Highlights.
- I exceeded every one of my 2015 ministry targets! :)
- A good rest between Christmas and our first Talk Time of the year on Jan 6. Lots of time studying Revelation and Genesis and reading Mortification of Sin (Abridged). GREAT BOOK!
- Talk Time started off well with students glad to be back in the group. First topic was on Confidence and it transitioned nicely into what is it like to have more of our confidence in God.
- Guelta, a very strong Christian, would like to be our club president now that Astrid had to go back home.
- Planned our first FLC club outing for this Saturday. Miniature Golf :)
- One of the other ISI Staff in Sacramento has all the Alpha Bible Study materials I can use for the Bible Study I plan to start at RCC.
- A few year-end donations caught me by surprise and will definitely strengthen us going into this new year.
Lowlights.
- Still haven't settled on a time for our first meeting at the Rancho Cordova Campus (RCC).
- Astrid, our club president, returned to Denmark. Our new president will be Guelta
- I gave Megan* a book over a month ago called All that the Prophets have Spoken. It is a good book about Christianity from an Islamic world view. I was disappointed that all she got out of it is the Bible and the Quran have the same Torah, gospels and that both trace their beginnings to Abraham. I hope to have further, deeper discussions than that with her.
Story 1 - None
No story, again, this month. I did not meet any new students. My wife did meet two women that want to help us, though. One is a Russian woman who she met at Jesus Culture. The other is a Muslim woman she met at BSF. Both appear to be sent by God, as we definitely have a Russian girl in our group who is seeking God as well as a few Muslim students. We will be praying that they connect well with the students.
Links
Donation: http://isiervthomas.weebly.com/donate.html
Metrics: http://isiervthomas.weebly.com/metrics
Nations in the US: http://www.ice.gov/sites/default/files/documents/Document/2015/by-the-numbers.pdf
FLC Club: https://sites.google.com/site/flcinternationalclub/
My Talks: http://isiervthomas.weebly.com/my-talks.html
Pics: https://plus.google.com/photos/+ervthomas/albums/6053038271389882641
Prayer Requests
- For Megan*. That God would show Himself to her so she knows for sure she has found the relationship with Him she desires. Pray for my wife to be able to follow-up with her soon and say the right things.<<Ongoing>>
- That we can finally settle on a time to start the club up at the RCC campus.
- I can instruct, and God will use, the 20 volunteers from my church to effectively model and communicate the love of Christ to the students they meet with. Pray that God would match them up according to His wisdom. <<Ongoing>>
- As we give our Welcome Packets to the new international students in January that they will see our love and be drawn to us.<<Yes. At Sac State we were able to invite 4-5 new students to the club there>>
- That our new club at the Rancho Cordova campus will be successful. <<Ongoing>>
- That we can start an Alpha club (Bible study) with the students that are interested in learning more about the Lord. <<Ongoing>>
- Our first outing as a group to Miniature Golf will be fun. That everyone will naturally enjoy each other and the experience and draw closer.
Admonition
“...in everything (we) commend ourselves as servants of God, in much endurance, in afflictions, in hardships, in distresses... - 2 Cor 6:4