Saturday, September 16, 2017

Back to "Normal"

Normal

Am I the only one who wonders what normal really is? I’m not sure if I (Scott) ever have a normal day because every day brings its own challenges in a unique way. Nevertheless, the past few days have been a lot closer to normal than some.

Eclipse watching with the Edgrens

Home Ministry Assignment

We were in the US for July and August to connect with family and supporters. If we’ve learned anything about home ministry assignment it’s that our lives there are very abnormal. Busy? Yes, but busy with some very enjoyable activities. We got to see a lot of people that we love spending time with. The time was too short, and many of you can attest to the fact that we didn’t see everybody. Next time we’ll get to include others.


Helping Mom

You might remember that my mom struggles with serious mental illness. In the last four years she has done much better, but the last few months have been another low period for her. It was stressful to face her challenges this summer, but in some ways less stressful than being too distant to be able to help. We are thankful for good teamwork as a family and the help of professionals which enabled us to make some changes in her life structure. Please pray with us that her medication and the intervention of professionals can help bring her back to her normal state.

Studies for Juan

A friend of mine named Juan is a Quichua pastor in Quito. He would like to further his education, and I’m helping him explore possibilities for doing some online theological study. The option he is most attracted to would be a big stretch for him academically and financially, but it is an excellent program of study. Pray that Juan finds clear direction. Pray that if he isn’t accepted even that would be a learning opportunity.

Discipleship for Miguel 

Another brother in Christ whom I’ll call Miguel is from Venezuela. You probably know that life has been far from normal there in recent years. Miguel previously came to Ecuador for a few months to look for better opportunities. He is planning to return to Ecuador in a few weeks. Last time he was here we developed a close relationship for discipleship. Pray that if it’s God’s will he would be able to make his trip to Ecuador and that we would be able to share more time together in productive spiritual growth.


Hope Begins

One of the highlights of this summer was the privilege of carrying copies of my book, Hope Begins, to many of the places we visited. I was encouraged to see significant interest. Each chapter demonstrates in a unique way that Jesus Christ is God’s perfect solution for this world. Chapter 4 discusses his role as our perfect priest, which goes way beyond the duties of a normal priest.


If you’d like to purchase the book there are options online. The best value for paperback can be found at

The cheapest electronic format is the one for Kindle at

School

School is now in full swing. Kristi enjoys being back in the classroom. She is especially pleased at how quiet and respectful her students are this year. Luke is in his senior year and heavily involved in student leadership. Lindsey started junior high this year and is experiencing a new normal for her daily structure. I will be involved as president of the parents’ committee for the Senior class.

Greek

I will be teaching a Greek class again in October at Seminario UMEP. We will meet every Saturday beginning on September 30. I expect the biggest challenge will be convincing these students to do their work, but I have a couple of new ideas in the works. (My students might be a little surprised!) Above all else, pray that the class will inspire a greater passion for studying God’s Word. Pray that God would guide in the details of this and each of the other ministry opportunities that are a part of our normal life back in Ecuador.