Pastors are back! Isn’t it exciting? I arrived in Tonj thirteen days ago. I taught for two days, then the pastors went home for a week. They were scheduled to go home later but since I arrived during the teaching, Sabet decided it would be best for them to go home right after I arrived in order to let me prepare a bit. Now that I have had a week to prepare, I am excited they are back! There were nine of them in class today but more will be arriving over the next couple days. We are studying Romans and Sabet is teaching on 1 Corinthians. After I finish Romans we will begin on 2 Corinthians.

I teach for about three hours a day, minus a break at 10:20. It is a lot of teaching, but it is going well. We have quite a bit of discussion, which I appreciate, and they are very involved. It makes me so happy when I ask them a difficult question and they are able to answer it well. It is even better when they refer to other passages of scripture to back up what they said. It shows me where they are in their learning and it also shows that they are paying attention to the teachings. We went over some deep stuff today in Romans 6-8 and tomorrow will be just as deep, but they are getting it! They understand! When I ask them questions, they are able to answer. My only hope is that they apply what they learn. There are cultural misguidings that need refuted in order for them to wholly serve and obey God. If they apply what they are learning in these classes, they will be counter-cultural. That is a lot to ask, but it is what Jesus told us to do. Don’t get me wrong. They don’t need to conform to Western culture. I don’t want that at all. They still need to relate to their congregations. What I am saying is that there are practices within their culture that are sinful. These things need to be seen as sinful and the pastors need to take personal stands against them. It is a big step to go against these things, but if they truly desire to serve God in their villages, they can do it. Their love for God can overcome any boundary. He can make them stand.

So, I am excited about this new six week session, but I need a lot of prayer because six weeks is ninety hours of teaching! Yikes! God promised He would help me to accomplish this task so I have faith in that, but there is still something mysterious about prayer that I can’t understand yet I know it is vital. So, please pray as I teach for twenty-eight more days before the next break. Also pray for the pastors. Pray that they hear these things from God and APPLY them to their own lives and not just preach them.

Faithfully, Joshua