Ellerslie Update -- March

Hello Everyone,

Where to start... I can't believe I am almost through my fourth week here!  Time has seemed to fly by!

Week 1~

The first week, was a week full of new things, and was stretching in a lot of ways.  There were new routines, new faces, new teachings and experiences, but it was all good.  I missed everyone from home and was pretty homesick, but it helped a lot to know that I was right where God wanted me.

There were a couple of things that God had been working with me on before I came to Ellerslie, and in the first week I was able to really surrender them to God and work through them.  It was one of the hardest things I have ever done, but also one of the most rewarding.  Now, that is not to say that I don't need to grow in those areas still, just that I made some really good progress.  = )

If I had to pick what my favorite thing was that I learned that first week, it would have to be that the conviction of the Holy Spirit and obedience to it, is sweet (highly satisfying), even if it is not easy.  It was a week of dying to Self and letting Christ take His rightful place as Lord in all areas of my life.  Again, not easy and not something I have perfected, or ever will perfect, but totally worth the surrender!

Week 2~

The second week I really started to settle into a routine.  I learned everybody's names and  was a lot more comfortable with everyone.  Everyone is wonderful!

In one of the sessions I learned about some of the lies that the enemy tries to use against us (i.e. all this work is for nothing; the progress you have made is not real.  There is no real strength in your faith; even the slightest breeze from the enemy could destroy it.  You cannot take the rubbish of your inner life and expect to revive what has already been destroyed.) and how to stand up against those lies with scripture (i.e. "My grace is sufficient for thee: for My strength is made perfect in weakness." ~2 Corinthians 12:9; "Being confident of this very thing, that He which hath begun a good work in you will preform it until the day of Jesus Christ." ~Philippians 1:6; "I can do all things  through Christ which strengthens me." ~Philippians 4:13; "The LORD is my rock, and my fortress, and my deliverer; my God, my strength, in whom I will trust; my buckler, and the horn of my salvation, and my strong tower." ~Psalm 18:2  Just to name a few).  The devil is sneaky, because he always mixes a little bit of truth in to his lies.  Like with the above example, it is true that we can't do anything on our own.  But, when we acknowledge that fact, and ask Jesus to help us, He takes over and is strong and able for us.

Other sessions were about allowing God to take over as the head and director of my life.  They dug deeper into how the die to Self, so that Christ can rule and be exalted in my whole being.  I learned the importance of stating before other believers, that I am no longer ruled to my flesh's demands, but that I am a new creation through Christ death and resurrection. That it is no longer I that live, but Christ that lives through me and that I have been raised to the right hand of the Father in Christ.  That means, that because I am in Christ, I have the power of Christ in me and when I am aligned with His Word, I have His authority here in earth.  It is amazing and humbling to me that the God of the universe, who doesn't need us at all, chooses to use us and work through us, even though we are nowhere close to perfect.

Week 3~

I have to start out by saying, "WOW!".  This week was an amazing week to be a part of!  

As a campus, we spent most of the week praying for the students who were having a hard time reckoning the whole truth of salvation for themselves.  It was the start of learning how to pray on a whole new level.  This was not a quick five minute prayer.  It was being in active battle for hours on end, fighting for a cause that needed to be fought for.  But it was fighting with the knowledge that my God had already won the victory.  I love being on the winning side!  I found out that when I am battling in prayer, I need to be pacing most of the time.  So, I not only gained a deeper knowledge of prayer and the victory through prayer, I got some good exercise as well.  = )  It was amazing to see God set people free from burdens and lies that the enemy has had them trapped under for years. 

This past Sunday my family and a couple friends came up to Windsor for the day.  It was so nice to see everyone!  They came up for a special purpose though, which made it even more awesome.  Somewhere in the 2nd week, I felt God nudging me to be rebaptized.  I had made a declaration of faith through baptism a few years ago, and it was a genuine dying to self and allowing Christ to rule, but I felt like God was asking me to restate that commitment as an adult.  So, on Sunday I was baptized, along with some of my fellow students, in the lake that is on the Ellerslie campus.  The weather was quite chilly, probably no more than 50*, with a breeze and the lake had only been thawed for about a week and a half, so it was a bit cold.   Before any of you feel to sorry for me, it really wasn't bad.  I wouldn't have wanted to stay in the water for very long, but the quick in and out was not bad at all.  My Daddy, was the one to baptize me, which was very special for me (he did my first baptism too) and I was really blessed that my whole family, plus a couple of friends could be there (Thanks guys!).  All in all, it was an amazing week!

Week 4 ~

This week, we jumped back into the normal class routine.  I wish that I could share all of the sessions with you guys, but you all are probably sick of me already.  And if you aren't now, you would be by then ; )  But, just to give you a taste, so far this week I have learned about grace on a deep level, more tactics the enemy tries to use against me, how Jesus is the perfect fulfillment of all the Old Testament prophesies and how He is proved trustworthy by the Canon test, how to become a spiritual athlete and sharpened tool for the Lord, fortification (God's protection against enemy attacks, the lost art of women's true beauty (Leslie Ludy did this session with just the girls.) and how the Holy Spirit purges and strengthens me.  I am by no means done learning about any of the things that have been covered, but I have learned a lot.

There is a temporary student that came in last night, who is going to be rooming with me for the next 8 days.  She is very sweet and I am looking forward to building more of a relationship with her.

Before I came, Jesus was my Rock and my strength, but since I have been here, He has gotten so much bigger and grander.  I love and am awed be the fact that there is no end to His greatness and that I get to spend an eternity deepening and expanding my knowledge, awe and praise of Him.

Since being here I have come to even more appreciate the quiet, alone times that I have with my Savior.  There is something wonderful about being able to sit down and really dig into God's Word or wait on Him to reveal Himself to me, without interruption.  The atmosphere here was created specifically to enable people to set aside the cares of the world so that they can run after God whole heartedly.  I know that my time here is a unique and special season, and I am cherishing every moment of this time that I get to be set apart from the distractions of daily life.  These nine weeks are laying a foundation that I will build on for the rest of my life.  I am so thankful for all that has happened and I am eagerly awaiting the things that are yet to come, both here and once I get home.

Thank you all for your prayers!  They have been felt and they are greatly appreciated!

If you would please pray:

*That God would continue to empty me of all that is not of Him.

*That God will fill me with His Holy Spirit and then pour me out for those in need.

*That I would be glorifying to God in all my thoughts, actions, and words.

*That the last lingering bit of this cold would go away (The first cold was gone the first week and then I picked up another one at the beginning of the second week.  This one is not very bad, but it would still be nice if it would go away.)

*That I would grow in boldness and knowledge when it comes to sharing the truth about Jesus with people.

Well, hopefully that wasn't too overwhelming.  It did end up a lot longer than I was thinking originally, but there is just so much to share.  = D  I hope all of you are having a wonderful week!

Blessings,

Hannah

"He must increase, but I must decrease."  ~ John 3:30

"The LORD is my strength and song, and He is become my salvation: He is my God and I will prepare Him an habitation; my father's God, and I will exalt Him."  ~ Exodus 15:2