October Activities (Version française après celle-ci)

October activities

October began with the earth-shaking news that I had turned 63 years old! How time flies! 47 years of true Life included in that!

Lise and I continue to keep busy.

Lise has been doing a Bible study every second Friday morning with the employees at the Children’s Home. This has led to some meaningful conversations with individuals.
Lise has also been helping out four local children, two of whom come to her for practice in reading. They are Osiris, Litzi, Francis and Carlos. While one practices reading, the others play in the yard. Then they all come in for a snack. Please pray that this will lead to help in the spiritual realm as well. Francis has been attending AWANA, (called OANSA here) where Lise also helps out. (When we walk along the street, every once in a while a child will call out to her: “Hello profe” for “teacher”).

Guatemala

In the second week of October I travelled to Guatemala City to teach First Principles to a group of students there. What I do is start them off on a course, and their pastor carries on with them after I leave. It’s great to see the hunger for knowledge among believers of a variety of education-backgrounds.

Siguatepeque

Here in Siguatepeque I have been helping teach a couple of BILD courses to a group of pastors from around the province. We finished the Acts course, and are now in the Pauline Epistles (which so far I’ve been teaching alone). Also, in the local church, I had the opportunity of teaching a Homiletics course (how to preach) to a number of leaders and potential leaders in our local church. On the first Sunday of October, we gave out diplomas in the evening service.  Several others asked if they could also take the course, so we now have a second group taking the course. This time I’m team-teaching with Oswaldo, one my students first time around, who did quite well in his course. By helping teach, he is catching the idea even more.
On every Friday evening we have a men’s meeting, and on the third Friday of October it was held in our home. Carlos, one of my Homiletics students from the first course, preached. It is very encouraging to see him growing in the Lord, and wanting to serve. He did quite well.

Carlos preaching in our apartment

I am now also teaching a course on Inductive Study of Colossians, the purpose being to teach people to study the Bible inductively. Most of my Homiletics students are taking it, as well as a number of others.  Once this course is finished I hope to start the same group of students on the First Principles series. I would like to see them not only take this series of discipleship courses prepared by BILD International, but also have a number of them eventually start teaching others. (One of my pastor-students is now leading a First Principles group in his church).

El Salvador

I was supposed to be in El Salvador for a BILD leadership course with a group of pastors there this week, but that got postponed. Another date will probably be in the new year.

Thank you for praying for our students in Guatemala, El Salvador, and here in Siguatepeque and area. As well, could you remember to pray for the children Lise is helping, and the children in the Children’s Home (whom a number of you have been sponsoring).