July, 2009

August, for us at least, means one thing: school is just around the corner. In the meantime, we still have a pretty good chunk of summer left and we're happy to be here, doing what we're doing.

July was a great month. Our "A Vision for Life" school of discipleship has a few days left, but most of the program took place in July. One of the highlights of the program this year was a camping/whitewater rafting in Slovenia. Ian and I joined the crew and it was a blast. The weather was beautiful but the water was cold. ICE. COLD. You'd expect it to be so since the source of the river is snow run-off from the Alps. Crazy. We enjoyed a lot of time doing "Polar Bear Swims" and the students enjoyed some great time in Bible study.

(Click on these pictures for higher-resolution images)

Speaking of Bible study, Christi has been leading the women's Bible studies here on campus this summer and the word on the street is that they've been really wonderful times. My bride really is a wonderful speaker, so I can only imagine that the ladies have been really blessed by their time in God's Word.

Finland was another highlight for July of '09. I was invited to teach a men's retreat there for Calvary Chapel Turku and it was a blast. Myself, a couple of the missionaries there, and a few of the other men from the church enjoyed some time canoeing and camping with three studies from the book of Nehemiah. I also had the honor of teaching the Bible in Helsinki for a midweek Bible study and then again on a Sunday morning in Turku. It really was a wonderful time with a wonderful group of believers.

So, with September (rapidly) approaching, I have started to prep for my two classes this upcoming semester: Galatians/Ephesians and Inductive Bible Study. I really am excited for both of them. Feel free to pray for me with the preparation process!

What else does the summer hold for us? Well, Leah will be eight years old (EIGHT!) at the end of the month. Sigh. The kids are growing so fast. Oh, and with the amount of time they're spending at the pool, they're also growing into little fish (you should see Mikayla swimming in the big pool!). Little tan fish. So funny.

Anyhow, thanks again for everything that each of you do for us! The support is more appreciated now than ever before - we know that money is tight Stateside, so your sacrifice is not taken for granted.

Many blessings!

Jeremy (and Christi, Ian, Leah, Kara, and Mikayla)