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| Our Class and the Former Leaders |
We're now into week 3 of the Bible Core Course here, and I just finished teaching the book of Mark this week. I taught about 15 hours over the last 4 days, so it's been pretty full on. We have only 5 students, but I don't have any staff, so I stay really busy with helping the students and organizing everything for running the school. We've got a great group and the students are all very hungry to study the Word.
God has been really faithful in helping me prepare for the school and for my teaching. Roger and Julie, the former leaders, were there to help me with some of the preparations and to answer some of my questions, and they also taught the first two weeks, so they have been a huge blessing to me and to the class. It's been amazing how God has really set my heart on fire for teaching, both in helping the students and also in teaching the Word. Teaching Mark was something that I was a little bit intimidated by since I had only taught single day teachings before, but it went really well and it really showed me how much I love what God has me doing!
When God first sent me here to lead the BCC, I didn't expect it and had never really thought of it as a long term thing since I didn't feel like much of a teacher and had never really felt called to be a teacher, but now He's really set my heart on fire for teaching His Word, and I'm definitely willing to do this for as long as He wants me to. It is an amazing privilege to be able to spend my time studying the Word and helping teach others how to effectively study it themselves. God has really been speaking through me as I've been teaching and really gave me peace about my preparations, even though I wasn't able to prepare as much as I'd like because of the busyness of setting up the school. It has been an amazing time, and God's been surprising me in how smoothly it's been going and how well it's been going. It makes me excited to see what else He has planned for me and the BCC here in the future!
Other than being very busy, things have been great. I'm absolutely loving being back in New Zealand, and the base here is awesome. We have an amazing family here and it is definitely my kind of place; nice and laid back and homey feeling in a very small little town (~1500-2000 people) right near the mountains. It tends to get pretty cold, but I do pretty well since I've always enjoyed the cold anyways. Overall, I'm overjoyed that God has brought me here for at least the next 3 years, and I can't wait to get more and more connected with the people and the community here in Oxford. It has felt like home from the minute I got here, and the more time I spend here and the more I pray about the base here and Oxford, the more I feel like God may have more planned for me in this place than I thought He did when He first called me here last year. We'll have to see what happens, no matter what, I'm excited for whatever He has, wherever He has it!
Things are going great with Grace and I. This week was a little tough because I was so busy, so I wasn't able to write her as much, but other than that, we just hit the 5 month mark today, and we're still going strong. There definitely have been some difficulties with being apart, but in the end, we both thank God for it since it's because of the distance that we've been able to work through some issues and strengthen our communication in incredible ways. God has been very faithful in leading us in our relationship and in our communication and He has really led us into a deeper level of love and commitment to each other. It's gonna be still another 2.5 months before I see her, but I can't wait to go and visit her in Perth after the school!
God is so so good to me, and I'm so thankful that He's given me the privilege to spend my life serving Him and sharing what He's done for me and for all of us with others! We serve an amazing God and He really does love us and wants to give us the desires of our hearts, He's definitely giving me mine and more than I ever dreamed of!!
Hope you are all well. I promise I won't take as long to write my next post. Thanks so much for reading and for your prayers!
God bless!!!!
Prayer Points
Good to read your update Matt. especially to know that you have absolute peace and a deep sense that you are doing exactly what God has in mind for you at this location in the world for this time in your life... and the journey continues... We're off to London again tomorrow and I will actually be going again myself next weekend for 3 days for the big 50-yr birthday bash for Aunt Irene and Uncle Jake! Irene's birthday is tomorrow and Jake's is on July 17. that reminds me, yours is coming up soon too, isn't it?! Glad that things are going well between you and Grace! much love, auntie joan and hi from raff
ReplyDeleteGreat update Matt. Thanks. I noticed something that I want to encourage you to pay attention to.
ReplyDeleteYou wrote, "It has felt like home from the minute I got here, and the more time I spend here and the more I pray about the base here and Oxford, the more I feel like God may have more planned for me in this place than I thought He did when He first called me here last year."
I think this is important. Be encouraged.
Blessings and Deep Peace....Wayne
Matt
ReplyDeleteYou have an awsome outlook for God, that is why he has called you, the teachings come fron the heart, and its not a job for you, but a passion!!! I miss you, Keep up the good word, and God Bless.
Love Kendra