Teaching Resources International

Ready to Head Home … Almost (March 2015 Update)

We are getting excited about our trip home in just a little less than a month!  Talking with my children and grandchildren by Skype even makes us more eager to get back home and spend some time with family.  Especially when we are talking with Meredith and Sean and realize that her due date is just a couple weeks away!  We can’t wait!

But… we are not ready yet.  My spring schedule is packed and so I’m running around trying to get everything done before we head back at the end of the month.  I just finished teaching Research and Writing for Biblical Counseling.  This was my first time teaching this Master’s level class.  We’ve taught a similar class on the Bachelors’ level for the last 5 years.  But I had to totally re-work this class and add a number of examples and research related to Biblical Counseling.  The class was one week, from 8:30 each morning until 6 pm each evening.  I was definitely tired but I felt really good about what the students were able to accomplish in 1 week.  I will still have their final Case Studies (research papers) to grade in about a month.  But overall, the class was very helpful and I know it will be a benefit to many for years ahead in their ministries.  The director has already asked if I would teach it again next year.  (more…)

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Good News in Difficult Times (February 2015 Update)

The situation is Ukraine continues to worsen, both militarily and economically (more details below).  But even in this very difficult time, the good news of Jesus continues to be spread!  We know soldiers on the front lines are hearing the gospel through scripture deliveries, CD gifts and even personal visits by evangelists.  One man from our church regularly travels to the east bringing clothes, food and the gospel to the soldiers.  They are hearing the gospel and some are being saved!  We also have students who are working as military chaplains and others who are fighting to defend Ukraine from Russian and pro-Russian troops.  All of them are actively bearing witness to Jesus in the most difficult of situations.  (more…)

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Changes (November 2014 Update)

November in Ukrainian is Листопад meaning “leaves fall down.”  It’s a great description of the beautiful forests with golden and red leaves now forming a carpet on the ground.  It’s a scene I get to see every day from our new apartment and I get to walk through those leaves on my way to the bus stop every morning.  So much has changed since our moving to the Right Bank of Kiev!  My daily trip is about 1/3 of what it used to be and our opportunities for ministry have greatly increased (see below) now that we live over on this side of the river.

There are also many changes here in Ukraine this month.  We elected a new Parliament and there is a “ceasefire” in the Russian-Ukrainian war right now.  I put “ceasefire” in quotes because, although the government forces have ceased firing, the pro-Russian separatists have not.  And Russia continues to send men and equipment across the border to reinforce the territories they captured.

But, in general, things are more peaceful – for now.  Most believe that Putin is reconsidering his approach since so many Russian soldiers died in Ukraine and Russian mothers are asking how this happened if there are no Russian soldiers in Ukraine (the world has been asking this for months!).  Also, many believe that Putin is shifting his strategy to a “Cold War” in which his withholding of gas supplies is the weapon.  Russia has already reduced gas supplies for two countries that have sold gas to Ukraine and Putin has warned that he will shut off the gas from Russia if Europe (50% of Europe’s gas comes from Russia) sells gas to Ukraine!
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