Dublin

Most of you reading this post would know that Jonathan was gone for a week in Dublin, Ireland from February 21-25.  However, for those who might still be wondering the reason for his trip, basically there is an annual ABWE Leader's Meeting for those serving in Western Europe that he is required to attend.  It is a smaller gathering of men in which they use to train and encourage those in attendance.  This year's training revolved around how to better teach adults so that they retain material better.  Not being present myself, I think I'll leave the description at that and just say that Jonathan did find it helpful and interesting.

While in Dublin, he also had the chance to visit the Irish Bible Institute.  He has been asked to pursue his Master's degree by some leaders within our agency.  Not that they find him incompetent, but he was also  asked this past November to be a part of a theological advisory team for ABWE in Western Europe.  For those that know Jonathan, he is passionate about theology.  This opportunity to be a part of the advisory team could possibly involve teaching in our region as well in the future.  The only issue they had was that Jonathan is the only one chosen to be on the team that does not have his Master's degree.  Not that he was unwilling to obtain it prior to this, for he has pursued other options even while we have been on the field.

This opportunity at IBI is a great fit for so many reasons.  To have the training in one's cultural context of ministry will be highly beneficial.  Not that the Irish and Italians are identical, but they both have a western european mindset.  If he received his higher education from the US it would be a struggle to constantly be trying to then place and relate that back into our european ministry context of church planting.  This is a 3 year program geared towards a highly motivated self-studier.  He would be required to attend a one week modual 2x a year for the first two years.  Year three is solely devoted to writing his disertation.  Another bonus is the cost.  5,000 euros for 3 years! And a degree that formally comes from the University of Wales.  So now we are left to pray and determine the timing in all of this.  Picking up the study time required for this program will not be a simple thing but rather something he has to make time for and work in along with maintaining family and ministry.  We would appreciate your prayers in this matter for us.

I survived the week with the kids here at home.  Nothing major to report from that except to say, so glad the weather was how it was instead of like this week with rain and snow.  Walking to and from school 4 times a day would not have been so pleasant.  Oh, I did throw my back out on the final day.  All is pretty good now with that and Jonathan is once again regaining his strength from getting the influenza upon his return from Ireland.  He had to cancel Bible study and ESL this week due to that.  We are on the mend and hope to be in full form soon!

Here are some pics of Dublin...

Taken with his iphone while on a morning jog along the beach.  Poor quality picture, but still worth sharing.