April-May 2024 Ministry Update

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Greetings from Arizona,

It’s celebration time as we end another school year at Indian Bible College (IBC). With the spring semester wrapping up, students have been sharing presentations and reflecting on all they’ve learned and how they’ve grown. It’s always encouraging to hear the freshman students expressing such surprise that the school year is already over and how the Lord has worked in their lives. Many have decided after completing their Certificate of Biblical Studies (1-year degree) to continue seeking the Associates of Biblical Studies next year.

Freedom Chapel

What an amazing joy and celebration it was to hear students share their experiences after going through the Steps to Freedom (sophomores) and Mending the Soul (upper classmen). These tools are reproducible so the students can pass along what they’ve learned to others.

The steps to freedom help students understand how the enemy (Satan) has impacted our lives through his lies, temptations, deceit, shame, etc. and what action can be taken to live in freedom from those things. Mending the Soul provides avenues to work through past trauma or abuse and the process necessary to heal and be redeemed.

Here are highlights from the 8 students who shared:

Realizing the subtle abuse that took place as he grew up has resulted in the student desiring to live out biblical manhood and following Jesus who is showing him what he needs to see.
After his parents divorced he was dropped off as a young boy at boarding school where he was sexually abused for 2 years by 5 different offenders. At an early age (9 years old) drug use began and throughout his life he struggled with drugs and alcohol. This student has now been sober for 5 years and has been able to forgive those who abused him. He’s giving all glory to God that he’s found freedom through healing.
Having grown up in a Christian household, this process was interesting and difficult to look back at his past especially with some difficult extended family experiences that were abusive. He realized emotions had been suppressed for many years but now he sees what the enemy had blinded him to and can see evil for what it is. The Lord is helping him to process through everything.
It was a hard time acknowledging her abuse, which was verbal. While growing up she was angry, stuffing her emotions, isolating herself, experiencing self-hate and living in shame and fear. Now through healing she realizes emotions (both good and bad) are a gift from the Lord and she’s able to seek community and “need” others in her life. She’s learning how to forgive which is difficult but freeing.
This student indicated he was overwhelmed with steps to freedom. But, the idea of a “living hope” hit his heart strongly. He didn’t realize the affect the enemy was deceitfully having in his life from what he was watching, listening to and reading. New things were revealed to him and now he has accountability with others, so the devil cannot use those things against him anymore, as long as he is honest about the life of Christ he desires to live.
When coming to IBC a few years ago this student thought she was simply leaving home and the “hell she felt trapped in while she was praying for death”. The Heavenly Father pursued her to leave the anger and bitterness behind, to forgive but not excuse the abuse. She is no longer bound by the lies about “being nothing”, and she wants to live!
It hit this student hard to realize that his thoughts and what he does could be affecting others. He learned to give others the benefit of the doubt, but internally he realized he was holding things against others. Now he is aware of the temptations Satan was using against him and by breaking those chains he can feel the freedom.
At the beginning of the school year this student was angry with God. She struggled with depression and anxiety. She wasn’t healing or growing. She sought guidance from her spiritual formation mentor / student life and became stable but stagnant. The third step of freedom, forgiving others, was the step that impacted her the most. Now she has a closeness to God seeing Him as a comfort and no longer a harsh authority in her life.

Praise God for being the giver of life, even life abundant. And, I praise Him for being a redeemer and healer. Please pray for all the students and the journey they’re on for healing and living in His grace and truth.

Commencement – Summer Plans

Thank you for rejoicing with us in how God has worked in the student’s lives this year, as well as, what the students have accomplished through their hard work and dedication. We’ll have 15 graduates as a part of our commencement on Saturday, May 18th, two of which are completing their Bachelors of Biblical Studies.

We pray that God will be glorified as the center of attention during our celebration weekend. Pray with us that all those who attend will be impacted by the Spirit of God.

Please pray for the students as they head off for the summer break doing ministry work, missions trips, working jobs, reconnecting with family, etc. They just completed a 5-week spiritual formation unit on Spiritual Battle, to help prepare them for what they may face while being away from the Christian community, grace and support that they experience here.

In the March Ministry Update I shared a reflection the students provided from their Ministry Immersion Trip (MIT) and the Northwest (NW) Tour. One of our students, who is very gifted in everything technology, has created a video from the MIT.

Thank you for your prayers!

May the Lord bless you in abundance,

Linda