A New Beginning

Semester 2 is underway! We finished our midyear exams last week, and I think everyone is enjoying the fact that we are learning new things now instead of reviewing for and taking all of those end-of-semester tests and exams. I am, for sure. And now we're getting closer to the end of the school year! I find it hard to believe that we're this far along already.

Grade 10 at flag raising on Monday morning. Photo: Vanessa

I've had an unexpected challenge and blessing this week: One of our volunteers left and someone was needed to pick up her Bible 7 class. Since I am one of the few people this year who doesn't have a Bible class in the mornings, it was handed to me. I am thrilled because it is my class from last year, and I haven't been able to teach them at all this year. I always really enjoy spending time with them! But on the other hand, it is a big challenge because my schedule has already been rather full! It is exciting though, because I am finally able to have a bit more of a direct influence on their spiritual lives again. I'm looking forward to the things we can talk and learn about together.

This week we've been learning about the Waldenses. It's been a blessing for me, and I think the kids have been understanding the concepts well enough that it's made them think as well. I discovered this article by a good friend, which is full of really good lessons we can learn from the lives of the Waldenses. It is easily simplified, so we've been using it in our class! Today we talked about the missionary efforts of the Waldenses, and the kids drew pictures of the Waldenses going away from their mountain homes to share the Bible with the people down in the cities. I'll share a few of my favorites with you:

Sun

Nak

Seila

Mao

"The spirit of Christ is a missionary spirit. The very first impulse of the renewed heart is to bring others also to the Saviour. Such was the spirit of the Vaudois Christians. They felt that God required more of them than merely to preserve the truth in its purity in their own churches; that a solemn responsibility rested upon them to let their light shine forth to those who were in darkness" (The Great Controversy, page 70).