John White - Developing Church Leadership in the Russian Speaking World 1634 King Ct., Green Brook, NJ 08812 * jwhite@alumni.princeton.edu June 5, 2000 http://www.blarg.net/~maruchck/jw.html
Well, God has made my return to New Jersey a bit more eventful than I expected! I have been very fortunate to be able to visit a number of people and churches in Lancaster, PA, Princeton, Manhattan, Brooklyn, and Chicago. I've been able to continue getting my immunizations shots and start getting my allergies tested (I'll continue to stay away from seafood!). I have even managed to pass my ordination council (thank you for your prayers!). But, in the midst of all this, God has managed to slow me down by giving me an immunization of His own - the chicken pox. Yes, I came down with the chicken pox in the middle of a very busy schedule, and I had to reschedule and cancel different events. But no, it wasn't as bad as I feared, and I consider myself very fortunate. And yes, I have learned something from it - that as much as I think I'm in control, I never really am.
I was reading in 1 Samuel 4-5 where the Israelites think they can win their battle with the Philistines by bringing the Ark of the Covenant into battle with them. But, God is not limited to their box, and they lose the battle and the Ark to the Philistines. Then, the Philistines think they are in control since they won the battle, and they place the Ark in their temple next to a statue of their god Dagon. The next morning, Dagon had fallen on his face toward the Ark. And the next morning the same thing happened. No, neither the Israelites nor the Philistines were in control, but God always is. And if we trust Him, as the Israelites finally do in chapter 7, He is faithful and can turn all things together for good (Romans 8:28). Although my schedule has been bumpy by my standards, God has gotten all of the important things done.
I thought you might like to know a little more about the language school I'm going to in Columbia, SC. This program will not only teach me the Russian language, but is intended to teach me about Russian culture and how the gospel can be shared within it. We will be given an overview of Russian history and will study important aspects of Russian culture, including atheism, Orthodoxy, and Russian literature. On a personal note, I've been reading "The Brothers Karamazov" for quite a while now, and I'm hoping this course will help me understand it better!
I'll be in South Carolina for eight weeks, taking classes five days a week with a good bit of homework. I look forward to meeting more missionaries going to the Russian speaking world, and who knows - maybe I'll meet some future teammates. I plan to stay in touch through e-mail, but if any of you would like to write me, you can reach me at: CIU, Summer Studies, P.O. Box 3122, Columbia, SC 29230-3122. I'll be there from June 12-August 4.
In His grip,
John
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