Haiti: Day 4

It was an exciting day on campus as students gathered back in for the beginning of the January term.  Long before 8:00 AM, students began filling the chairs in the classroom that had been empty yesterday.  Today, it was a room that seemed to be full of anticipation.  It was really a new experience for many of us in various ways.  Many of the students in the class are first year students, and this is their very first class at the seminary.  I count it a special privilege to invest in the lives of these students and to get to be a part of helping to give them a foundation for the remainder of their schooling and life beyond.

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