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I do find that assignments are a great way to see how the students are grasping the concepts we are talking about in class, and it is a great opportunity to give them feedback and further direction. The good and exciting news is that the students are really understanding this process and are getting into the Word in ways that extremely encouraging. It is amazing to hear some of the observations they are making and to see how they are just being immersed in the Scripture. It will probably take most of the afternoons the remainder of the week after morning class each day to complete all the grading. In the meantime, I still have grading to complete from my classes back home. It is good thing that I am just a “twig” (see Day 8 post)! We had a great day of class as I led the students into a study of 1 Corinthians in an attempt to give a “live” model of the approach we have been talking about in class. The Holy Spirit brought many teachable moments as we saw that Jesus is the answer, that pride is the block in our lives, and that Jesus wants to live in us and demonstrate Himself through us in every situation. We had some lively discussion as we took time to let this apply to our lives in very real and practical ways. I have to share that the greatest impact in class today came as we discussed how Jesus is our answer and complete provision for all of our lives, whether married or single (1 Cor. chapter 7). The Holy Spirit seemed to really speak this truth into all of our hearts in a powerful way in that classroom.
According to their voodoo tradition and the instruction of this spiritual voodoo leader, it was believed that their “payment” was that this child would belong to this man. Sometime after her birth, the parents accepted Jesus Christ as Lord of their lives and had become a part of this church. Yet, they believed that they still owed this spiritual “debt” to the voodoo leader. The pastor asked them to come up front so that the church leaders could gather around them to pray a prayer of “divorce” from the voodoo. He boldly proclaimed that they now belonged to Jesus, that He had canceled this debt, and that He has freed them from this spiritual bondage. It was a powerful moment to look upon this young girl and to know of the different path in life that Jesus has granted to her --- a path that is available to all who will receive Him, in Haiti and everywhere. (For a fuller account of this, feel free to read Stacey Ayars' blog for today). The ride to the church took us through a small village and then some further distance into the country. All along the way I had the opportunity to view the people and dwellings, pray for them, and wave to them as they waved at us while walking to church themselves.
This evening I am preparing for class tomorrow. I will be taking the opportunity to try to model Bible study for the students in class, studying 1 Corinthians 10:1-13. I am praying earnestly that not only would the students learn something about Bible study, but that the truth of the Word would impact our hearts and minds. I pray that we would all, in a new way, see Jesus as the complete provision for our lives. I would appreciate your prayer for this in these next days. We desperately need a “demonstration of the Spirit and of power, that your faith should not be in the wisdom of men, but in the power of God (1 Corinthians 2:4-5).”
In Christ, John
While this may not sound like a restful “beach-like” day, it was for me. I know that may sound “different,” but it helps me to get some of the work completed so that there is not so much of it that is still undone and waiting for me. Also, the biggest blessing of my day was to get to have a video chat with my family via Skype! I cannot tell you the sheer joy of just seeing them (all three of them on the screen at the same time!) and hearing their voices. As I laid down for a brief rest after that chat, I just thanked the Lord over and over for this gift. I feel that I have grown closer to them across the miles and that we have become even more one in the Spirit.
We have had tremendous discussion in class about this process. I am very encouraged about how the students have embraced this. One of the most difficult parts of it, which we discuss often, is that there is the temptation to hurry ahead to interpretation and ask “What does it mean?” My interpreter, Simeon, and I will be grading these papers together on Monday and seeing how the students did with this. I already have the sense that they have done extremely well. We spent nearly all of class today talking about the priority of the Word of God in our lives. Why is it so important? One of the highlights of the discussion, with enthusiastic response from the students, was when we discussed how the Written Word is the revelation of the Living Word, Jesus. I shared about the powerful impact and transformation that takes place in our lives, when we simply allow Him to be revealed through the Word, both to us (in our own study) and through us (in preaching, for example). One of the students, Bernard, raised his hand and shared through the interpreter that he felt that he was experiencing revival in his own life through this class. It was a joy and a divine teaching moment to be able to share with the students that it is Jesus that brings revival through His Word, and that He is not exclusive or selective about this --- He will do this in the heart(s) of anyone that will seek Him in the Word. Benito told me after class that he feels the Holy Spirit at work. This has been my deepest prayer for this class --- that the students will realize that it is all about the Word, and that they would come to depend upon Jesus in the Word with their entire beings. I have prayed that there would indeed be a revival atmosphere in the class, and He is indeed bringing that about. This trip and this class are about students like Bernard and others like him who are open and seeking the Lord. Matt Ayars (seminary president) told me this evening that some of these cannot afford to be here at the school. Would you pray with me for God’s provision for these students?
The Internet is back on in Haiti! Well, at least in some measure in our location . . . at times. I have always known this, but it is amazing to realize anew what it does to one’s perspective to be in a missions setting. We went through the entire day yesterday and most of the previous day with no Internet at all. This would seem to qualify as a tragedy or emergency for me in the United States. I will be honest and say it was not easy. To be sure, it was a tremendous inconvenience as it limited my communication with home and prevented me from getting my work done. Yet, life went on. I got to talk to my family briefly by phone; God was good and moved in great ways; and we all grew in faith and dependency upon Him.
The remainder of the day was spent working in my classroom. Since the Internet was working at the time, I decided I should “make hay while the sun shines.” I was able to catch up on e-mail and make a dent into some of my regular teaching work from home that continues to accumulate. I even got to instant message with my family a little in the process! :) It was an encouragement from the Lord today to learn that Trina was looking at the constellation Orion in the nighttime sky somewhere around the same time I was (maybe within an hour?) last night. It was a small reminder that God is working and in control far above our ways and our thoughts, that He cares for us, and that our lives are in His mighty and gentle hands. After a pleasant evening meal with our gracious host missionaries and the other visiting professors, I sit typing to you this evening with a greater sense of peace than I have had since being here. The Lord is good, Jesus is more than sufficient, and I am so very grateful for your continued prayer, which is making a difference.
With a thankful heart in Christ, John What a full day it was here in Haiti. Classes began as usual at 8:00 after having Haitian spaghetti for breakfast in the campus cafeteria (I vow to include no pictures of my food in these updates!). Class had an ebb and flow to it today. We had an exciting discussion as we reviewed the basic steps of Bible study and talked about the faithfulness of the Holy Spirit in that process. The students, especially those who are pastors, told me on break how encouraged and excited they were about these truths. We became bogged down in the middle of class and ran into the language barrier as I tried to introduce some Bible study tools to the students. I had not accounted for the fact that a vast majority of these first-year students have very little, if any, ability to understand English. This really rendered fruitless much of our attempt to show them the English language Bible study tools that I brought with me. I felt that I lost them in this portion of the class, and I felt led by the Holy Spirit to get back to where we needed to be in the final segment of the today’s class. So, we just opened our Bibles, looked at several passages, and talked about Jesus as our motivation for being the Word, Jesus as the Truth and the importance of Truth in the spiritual battle, and Christ being our message. We talked about being committed to seeking after Him alone in this process of Bible study, and asked the students if they would join us in a commitment to be a seeker. The room increasingly filled with the sound of students saying “Amen” to these truths, and the class concluded with the students spontaneously breaking out into a worship song together.
This was an authentic Haitian experience as we rode the 5 miles back to campus over the rough roads and through the scenes of human need. At one point, I looked up to the sky and realized I was seeing the clearest night sky I have viewed in some time (not since South American in 1993). As I gazed at the constellation Orion, the most vivid and detailed I have ever seen it, it caused me to think of everyone at home and to realize that I am looking at the same night sky that my family is seeing at the same time. We are not so far apart after all. Above all, we are together in spirit, bound in Jesus. Thank you for your care and support, and for also being with me here in spirit.
In Christ, John No internet. That is the story of Haiti: Day 5. We know this because we were actually able to speak to John by cell phone for about 10 minutes tonight! He called out using one of the missionary's phones. It was great to hear his voice. He told us that the internet has been down all day and they're hoping it is restored soon. Their day was full with morning classes and then travel to another OMS campus and fellowship with the missionaries. He also got to speak in the student chapel.
Since we don't have a picture from John's day in Haiti, I thought I would upload a portion of a satellite image from Google Maps to show exactly where John is. I've thought today what missionaries from 50 years ago...even 25-30 years ago...would've thought if they would've had internet and cell phones for communication with their family in the states. One day without internet wouldn't have seemed so bad. Perspective. Sometimes it's good to "zoom out" so you can see more clearly. We are so thankful for God's work in Haiti and the opportunity to share in it for a few days. Thank you for your prayers....Trina
I am a brand new teacher to all of the students this term. It is a new setting for me, along with being the first time to teach while having it translated into Creole (or was it French? Just shows how little I can tell the difference!). But the Lord gifted us with a brilliant and dynamic translator named Simeon (I will provide a photo of him later in the week). The Lord gave us a dynamic time with the students. It was a blessing to see their faces and the lights go on as we talked about the process of studying the Word of God. We had great questions which all contributed to the discussion. I was greatly encouraged by how they understood the entire concept and process, and was so grateful for the way in which the Holy Spirit worked through and across the language barrier. There genuinely seemed to be a connection of heart and spirit. The highlight of class was the final 30 minutes, when I simply opened to John chapter 5 and talked about the concept of being a seeker after Jesus, and allowing the Holy Spirit to take us deep into the Word so that Jesus could be revealed to us. There was tremendous response to this with the students enthusiastically affirming their desire to have this heart and approach. This will be the approach we will emphasize throughout the course, and I am excited to build upon it tomorrow.
It was a difficult day here with the Internet, but I was so grateful to be able to instant message with my family this evening. It brought tears of joy to my eyes to be able to interact with them. I was also able to enjoy playing a new board game (“King of Tokyo” I think?) with the missionaries. The Lord continues to give us special moments each day, and there is a deep sense of our own growth taking place through this time. Thank you for your continued prayer for me and my family, and for your encouraging comments. In Christ, John It was a quiet day here on the campus as students began to return to begin classes tomorrow. Many things in Haiti, such as classes here, were on pause in remembrance of the devastating earthquake that took place five years ago today. Therefore, though we were originally scheduled to begin today, it was an extra day of preparation. I was happy to take some time in the afternoon to rest. I rarely sleep well away from home, and this new location is no exception to what seems to be a normal pattern for me.
One of the missionaries told me, "that truth could be preached in every church in Haiti, every week." I thank the Lord for the truth of the Word, for the work of the Holy Spirit, and for the body of Christ through which He works. What a privilege. The remainder of the day was spent resting, in fellowship, and in keeping in communication with my family. Have I mentioned how much I miss them? Matt and I also went out and ran about 2.5 miles. It felt good to get out running in the fresh air, and even better that I kept up with Matt ALMOST the entire way! The little children from the neighborhood who ran alongside of us and the mud on my shoes from that path were a vivid reminder of where I am and the very truth of the message from the service this morning. "Which table do I seek?" Thank you for your ongoing prayer as we prepare for classes this week.
In Christ, John Haiti is simultaneously a beautiful and desperate place. As the airplane descended out of the clouds today, what struck me from my window seat was the lush green carpet laid over mountains and valleys. As we arrived in Cap-Haitien and left the airport, the depth of human need, both physical and spiritual, was as evident as the pictures on TV had seemed to convey.
As I reflect on this past fall and want to report to you on all that took place, it seems most appropriate to do a more general summary of the events, developments, and travels while including some highlights. It was my intent to write two different reports summarizing more in detail the meetings and services in various locations from this fall, but time has flown by and now it is nearly Christmas. In a way, this in itself provides a summary or indication of how full these past few months have been for us!
We continued to see some of the most fruitful, exciting, and powerful things taking place in the churches where we have been privileged to continue and walk with over these past few years. To be quite honest, I am overwhelmed with the way God is working and what Jesus is doing through His Word in the lives of the people. What is most exciting is to see what His moving is doing in these congregations and how that movement of His Spirit is spilling out into the community.
In addition to the travels, you may know that I have continued teaching online Bible classes to High School students through an online school called The Potter’s School. This year I began teaching the Bible Survey course in addition to my other classes, which more than doubled my classload. Each week I have the privilege of interacting with 75 students from all over the world, most of whom are here in North America. I teach five classes each week, each of which lasts for 90 minutes. In addition to the in-class time, each week there is preparation time as well as time needed for grading work. One of the great features of the online classes is that I can teach from anywhere I might be, and this fall I taught classes from Nevada and Maine!
Carey traveled with me much of the time this fall. When we are not traveling, a good portion of our time is involved with the Civil Air Patrol, an auxiliary of the U.S. Air Force. We both became members this year and are involved with our local squadron, where Carey continues to gain valuable military knowledge and experience, looking toward a possible future in the military. It is with mixed feelings that I report that he now wears almost the same shoe size as me and can outdo me at pushups! Trina continues her work from home in multiple areas of employment, homeschool teacher, help with LifeMessage International, animal caretaker, and support in just about every area imaginable. It was a special blessing for both of us that she got to come with me to services in Georgia and Tennessee this fall. I have missed having her on the front row! After 26 years of marriage, we continue to be best friends as we grow together in the Lord. I thank God every single day for my family and for what He is doing in our lives. Trina, Chaili, and Carey all have such sensitivity to Jesus Christ and a love for Him. They are the greatest blessing of my life.
The next days and weeks offer a time for us to give thanks for all that the Lord has done for us, all He is to us, where He has placed us, what He is doing in our lives, all that He will do, and for the promise and hope of all He has and is for the future. It has occurred to me in a new way that the “merry” of “Merry Christmas” comes from the thankfulness that we have in our hearts. How can I not be glad if I truly seek Him, see who He is, and thank Him for all of it? I truly pray that, in these weeks, the Father will give to you the Spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of Jesus Christ, and that the eyes of your understanding will be enlightened (Ephesians 1:17-18). May your Christmas and New Year be merry, glad, and full of thanks as we see Jesus for who He is, what He has done, what He is doing, and what He will do. In Christ, John Juneman What a rich and full summer we experienced as a family. As I write this, Chaili is back on campus at Trevecca Nazarene University here in Nashville, TN to begin her second year in the nursing program. The Lord has been so gracious to provide for every need and she is thriving in this experience. It is quite a thing to see her now with medical scrubs and a stethoscope! In the meantime, Carey is beginning 8th grade, and has also joined the Civil Air Patrol to follow his inclination toward the military and a future in aviation. Trina and I continue with our work, all the while with hearts bursting with thanks and amazement for all God continues to do with our family. In May we were blessed to visit our close friends, Sam and Joy Burch, for a time of fellowship in the Lord at their home in Clearwater, FL, now one of our favorite places in the world! The remainder of the summer has been filled with precious times and memories, from spending time with the horses here to just being together to traveling and sharing with people in other places. July was our busy travel month as we were a part of two lengthier campmeetings. The first was the Cowden, IL Campmeeting, July 11-19. I was so very pleased that Trina, Chaili, and Carey were able to be with me for the first weekend of this camp before needing to head home and care for some things there. Cowden is very familiar to me because of our close relationship with the Barnes family, whom we came to know in our church when I was a pastor in Joliet, IL. I have been to Cowden four times for revival services in the past few years at the Cowden Free Methodist church, and many of the people involved at the camp are now like family to us. It is amazing what God does through continued relationships! As the only evangelist, I preached twice a day at this camp (for anyone keeping track, that was 16 times across those 9 days). I will confess that there were times during this camp in which I felt that I was in a spiritual battle, and I also missed my family as the days passed by. But Jesus seemed to do something remarkable and unmistakable sometime in the second half of this camp. I sensed what seemed to be a powerful turning that took place, and people of all ages were amazingly responsive to His Spirit speaking through God’s Word. I was greatly encouraged and excited by this. I believe it allowed the Holy Spirit to move in a special way (probably His normal way), and there was warmness of His presence that seemed to prevail in the services and across the campground among people. As I drove off of the campground, I heard a closing prayer over the camp PA system, and I was deeply thankful for having been there. I was reminded again of why I like campmeeting – because of the opportunity to live with people for a period of days and seek the Lord together. That dynamic only continued for us from the very first moment as our family arrived on the grounds of Camp Sychar Holiness Campmeeting, Mt. Vernon, OH, July 24 through August 3. It is hard to believe that this was my sixth time to be an evangelist at Camp Sychar, and our third time in the last four years as I filled in for some cancellations in previous years. There will be no way for me to describe what happened for us in these days at Sychar this year. The moving of the Holy Spirit produced an atmosphere that was as near to what heaven must be like as anything I have ever experienced. This happened to large extent in the services, where I experienced a unity with the other workers that can only be produced by Jesus. If you ever have opportunity to hear or have Rev. Ryan Bash or Dr. Chris Bounds to speak in your setting, please do so. These brothers in the Lord were not only an encouragement to me, but I received so much from the Lord through them. God worked through these men, and each service over these 11 days had an air of revival about it. God was working powerfully, and people of all ages (including the 80 youth) were responding. But this sweetness of the Holy Spirit was not limited to the services; He permeated the grounds. That is what our family loves about Camp Sychar. The services are awesome; and the fellowship throughout the day in all aspects of life together is the living out of the reality of Jesus in our lives. We have loved each and every time we have been at Sychar, but there was something exponential for our family this time in the bonding of relationships that took place with people and families there. I shared earlier that Clearwater, FL is one of our favorite places in the world. My children would say that Camp Sychar is tied for first place in the hearts of our family, and I would have to agree. It is amazing what God does through continued relationships. And, because of a cancellation, I have been asked to come back again to be the Bible teacher next year, for which there is much joy in our home! May I request prayer as we enter into this fall season? On September 8, I will begin a new year of online classes with The Potter’s School. This will be my first year to teach the three sections of Bible Survey (three different groups of students in three different classes) in addition to my other Bible classes. I have been working for most of the summer in preparation for these classes, and will be continuing right up until the first day. With the combination of all of these classes, we will have over 70 students this year from all over the world, with the majority of those in the United States. I am overwhelmed with both thanks and the opportunity to share Jesus with these students and to encourage them and their families in the Word of God. But, it is beyond my ability in a number of ways, and I know that Jesus must produce something that I cannot do. Would you pray with me for the awesome reality of His presence through these classes, that students would have a hunger for His truth, and that we would all grow in Him in a new way? I thank you very much for your prayer for these classes and the upcoming fall revival meetings. Please let me know as well how I might pray for you. It is amazing what God does through continuing relationships, and your life has been an avenue of His grace to us and others. Still running together in Christ, John Juneman I felt that April 27 through May 4 was our most fruitful visit yet to Maine and Nova Scotia. We are now in our sixth year of these semiannual visits every spring and fall to these churches, and it has been a blessed road for me with these people. Every arrival in either Milo, ME or Sackville, NS is like coming home. There is no doubt that it is a long journey which can have its challenges at times. The difficulty of travel to get there this time (feel free to ask for me for recommendations on airlines!) combined with a lack of sleep and some ailing health was my first indication of the spiritual battle which surrounded this trip. Satan opposed us in many ways, and I felt from the beginning that the enemy was attempting to prevent me from arriving there. But God was victorious, provided for every need, and my luggage even arrived a day after I did! I thought and prayed much about spiritual warfare throughout the days of this trip, and realized anew how God works through our weaknesses and that Jesus is glorified through earthen vessels being hard pressed, perplexed, persecuted, and even struck down (2 Corinthians 4:7-12). Furthermore, it was my joy to be able to share in both churches some new truth from 1 Corinthians 11:1-16. This has been my newest study, and perhaps the most difficult one in which I have ever been involved. It has been a real time of stretching through this portion of God’s Word. However, the truth from this passage has been life-changing and impacted my life and the lives of others in ways I could not have imagined. God is moving in amazing ways in the United Baptist Church in Milo, ME. I have shared before how this is something of a frontier church, on the edge of “civilization” before you head into the deep words of northern Maine. Milo is a depressed area with all manner of spiritual darkness there. The spiritual war is as real, and tangible, in this town as any place I have ever been. God brought Pastor Phil and Becky there over five years ago now. It has been a long road of just loving the people, presenting Jesus, and standing in Him. The past six months have seen the beginning of the kinds of breakthroughs for which we have prayed. New people are coming to the church; people are responding to Jesus; families are growing spiritually; people are coming together. In a remarkable way, the Lord is beginning to establish this church in a new way in the community. People everywhere are beginning to know that if you want to hear about Jesus, just go to the United Baptist Church. Our services this time were from April 27-30, Sunday through Wednesday. The attendance and response were both greater than I have ever seen there. There are some remarkable signs of transformation taking place, and there is a noticeable difference in the spiritual atmosphere of the church. God is working powerfully among this church. However, as we saw in 2 Corinthians 4, there is a cost to being the vessels through which Jesus is demonstrated. Even during my visit, Pastor Phil experienced a significant episode with his health, and I would invite your prayer for him. The spiritual battle continues in Milo. But I am excited to report that the Word of the Lord is growing mightily and prevailing (Acts 19:20). On Thursday morning, May 1, I picked up the rental car to drive the eight hours to Halifax, Nova Scotia so I could arrive for services over the weekend (May 1-4) at the Church of the Nazarene in Lower Sackville. We always have special times together when I get to visit with the Nova Scotia people, who are like family to me. Yet, I clearly felt that God touched us all in a special way over these days together. There were already amazing things happening in this church before my arrival, but something remarkable continued in these services. There was response followed by powerful testimonies in every service. There was something very real about the presence of Jesus in these services. It began very unmistakably in the prayer meeting where we gathered Thursday evening, and it continued in every service throughout the weekend, which included 2 on Friday, 2 on Saturday, and 3 on Sunday. I get my workout when I go to Canada! Each time I go there, it is a joy to share in a Sunday afternoon service at a house church called Upper Room Fellowship. This house church outgrew Pastor Terry’s living room, and so he converted his garage into a chapel. They are now a point of need as they are about to outgrow the chapel, and are seeking the Lord for His direction. These people have been so kind to me. It was an additional blessing to conclude the services in Nova Scotia by preaching in the evening service at Dartmouth. Again, God moved powerfully in this time as He did every single service. I was deeply touched by the Lord Jesus in my own life on this trip and during this visit to Nova Scotia. I saw Him and felt His presence in a way that I have not in some time, and I thank Him for that. I experienced a sweet time of fellowship with Him, even in the midst of the spiritual battle and the challenges of travel. It spilled over into my preaching, has given me great joy, and has continued to affect me since my arrival home from the trip. This trip had its physical difficulties and was a particularly long time to be away from my family, but we continue to reap the fruit of His love and kindness as we respond to Him where He has placed us. We would rather be no other place. We deeply appreciate your time and care in reading this, and your fellowship in Christ. Please let us know any way we can pray for you. If the Lord leads, we would appreciate your continued prayer for us as a family and our precious days together this summer; for the preparing of the new book to go to print; for the sharing of the Word in the campmeetings in July; and for preparations for classes this fall. In Jesus Christ our Lord, John Juneman It was a privilege and blessing for Carey and me to again be in Fallon, NV for over a week. The first part of the week, April 6 through 10 (Sunday through Thursday), we were a part of services at the Fallon Church of the Nazarene. These people are like family to us and the reception is always so warm and kind. Ongoing growth in relationship is the fruit of being able to visit twice per year as we become increasingly familiar with the people, the setting, and what the Lord is doing in this place. I have shared before how Fallon is one of those “front lines” of the kingdom of God here in this world. What was at one time a very traditional church is, in God’s timing and the power of the Holy Spirit, being transformed into a kind of “life-saving station” which is extremely unique. I have shared before how Out of Egypt food pantry provides high quality food (including fresh produce, meat, bread, canned goods, dry goods, and even dairy) to 350 families per week in their Thursday distribution line. The operation took a leap forward in the last several months as it moved to their new warehouse facility, purchased with a grant from the State of Nevada, which will allow the distribution to expand even further. One half of the warehouse contains the food and serves as the site of the food distribution line, while the other half serves as the drop-off location and storage for donations for their Out of Egypt Thrift and Gift store. The thrift store has thrived and continued to grow in volume over its existence the past year. The ministries are not only providing for the real physical needs of families around Churchill County and the surrounding areas, but are a beginning contact point for people to the gospel of Jesus Christ. One of the most amazing features of the Thursday food distribution is the worship service that is held at the church after people sign in. Though they are not required at all to stay for the service, an average of 100 people stay for this service where the Word is preached weekly. This serves as a community church for many. It was my privilege to preach again this time at the Thursday morning service, that there is no place like it! Do you have a group that is interested in serving in a special location on a work and witness trip? I could think of no better place that Fallon, Nevada, where your group could be a part of helping and serving with Out of Egypt ministries, while being an hour away from Reno, Nevada and the beautiful Lake Tahoe area. Let us know if you are interested and we can put you in touch with Pastor Paul. Carey and I owe our deepest thanks to Pastor Paul and Tammy Slaton for their always gracious care for us. It is a calling to have two extra guys stay in your home, and we so enjoy those extra times together. I appreciate Paul’s care and investment in my son, Carey. It means a lot to a young man to get to learn things like how to drive a forklift, and is says a lot when he is torn between going home to see mom and staying where he is. We are also grateful to our friend, Chaplain Captain Donny Crandell from the Reno Air National Guard Base who took time to show us around the base. It was incredible to get to see a C130 up close, and we so enjoyed the visit with Donny. On Thursday evening, we moved over to have services April 10-13 (Thursday through Sunday) at the Stillwater Indian Church on the Paiute-Shoshone reservation just outside of Fallon. This was my second year to be in services at the church, and we found the same spiritual hunger and responsiveness among the people that greeted me last time. Jesus spoke powerful truth to us regarding idolatry from 1 Corinthians chapter 10, and the impact of it was tremendous. I am deeply moved by the spiritual openness and hunger of so many of the people in the church, many of whom came with their Bibles, took notes during the message, and testified. I am thankful to Pastor Tim and Sandra Plants and their graciousness in having us come. We are privileged to be a part of discipleship in an ongoing way with this congregation through video. They gather every Wednesday evening at the pastor’s home for a meal and to study the Word through these videos. The growth in so many of them has been remarkable, and it is a blessing to continue to walk with them. Carey and I headed home to Tennessee after a full week in Fallon, but our hearts were also full. Thank you, Lord Jesus, for these people, for what You are doing there to expand your kingdom, and for the blessing of being a part of it. In Christ, John Juneman Dear friends and family in Christ, I wanted to take some time to share with you some of the events and developments in our family across these past several months. It has been a time of significant growth, change, and transition, sometimes painful, as God works in us both to will and do to for His good pleasure (Philippians 2:13). We had wonderful meetings and services in churches across the U.S.A. last fall. During these busy months of travel, Trina was at home caring for her father, Lou Graham, in the final months and weeks of his life. It has been a blessing for all of us to have Trina’s parents living next door to us here on our homestead here in the hills of Tennessee, and this has allowed for us all to have precious moments together these past nearly seven years and then especially in the final days of his life. Lou had COPD or emphysema for the past several years as his condition continually declined and then significantly worsened this fall after he contracted pneumonia. He was placed under hospice care in the home on November 7 before going to be with Jesus on November 26 after Carey I arrived home two days earlier to see him before he fell asleep in the Lord. We all gathered together for a beautiful funeral service in Dayton, OH, Lou’s place of birth, on December 4. This was followed by a meaningful ceremony with full military honors at Dayton National Cemetery, where his body now lies. We grieve his loss and also thank God for his life and the legacy in Christ that he left behind. Trina’s mother continues to live next door to us and we are thankful for the days we have together and for the grace of God, which continues to carry each one through the loss and give hope for the future in Jesus Christ. We do not grieve as others who have no hope (1 Thess. 4:13)! I am deeply thankful for my family. Trina continues to work full time from home in the field of medical billing. I am proud of who she is, the works she does, and the increasing responsibility that has been given to her. Only Jesus can maintain the balance of being a wife, mother, daughter, homeschool teacher, employee, bookkeeper, and all-around servant that she is to so many, all in the spirit of Christ. Chaili will soon complete her first year of college at Trevecca Nazarene University here in Nashville. The only word to describe her experiencing is “thriving.” She loves college and has excelled in her studies, while also finding a special love for being in gospel choir. As is normal for Chaili, she also finds ways to be a blessing and show the love of Jesus to most everyone she meets. Carey is nearly finished with seventh grade and continues to travel with me nearly two-thirds of the time. Our homeschooling allows us the flexibility to get schoolwork done in coordination with the travels, and it is a privilege to have him with me and get to disciple him. He is becoming a voracious reader, like his sister, but also loves outdoor activity and building things. In addition to the travel, studying, and writing, it has been my joy and privilege to begin teaching classes live online this year with The Potter’s School (TPS), an online Christian school serving over 3,000 homeschool students around the world. This year we began a new series of courses at the school called Logos Study, in which I take a chapter of the Bible and teach high school students about being immersed in the Word for an entire semester. Each week I present a truth from the Word while also demonstrating how to use various Bible study tools and encouraging students in their own use of them. Our goal in these courses is to really disciple students and to reproduce young men and women who are seeking Jesus in the Word as a lifestyle. I wish I could share here the remarkable testimonies we receive nearly every week from either students or parents. It has been life-changing. God then surprised us last month when the school asked me to begin next year teaching the full-year Bible Survey course, a overview of the entirety of scripture over the course of the whole school year. We are deeply grateful for this amazing opportunity to point students even further to Jesus and to encourage them in a love for Him and His Word. It will be a challenge as I prepare for this class over the next several months, and I am in much need for prayer for Him to do something through me that is beyond my ability to accomplish. Through all of these experiences in the past several months, it seems that God continues to increasingly place the emphasis of discipleship and equipping on my heart and in opportunities before us. He brought about a few occasions last fall in which I was given the opportunity to do the same kind of equipping in churches that we do with students in the online classes. One of those instances was a multiple-church event in Georgia where I was asked to teach Sunday School teachers and other church leaders about Bible study tools that are available to them. In two churches where we were during the fall, we had class time during which we demonstrated Bible study tools. In those same two churches I also preached one of the evening services in a new way, showing people on a projected screen some of the Greek words and where in the tools I was finding the meanings or grammar of those words. There was tremendous response to this experimental mode of presenting the Word, and I may be trying it in an even more extensive way in at least one church this spring. If you wish to know more about this or have any questions about this kind of presentation, please feel free to contact me. If it is something that the Lord places on your heart, I would deeply appreciate prayer for Jesus’ resourcing, guiding, and anointing in some areas He has placed before us at this time. As mentioned earlier, I will be spending the next several months preparing for the new Bible Survey course with TPS in addition to the regular Logos Study courses. At the urging of some of our friends, I am also currently working on a 1-year day-by-day devotional which we hope to have in print in the next few months. This devotional will take at least three of our current books and break them down into daily “bite-size” pieces. We are praying about some other avenues of sharing and equipping, but these, along with upcoming meetings, are the areas of immediate need for God’s moving and touch. We thank you from our hearts for the prayer across these months and for encouragement we receive from you. Would you please let us know how we can be in prayer for you? I am more aware than ever before of the battle in which we are involved and of the significance of these days and the relationships He is giving to us. Every day matters; every day is a gift as He has called us to live it out with a holy calling. May God give to you, your family, and the Body of Christ where you are the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of Him, and may the eyes of your hearts be “flooded with light” (Eph. 1:17-18), In Christ, John Juneman |
John Juneman
Evangelist, Teacher, Writer, Husband, and Father Archives
August 2019
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