Dear friends,
The last three days has been really difficult, as Sarah and I have both been really sick. We were in Phoenix this last Thursday-Saturday for the ANAM (Association of North American Missions) regional (where I had the privilege of representing the association as its board chairman) and picked up some bug in the hotel. We have both been “flat on our back” the last three days but are on the mend. I was able to limp in to the school tonight and teach my first Christian Family class–with 20 students! This was my main prayer for the last few days, as I view this class as one of the two or three most important classes that IBC offers.
The upside of being sick the last three days:
- Lots of time to pray and one genuine encouragement from the Holy Spirit
- Developing a renewed affection for tea (and honey)
- Reminder of how adept the IBC staff is at serving the school in my absence–even in the first week of the semester!
I have a number of various prayer requests for you:
- Please pray that our kids don’t get sick. We are praising God that they haven’t been sick (would’ve been extra miserable if both parents AND the kids were sick at the same time). However, Abby seems like she is coming down with it tonight. Please pray that Sarah and I continue to recover quickly.
- Please pray for Faith and Doug Clark. Doug is the director of ANAM; his wife Faith had significant surgery four weeks ago and has only returned home within the last week. Please pray for her recovery and for grace and strength for both of them.
- Our board meets next Thursday-Friday (January 24-25). Please pray for the increased health and vitality of our board, particularly with the three new prospective board members; improving the vitality of our board is one of our most important needs. Pray too for more NATIVE board members.
- For four years now we have been praying for a new Academic Dean (I still have that responsibility as well as one of the other V.P roles too). Recently it has become clear that our current Dean of Students (Clint Ross) would prefer to be (and thrive better as) the Academic Dean. But we MUST have an effective Dean of Students. We are now at a critical place that if we don’t acquire a new Dean of Students so Clint can become the AD the school will soon be in serious trouble. Please pray that the Lord would bring a Native man who is a gifted discipler to be our new Dean of Students.
Thanks for standing with us in prayer for the health of Native American believers and churches!
Gratefully serving Jesus,
Dr. Jason Koppen
Indian Bible College President (and Academic Dean and Director of Development) 🙂