We had a few weeks of holiday in March & April (and by a few I mean 5- thank you, England). Over the break I spent a lot of time with friends, having long conversations about the tough questions in life, what God is teaching us, and what our hopes and dreams are. It was a time of getting to know people so much better, gaining a bigger glimpse into how God has wired others, what they are passionate about, what their walks with God have been like thus far, and so much more.
It was also a time of serious laughter. There was a freedom in the atmosphere, and everyone seemed to be very at rest... which led to great afternoons and evenings spent together over coffee, meals, and games.
We had two assignments to do over the break, a philosophical essay and a theological reflection. For my philosophy essay, I critiqued Richard Cross' merit theory on the atonement. For my theological reflection, I created a photo exhibition where I captured images geared to have people ask questions. I focused on the topics of beauty, worth, knowledge, life, love, and commitment. Email me if you want to see some of them- I think they turned out really well- and hope to use them in the future!
We have started Trinity Term, the 3rd and final term. It is quite a bittersweet time- building in depth of relationship with the other OCCA students and NOOC friends, while knowing that we are going to be spread all over the world soon. Not to be pessimistic, but the reality of the end just seems a bit too close. Yet, these days have been absolutely wonderful. We continue to learn together, discuss, cook, go to pubs, worship, and just be. together.
Our lectures this semester, as always, have been quite an eclectic and wonderful mix. Deeply encouraging and quite challenging. We have had many lectures on Islam, and I am currently working on an essay on the Jesus of the Gospels, and the Jesus of the Qur'an; what are the similarities/ differences? How can this be used as a starting point for conversation? Today we had a lecture from Andy Banister (RZIM Canada) on Jesus, Islam, and Christianity. It was fascinating.
On a personal level, God is teaching me a lot. Just some catch phrases of what I have been learning- be strong and courageous, put on the full armor of faith, step out of the boat, rooted and established in love, fearless, having an expectant heart.
You can be praying for my last moth plus here- that it is a time of deep growth, my mind is renewed, I am able to learn and have a picture of what it looks like to use this great investment in my life, my future plans, and how God wants to use my gifts specifically to bring His kingdom to earth.
I'm thankful for each of you who read, and am glad to share life with you!!
xxx Rach
