Blessed...

Sorry it has been a while since i last posted, lots has happened in the past few weeks. I have now completed 5 books, just finished Acts yesterday and we are starting on Luke tomorrow and we are having a guest speaker that is apparently amazing-so this should be another great week. These past few weeks have been pretty crazy, lots of reading, charting and exploring God's word. Before come to SBS i was so nervous as to if i was smart enough, or if i would get my work done and amazingly and only by the grace of God i have been learning so much and retaining what i am reading--its so awesome, like i feel like the Bible is coming alive and that I am able to myself into the reader and hearers point of view-learning about the history and what was happening back then and really understand what the speak meant, and what God means. The bible is so easily taken out of context if you don't look at what is happening at the time, it has really blown me away.

I have also been learning a lot about distractions and i have really been trying to put aside things that consume to much of my time. I really want to be here and be devoted to getting to know myself and knowing who i am in Christ, and know his word so much better. As a result i have deactivated my facebook account for a while. So if you would like to contact me either respond to the blog or email me at breclaassen@gmail.com. And i love getting emails so if you have time to write, i wanna know what is happening back at home, if there is anything that i can pray for and yeah its good to hear about what is happening-i kind of feel like i am in a bubble here a bit-just because i am not close to home and we don't leave the base too much.

God has really been teaching me about the Holy Spirit-especially in acts-the story of Stephen and him being stoned and then the Philip and the Ethiopian Eunuch. I found myself getting quite emotional when reading Stephen's speech and plea, and then how at the end when he is being stoned he says "Lord do not hold this sin against them"...i know sometimes i think being a christian is easy and when really we are to stand up for what we believe in and we are to proclaim the gospel even if that means suffering and persecution. God will never leave us nor forsake us and we have the Holy Spirit will grant us power to stand up, and stand firm in what we believe. The story of Philip and how he is so sensitive so the spirit and goes up and leaves on the road towards Gaza--which from Jerusalem is a really long road-and listens to the prompting of the spirit and goes and talks to the Ethiopian Eunuch-who just happens to be reading Isaiah and Philip is able to explain things to him, share the gospel and then amazingly he was baptized!! I really want to live like Philip and do whatever the spirit tells me, even if it seems crazy or scary. I need to get over the fear of what others will think and i need to live by faith, walk in the Spirit and proclaim the Gospel in boldness and confidence.

God has just been so good-i feel like i have been able to rest in his spirit and the whole idea of overflowing with love and blessings--knowing that God want to fill us with the Spirit and no matter how much we give away he will keep filling us...which is so amazing :) i think i can be so selfish sometime and only think of myself and my needs but really i need to have the mindset of giving, unity and a community--like the church in acts 4-and how they have everything in common and there is not a needy person amongst them because the give of what they have-just so amazing!

I am really loving it here-the people are so awesome, living in community is so much fun, my roomate is a sweetheart, i have a great small group and everyone is just wonderful. Christmas is going to be awesome when i come home because two girls from Korea will be coming home with me-they are pumped to see Vancouver and experience Christmas in Canada.

Oh and also i was able to have a great thanksgiving last week. One of our staff members is from Canada and his family is living on the base right now and his mom made all the Canadians a great thanksgiving dinner--so good turkey, mash potatoes, yams, cranberries...pumpkin pie--so good :) such a blessing and it was really refreshing to be with a bunch of canadians and celebrating-was a bit like home :)

Well it is sunday morning-i am finished my work duties for this past week-so starting tomorrow i can actually get up at 7 and not 530, which will be great :) Today is a girls birthday-so we are going to decorate her room, and we are going shopping for some of her favorite things-she is from Nepal, this is her first time to north america and its so awesome to get to know her-she bring so much joy. I love how the school here is so international with people from literally all over the world. We had an international day last week-where we had a room filled with a bunch of tables and each country had a different tables, it was so cool. We did have a canadian table with tim hortans coffee and nanaimo bars:) everyone loved it.

Well i should get going-i am going to take some pictures of the base here and post them soon hopefully :)

--Bre