assessed work submission!

This week walked downtown and submitted my first assessed work to the University. My marks for the year are based on these twelve pieces of written work which are submitted within three submission windows - the first of which was this past week. The papers are double graded, that is, by two different professors. They are also blind graded- your name doesn't appear on your work but is replaced by a candidate number. (These are measures to help ensure fair grading- so professors cannot promote their own students, etc.) I am excited - for better or for worse- to receive real marks on these essays so I can evaluate my work and hopefully improve the rest of the pieces I write and enter in following rounds. 

report from Exeter mission

The week of outreach at Exeter University was outstanding- we had significant conversations with hundreds of students. Our lunch time talks were standing room only by the end of the week, as was our final evening event on receiving life to the full through Jesus Christ. We had over a hundred people throughout the week give us their contact details to meet up again/ be followed up by the Christian Union. Hundreds heard the gospel over the course of the week, and testimonies came in of students committing their lives to Christ. 

It was a privilege to come alongside the Christian Union, supporting them in reaching out to their friends and classmates with the truth and love of Christ. We all felt the genuine unity of heart and purpose all week- and I think it was a wonderfully attractive testimony to Jesus' love, alive in the community of His people. 

Thank you for praying for me- I participated in three live Q & A panels on the topic of Suffering and Evil ...and instead of experiencing nerves, I was blessed by peace. Those sessions actually turned out to be highlights in my week! 

There were so many conversations that made me excited for what God is doing in students' lives, and how he was using us to make people think and helping them to consider Jesus afresh... just a great week, regardless of challenges we encountered (like being ill the last two days!).

But again, thank you for your participation through your prayers. It was fruitful week in the Kingdom. Pray for fruit that remains.

a belated welcome to Hilary term

Out with the old, and in with the new: Michaelmas term is over and Hilary Term has begun...!

(Oxford has names for the three academic terms of year. The final one will be Trinity herm.)

almost halfway through term

It seems unbelievable, but we're almost half way through our second term! Of course, Oxford has the shortest terms EVER and this one didn't feature the weeks of preliminary move in and orientations of first term, so it feels like its simply flying by,  an abbreviated version of itself. We leave for our University mission weeks on Sunday, and when we return, there will be just a month until our Spring break. And I feel like we just got back from winter vacation! 

Apparently its been an exceedingly mild winter. We had a couple really cold weeks, and every day were certain of snow... but besides a few heavy wet flakes one morning, thats come to naught. In fact, the whole place seems to have gone in with the daffodils on their delusion that its spring... some trees have blossomed, little crocuses are pushing up and blooming in the lawns, and the daffodils are unrelenting. While I still need my thickly insulated coat most days, its quite a lot milder than expected for this time of year. It would be interesting if the serious winter chill never sets in at all!

Brew is the coffee shop closest to us. Its tiny, as in it comfortably seats... six. So we only ever stop in there for take away coffee. Its very hip, and they are very into their roast, method, and machine. My friends like the coffee... and while i recognize its quality, its not to my taste at all. I find it sour. Too light and earthy of a roast, i think. Ick. And they don't have pastries. Womp womp.

Maison Blanc, the french coffee shop and patisserie within a few minutes walk of Wycliffe Hall, has become my favorite place for coffees and pastries. While not the atmosphere i might select, its far and away the best coffee I have have in town so far, and its the next nearest cafe to where I live, so it serves me and my friends well. And their pastries are delicious- and legitimately french. Whenever we can sneak away for an hour and debrief life over a coffee... we'll be found hiding away in Maison Blanc. Mmm. Pastries....

Last but not least, Gnosticism! Everyone's favorite heresy... I've been working on an essay for my Church History class about the Early Church's response to the esoteric Gnostic sect it found imbedded within itself by the 2nd Century. It may not sound fascinating but I have actually found it an insightful study:) That said, I am very excited to take that stack of books back down to the library and be rid of it. I'm in a good position with my assignments within the course, having written the amount of assessed work proportionate to how far through the course we've progressed- so I am delighted with that. In general, having the rhythm of life here (including  the course and workload) this term has made an enormous difference for me- I don't feel stressed or rushed about in the way i did last term. Last term, I felt like I was treading with all my might just to stay afloat- this term I feel like I am swimming around quite naturally and could do so indefinitely. Haha but ask me again after mission! The early mornings and late nights get draining by the end of the week.

And on that note, please pray for myself and the rest of our OCCA team on mission in Exeter this coming weekend!

Thank you!