Teaching Adventures

  • Heading Home

    CanadaIn 30 minutes from now we will leave for Canada. It seems hard to believe that we will be home for 6 months. We are definitely looking forward to seeing our family and friends!

    As we reflected on our past 6 years of full time ministry we realized that we haven’t had a long break of more than a month since we started this career. Of course for normal jobs that is to be expected, but for a fully immersed overseas worker there is very little separation from work and life, therefore longer breaks outside of the foreign culture are needed (so we have been told).

    While of course we will be busy with teaching, fundraising, education and serving in our home church, we hope this time at home will be a time of rest and refreshment.  We look forward to coming back to Ukraine with a renewed spirit and excitement for all of our work here!

  • Prayer for Ukraine

    Featured on CHVN in Winnipeg- check it out!

    http://www.chvnradio.com/blogs/151-winnipeg-missionaries-in-the-heart-of-the-ukraine-conflict

  • Old Testament Seminar with Mark Masucci

     

    Mark Masucci's Seminar

    This is a quote from the text book we are reading, it has been awesome so far!

    “In the bible’s pages, the church learns what to proclaim and how to live as a kingdom of priests, a holy people, and a light to the nations- to act justly, live mercy, and walk circumspectly. The church learns how to worship, pray, adore God, and confess sin. The theologian should consider the Bible’s Source as inerrant and its teaching as infallible; should study the text for meaning rather than just as an account of the events recorded therein; should read the Old Testament as a unity, a product of one Author; should read reverently, recognizing the authority of the text for the present day.” Bruce K. Waltke- An Old Testament Theology p

  • Jay reading to Kai

  • The teeny, weeny tadpole

    Well Kai, we have read this book to you about one million times and you never get bored of the lamb, and the rabbit and the grasshopper, and of course, the Big Bad Fish! It is a joy to read to you…but do you think we could read a different book?

  • Our big helper

    Jay is really into helping right now. If we need to have someone take out the compost, he will jump up and offer. In fact, right now he is dusting the window sills and the tables. Let’s just hope that this can last until he turns… well, let’s just hope this can last!

  • Russian Accent

    As Cassie learns Russian from her teachers and classmates at preschool, her accent is so strong! Not in a foreigner way, but she sounds like a little Ukrainian girl! It is amazing to listen to her. Oh, how we wish it was as easy for us parents!

  • Juin was a special student…because he was blind

    IMG_0052 - kopieTitus Project Europe winds up this week. Our participants have all come back to the Netherlands for celebration week. Here is another story from one of the team members in Indonesia:

    One of the students who attended the seminar we held at the YWAM base was Juin. Juin was a special student because he was blind. In Indonesia people look down on disabled persons. Some disabled children are even given away to orphanages because the parents think that they are worthless or even cursed. Juin also believed some of those lies before, but when he came in contact with the people of YWAM they encouraged him and taught him he has value. And now he was attending ourseminar.
    Although he couldn’t see some illustrations and couldn’t do some of the observation exercises, we tried to involve him as much as possible. The classes were not always easy for him but he was always joyful and in a good mood. Just like the other students he liked to sing a lot.
    On the last day of the seminar he shared his dream with us. The village where he came from doesn’t have a pastor. That is why he wants to go there and train the people in studying the Bible. What a privilege to teach him.

  • Titus Update and Our Plans

    IMG_8888Many of you support us and our work because we go and teach the bible all over the world where they need it. We also train and send many teams. Here is a short little report from one of our teams:

    We are now ready for our last part of this trip and will be giving our
    very best to the churches here in Rantepao. There are great potential
    to strengthen the believers in this area and specially with the focus
    on missions. This area has had the gospel for a 100 years… but still
    there is much to do…

    All of our Titus Teams out there right now are finishing up their teaching trips and are going to be heading back to The Netherlands in just a few weeks for ‘Celebration Week!’ We will hear each other’s stories and share our own. Angela will be there with Kai for the week while Ben remains behind in Kyiv for the SBS graduation. They both happened to be on the same day. Right after the two Graduations, Angela and Kai (and Sydney) will take a train to Cologne, Germany and Ben will drive there with Cassie and Jay. We will meet up to teach in a DTS. After that? Christmas with friends in Hurlach. It will be a full next month so please pray for us if you think about us!

  • Turkey Pics (Segment 1)

    Ephesus: Temple of ArtemisI’ve finally got a few minutes to get some of the pictures from our Turkey Ancient New Testament Sites Tour up.

    This first segment covers our travels to Patara, Myra, Smyrna (Izmir), Ephesus and Pergamum.

    I chose this picture, not because it is the best of the bunch. It’s actually just an ordinary picture, go see some better ones here or click on pics. I chose this picture for what it represents.

    Where you see just a couple blocks of stone and a large pillar once stood one of the 7 wonders of the ancient world! We are talking one of the most prestigious and famous temples known from the time of Alexander the Great (323 BC) through most of the Roman Empire (268 AD).

    Here stood the famed Temple of Artemis (if you click there you can read about it on Wikipedia).

    The simple lesson I learned? That no great thing, no accomplishment survives forever. Things come and things go but God remains from eternity to eternity. And through Jesus alone are we invited to spend eternity with him. We don’t worship buildings or riches or strength or fame or ideas. They too will fail and fall. Only the Lord is eternal and he alone is worthy of our worship.

  • SBS Classroom In Session

  • SBS Classroom in Action

  • Jay on his bike!

    Just over a year ago Jay was introduced to the bike with no pedals! Just the right size, he would scoot along with his legs, and then when he was going fast enough pick them up and glide. Well, a few weeks ago we put the pedals back on and when he picked up his legs to glide…he started pedaling! Riding a bike with no training wheels at age 3! Way to go Jay! And thanks Hopcrafts for the idea and the bike!

  • Kai’s Holding His Ground

    With two older siblings Kai has to be strong, or else be pushed around. Well, don’t worry, he definitely isn’t going to let that happen. He has a very strong personality and very strong desires. When he wants something he doesn’t give up, and Cassie and Jay have definitely discovered that! Unfortunately that can mean pushing, fighting and grabbing. BUT there is no loss of love! When we say, Kai can you give Cassie and Jay a hug, he goes in gives them a squeeze and even adds a kiss from time to time! So sweet!

  • All I want for Christmas

    Is my two bottom teeth!!

    Cassie has lost her mind…I mean teeth :) The first one happened at the airport while we waited to leave Dortmund Germany, the second one fell out two days ago in our home in Ukraine. The tooth fairy came and visited both times and left a Canadian Looney! It is amazing how the tooth fairy is flush in all different kinds of currencies!

  • Titus Team in Indonesia

    CorrieRight now we as Titus Project Europe have 3 bible teaching teams sent out- 2 in Indonesia and 1 in India. Here is a short write up from one of our teams in Indonesia:

    THURSDAY morning started with Corrie teaching the step of Interpretation.  Her style was asking questions: A journalist is coming by. It was a fun and interactive morning. With a lot of things to do… Stepping over the wall, imagining we were in the time of Paul, Philemon and Onesimus. Close your eyes… You are no longer in Tumaluntung… now you are in the house of Philemon. …

    She really made us believe that we were in a different place. Just wonderful.

    In the evening we joined in DTS Commissioning night. It was great..  Stella had the opportunity to share a message to send out the DTS teams to Kalimantan, Papua and Minahasa people group of Manado. But before that we as team, together with two other teams, had to come to the front to show the others how we dance for the Lord. .. so instantly we were thrown out of our comfort zone. It was a wonderful evening and of course we ended with a wonderful snacks.

    Please pray for our three teams, they are teaching constantly throughout the week, it is a very busy time! BUT they are doing it because they believe that the way we think changes the way we live, and that the best way to transform our minds in through the Word of God!

  • Sunday Afternoon Fun

    Jay was dressed up super cute on Sunday so we had some fun doing a shoot. Cas of course jumped right in too!

  • Its Jay

    IMG_4576 by Ben&Ang
    IMG_4576, a photo by Ben&Ang on Flickr.

    It’s Jay at 3 months but sure seems like it could be Kai!

  • Friends Forever

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  • Growing So Fast

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