God has kept peace

Thank you for remembering us in your prayers.
There was tension yesterday but God restrained those who were
threatening violence and the day passed peacefully.

The local province officials and the police are continuing to work on
the problem and there are meetings organised over the next few days
between representatives from the two villages involved.

At the heart of the issue is a land dispute, a huge issue in Vanuatu.
Land is a very important part of identity and security, but earlier
British/French occupation has made traditional land ownership very
difficult to determine and there is now the added problem of many
villages selling their land. Almost every staff/student at Talua that
we have asked is involved in a land dispute of some sort and the
disputes can easily end up with slander or violence. This is an ongoing
matter for prayer in Vanuatu.

Trouble Nearby

There has been a little unrest in the nearby village and threats have
been made of violence tomorrow. The police have been notified to help
ensure that there is no trouble, but please pray that this matter will
be resolved peacefully.

Two teaching weeks left

There are now two weeks of lectures left in this term and then exams.

We will both continue to meet individually with the students we are
mentoring and then we will meet in our groups on Friday 9th November.
Please pray for the students during these final weeks of mentoring,
especially that there be no interruptions to our time together, that
Rachael will be able to have good conversations reflecting on the year,
and that Glen would be able to encourage his students as they prepare
to go for one year of field experience.

Over the next two weeks Glen will be teaching Revelation to the 2nd and
4th year diploma students. He would greatly appreciate prayer for this!

Over the next few weeks the College will be reviewing applications for
next year. Please pray for wisdom in the selection process, that the
students chosen will be godly men and women who know and love Jesus.
Pray also for wisdom as we decide whether there are enough applications
for the degree course to begin next year.

Please pray that God may provide us with a bursar for next year. If no
one suitable is found then this work will probably be taken by Glen.

A bad flu has been going around the College. It is beginning to pass,
but many are not yet in full health. It affected all of our family,
but especially Glen and Matthew who are still trying to shake it off.
Please pray that God would restore us to full health, and give thanks
for the reminder that we are longing for our resurrection bodies and
our eternal home in which there will be no more sickness and pain. Give
thanks that God has blessed us with very good health through this year.

Assembly Week

This week most of the teaching staff from Talua are at General
Assembly. The students have been left work to do, but it is still a
good chance for them to catch their breath a little. Glen decided not
to go to Assembly this year because it is during teaching time and
there are already several representatives from Australia attending.

Glen has been continuing to meet individually with three students:
John, Kasai & Jilifi. We are now talking about how to write Bible
studies, as they are keen to learn this before they leave for their one
year field experience next year. Each week we read through a Bible
passage together, try to work out the main ideas and applications, and
then write a study together. This is working very well and they are
learning a lot, but it would be better if they were actually leading
studies! Next year I may try to organise for the students to lead Bible
studies in nearby villages. Please pray for the spiritual growth of
these students, and that they will grow in their understanding of God's
Word, their ability to teach it to others and their trust in God to
work powerfully when his Word is taught.

Glen would also appreciate prayer as he is teaching 1 & 2 Samuel to
Diploma 1 over the next few weeks. He is finding this more difficult
than normal because it is not an area he has studied a lot and he was
not given a lot of preparation time before the course started.

Rachael has been finding teaching a real challenge. It is a constant
struggle to teach at the right level and she has had to alter her
course a number of times this term. Nevertheless, Rachael is encouraged
that some of the women are really keen to learn to write Bible studies
and are working hard at understanding Bible passages and writing
questions that will help other women to understand too. Please continue
to pray for Rachael and the women doing this course.

All three children have a cough at the moment and consequently nights
are disturbed. Please pray for patience for Rachael and a quick return
to health for the children.

Talua has a large debt which it is difficult to pay. It is important
for us to pay this, but even more important for us to make sure
responsible systems of financial management are in place to make sure
we are being faithful with what we are given. Please pray that God
would provide us with a capable bursar for next year and the other
staff needed at the College.