Spring Update

I realize that it's been awhile since I've updated this thing! I can't believe April is already here!! It seems like I was just in Germany. Since coming back, things have just flown by.

The week I got back from Germany Multnomah hosted its Global Ministries Conference, it's an annual mission conference. The theme this year was the persecuted church. It was amazing. We had believers from Sudan come and share their experiences as well as missionaries who've served in China, North Korea, Afghanistan, Pakistan, Nepal, India, and many other places. It was so awesome to hear about what the Lord is doing all over the world. I had an awesome opportunity to visit with a guy who served the Lord in the Middle East for nearly 20 years. He worked with refugees in Pakistan for several years before moving into Afghanistan. He and his family (wife and 3 kids) actually lived in Afghanistan for 5 years under the Taliban. They fell in love with the Afghans. How awesome!?! We also heard a lot about what the Lord is doing through missionaries in North Korea and China. I heard so many heart wrenching stories of persecution against believers in these closed countries, yet the number of Christ followers grows daily!!

March has just flown by, it's been full of school work. I figured it out the other day that I have officially completed reading 6 textbooks, the Gospels, and Hebrews-Revelation this semester!! The sad thing, I need to read the prophets, and 4 textbooks yet, in addition to 5 papers and 6 exams by May 9th!?! Craziness. Although the workload of seminary is intense, and the info I'm trying to take in is like trying to drink from a fire hose...I'm enjoying the experience. The Lord is good. He's blessed me with amazing profs who really care about me and my walk with the Lord and he's given me a great community to live in. I've got pretty cool roommates and life in the seminary apartments is really great. It's cool to live among people who really live out their faith and encourage and challenge me to do likewise.

^My roommates and I out celebrating Kelsi's Birthday by eating a "Queen of Sheba" dessert! (I didn't get the wear black memo.)

My spring break (2 weeks ago) was very restful. I spent the weekend out at my friend's place in Boring. Haha, what a funny name for a town eh? The family went out of town, so I stayed at their place and hung out with their 8 week old lab!! Coco's such a suggler, so we took lots of naps, watched movies and got rested up for the final stretch of school.

^Coco, my Spring Break snuggle buddy!

Well, I'm sitting in my apartment looking out the window - it's raining sideways. I think it would be cool if Multnomah wasn't in rainy cold Portland, I think I could handle it if it moved to say...the beaches of Okinawa!! But then again, I doubt if I would get much work done in that case. As it is, the cold rain makes me want to stay inside and work! Which is exactly what I need to do. My list for the week: a 10 page paper on the Assyrian army, an analysis of a Psalm, and Theology exam, and too much reading to actually count.

Oh, real quick - my tentative summer plans...
On May 18th I'm driving to Seattle to meet up with my mom
On May 19th we're starting our drive from Seattle to WI!
On May 24 or 25th we should make it to WI
On May 27th I'll drive with my mom and dad to ND where I'll spend my summer!
In June I'll probably be heading to Colorado to the Malachi/Cadence Mission Headquarters for 2 weeks of candidacy. I'm applying to Malachi for a job post seminary!!