We have officially passed the one-month mark here at Joshua and I have to say that it has been pretty amazing. There have been some ups and downs, but overall it has been such a blessing to be here. My favorite moment so far is when all of the girls stampeded across the hall on the second floor and started jumping and singing “Cotton-Eyed Joe” while the boys
were having a meeting in the room below. I just lost myself in a fit of laughter and felt an overwhelming sense of joy. It was so hilariously silly! I loved how all the girls united and joined in on the frivolity.
I have seen God so clearly in the last month. He has predominantly shown himself through the people and teachings. It is amazing how one person can say one thing to me and another person, completely separate from the first, will say the exact same thing. Someone once told me, “there are no coincidences in life, only God-ordained incidents”. I love learning
about the truth! It just makes so much sense to me. I have had my questions and doubts, but it is overwhelmingly clear that God is real and He loves me.
On that note, last week we finished writing our testimonies. I have written my testimony before, but this time was different. I sat down and the words just flowed out of me. As I looked back on my life, I realized how near God was in every moment, whether I pursued Him or not. I am so grateful that he has brought me here to Joshua Wilderness Institute. I have done nothing
in life to deserve His mercy, but I am incredibly grateful.
Not everything here at Joshua has been easy. It is hard to balance classwork and social time. I love what we are learning, but sometimes it can be so heavy and I need a break. Living in community is difficult. While we all proclaim Christ, we still have sin issues. Things like pride, jealousy, exclusivity, and insecurities are all real parts of our lives here. The wonderful thing is that there is grace for everyone and we are all in this together. “Iron sharpens iron, and one man sharpens another” (Proverbs 27:17). This journey wouldn’t be as life-changing if it weren’t for the amazing community that God has hand-picked. Thank you for your prayers and support.
My prayer request is that we would all grow together is Christlikeness and in our love for one another. It has only been one month and we have eight more to go. Pray for endurance and steadfastness. Pray that we could uphold the Joshua fast and live with integrity. I’m excited to see what God has for us in the next eight months and beyond! We love our Joshua friends and family!
– Cambria Gerrits
Hello! I’m glad you’re here.
It is now week five of life in the lodge, and autumn is in full swing! Being October, the air is beginning to crisp, and many students are already curious as to when we will see our first bit of snow. I find much joy by simply being present in nature during this season and hope to take full advantage of the fair weather while it lasts. Some current favorite practices of mine are napping on the lawn, exploring the forest, and enjoying meals outdoors on the picnic benches (even in company of bees).
Last Thursday evening, some of us Joshua students attended the local youth soccer games as a part of a Pause Family gathering; it was delightful! Imagine hot dogs cooking, children running around, and laughter in abundance. Many of our Pause siblings were competing, so we spent the time spectating, conversating, and playing a bit of recreational soccer ourselves. It was nice to escape our usual scene and enjoy the company of different ages—turns out living, eating, working and learning with the same strict group of young adults can be pretty exhausting! Luckily, every-other Thursday evening we get to spend this quality time with a local family that volunteers to host students, taking a break from the stresses of the program for a few hours to hang out in real homes with good people. That’s what we call a “Pause” family.
I truly appreciate Pause Thursdays because they create space to breathe between all the classes, chores, book discussions, and speaker nights here at JWI. Sometimes the pressure of a life so foreign becomes simply a bit much, and naturally we begin to miss things like home cooked meals, conversations with parents, and playing with younger siblings. Our Pause families help relieve some of that, and through this time we have the opportunity to connect with others in the larger community… and sometimes play Taco Cat Goat Cheese Pizza.
All other aspects of life here at Joshua are also going well; our guest speaker this week was Johnny Ardavanis of Dial In Ministries, joining us with his wife Katie and daughter Lily. His teaching on the various attributes of God was truly incredible; I encourage you to check it out if you have time (we audio-record and post all speaker sessions). Knowing the attributes of God helps us grasp the awesomeness of knowing who God is personally, then understand how we should respond through our lives as a result of these truths. I ask that you keep our hearts in prayer as we seek to apply our learnings, and our minds as we make our way through the heavy content of the Old Testament in daily coursework.
Please also continue to lift staff in prayer as they work selflessly to aid our growth. This week we are sending-off a member of the team, Megan, as she moves forward to Hume SoCal this winter and Israel this spring. She has been an absolute blessing to us here at the lodge—we are grieved to see her go, but so excited for what the Lord has ahead.
Thank you for all your investment in our journey—we are only one month in and it seems like so much has happened already! We can only see what happens day by day, but I look forward to how the rest of the year will unfold. Sending love to all family and friends, may joy keep you.
Hannah Rockwood