Wednesday, May 05, 2004
Friends, the last posting on our previous blog site was dated 30 March. Here is an update of what has been happening.
ANDREW. Classes at IBE (Baptist Institute of Education) on Tuesdays (Homiletics) and Wednesdays (Christology and Soteriology) have continued. The students have been receptive to new concepts. Give thanks and keep praying.
English Bible Studies at First Baptist (PIB) on Sunday mornings are going well. We had the study in our apartment on Palm Sunday (4 April) because the church services were cancelled in order to have a big bazaar to raise funds for the proposed "Discipleship Centre". We had lunch together and had good conversation over a range of topics, getting to know the four younger people, all students at UFSC.
Peregrinos have continued to meet, usually fortnightly on Fridays, studying the prayers of Paul. This is generating useful discussion about the nature of prayer, the last one in Colossians 1 stimulating much thought about knowing the will of God.
Campêche Baptist Church. Several students at IBE are members here, and it has been encouraging to meet them in their church context on a couple of Sunday evenings. In addition, Andrew is doing some intensive Saturday sessions on Mark's gospel.
Independent Baptist, Floresta. Other students from IBE are members here, and it was a joy to meet them when Andrew preached here on 18 April. Sadly, one has had to leave IBE because of job/financial problems. Others are sensing a tension between the theology of their church and the theology they are learning at IBE: please pray for great sensitivity and wisdom for them in the way they (and we) relate to their Pastor.
Confession of Faith 1689. We have begun meeting with a small group of the Peregrinos to go through the London Confession as a starting point in establishing where people are with basic doctrines, and in order for us as a couple to position ourselves with a good conscience with respect to the new Reformed Baptist movement here which has the 1689 as a doctrinal standard. In our first meeting Andrew described the history of the confession, and we managed to study the first paragraph! Very stimulating discussion.
CORA Bible study on Romans with two women has continued on Friday afternoons.
A new Bible Study group with 4 female students (2 from Campêche, 2 from First Baptist) from the University has begun on Wednesday evenings. The agenda is 5 basic studies on "What does it mean to be a human being"; "The Essence of Our problem"; "Images of Salvation in the OT"; "Who is Jesus?" and "The Two Sides of Faith", with an apologetic slant. They have all expressed a desire for help in combating the atheistic philosophies they encounter in their courses and in conversations with other students.
BA Theological Studies This month I have 3 Assignments to do, as well as complete the Modular units in Pentateuchal Studies and Apologetics. As fast as I learn there are opportunities to use the knowledge gained in conversations with students, so please pray for stamina to press on.
Other news. In case you missed it our Permanent Visas have been granted, but we still have to do the paperwork to get out new Identity Cards. However, the Federal Police are on strike, so please pray that their issues will be resolved soon.
Bec and Tom are now into the exam preparation period. Please pray for good revision and good exams and perseverance in Christ in the things that really matter.
Finally, please continue to remember our housing needs when Bec and Tom leave the Nicholls' household at the beginning of July.
ANDREW. Classes at IBE (Baptist Institute of Education) on Tuesdays (Homiletics) and Wednesdays (Christology and Soteriology) have continued. The students have been receptive to new concepts. Give thanks and keep praying.
English Bible Studies at First Baptist (PIB) on Sunday mornings are going well. We had the study in our apartment on Palm Sunday (4 April) because the church services were cancelled in order to have a big bazaar to raise funds for the proposed "Discipleship Centre". We had lunch together and had good conversation over a range of topics, getting to know the four younger people, all students at UFSC.
Peregrinos have continued to meet, usually fortnightly on Fridays, studying the prayers of Paul. This is generating useful discussion about the nature of prayer, the last one in Colossians 1 stimulating much thought about knowing the will of God.
Campêche Baptist Church. Several students at IBE are members here, and it has been encouraging to meet them in their church context on a couple of Sunday evenings. In addition, Andrew is doing some intensive Saturday sessions on Mark's gospel.
Independent Baptist, Floresta. Other students from IBE are members here, and it was a joy to meet them when Andrew preached here on 18 April. Sadly, one has had to leave IBE because of job/financial problems. Others are sensing a tension between the theology of their church and the theology they are learning at IBE: please pray for great sensitivity and wisdom for them in the way they (and we) relate to their Pastor.
Confession of Faith 1689. We have begun meeting with a small group of the Peregrinos to go through the London Confession as a starting point in establishing where people are with basic doctrines, and in order for us as a couple to position ourselves with a good conscience with respect to the new Reformed Baptist movement here which has the 1689 as a doctrinal standard. In our first meeting Andrew described the history of the confession, and we managed to study the first paragraph! Very stimulating discussion.
CORA Bible study on Romans with two women has continued on Friday afternoons.
A new Bible Study group with 4 female students (2 from Campêche, 2 from First Baptist) from the University has begun on Wednesday evenings. The agenda is 5 basic studies on "What does it mean to be a human being"; "The Essence of Our problem"; "Images of Salvation in the OT"; "Who is Jesus?" and "The Two Sides of Faith", with an apologetic slant. They have all expressed a desire for help in combating the atheistic philosophies they encounter in their courses and in conversations with other students.
BA Theological Studies This month I have 3 Assignments to do, as well as complete the Modular units in Pentateuchal Studies and Apologetics. As fast as I learn there are opportunities to use the knowledge gained in conversations with students, so please pray for stamina to press on.
Other news. In case you missed it our Permanent Visas have been granted, but we still have to do the paperwork to get out new Identity Cards. However, the Federal Police are on strike, so please pray that their issues will be resolved soon.
Bec and Tom are now into the exam preparation period. Please pray for good revision and good exams and perseverance in Christ in the things that really matter.
Finally, please continue to remember our housing needs when Bec and Tom leave the Nicholls' household at the beginning of July.
# posted by Andrew and Cora @ 11:18:00 am 
