Hello my dear friends,I have been at Holmsted for four weeks now and I have to say I really miss you guys; I miss the familiar faces and accents. But I am so glad I came and I am thankful everyday that I am here. These first four weeks having been fun, very challenging, and have brought me much closer to God.
My first week here was basically getting us ready for the coming lectures; it was an introductory and really just a time to get over the jet lag. The second week changed my whole viewpoint on just about everything I have lived for but in such a good way. The second week was on Grace and I learned that grace is not just a word; it’s a whole way of living. I don’t want to say anymore about it for fear of not explaining it correctly. However, I will suggest a book than can explain what I have learned about grace. What’s So Amazing about Grace by Philip Yancey. The third week was a Biblical Overview taught by Mike Beaumont, it was amazing to see how the Bible really is all ONE story and how God keeps his promise to Abraham from Genesis ALL the way to Revelation. It was cool to look at the Bible and look into what was happening around this time and what the circumstances were. This past week was on Intentional Living, we did a lot with learning about ourselves and who God created us to be and what he created us to do. This week has really helped me to learn a lot about myself and who I am in Christ.
The days can be pretty busy, with waking up at 7 AM and having lectures until 1 PM. In the afternoons we have a variety of activities, anywhere from sports to small groups. Every day we have community care, which is a time where the whole base takes the time to keep Holmsted clean and tidy; we all have chores that have been assigned to us. I, personally, have the job of wash-up, which is cleaning everything up from lunch and cleaning the dining room. If I had to be honest I am quite good at it because it’s much like my Burger King job at home :).I have been really challenged these last 4 weeks, God has been pulling me out of my comfort zone a little faster than I am comfortable with but it’s so good for me. I am glad to be able to face my fears and trust God with everything I am doing. Some of these challenges are local outreaches around the villages. I, personally, help out with two local youth groups ages 7-11 and 11-15. I am glad to be able to mentor them and help out in any way I can, it’s also a great way for me to learn how to help people younger than me. These local outreaches are ways to get us ready for our outreach phase.
So, some random things happening around here!! There is a very small prayer room on the guys landing, and the last school had a record of 19 people in the room. My DTS decided to change that, we wanted to break the record and got 23 people into the room!
I would love to hear from ya'll and wish I could see your beautiful faces!
