This is wrap up week...full of final exams, tallying grades, special celebrations of our fourth year class, exit interviews, our last communion service with this unique community and last sweet times of worship together.
Nobody is dying, and the relationships formed these past four years with our graduating students aren't going anywhere. But it'll never be quite the same.
The sweetest moment of this final week, for me, was on Wednesday. After a short message, the fourth year class was invited to come forward in chapel and to each share about their time at Emmaus, and their advice for the remaining students.
You never know what anyone is going to say, but if I could have made a list of things I hoped they gleaned from their time here, of wise counsel I hoped they would share, they covered EVERY corner of it, and more.
Kerline spoke of various professors who have counseled her and supported her walk with the Lord, and of how she has spiritually grown these four years. Jorgia spoke of the strong support she has had, noting that anytime she needed prayer, she found it at Emmaus. Anytime she needed resources for ministry, she found them in the library, in the computer lab, through EBS's Bible software, online in the computer lab. Anytime she needed a friend, anytime she needed counsel, anytime she needed training, any time she needed someone to go with her...she found it here.
Telemarque urged his fellow classmates to give more effort. "I know we work, but we can work harder. We can work harder in our classes and more faithfully in our ministries. Let us do that, together, with His help! Be of good courage!"
Aldy started to choke when he spoke of the unique and life-giving community he has found at Emmaus, the faithful Christian fraternity he had never had. When tears started pouring down his face, we were all done in, and Moliere took his arm and testified of how God brought us all together for such a time as this...to see Haiti transformed for Christ, starting with the way these relationships have transformed each of us.
Next week is graduation, and our 13 graduates will all go their north, south, east and west, heading into and back to callings and ministries and church plants and communities throughout Haiti. Alone. Together.
PEOPLE: the hardest and sweetest, most heart-wrenching and most beautiful ministry out there. We at Emmaus are so grateful to be a part of discipling men and women for such a time as this, for His glory, for His transformation.
Every prayer you alone have prayed for Emmaus is represented in this fourth year class. Every dollar you alone have given is going out, woven together with many other prayers and dollars and sacrifices and best efforts and God's great grace to make a difference in PEOPLE...one person alone at a time.
Together.
Thank you for being a part of people here at Emmaus...for the transformation of Haiti, and the world.
Stacey, for the EBS family
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