Update Letter - January 2013

Dear Family and Friends:                      

So from the last letter I turned twenty two,  both Christmas and New Years has passed,  I finished one semester of classes and started the last semester of my freshmen year at Millar College of the Bible, and I passed my courses with really great marks!  It has been a blessing to be here, and though the journey has been trial sum (with healing, and yes homework), God has been working in my heart and life and after so many years of living selfishly before Millar, I’m free to grow and I’ve seen His work in me!  It is really nice, because I didn’t know I wasn’t growing in my old lifestyle, but with God I am!

Still in this new semester, God has humbled me multiple times, and brought opportunities to be thankful over feeling “owed something”, forgiving over feeling angry, and it is all about loving God, asking for the love He has for others into my heart, so I can love with His love, and He can spill into those people.  For a long time I have been struggling with this, it’s easy to believe but harder to put into practice, but I praise God that He is so patient and forgiving!  I guess that’s why He says in Philippians 1:6 (ESV), “…that He who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ.”

This semester, the school has entered into a season of grieving because three people have died.  Over Christmas Break a girl named Anna Elby died at 24 in a car accident over Christmas Break. She used to be a student at Millar, I didn’t know her, but the school has been very pricked in the heart over her death.  Dustin Baloc died in a work accident; he was a good friend to one of the students a Millar, and it just added to the darkness and loss the school had been feeling.  Lastly, Stephen Cochran was on his way to Missions Conference last Monday, and died in a car accident; he was also 24 years old, and in February was going to mission to Japan with OM missions. His brother goes to school here, and I have meet Stephen and his family.  The school has been so crushed and devastated over the loss.  The most amazing thing was the family were still able to PRAISE GOD regardless of losing a loved one. 

Despite the hurting, I’ve appreciated seeing God’s work through people. There are some who go out of their way, with kindness, to tend to life and uplift others to God in prayer. Our great God comforts us personally, so that we are able to care for the afflicted, especially those suffering for Jesus’s sake (2 Corinthians 1:3-5). What a privilege it is to be part of the Body of Christ! 

Youth Edge 2012: On November’s first weekend, Millar threw a huge youth event for 15 yrs and older. It was SO MUCH fun!  Youth edge is done every year, so if you know teens that would like to have an awesome God-honoring weekend; I really encourage you to sign up for the next one!! There are Drama productions, hour classes of your choice, games, outdoor activities, Biblical speakers, and a worship team.  This round we had Matt Price (worship leader) and Michael-Ross Watson (main speaker) come over from London to share with us! 

I really enjoyed hearing Michael-Ross Watson again; I met him in Crossfield AB six years ago.  I still remember Watson praying over the church, people brought to tears, while holding hands as a body before God.  It was quite the experience for a Baptist Church, but I believe God brought allot of spiritual and emotional healing that day, being vulnerable before God alone.  At Youth Edge Watson shared his testimony, and the called all who needs prayer to come forward. I got to pray with two girls!  They wanted to re-devote their lives to Christ!  I remember the life God gave them. I got to see their burdened hearts be filled with peace; what an amazing Gospel God offers!  I also remember that God gave me more energy than I had (or the perseverance to stay awake), and the words than my tired brain could could come up with; I was running on His Fuel!! J

Sparrow was performed by our school’s Drama, Choral (singing drama), and Choir teams.  I wanted to share with you what was so good about it.  Jo Carter, a Millar staff member, and Sparrow’s writer and music director (along with her husband and other staff who helped create it), shared it like this, “A prostitute gets stabbed on the streets, and dies. WHO CARES? There’s most likely no family, and no one even to hold a funeral. Tomorrow she will be forgotten, so tell me: Who Cares?” After a long pause, she explained, “God saw her fall. He cares. He goes into the garbage to bring out life! Bringing value to what was lost!  In fact in Luke 12:6-7, it says that God doesn’t forget the five sparrows sold for two pennies, AND you are worth more than many sparrows”.  God doesn’t think those on the streets are too far gone, if truth be told Jesus came for the invisible and wants to give us life abundantly. 
           Millar will be touring this production this spring. It is family friendly (all ages), it’s a musical, and there are also stories thrown in to share the Gospel, so it is a great opportunity to witness to friends and encourage new believers.  I will inform every one of those locations and dates once I find out! I will be taking a group of people when Sparrow comes to Calgary AB, so if you are for sure interested in coming with me, let me know!  J

Missions Conference: Wagdi Iskander, now a pastor in Calgary AB, was one of our speakers at Missions Conference.  I won’t say much about him other than his testimony was amazing!!  I would like to persuade you to look him up on You Tube, his testimony is there.  However, I’d also encourage you not to listen around small children, just because he plainly talks about the real things that happened to him, but not profanely.  I tell you this much, He used to be a proud Muslim in Sudan, and through a Christian who withstood Iskander’s persecutions, Iskander became a Christian! It’s a sobering story, but it makes you ask the question, “Is Jesus’s forgiveness worth getting burned?”

Please Pray for:

 ©     Healing for the Millar student body due to the recent deaths.  Remember the family and close friends who have been struggling spiritually and emotionally too.

    ©       Health Problems

o   Tori did leave school last semester, but we still continue to follow up with her. She has found what was wrong, causing the Seizers, continue to pray for her growth, even though she’s away from school.

o   Kaytlynn is our prayer force leader, and she also suffers from severe seizers.  This week has not been a good week for her, as I’ve been told, being she has not attended class but kept herself in her room.  Please pray God would be healer, even ease these seizers as they are very painful.

o   Devan, a guy in our freshman class, has been struggling with suicidal tendencies for a long time. He recently just was taken to the hospital.  Pray God will show him that God DOES love him and wants to carry his burdens.

o   My Great Aunt Pat, Grandpa Speerbreaker, and Aunty Gloria who are struggling with Cancer.

o   David Woelk, a young fellow who fell this summer off his BMX bike, and injured his head.  His girlfriend used to go to Millar, and he lives at the Palliser (where we visit to sing some Sundays for Field Ed).  Pray that God can be healer, regardless of how doubtful it looks. That he will be able to regain strength, understanding, his speech, and his ability to walk again.  There have been some glimmers of hope that he can in fact understand, but they are not sure…

    ©   For School! Reading was a challenge last semester, but I think I understand how they expect the work to be done (we get all our homework at the beginning of the semester, and it’s up to us to complete the load over the months). 

Thank you for reading my update!  I wish I could tell you ever thing that I’ve been learning, and send you all books that I’m reading!