There will be an orientation the week before classes begin, so starting August 28, nearly every Tuesday (there are a few breaks, but not many) for the next few years I'll be in class for 4-5 hours. The program is set up in such a way that as I am earning credits towards my Master of Divinity degree from NTS (Nazarene Theological Seminary), I will also be able to take a few more classes along the way and also earn a Master of Ministry Degree from MVNU.
Most of my classes will be held at the MVNU satellite campus just a few miles from my home but there will also be a few classes that I will take at the actual campus in Mount Vernon (about a 45 minute drive from home).
I am super excited to finally get started following God's call. It was almost a year ago that this endeavor began, and while I wanted to be in the group that started in January of this year, God had different plans. (You can read about that experience HERE.)
What I haven't written about is what happened in the writing class that delayed my start in the Masters Program. What happened is simply this:
- God taught me stuff that had nothing to do with writing
- God used that time to remind me that not everyone in the world knows Him, nor loves Him
- God used that time to remind me that there are a lot of people in the world who are hurting and need to know His love for them
- God showed me that there are some people who have been so hurt by the Church, that they hate Him
- God showed me that while some are seeking a meaning to life, they are intentionally NOT looking TO Him because they want to find "another" way. "It just can't be that simple. Surely, I NEED to DO something..."
- God reminded me that the mission field of the world, starts right in our own back yard. (Acts 1:8 - "But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.” NIV)
Next week I will be in Belize serving with the youth from my church. We will be holding Vacation Bible School, a Soccer Camp, and Bible Studies for the parents. Our youth will lead three worship services starting the day we arrive! We leave at 6 AM on Sunday (July 22) and one of our youth will be preaching in Belize at 6 PM!
I will be traveling with my son Jonathon (15) and my daughter MaryAnna (17). This is their first mission trip and my sixth. This trip probably also would not have happened for me had I been in the midst of classes right now, once again, God knew what He was doing when He made it clear that I was to wait until September to get started.
While I had enough money to take the writing class, I am a few hundred dollars short of having my first class (Biblical Hermeneutics) covered and about $1,500 short of having the first semester tuition covered. If God moves you to support me, I would much appreciate your prayers. If God has led you to financially support me, you can do so by clicking on the "Donate Online" button in the right hand column, or you can send funds directly to MVNU. Please contact me (Paul at Pergers dot com) if this is your preferred method and I will give you the details of how you can do that.
Until His work in me is Complete,
Paul
