Every year here at ABS they have a special week in September called "Deeper Life Week." This week is a special time to focus on spiritual things while the schedule gets changed up a little bit. This year the special week fell on September 3-7. If you lose sight of the purpose it would be really easy to complain about this week because you end up spending a lot of time with the same seven or eight people (your care group) and there is always that possibility that a lot of us saw growing up in church with a extended youth group trip. You know the one I mean, it lasts about a week or ten days and by the time it's over you're sick of everyone in your youth group; tired of being around them. Because of possibilities like that, because everybody has to work a little harder this week because of extra worship services or devotions or meals together it is easy to complain about what went wrong.
Thankfully, though, lots of things went right also; the week was an incredible success. Perhaps the most satisfying thing for myself is being surprised by deeper friendships that arise from that week. Even when a student is in your care group for several months they are still one of 8 or 9 and I don't always get as close to some of the students as I do with others. During deeper life week I was surprised because one of the quieter students decided it was their job to joke with me on our work day where we were cleaning up around campus. From that has come a closer friendship that I didn't expect. Those things are always pleasant surprises because relationship building (in any form) can be difficult here because of the language barrier and other cultural reasons. At same time I feel like it is one of the main reasons that I'm here, so it is rewarding to make those connections.
The theme of this deeper life week was the title to this post, "useful to the master" from 2 Timothy 2:21. The study of scripture is rarely fruitless and never a disappointment. 2 Timothy 2 is a chapter that I hadn't studied much before I arrived here in the Philippines, but various circumstances here have kept bringing it to my attention. That has been a true blessing, to the point that I'm surprised Paul managed to jam that much advice into one chapter. Not just advice, but good advice for an aspiring, somewhat young, missionary. We really wanted to emphasize this idea to the students; maximizing potential, talents, and availability to be as useful as you can be for the Lord. Of course that's a great lesson for everyone, and one of the reasons that I bring it up. There is no substitute for being willing. If you want the Lord to use you he'll find a way.
It is hard to believe that October is almost here. I'm looking forward to the rainy season ending here. I get my coughs and colds during the rainy season which seems foolish when I think about the fact that the temps during the rainy season are about 50-60 degrees warmer than winters at home when I usually get my coughs and colds. October is generally considered to be the last month of the rainy season here, so I'm patiently waiting for the dry, (relatively) cool season that follows and runs from November-January.
In other news the Aparri Church of Christ sports fest is complete with my adopted team finishing a solid 3rd out of 4 teams. Teams are determined by what part of the city you live in; technically I live in the Punta neighborhood but I played for another neighborhood because they didn't have enough guys for a basketball team if I didn't play with them. Events that were contested included basketball, volleyball, table tennis, badminton, chess and a few other things. Attendance to devotion on Saturday mornings (at 5:30 AM) was also part of a team's overall point total. Sports fest is fun, but it destroys me physically; it usually takes me the rest of the weekend to recover from the aches, pains and dehydration that result.
Really quick: GO REDLEGS! Hopefully we can win that World Series this year.
Also, before I go, I want to remind you to pray for me. We're coming into a time when things get more busy; a lot of things happening with ABS the next couple of months and then it's Christmas which is even busier. 1st semester will be over in a few short weeks, tempus fugit, etc.
I hope you're well and God bless,
Nick
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