News from the long lost...

I'm still here. Though I haven't been on my blog in a long time. Hmm the last post was at half way. Well now twice as much has gone on. :) The seminar ended last Sabbath (Nov 19th) with 15 baptisms and many graduations from the Amazing Facts Bible study course.

One of our contacts, Carline, was baptized. I've never been so happy. Eric my teacher teased me that I about baptized myself from crying while I watched.
..............................................
And that's as far as I got last week. :) Well let's just get something up here.

Pray for all our contacts, those who were baptized, those who will be, and those who haven't made decisions.

I'm loving AFCOE. I seriously didn't think I was going to make it through when I started. But I'm so glad that I stuck with it. I have done way more than I thought I could. And I've grown immensely.

I have exciting news too. I'm getting re-baptized. I was baptized when I was 10 years old.  I was sincere, but not knowledgeable. No one did studies with me. I don't even remember the pastor coming over. We did it in the middle of church one Sabbath morning. As the pastor was going over the baptismal vows I remembered a question that I'd had for a while. When he asked if I understood everything or had any questions I didn't want to stop everything in front of the whole church to say "Yeah, I'm understand "this". I do not trace my conversion or the beginning of my personal christian experience to that time. I trace it to when I read Steps to Christ at age 16 and began praying and "knowing" God for my self. I've wanted to be baptized again for many years, but I thought I couldn't because I hadn't "fallen away" or anything like that, and I hadn't gotten baptized with a whole class of kids "just because" and no one had pressured me. It was my idea. But I wasn't ready.

Last night Eric Flickinger, the speaker for our meetings, gave the message of the Last Day Church of Revelation 12. I had been thinking about re-baptism after a conversation with one of my classmates and I'd mentioned it to my teacher Eric. But last night I suddenly realized that I'd never seen the Bible in such a compelling and beautiful light and related to the last day church. I've never thought of leaving the church, but I have wondered if we could really be the only true church. What if we were deceived? But last night those doubts seemed to vanish. Through having to wrestle with common questions about our doctrines, studying to be able to answer them for myself, and seeing what we believe from the Bible and why believe it, and why we dont' believe what the other churches teach...I feel more grounded and clear than I ever have before. I see the really importance of the message God has entrusted to us for these last days. Yes, I have had a real personal relationship with Christ for many years now, but I think I'm realizing that the surety was ever so slightly missing. (Besides the fact that I almost drowned when I was baptized. I forgot to hold my breath all the way under. That day just does not hold pleasant memories.) It is not a pillar for me. Now I'm ready to say, "I understand, I believe, and I love Jesus as my personal Savior and Lord, and I want to commit to follow Him and His truth for these last days."

I've thought about this for several years now. But God finally brought it together here. Now is the time and here is the place. Here I have friends who have watched me grow and change over the last almost four months, who have called me out when I was not surrendered,  and teachers who have been there for me at some of my hardest times and helped me to see that I really could succeed with Christ's help and do things I thought I couldn't. I've changed here. More than anywhere else I think. As I go from this place of training to be a missionary for God I want to begin by committing 100% to Christ and the faith I have come to love and am prepared to defend. I feel the solemness of this decision this time. I've never been so happy. I can't wait.

I wish with all my heart that my family could be here. But the next best will be to video it. The baptism will happen during Graduation. Graduation is Sabbath, December 10 in the afternoon.
........................................
We are almost done with all our classes. We had our Public Evangelism final today. The school work has been hard, but I'm so glad for it. It's in my head now. I own it. It's become part of me.

This Sunday we are taking a class trip to Elmshaven, Ellen White's last home.  Looking forward to that a lot.

Well I have a Revelation test to finish doing. A paper to write. And more...

For anyone going to GYC I will see you there. If you aren't going to GYC you should. :) Watch it on 3ABN December 28th-January 1, 2012.

Until next time... Blessings!