Where To Start

We're just going to have a random list of things that have happened in the last month that I haven't had time to write. Sit back, here we go... (Oh , and just like in my picture posts, - random order.)

1.Phoebe left for Bible College yesterday. It all came about suddenly in like less that a week. Martha and I cried. Phoebe will be gone for a year. It's a good opportunity for her.

2. The whole Phoebe going away to college thing came about because O. wanted to have girls study in our Bible College which I am firmly against and here is why:
A. It's not part of our vision - which is to train pastors to go into the field.
B. In my extensive experience, girls in India mainly study in Bible College as a way to pass the time before they are married.
C. Having girls would create a whole new set of expenses. Everything would have to be seperate.

So these are my reasons. And my example to prove my point - of the 5 women mainly involved in our ministry here in our city- only 1 has studied in Bible College. The other 4 of us never spent an hour in Bible College.

Now, don't get me wrong. I'm all for girls studying and things like that - Bryn Mawr grad writing here. But it's all about zeal and not about passing the time.

Then I got a vision. This happens occasionally. I have an idea for a 3 month traing course for girls. It would include things like basic Bible, how to study the Bible for yourself, how to teach small groups, large groups, and children's Sunday School. Other things included would be marriage and family courses, basic healthcare and things like that. It would be heavily focused on particiaption and there would be required field work for at least a month at the end.

I haven't even had a chance to share it withO. yet, but I think he'll like it. The short duration of the course would hopefully weed out "time passers" and we would be clear that all duties(like cooking, cleaning) would be taken care of by the girls themselves. We'll see what happens.

*Ultimately, O. agreed with me about the girls and that's why we sent 4 off yesterday to a Bible College that does accept girls. We remain: all boys.

3. O. had a chance to visit one of our pastors in S. India recently and was blown away by%2