Jesus Said: "Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age." This passage of Scripture found in Matthew 28:18-20 has been commonly called the The Great Commission, and rightly so. These are some of Christ's final words to His disciples before leaving earth and ascending back to heaven. More and more I see the depth and richness of this passage as I am here in Mallorca. In August of last year I came to Spain. In the month of March I saw the miracle of salvation and the beauty of baptism. The month of April for me was a month of truly teaching and making disciples...
Johnny has been on cloud nine since March. He is filled with joy, meaning, and purpose like never before. His co-workers have also noticed the difference and are beginning to ask questions. Johnny is also noticing more and more Spaniards have questions, they are just afraid to voice them. Johnny and I have continued to study the Gospel of John together in Spanish and English. It's so exciting because Johnny is so new to the Bible and has never read it before. In our times together, he has shared so much of his past with me and the reasons why he wanted nothing to do with God. He can't believe he can actually read the Bible for himself. As Johnny is reading John for the very first time, his face lights up! He also shares his initial thoughts about the text. I myself am enjoying very much the Gospel of John. The Word of God never gets old! There is a constant freshness when you read it every time.
Mike and I have also continued to study through the book of Daniel. Mike is 18 months old in the Lord, but he constantly tells me that he is has barely started reading the Bible. He is totally soaking it up and has many questions. I should also mention that both Johnny an Mike have gotten over their timidness in praying publicly. It is such a blessing to hear both of their hearts as they commune with God. More and more in both relationships, I am growing in my understanding for the need of teaching and discipleship.
At the end of the month we took the students to the other side of the island for the semester trip. It was a balance of getting away on your own to be with the Lord, fellowship, and fun in the sun! I was very honored and privileged to be able to pray and talk with students that were very troubled and worried about their future. These conversations made me recall and recount when I graduated from the Bible College in Murrieta six years ago. Looking back, God's promises to me back then have testified to be true today! What an awesome God we serve.
I was also able to teach at the youth group this past month and as usual it was a blast. More and more I am learning to do the accounting on my own. Rick and I are becoming one mind:) As far as my progress in Spanish, I am learning to not look at it as a destination. I simply want to enjoy the journey as with this overall mission to Spain. I know it is going to take time and patience. With the semester ending soon, we have 3 and a half months of summer break. My desire is to devote even more time to language study. I also hope and pray for the salvation of my tutor.
In closing, God has given me more than I could have ever wanted. Too invest in lives makes see and understand more and more the value of one single life. Truly Jesus was right when He said: "It is more blessed to give than to receive." I only continue to look forward to meeting more people as time goes on and make disciples...
BY His Grace,
Eric
