It was the last chapel service before the Ministry Immersion Trip (MIT). One by one students stood and shared openly about their struggles, failures, and desire to follow the Lord wholeheartedly. One recurring theme was their feelings of being unworthy to be at IBC. Several apologized for sin they had committed and publicly repented. Most shed some tears and a few wept openly. What a privilege to see God at work in our midst!

At this point in the semester inevitably there are discipline issues and problems in the student body. Chapel provided an opportunity to seek the Lord and clear the air of anything that needed to be dealt with before the trip.

I did not personally attend either of the two Ministry Immersion Trips this year but have continued to work in the office as well as take a few days off to be with my sister who is visiting from Dallas, Texas. I hear that at least 7 youth publicly expressed a desire to follow Christ as a result of the student’s ministries. One student was able to share his testimony on the radio station that had influenced him to trust Christ a number of years ago. One team served in Window Rock, Arizona, capital of the Navajo Nation. A second, larger team ministered in Phoenix, Arizona.

The week before the MIT the students fanned out across the local community to serve in a women’s shelter, picked up trash on our two adopted streets, assisted with maintenance at a local Christian camp ground, did some yard clean up for neighbors, and worked around the school.

There are 5 more weeks in the semester, followed by several weeks of in-service, and then I will be heading out on the road to visit you all. This summer I hope to bring two Native staff and several students out to meet those of you who live in the eastern Massachusetts area. More on that in the next update. . .