The overarching reality for Ezechiel is that the more he does, the more that needs done.  The more he's home, the more he needs to be, the more he's on the mountain, the more he needs to be there.  The more he helps with the school, the more help they need, and the more he preaches the Gospel, the more people come to hear more of the Gospel!  Every time I shake his hand and pray with him, I am overwhelmed by the many and heavy burdens on his shoulders, and am always reminding him what I'm really reminding myself: God knows, they are God's burdens, and Ezechiel is only called to do what God places before him for the day.

There is so much need.

We are incredibly thankful for the help of a special group of people in Canada and in the US who are getting some support to him to help pay his teachers, finish building the school, and keep good education happening in a place that never had any for over 200 little ones.  

Meanwhile, his family is doing well, the road project continues each Saturday, each Saturday, and Ezechiel continues to just never seem discouraged.

I am planning to join him again on the mountain in March as soon as we have a few less visitors.

Finally, Enick is in one day a week, coming to check internet, eat (man, does that boy need to EAT!), get a good night's sleep IN A BED (all the rest of the time he continues to live and sleep on the floor of the school) and to run to town for supplies.  It's always a joy to see him, and the things the Lord is doing on His/his mountain are inspiring.  Voodoo continues to be very prevalent in Enick's area, so he is never without a story of great prayer and fasting over people drowning under Satan's grip. 

Like Ezechiel, Enick seems NEVER to be discouraged, living fully in the confidence and knowledge that our All Powerful God is Victorious.  His brother (current EBS student Walnique) continues to join him every other Sunday, helping preach and teach and disciple, which is a great encouragement to Enick.  He works hard to always be above reproach, and the same great love and dedication that the Lord has given him for his people I see in them for Enick.

Again, we all plan to join him on his mountain as soon as we have a few less visitors.  

All the while we have one EBS family wrapping up, and a new EBS family moving in.

The Weavers, a young couple from Sabetha, Kansas, are moving down in two weeks to join our team (more info on them soon!) and the Aberles are heading back to Sabetha, Kansas in April upon completing their two year term!  We're so thankful for both of these families and for the many people God continues to weave into our lives from every tribe, tongue and nation!