Dear all,
From Montana a happy and a blessed New Year. I had a fantastic break during Christmas and New Year and in that time I have experienced definitely God’s presence. A friend from the Netherlands visited me for 2 weeks and together we had great adventures. Let me tell you some examples: a free flight above the valley, horse riding in the nature –in the snow- for a couple of hours and stayed in a cabin near Flathead Lake. The cabin also has an open fire and a yakuzi bath. I also skied, snowboard and did some cross-country skiing for the first time in my life. It was awesome even if I experienced the snow a lot of times from nearby. I relaxed and I started fresh on the new semester of the School of Biblical Study. Praise God for this and thank you Sylvia, it was great.
I also want to thank everybody for the cards I have received. That is an encouragement, even if there are 30 students here, it is sometimes hard to be without your family and sometimes I do feel lonely. If you receive some cards it is a pleasant feeling. I also thank the people who are contacting me frequently via Internet, letters and telephone. It is a nice break to read or hear the latest news and to write back to them.
This semester we started at the 8th of January and will finish the semester at the end of March. This semester we will finish the New Testament (NT) with the Gospel of John, his letters and Revelation, then an exam of the whole NT and then we make a start in the Old Testament. In this case from Genesis till Chronicles.
Let me explain what we are doing in the SBS. We read every book 5 times. The first time out loud (most of the time with a group of 5 students) and after that we look to the text in a way they call the Inductive Bible Study. We have to look for the timeless truth –truth that stands in the old days and now - and we have to find historical information. Material like: How did they live in that time; what was the situation they live in, and more info. Sometimes this is pretty intense, but I love to be active in God. Most of the time we have one week to finish a book and to hand in our work/resources. We have great checkers who grade our work.
Sometimes it is difficult to share the upcoming plans, because I know that God’s way are not always our ways. He always seems to find a way to make our schedules a little bit more interesting than usual. I give Him the space to make my life better and more complete and to make order in the mess I sometimes make of it.
Well… end of March, in my break between the 2nd and 3rd semester, I want to go to Wyoming, to visit the Cowboy DTS after an invitation of a staff member. After I graduate of the School of Biblical Study I will fly home on the 6th of July to get back to work. Also I want to do God’s will, concerning my church, with the study program I do now.
· More passion for Jesus
· Financial provision
· Vision and direction for 2001/2002
I wish all of you His blessing
Jos
servant of our Lord Jesus