At a recent SMBI Sunday evening staff meeting, we engaged in several rounds of the Ungame. I was asked the question, “If you were to write an article, what would you title it?” The first thought that came to my mind was “Holiness for Dummies.” The first “for Dummies” book by Dan Gookin written in 1991 has mushroomed to include almost every conceivable topic including, Acne for Dummies, Fishing for Dummies (I wonder how many they have caught), Crosswords for Dummies and even A Little Bit of Everything for Dummies.
It is clear in both the Old and New Testaments that God wants to be known. When our heart beats with His with an intense desire to know Him, what a beautiful combination it is. Here are a few morsels to contemplate in your journey of discovery.
Living in Haiti for a month has been both an interesting and growing experience. Originally, I didn’t sign up for Haiti. I wanted to go to Nicaragua. There were a lot of rioting and road blocks going on there, and they didn’t know whether it would get better or worse. In talking to some people I decided to go to Haiti. The first weekend I was in Haiti, the government raised fuel prices and the people reacted by blocking roads, burning tires and raiding some of the businesses. God must have wanted me to be in a country with a slightly unstable government…
God wants to use all of us for His work. Wil we surrender ourselves to His will? When we are in God’s will He gives us the power to overcome. How do we know what God’s will is for our life? Live your life in Christ and His Word. God will show you His will through a few different ways. Two big ones are His Word and other people. God may want you to wait on Him, but don’t hold still. Live for Him. Do whatever you can for His kingdom and He will lead you the way He wants you to go. God’s not going to drag you around, so you got to get a move on!
-Kylan Skrivseth
Haiti—SLM Ministries
As I think over my time I spent in Haiti, there’s a verse in Psalms that comes to my mind. It is the first part of Ps. 119:68 – “You are good, and what you do is good.” It’s such a simple statement, yet speaks so powerfully of who God is.
In everything that we did here in Haiti, God was good. I had a wonderful month and will never forget all the things I had the opportunity to experience…
God reminded me that He hears and answers prayers. He also showed me that when I embrace what is in front of me, I can find joy. Being in Haiti for a month also had a way of showing me what was most important in life. When you live in a culture that does not have much materially, you realize that it is not, “What you have, but who you have” that is really important.
-Tasha Martin
One Month in El Chal, Guatemala
I’m going to be perfectly honest about what I learned. For a while the language was a bit of a “thorn in the flesh”, later it became more of an exciting challenge. It was really tough to feel so dependent, yet it was good for me. My time at the school felt more like a learning experience, than a teaching experience. I came with expectations of being more helpful but it was a surprise to realize how much I needed to learn. I also realized I need to be more intentional about trying to understand other’s opinion’s, why they feel the way they do, and why they do what they do. The introvert life is so good, but it can also be draining. Often I found myself thinking of when I might get some alone time to process and think. Yes, I need my alone time, but I was reminded that I need people, and people need me. I would call it ‘Christ-like common sense’. God is good. He knows what we need. Philippians 2:3 “Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves.”
The staff at JBYM makes it what it is. God has given them a great mixture of gifts, and they use them strategically. The amount of people that are impacted is mind-blowing. I felt so privileged to be a part of God’s work in El Chal for a month!
Hannah Miller
The course catalog, term calendar, course schedule, course offerings, handbook, instructors, and student application are updated for the 2018/2019 academic year.
The WATER program is a six week summer missions opportunity. It provides students with a first hand experience of mission work with the missionary as a teacher. There are still open opportunities, especially for men.
Read more ...Priority registration for 2019 - 2020 school year ends May 1,2019.
