meet brent

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Meet Brent and Laura Brooks.  Brent's one of our 7 students this year.  He's also our first student ever to commute to the program, and not live here residentially.

Two years ago Brent audited a good chunk of the Old Testament here at the ESBS while continuing to manage his log home restoration business in the area (sawtoothlogrestoration.com).  He had such a positive experience that he decided to try and do the entire school this year on a full-time basis.

Brent and his wife Laura live about 15 minutes from the camp.  We met at the local church we both attend.  He's a marine corps vet, dog lover, volkswagen micro bus owner, mountain biker, and he was rooting hard for Ron Paul in the '08 election...what else can I say...Brent's an interesting guy and we're glad he's here.

Brent's interested in teaching the Bible long-term.  I'd love to see him help out here next year on some level.  He's also on the board of a grade school in Colombia (south america) and we're currently working on getting our ESBS resources translated into spanish so that he can teach Inductive Bible study there too.

Impact

Christen, Julie, Madison (former students)

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It's really hard to measure the impact of a program like the ESBS.  So much of it is behind the scenes, wrapped up in the lives of the people God has sent here over the past 5 years.

Yesterday I started thinking about former staff and students: about where they are now, and what they're up to.  It occurred to me that they truly are spread out all over the world, doing all sorts of different things, but now with a better understanding of who God is, who they are, and how they're to live.

that was a neat revelation:  to realize that over the past 5 years here in Lake Lure, God really has been using this program to disciple folks whose lives will take them all over the world.  Here's a list of where our former students/staff are living now long-term.

South Africa, Germany, Guatemala, Australia, South Korea, Hawaii, Oregon, California, Virginia, Pennsylvania, Minnesota, Florida, Texas, South Carolina, North Carolina

In a few more weeks, with some tears I'm sure, we'll be adding Thailand to the list (Eileen/Byron/Caleb).

Exciting things happening!

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There's so much happening right now that it's hard to comment on it all.  I'm so pleased with where we are as a school.  The students are doing so well.  Last week we took the students to the smokies for a fall hike (picture above).  The colors were amazing.  Here are just a few of the things of interest happening now:

1)  Nathanael and Abigail Weigel have received the financial support they needed to remain here through Christmas.  Thank you for praying and giving!  Let's continue to pray that God would meet their remaining tuition needs.

2)  Julia has taken over the task of managing the foodservice for the school.  The ESBS staff/students plan and prep all of the meals we eat together.  Julia is now managing that effort.  It's a huge undertaking and she's doing an amazing job!

2)  We're collaborating with other SBS locations to post free podcast lectures for every book of the Bible. www.thesbspodcast.com  We're not even finished with the project and already the demand for the material is UNBELIEVABLE.  Just this week there have been close to 5000 downloads from the site, over 22, 000 so far this month, and 282,000 since we began last year!  Amazing!

3)  Now for the really exciting news...Julia's pregnant!  Julia and Tom will have their second child in May of next year.  

Praying through the Psalms

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I'd like to use this blog to introduce you to the various aspects of the school that you may not already be aware of.  Here's one:

Each week we take 45 minutes in the morning to pray through a Psalm together.  The Psalms are raw and honest snapshots of the human condition.  They're full of emotional expressions to God, and they're wonderful examples of how to come to God honestly and openly with your feelings/fears/joys/sorrows etc. and then, through reflection on God's character, pray yourself into a place of peace and fellowship with Him thats rooted in His steadfast character.

Praying through a Psalm is a great way to have a devotional "quiet time" with God.  Essentially this is what we're training the students to do through this aspect of the school.  We want them to be able to use the Bible devotionally as well as academically.  Each week this time blesses me...it lifts my eyes off of my own difficulties, and onto a Holy, awesome, unchanging God.

rappelling

Subscribe in a readerWe took the students to eagle rock (the pinnacles) to do some rappelling.  It was a great day and everyone had an awesome time.  Fall break begins today.  We're a fourth of the way through the year.  Its crazy how fast the year goes by.  The students are all doing very well.  We're having an excellent year.

PRAYER NEED:
-please pray for Nathanael and Abigail's financial situation.  They still need tuition money for next quarter. ($540).  I firmly believe that this is where they are to be.  They are both doing really well.  Pray that God would provide the money before next week's deadline.

peace