Teaching Adventures

We have just finished five weeks studying through the last book of the Old Testament, Malachi. It was rather surprising to see that the people described could struggle with so many of the same things we often struggle with like feeling unloved and unknown by God. The answers God gives his children are both encouraging and challenging. It was a wonderful group we had together from a variety of positions in life, each with unique struggles and blessings. We were blessed to be able to host them and hope and believe that they learned as much from us as we did from them. Thank you!

 

Our summer has been filled with visiting and memory making and we’re so glad to have the opportunity to do so. We plan on enjoying every opportunity we can!

Have you ever tried to open your internet on your computer and it says, ‘there is no network connection’?  That is very frustrating isn’t it. Similarily, there is nothing worse than having friends but never connecting deeper than the surface. Our goal this summer has been to connect with people, and we have tried to do that in a variety of ways, from speaking at church (listen online at http://www.kilcona.org/messages/messages2007.htm) to going for coffee and enjoying people’s weddings etc. Yesterday was Ben’s birthday and he went to the zoo to feed the animals with another friend Kyle, with whom he loves to ‘connect.’ We felt like the one thing God spoke to us before we came home was: Listen. Sounds easy but is challenging sometimes. However, truly listening helps us to go deeper than the surface and really connect with people. If you’re in Winnipeg and haven’t had a chance to ‘connect’ with us, send us an email, we’d love to go for coffee (or Gelati if it is as hot as it has been!) We’ll update this site again in a few weeks, but not sooner, because right now we are busy connecting with people.

After a week with Ben’s family in California we arrived back at home July 6th just before midnight. Thankfully there were no complications along the way, just a little culture shock. In the Oakland Airport in California we couldn’t figure out why everyone was running in all directions. Then we realized they weren’t running, it was just the normal pace of life. Then we hit the California freeways and realized that laid back Hawaii driving wasn’t going to cut it!

Now we are back in Winnipeg and enjoying being home. There really is no place like it! Plus, everytime the ground shakes a little from a truck driving by, I don’t have to panic and think earthquake. It’s a good feeling. This weekend we go camping and on monday we start our bible study- Malachi here we come. Life hasn’t slowed down yet, but it has been great!

 

Life change is always hard, but exciting at the same time. Last night as we all graduated from our School of Biblical studies three teams were commissioned: one team is going to India and Nepal , one team to Nigeria, and another team to Burma/Cambodia- all with the express purpose of going to teach people how to read and study the bible. The rest of us all have different paths we are going down: some back to home, some to Taiwan (that’s us!) one girl is going to work with SBS in the Philipinnes. It is amazing how we can take the tools that we have been given, and use them to give away to others! So while it is sad to leave all these friends and this season, it is also exciting to enter the next season. Change and transition may be hard but it is good too!

 

We now head to California for a week to spend with family and then back home to Winnipeg for the summer. We are going to take a break while we are at home so we will only be updating this blog at the beginning and middle of every month. Don’t worry, once we leave for Taiwan we will go back to updating it once every 3-4 days.

 

Thank you to everyone who helped us get through this nine months with prayer, support and love! We wouldn’t have made it without you! God has been so good! To all of our classmates- We are excited for the next season that God leads you into- stay in touch!

Last week we had the renown ‘Steve Gregg’ teaching us about the book of revelation. Now obviously I can’t (nor would you want me to) write everything that we learned, but there was one thing that stood out to me. This book was written to a group of churches that were undergoing persecution for their faith. It was a vision that Jesus gave to one of His disciples (John) as a comfort to them that God sees, He is soveriegn, and one day there will be justice. It is hard to understand because it is written in such strange language and pictures, but that was a familiar way of writing to the people of that day. It would be like Jesus posting a blog today :) He used the language of the times to speak comfort to His people! That is just a little tidbit from our week.

 

On a totally different note I want to tell you about the video playing. My great friend Jill was telling us that her old roommate could dance just like Elaine on Seinfeld. We love Seinfeld (at least almost all the episodes) so we thought this would be funny to see. Jill’s friend Stephanie was willing to film it and sent it to us, and of course we had to share it with you- hope you get a laugh! 

I know we are winding it down here a little but last week we spent a couple of days on the last book of the Old Testament, Malachi.

 

It ends with a powerful question for us in our own day to day lives. The people were saying, "it is vain to serve God, what do we profit by keeping his commands? The arrogant prosper and those who do wrong put God to the test and escape." Maybe I’m the only one that asks this question but my feeling is that I’m not. Often the quick and simple thing to do is not the right one but even I often take the short road.

 

A good example of doing the right thing was some of our friends who rented a car and then banged it up just a little, it probably could have passed inspection. But after some worry and some prayer they made the right decision to take it in and pay the fine. Yeah, it cost them a few bucks but in this event they have complete freedom, no one can point a finger at them and say guilty, not even themselves. Their shoulders light, they walk with a bounce in their step.

 

I want to walk with a bounce in my step. Lord, remind me when I’m about to take the easy road instead of the right road so that I can walk with a bounce in my step, with the joy that comes from freedom.

Today I checked our webpage and realized it has been four days since we last updated! The time is flying by! I just finished my book report for this quarter (35 pages later!) which feels amazing! Plus I am just about done my homework for this week; we finish the Old Testament this week! My goodness, I can’t believe it!

 

So I was trying to think of what I could write about for this blog and I clicked over to the CJOB 680 website (a Winnipeg News Radio Station). Guess what I found?? Yes-a little gift from God! The Bombers were right in the middle of playing their first pre-season game! What are the chances? All of a sudden I was listening to that familiar voice of Bob Irving calling the game. The words I am hearing now during the second quarter are: procedure, interception, incomplete… Well okay, they aren’t doing very well, but it is still the pre-season and I always have hope! Here is a picture of Ben and I at a Bomber game, and of course "J double K"(Johnson, Kwiatkowski, Krystik) two of my close bomber fan friends at a game just last fall!

Home…

 

We love our home. Growing up we have lots of memories. Ben thinks of fresh baked cookies, chocolate chip banana muffins…. yum! I think of a hot cup of coffee out on the deck with my two dogs running around. Then there is our home on Melbourne where we think of the days with Liza and Jacquie, youth coming over late on fridays, lots of BBQ’s with friends! Ah… Home.

 

Don’t misunderstand us, of course we love to travel, and we know the needs overseas, but nothing will ever replace Winnipeg as our home! We are excited to go home in a month – July 6th to be exact! But we still have four more books of the bible left, and a short time in California to visit Ben’s family that live there. We will also miss Kona, it has become another home with our cozy little room and porch, the view of the ocean everyday, and of course, can’t forget the ferrel cats! (See blog below).

 

Here are a few quotes on home:

Do you ever do things without really thinking first? This is disaster every time! Well, the past few days I have had two experiences that show this to be true…

 

Yesterday I left my room for a walk to the cafeteria when I saw a cute black cat on our walkway. This cat’s name is Coconut and she reminds me of our old cat Jaxon, looks the same! As most black cats do I guess. Well for some reason I thought I could treat this little black cat the same way that I used to treat Jaxon, and so I got up close and put my hand on its head and started to squish/pat/shake. It’s is hard to describe but its like when you see something really cute you just want to squish it! Does this happen to anyone else or is it just me? Well, anyways, here I am patting/shaking this little kitty’s head (in a loving way of course!) when it decides to pull out those nice long claws and scratch my hand, drawing blood! I suppose I deserved it, this wasn’t my cat after all, and of course I didn’t really think it through first.

 

Second episode happened at dinner time. Ben and I just finished eating our meals and we were walking to where we put our dishes for washing. Out of nowhere a water balloon splashes at our feet and I see two of our friends from our class laughing. Now here is where the no thinking part came in, I looked down to see a big glass of water in my hand and I took off after them. In all my wisdom I threw this cup of water in their direction, but it was also in the direction of many others having dinner, including a little 1 year old girl. OOPS! This little girl started screaming because she was scared. I felt so bad as her parents tried to calm her down and I proceeded to apologize profusely.

 

So the moral of this story is not thinking first can lead to pain and embarassment. I thought you might all get a few laughs out of my bad experiences. :) I think I will post a few pictures of Jaxon in memory of the moment!

 

In the past I have often considered that God seems to be different in the Old Testament (OT) and the New Testament (NT). There is so much war and warning of judgment that it seems like thats all that is in the OT. This time of studying the prophets (the people who foretold the future and preached against sin) has really opened up my eyes to see how inaccurate that is. In every book by a prophet, there is a passage describing the love and compassion of God.

 

God doesn’t change, not even his message changes. His message was always ‘believe that I will bring you salvation and then live like you’ve got it, in joy and honesty, because you did, because you can do nothing to deserve it’. His message continues to be the same. God does the job of saving us, it is our job to respond to it. The same way someone responds to someone who loves them, that is the response God is seeking from us. And ultimately if we do not agree that it is He alone that saves then where will we turn for salvation?

 

It is a good day to thank God that he brings me salvation. Today I again choose to give my heart over to you, I did not earn your love before, I will not earn it now, but I am so glad that you do love. I would be dead without it, I am alive because of it. I will love you God by loving others.

It’s hard to know what to write every few days that will help you to stay connected with us. So today I thought I would just share how I am feeling right this very minute.

 

We have just finished two very long weeks of work and we have another very busy week ahead of us. I have to admit I knew this course would be hard, but last week I hit that proverbial wall where you feel like you just can’t do it anymore. And then by the end of the week, I think I climbed the wall and got over it. Now even though I am tired, I am confident I can keep going, I will make it! Only one more month. This course has been one of the best things I have ever done in life, but I think it may be the hardest thing so far too.

 

This weekend I watched the movie Blood Diamond. My spirit churned within me seeing the desperate need that Africa is in. After the movie was done I couldn’t rest in my spirit until I took sometime to pray for this continent. What a mess we humans have made of our world (myself included). What mercy God has had with us. It is not often that Hollywood comes out with something that makes me think about the message all week, but I’m glad they did this time. I am even more inspired for the work we will do in Africa. If you can handle violence it is a good movie to reveal the corruption of governments and rebels in Africa, how big business and greed influence the continent, and how child soldiers are made.   

 

Thanks for taking the time to read a little glimpse into my heart and mind today. I’m off to bed!

I mean if this isn’t entertaining – I don’t know what is!

 

In the lineup tonight we’ve got the fuel 2006 summer camping trip – excellent dancing care of Philippe, Katelyn, Ang & Liza with a busy little Jacquie doing the dishes or somthin’.

Follow this up with a rockin’ teaching trip to Cape Town, South Africa back in 2005. Cherie & Ang enjoying their coffee a little too much I’d say…

Nothing like becoming a kid again, that’s Suzanna and Elly, Samuel’s crawling around in the background.

Never fear – Liza loves to dance – even if it is at the dinner table. We love you Liza!

Colin on the bags’ back at some christmas party or something & Heidi is laughin’ it up!

Back in the day when we were young enough to snowboard – those were the good ol’ days.

Gotta be careful when you com’on over – you never know if you’ll run into an elephant or … Fresh Prince. Really though, you’re always welcome, we always have room for one (or more) more!

 

Enjoy our silly lives.

"I’ve always wanted to, but between costs and courage just never have."

 

Do you have anything in your life like that?

 

Well, since I was about 18 I wanted to get my motorcycle license. But I never did. It is easy to put off doing new things, especially as we get older because we start to get in a rut. BUT I AM GOING TO GET OUT OF THE RUT! :)

 

Actually another reason is that in Taiwan it will most likely be our form of transportation, and if I don’t want to have to depend on Ben to drive me everywhere then I had better learn how to drive a motorcycle. 

 

So let me strap on my helmut and…. here we go! I’m off to register for my class July 25-29! Anyone want to join me?  

 

 

Last week we studied a BIG book- Isaiah! I think that was the most work we have ever had in a week, but it was great! The main idea of the whole book is that the Israelites needed to trust God for both their physical and their spiritual salvation. There is a contrast in the book between the King of Ahaz who is given the option of trusting God for deliverence from his enemies, but because of pride chooses not to. And then there is Hezekiah who also is confronted with the same choice and in humility he relies on God. The book is really one huge contrast between those who trust God in humility and those who refuse to acknowledge God in their pride. There are these amazing restoration passages and prophesies of a coming Servant. Here are a few that encouraged me this past week:

 

Why do you say O Jacob, and speak O Israel,

"My way is hidden from the Lord, and my right is disregarded by my God"?

Have you not known, Have you not heard?

The Lord is the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth.

He does not faint or grow weary;

his understanding is unsearchable.

He gives power to the faint and strengthens the powerless.

Even youths will faint and be weary, and the young will fall exhausted;

but those who wait for the Lord shall renew their strength,

they shall mount up with wings like eagles, they shall run and not be weary,

they shall walk and not faint. (Isaiah 40:27-31)

 

Another one that is so cool is the detailed description of what the ‘Servant’ will do written 650 years before Jesus:

 

He was despised and rejected by others; a man of suffering and acquainted with infirmity;

and as one from whom others hide their faces he was despised and we held him of no account.

Surely he has borne our infirmities and carried our diseases;

yet we accounted him stricken, struck down by God, and afflicted.

But he was wounded for our transgressions, crushed for our iniquities;

upon him was the punishment that made us whole, and by his bruises we are healed.

All we like sheep have gone astray; we have all turned to our own way,

and the Lord has laid on him the iniquity of us all. (Isaiah 53:3-6)  

Ever notice how we are always looking forward to something? If it is winter… we are excited about summer, if it is friday… we are excited about the weekend. We are always looking ahead! Sometimes that can take away joy from the journey, but it is also a cool thing because it represents hope in our lives.

 

We are trying to find the balance right now between finishing well here and still planning for this summer (and for Taiwan this fall). Does anyone else ever have a hard time with this, or is it just us? Well, on the planning note we have had some friends ask us if we can teach them how to study the bible inductively. Of course we are willing, and so we thought we would throw it out there to our friends and family, if anyone wants to learn while we are home this summer we will try to find a night once a week or maybe once every two weeks to teach. Send us an email, or leave a comment if you would be interested (of course for Winnipeggers only- unless you fly us to your destination!).

 

For other summer planning news, we won’t be working the fruitstand except maybe here and there for people who need a day off once in a while. Our plan is to spend as much time with people as possible. After this summer we will most likely be gone for at least two years before coming home again and so friends and family are priority number one!  Want to get together? Have a BBQ? Coffee? We’d love it! On July 22 we will be sharing the message at Kilcona (our church) with a BBQ afterwards. Cherie Campbell will also be sharing because she will be home for the summer from South Africa.

 

Stay tuned for upcoming posts (every three days) on more about Titus Project in Taiwan and of course what we are learning daily here. Hey why not make us your homepage so you never miss an update- we are way more fun than google! (The Canadian anthem with helium, does it get much better?)

We waved farewell to Howie & Kelsey on Sunday afternoon. What a great time we had with them and it only reminded us how much we love you all back home. So we cheer for Canada (in the World Cup) and the Senators this week as they skate it out on the ice. (BTW, it sounds like it got pretty warm in Winnipeg yesterday, we’re looking forward to being home to enjoy it with you). But for now we continue on with a bunch of big books in the next month, this week we’re taking a big picture look at Isaiah.

 

We love you lots.

Enjoy Angela’s rendition of ‘O Canada’! :)

 

Some of you who are regular blog viewers probably appreciate Ben and Angela’s fantastic videos that are posted on this blog! Sometimes they make you laugh, sometimes they get right to the heart, you get the point. Well let me tell you- as we spent some time here in Hawaii, we got to experience behind the scenes of what goes on in the making. Here is the inside scoop- the real deal!!!!

 

Those who know ‘Bengela’ it won’t suprise you that Ang is often the initiator of the ideas. Then Ben is the planner of how they unravel… We also found out, Ben is quite camera shy, and Ang doesn’t mind the limelight.

 

We watched what took place for the filming of the "Canadian Anthem at the hockey game", the bloopers of this flick are funnier than the film itself! Priceless! Ben is antsy to get it on the go, Ang is ready at the drop of a hat.

 

To sum this all up, if you are like us we often wondered what went on in the makings of these films, and now we know! When it comes down to it, these two crazy kids are normal people with a commitment to keep in touch with you in a creative personal way. Ben and Ang, we all love the way you have personalized the art of communication!

 

Keep making those videos, and for those of you who are reading this, keep posted for "The Canadian Anthem" by Bengela-

Since we’re dwelling on love this week (happy 30th), I’ve paraphrased a passage of the Bible that we are studying this week (the book of Hosea) that describes the love of our heavenly father for his people.

 

When Israel was a child, I loved him and out of Egypt I called my son.

The more I called him, the more he went from me;

he kept sacrificing to false gods and worshipping idols.

 

Yet it was I who taught Israel to walk, I took him up in my arms;

but he did not acknowledge that I cared for him.

I led him along with cords of human kindness, with bands of love.

I was like those who lift infants to their cheeks, I bent down to him and fed him.

 

But since my child refuses to return to me,

he shall return to slavery in Egypt and be forced to serve Assyria,

for my people are determined to desert me.

 

How can I give you up, how can I let you go?

My heart is torn within me and my compassion overflows.

No, I will not unleash my fierce anger, I will not again destroy Israel,

for I am GOD and no mortal, the Holy One in your midst,

and I will not come in wrath.

 

For someday my people will seek me.

I, the LORD, will roar like a lion.

And when I roar, my children will return, trembling from the west,

like flocks of birds from Egypt, trembling like doves from Assyria,

and I will bring him home again, says the LORD.

 

Our own parents demonstrate so well for us loyalty and dedication in their relationships that the LORD has for us. And this isn’t even the the tip of the iceberg! Take a moment to trust our Father in heaven, read it over and insert your name for Israel.

When Ben and I got married we decided that we would never use the word divorce. Out was not an option. Now after five years we still keep to our rule and when the relationship gets a little rocky or difficult we know that we are both committed for life and we will always work it out. This brings such stability and peace to our lives. But you know what? We have been so blessed with this way of thinking because of our parents. We have had such examples in both of our lives and for that we are so grateful! That is very uncommon in our culture! My (Angela’s) parents are celebrating their 30th weddig anniversary today and I want to dedicate this entry to them. We love you very much and we are so grateful for the wonderful parents you are, but we are also grateful for the relationship you have with each other that gives us a wonderful example to follow! We hope you have an absolutely wonderful day celebrating the gift of your relationship!

  

Well folks, we are in the home stretch- two more months and we will have completed our training, having gone through every book of the bible verse by verse using the inductive method. We are getting excited to go out and give after receiving so much! As we prepare for working with Titus Project in Taiwan we are motivated as we read different accounts of those working with Titus Project. Many of you are involved and are part of sending us overseas to do this work. We also want to encourage you as you have persevered through this past year with us.  We want to share a story with you from someone who is serving with YWAM in the Titus Projet. In order to share this story we need to take out the country, but it is a country in the continent of Africa:

 

"Our seminars in _______ were hugely successful and well-attended so I’ll admit when we arrived at one particular seminar we were a little disappointed that only ten people showed up. We were very tired from teaching in another village, but despite our weariness, we gave everything we had. We were encouraged by the responsiveness of our students. We learned that the entire leadership of the church was present; all were very engaged in class, giving wonderful answers to our questions. At the end of the two-day seminar the pastor stood up and told us that he just came back from finishing seminary two weeks before, and had been discussing with his elders his desire to incorporate expository (verse by verse) preaching into the church by teaching the Bible book by book. This type of teaching is very rare in _________ since there is little Bible training and most pastors don’t use the Bible at all when they preach and teach. This pastor was excited about expository teaching but he shared that he felt frustrated that he did not have a framework by which to study and then teach it to his people. HE TOLD US THAT GOD MIRACULOUSLY ANSWERED HIS PRAYERS BY SENDING US TO SHOW THE LEADERSHIP HOW TO STUDY THE BIBLE GIVING THEM A FRAMEWORK TO FOLLOW AS THEY TAKE THE CHURCH IN A NEW DIRECTION! I can’t express with words how in awe we were of what God did. Our sovereign God, in His divine timing, sent us there at that time as a direct answer to this pastor’s prayers and we had the honor of being able to give them a foundation for the future."

 

We are excited to be used in ways like the above in this coming year, thank you for sending us and believing in this much needed work overseas!