Greetings from Switzerland. I very much enjoyed my time in the US & Canada, but it also feels wonderful to be back. The fall is in full swing and the leaves are in an array of reds, oranges, and yellows. My first couple of weeks back has been largely getting back into the swing of things and taking care of items that piled up while I was away. I have a new smaller team than before I left, comprised of some students from our Discipleship Training School and one from our School of Biblical Studies. They are all very excited to be involved with media and eager which makes working with and teaching them quite fun.
The campus had just started the fall quarter and is quite full. Right now we’re running 7 different programs in 3 languages with well over 100 students coming from over 20 nations. It is thrilling to see so many amazing young people all pursuing a deeper relationship with God in different areas together. With so many different programs, I have had to make many rounds to ensure they all are well supported in their technical needs of screens, cameras, computers, and sound systems so the learning going on can be well facilitated. Since COVID, we have adjusted to using more remote teachers via zoom in the different classes. Even with the restrictions lowered, this trend is holding fast. As I have spoken about previously, it has been one of the projects I have spearheaded to design good systems for classroom interaction and teaching with remote teachers. When the systems are working well, it dramatically improves the learning experience for the students and helps to keep them more engaged for longer. I take a lot of satisfaction from knowing that the work I do in this area has a big impact on the outcomes for the students and what they get out of the training they are here for, no matter what topic they are studying.
One of the other larger initiatives I have been helping with is called Kingdom Come. These are large-scale evangelism events we host in the city. Earlier this month we held one in the biggest square in the city. We brought in a stage & sound system, Christian artists, a worship band, people to share testimonies, and a speaker all with the focus of reaching out. People came pouring in and the evening saw a number of people accept Christ, some asked for prayer, we distributed Bibles, and the Lord was at work. There were also local Christians who stumbled upon it and told us how encouraged they were to hear and see the gospel being proclaimed in the city.
While it truly was an amazing night, we know it wouldn’t have been possible without the work of the Holy Spirit. As a whole campus, we had times of intersession and prayer for the event in the days leading up to it. I am a very firm believer in the power of prayer and its ability to open things up that wouldn’t be possible otherwise. Looking ahead, we are putting on another similar event in a local church on the 9th of November. I invite you to join me in praying for this event as it is coming up. Specifically for hearts and eyes to be open to Christ and for the Lord’s purposes to be brought about through it. I look forward to being able to report back on what the Lord does.
On a personal note, I just wanted to say a big thank you to all of you. Being back in North America and connecting with so many of you has deeply encouraged me. It is hard to describe how much it means to know you are all standing with me in what the Lord has me doing. Thank you so much.
As always, thank you for coming along with me in this adventure of faith,
Ben