For James, we read through each chapter over the week. A note on that is that faith is proven by the trials, not produced.
In World Religions (First half of week 6), we looked at a bunch of different cults from Jehovah Witnesses to Mormons. What I understood from those lectures was that in all religions and cults, they never know for sure if they're saved because of their work based salvation. The lecturer took us through many different beliefs and how you can counteract in particular instances with what they believe.
Missions classes (2nd half of week 6) were interactive which I really enjoyed. In one class, we watched a video on the persecuted church. It was put together really well and took us through the lives of people around the world in persecution. Then we picked out of a box either number 1, 2, or 3. This represented the Hindu cast system. 1's were the elite. They had a special lunch with fancy dishes and they weren't allowed to work for work day. They also weren't allowed to talk to the 2's or 3's.
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| The 1's lunch |
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| The 3's lunch - rice. |
2's had a normal lunch and work day which was what I ended up being. 3's had to eat lunch in a separate area away from us on the ground. They only got a little of the lunch and they had to eat with their hands. Their work day was long and hard. The staff picked numbers too and it was funny to see which ones got what! At the end we debriefed it. It was interesting to see who liked what. For us 2's things were pretty normal but some of the 3's were so pumped to get to do it hard while some 1's were not feeling so great that they couldn't hang out with us. The day after, we went on a prayer walk around different sections of Cambridge. When we came in for morning tea that consists of hot chocolate, tea, and homemade cookies, we were surprised by just a huge pot of water with a ladle and plastic cups. The fridge was placed backwards against the wall so no one could get into it and all the mugs had been taken away. We drank our water while still having good discussion time around tables. That night as I was getting ready for bed, Yvonne the RA gave me a note. This is what it said:
Hello! This is Michael, I was so excited to have you show up for our gathering last week. I am excited to see you again this week to Worship our God together. Remember don't be late and don't get caught! We will be worshiping tonight at 3:30 am. in the back paddock in the trees. I will see you there! Don't bring a Bible just in case you run into the authorities!
Wow, was I excited! Wake up at 3:30 to meet in the cow field? Let's do it!
At 3:30 sharp, I met Elise and Holly and we crept down to the meeting place, over the fence that is sometimes electric to find ourselves in a circle with our fellow students huddled around candles that let off a flickering glow. Michael explained that this was how people of the persecuted church met and that since they (and we) couldn't bring Bibles, anyone that wanted to share a short message, devo, or memory verse off the top of their heads could. After we did that, there was a time of popcorn prayer for the persecuted church and then we had worship. Since we didn't have a guitar on hand and we had to keep it quiet, people suggested songs and then someone would start us off singing. Afterwards, we had a time of communion and then we scurried off to our beds at 4:45 am. only to awake at the usual time for breakfast, 7:30. Josiah and Azariah never got a note so they slept through our meeting! Our study papers for the term were due that morning at 8 am too and so there was a lot going on! Our final mission classes were two activities we did outside and there a little hard to explain so I won't but they were very insightful and we debriefed them later on. Over all those 3 days were so interesting with a different view on how we take our life so much for granted from meals being different to community and sleep schedule being radically changed. But the focus still remained the same and I think those that kept the same focus of seeing Jesus through all of it grew through this experience instead of just focusing on the negative of missions week. Personally, I loved it even though it was challenging.
The week after, we traveled back to Nehemiah's day and age. Going through his story was very interesting, how important unity was to build the wall against the enemy which can be a lesson learned as well spiritually. The lecturer picked each of us for different jobs to build an actual wall around a picnic table. None of us knew each others jobs though except who the supervisors and engineers were. I was one of the engineers - excuse me, do I look engeneeric? No. Raphi and I had the plans but we were only allowed to talk to the supervisors who would direct the workers. It was chaos. Some students were working well but others were complaining while they did it. Others were encouraging but they didn't really work hard themselves. Still others set up useless piles of bricks and logs or got in the way of Raphi and I trying to measure the length, width, and height of the future enclosed structure. While this was going on, the family that lives on site here came out with water balloons and started chucking them at us! This was the analogy of what was happening to Nehemiah's wall. Finally, the lecturer brought us in and divulged the information that he had chosen certain groups to be distracters, complainers, lazy workers, etc. We had 10 minutes left till morning tea and he said if now we all worked together, how fast we could complete it? We finished it and then everyone stood on the wall and it held. It was left up throughout the entire week to remind us how fast it took once we were united in a single purpose.
And that led up to this week which was doctrines and also God in Films. Doctrines was very intellectual and I felt like my brain was right on the end of the train trying to keep up with everything that was being said particularly since he'd ask questions and then we'd have to discuss what had been talked about in regards to the context before the question. At the end, we had a debate over whether justification is more important than sanctification. Then for God in Films, another lecturer went through different clips and how we engage with them and then also discussed worldview of the different films. On Thursday night, everyone went to a movie group at a house and then debriefed it on Friday along the lines of the hero's journey, truths and lies, and theological themes.
And that is the the extent as far as lecturing goes.
Meanwhile, there have been many social activities going on but I can't begin to start on them because that would take me forever to write! Maybe I'll just write about Friday, two days ago. On that day, we finished up lectures, then headed to choir after lunch (we're practicing for carols by candlelight which will happen on the 7th and 8th). After that, Caleb got baptized in the pool in front of Capernwray students and family and friends. It's been really cool to see how God's worked in his life over these past months. After that we had dinner than headed off to a kayaking adventure in the dark. The nine of us went up a river (first time kayaking in a current)! We could dimly see the forms of the other kayaks as we paddled up 20-40 minutes to where glow worms were. They covered both sides of a ravine we paddled into with some waterfalls cascading down. At the end, our guide, a very nice christian man, handed around some Whitaker's chocolate while explaining about the glow worms life cycle. Interestingly enough, he said that though they look amazing on the outside with the glow, inside is actually a mosquito like creature. It made a really cool illustration of how we are like that mosquito like creature who will never catch insects (bring others to God) without our light/glow which is Jesus. Afterwards, we paddled back and changed into dry clothes while the guide brought out hot chocolate in a thermos and a jar of strawberry marshmallows. It was such a good night! However I did find a huhu beetle crawling on my throat in which I screamed before flinging it to the ground. They can bite and they're like the size of half my hand - so nasty!
I'm going to be back in the states in less than two weeks! I'm excited to see home, family, and friends again!!!!!!!!!
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| Picture of the huhu beetle - not my hand, thank goodness, by the way. |
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| Beginning the kayaking adventure. |
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