02/22/2019 Myanmar Graduation

The teaching week ended today with twenty-five graduates from this year’s theology course in Soteriology.  I’ve taught this course many times in the last sixteen years, but this course will stand out for several reasons. First, most of our pastors and pastoral students remained engaged and curious the entire week of class.  This kind of dynamic always encourages discussion and good questions.

We met with four of our leaders this week about the task of taking the training interior and throughout the country through participating churches.  I hope all of our interested readers will begin praying for them as they prepare.

The woman’s class which met for three full afternoons had forty-two woman.  Marta taught the book of Ruth along with several other woman of the Bible,  and she was excited at the response of the ladies.  I’m always happy when we can provide a woman’s class alongside the men’s classes because the ladies have so much influence in the home, especially among the younger children.  The need for theologically trained woman remains one of GBTF’s teaching priorities.  The children’s class had over fifty, and it was a resounding success!  Pete, Marta, and Tibi all worked in concert to make it a memorable week for all the children.  They taught the children about the power of Jesus in key areas of our lives and our world.

After graduation today, we dropped Pete and Marta off at the airport to head to New Zealand to visit a missionary family there and celebrate their 37th wedding anniversary.  The Kanes are great friends of GBTF and have always given generously to train nationals all over the world.

Tonight Tibi and I will share one last meal together and then we will both head our separate ways home tomorrow.  He lives in Austria and so he will have to get his winter coat back on once he gets off the plane.  Tibi is an architect who got his training in Rhode Island and became a member of our home church while doing his master’s degree.  He has taken great pictures and video for us all week!  I hope you have enjoyed them!  Thank you Tibi!

Headed home,

Bruce