This week at Joshua has honestly been super interesting. This week we have started prepping for our Dominican Republic trip that we leave for on Sunday (which is crazy that it’s literally on Sunday). I’m excited for this trip because it will be my first time out of the USA. I can’t wait to see what God has for me there to learn and I pray that he will use me. I want to go with the heart posture of “what can I give” other than “what can I get out of this.” Please pray for all of us while we are at the DR that God gives us servants’ hearts ready to work for His glory and that is sensitive to the Spirit’s guidance.
This week’s speaker was probably one of my top favorite speakers we had. His name is Fred Blackburn. He looks like a character from a Tolkien story. When I told him this he said that he would be Tom Bobadil and honestly he lives up to it. He has this love for nature and the trees that make me look at nature with another perspective. His first few talks were on his testimony and on ethics. My mind was blown listening to his life and his view on ethics but what wowed me even more was his tree talk. He explained that the trees are his teachers, though his ultimate teacher is the creator of trees, and that through his time in nature he has learned more about God and the community God gives his people. One day I would love to explore the woods with him and hear him talk about everything.
As for academics we started a new book for book discussion called When Prayer Becomes Real. The first few chapters are already illuminating how prayer is supposed to be seen as and my personal prayer life has grown much already. We also went over the practice of confession for Biblical Interpretations. This week has been full and I feel so filled. I can’t wait to pour out what I have learned to others in the way God leads.
Sincerely, Talitha Nason (current student)