The past month and a half since returning from my coast adventure has been one of God increasing His felt presence in me and my resting in Him. God has been doing some cool things through me and continues to challenge my faith in Him. My second year so far has had a very different feel, and I feel I have changed a lot in the process.
ECA Update
The first four weeks of school have flown by. I feel a much deeper connection with the students this year and can build on that even more throughout the year. I know that this year will be both challenging and rewarding. I don’t know at this point if I will be teaching at ECA next year, but I need to be faithful with this year. One of the most exciting things is that I got to continue being with the senior class (11th grade last year) as one of the homeroom teachers. They were going to put me with a different class because of my schedule, and I was upset about it because my heart is with that class. And thankfully God allowed me to be with them. Right now I am teaching basketball for grades 5-12 and track and field for grades 2-4. I am also coaching a basketball elective and middle school girls’ volleyball. There seems to be a spiritual buzz and expectancy at ECA this year.
God’s Healing Power
I have gotten several chances to pray for the physical healing of people and have seen God’s grace working through me. I prayed for the shoulder and neck for a guy in Barranquilla and the pain progressively went away. On my flight back to Bogotá, I sat next to a guy who needed surgery in a few months. I told him that God would heal him and that he wouldn’t even need surgery and also prayed for him. About a month later he told me that he went to the doctor and didn’t have the problem anymore and didn’t need surgery! I also prayed for the knee of a teacher at ECA, and she is close to 100% better. I prayed for a few other people, too. I may never see the results until heaven, but that is okay.
Ministry Opportunities
I had several opportunities to visit ministries in Bogotá with people I know that work at those places. I went with a guy to the south of Bogotá (which isn’t the safest area) to visit a guy in a wheelchair at the top of a big hill. It was cool to see where he lived and get to pray for him and his mom. We then visited a center for older people in wheelchairs. The guy took me around to visit rooms, buildings, and people. It was a very different experience, but a blessing indeed. I got to pray for several people throughout the day.
Another ministry I visited was one where a teacher at ECA works with. This was also high upon a hill. It’s a place where kids come for tutoring, English lessons, and other activities. I didn’t feel super helpful, but it was good to have the experience. I also got to help a Colombian friend give English lessons for some of his students so they could have experience with a native speaker. Teaching English is not an easy thing!
A few weeks ago I got to be a part of an E3 mission trip for one day with a group from the States along with Colombian translators. My group went to a poorer part of the city to do door-to-door evangelism. The experience was a little strange and uncomfortable, but I got to practice sharing the gospel in Spanish, meet new people, and be a blessing.
Pressing On
One of the greatest blessings lately has been “forgetting what lies behind and straining toward what’s ahead.” After returning from the coast, I felt very discouraged and frustrated with things and experienced a lot of physical fatigue and cloudy thinking. I have been thinking a lot about the future and what God may have for me after this school year. I would like to work with a ministry where I can be immersed in Spanish. I am trying to focus on the important things, to rest in God and be still, and to choose joy. I know God is doing a lot in me right now, and I need to keep pressing on and pressing in to Him in the hard situations and the good ones. I am thankful for all that God has brought me through!
Philippians 3:13-14 “…forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.”
Hebrews 13:16 “For everyone born of God overcomes the world. And this is the victory that has overcome the world – our faith.”
En Cristo,
Jonathan Snyder
“For we walk by faith, not by sight.”
ECA Update
The first four weeks of school have flown by. I feel a much deeper connection with the students this year and can build on that even more throughout the year. I know that this year will be both challenging and rewarding. I don’t know at this point if I will be teaching at ECA next year, but I need to be faithful with this year. One of the most exciting things is that I got to continue being with the senior class (11th grade last year) as one of the homeroom teachers. They were going to put me with a different class because of my schedule, and I was upset about it because my heart is with that class. And thankfully God allowed me to be with them. Right now I am teaching basketball for grades 5-12 and track and field for grades 2-4. I am also coaching a basketball elective and middle school girls’ volleyball. There seems to be a spiritual buzz and expectancy at ECA this year.
God’s Healing Power
I have gotten several chances to pray for the physical healing of people and have seen God’s grace working through me. I prayed for the shoulder and neck for a guy in Barranquilla and the pain progressively went away. On my flight back to Bogotá, I sat next to a guy who needed surgery in a few months. I told him that God would heal him and that he wouldn’t even need surgery and also prayed for him. About a month later he told me that he went to the doctor and didn’t have the problem anymore and didn’t need surgery! I also prayed for the knee of a teacher at ECA, and she is close to 100% better. I prayed for a few other people, too. I may never see the results until heaven, but that is okay.
Ministry Opportunities
I had several opportunities to visit ministries in Bogotá with people I know that work at those places. I went with a guy to the south of Bogotá (which isn’t the safest area) to visit a guy in a wheelchair at the top of a big hill. It was cool to see where he lived and get to pray for him and his mom. We then visited a center for older people in wheelchairs. The guy took me around to visit rooms, buildings, and people. It was a very different experience, but a blessing indeed. I got to pray for several people throughout the day.
Another ministry I visited was one where a teacher at ECA works with. This was also high upon a hill. It’s a place where kids come for tutoring, English lessons, and other activities. I didn’t feel super helpful, but it was good to have the experience. I also got to help a Colombian friend give English lessons for some of his students so they could have experience with a native speaker. Teaching English is not an easy thing!
A few weeks ago I got to be a part of an E3 mission trip for one day with a group from the States along with Colombian translators. My group went to a poorer part of the city to do door-to-door evangelism. The experience was a little strange and uncomfortable, but I got to practice sharing the gospel in Spanish, meet new people, and be a blessing.
Pressing On
One of the greatest blessings lately has been “forgetting what lies behind and straining toward what’s ahead.” After returning from the coast, I felt very discouraged and frustrated with things and experienced a lot of physical fatigue and cloudy thinking. I have been thinking a lot about the future and what God may have for me after this school year. I would like to work with a ministry where I can be immersed in Spanish. I am trying to focus on the important things, to rest in God and be still, and to choose joy. I know God is doing a lot in me right now, and I need to keep pressing on and pressing in to Him in the hard situations and the good ones. I am thankful for all that God has brought me through!
Philippians 3:13-14 “…forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.”
Hebrews 13:16 “For everyone born of God overcomes the world. And this is the victory that has overcome the world – our faith.”
En Cristo,
Jonathan Snyder
“For we walk by faith, not by sight.”