Eight students graduated yesterday: one with a Certificate in Spiritual Formation, four with Certificates in Christian Ministry, and three with Bachelor of Arts Degrees in Religion (one of those graduating with honors). Congratulations to Sara Schmidt, Florentina Enes, Carla Zabala Vidaurre, Gideon de Jong, Victor Pereira, Niels Tacoma, Alec Marfenko, and Matthew Erwin!
With the students already beginning to leave this morning, a peaceful silence falls on the campus. For these eight students, it is the end of their sojourn at EuNC and the beginning of a new chapter in their journey. Some will pursue further studies while others will step into their respective roles of ministry. A few may not be sure of what lies ahead. All are open to whatever the Lord has in store for them.
Gina and I have greatly enjoyed our time becoming acquainted with a number of these students. We will also be saying goodbye to Jason and Regan Veach (and their son, Carter) who volunteered at EuNC during the past year. They are returning to the United States next month to pursue pastoral ministry in a local church. Gina and I have enjoyed getting to know this wonderful family over the past few months, and we pray that God will make their way smooth as they transition back into American life. We hope and pray that all the friendships we have developed endure and have a chance to deepen.
With the summer break already upon us, we consider how life will change for us. Various Work & Witness teams will arrive to help out on a number of projects. It is my understanding that a couple of older ladies with library experience are interested in helping me in the library. I have a few projects lined up for us to work on together. I imagine that some of my duties will change for the summer, as my presence in the library will no longer be so important with no students on campus.
I have some personal projects and goals I would like to accomplish during the break. For starters, I will be once again teaching Intro to New Testament to a new group of students in November, and I would like to spend time this summer re-vamping my materials in preparation for that. I am also excited about pursuing some type of research project. I've gotten strange looks from people who can't imagine I would do such a thing for "fun," but my brain is rested and restored by this time after leaving my seminary coursework behind. I'm hoping to keep up my skills and learn some things by pursuing further research into the early church, particularly the life and thought of some early church theologians. Hey, I might as well take full advantage of the opportunities afforded to me by running a library, right?
Gina will continue working hard this summer on "Engage" magazine. Her colleague, Tiki Lobo, is doing a wonderful job carrying much of Gina's load with the Eurasia newsletter, "Where Worlds Meet," as well as the weekly "Snap Shots" which are sent across the region. Gina is able to focus the majority of her time and effort on the web magazine. She is also working hard at finding and developing new writers to contribute their stories to "Engage." Word is continuing to spread throughout the denomination about this valuable online resource!
Gina and I are looking forward to the arrival of Gina's father toward the beginning of September! It will be the first family visit we've had since we've been here. We can't wait to see him!
There is much to keep us occupied this summer, but we are looking forward to a time of rest as well. Please continue to keep us in your prayers!
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