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A GRATEFUL HEART
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THE THOMAS FAMILY
Holsby is very happy to announce that we have a new principal!! WELCOME to Luke & Cheryl Thomas, and 17–month–old daughter, Emmalise!!
The Thomas family arrived in Sweden a couple of weeks ago. We've been waiting quite a while for this role to be filled within our Holsby family. It's good to know that God's timing is perfect! Temporarily, while a campus house is being renovated, they will live in an apartment in the village.
On the first Sunday evening, the staff and students officially welcomed them. John shared from Romans 12:1–2 and also asked both Cheryl and Luke some very thought–provoking questions. All in all, it let us get to know our new principal and his wife a little bit better — to understand what led them to Holsby, and what is shaping their lives as they grow on in Christ.
Luke began their first full week here with 9 hours of classroom lectures. His subject — Kings and Commoners: Living Above and Beyond Ourselves.
This is not the first time Luke and Cheryl have lived abroad. Luke spent 4 years in Mongolia teaching English as a second language. Cheryl was in China studying the language and hoping to work with Tibetan people. She traveled to Mongolia one Christmas to visit her sister and family — and met Luke! That was the beginning …. Now they have been married 3 years. After leaving Mongolia, they spent a half year working at Capernwray Hall in England before moving on to Kansas, USA (Cheryl's home), where they lived/worked for 2 years.
Luke and Cheryl both attended Moody Bible Institute in Chicago for 4 years. They each graduated with a B.A. in Bible (Cheryl with a minor also in Elementary Education). While in Mongolia, Luke completed an M.A. from Wheaton College in Intercultural Studies — working online, attending summer classes at Wheaton, as well as some classes in Thailand. (Quite an international education!)
The desire to serve has been in their hearts for a long time — but nothing seemed to stand out in particular. Luke grew up at a Torchbearer center (Ravencrest in Colorado) where his father, Chris Thomas, was the director. (Chris is currently International Director of Torchbearers). As he witnessed God's work in the lives of young people, he felt more and more drawn to being involved at one of the centers.
Luke shared:
I desired to develop and grow within a team already in place. Holsby had a great staff environment which would offer opportunity to give out of what the Lord has given us. I did not feel so drawn to a particular country as much as to simply serve in a role within a Torchbearer (TB) team. Actually, working at a European TB center has always had an appeal.
Last May, Luke and Cheryl visited Holsby before making any kind of decision. He says:
It was an "intense decision." We desired to be able to settle in somewhere. It always kind of came back to wanting to be a part of the lives of young people. After a month of working through various thoughts, we felt the Lord's confirmation concerning Holsby.
What are their expectations now that they are finally in Sweden?
Cheryl: I desire to grow more and be used of the Lord — all at the same time. I'm excited to get to know the girls around campus. I want to learn from others.
Luke: We want to be ready to apply ourselves fully. We want to settle in, dig deep, and let the roots go down. I want to grow — want to learn more of God’s love in order to love others more. Of course I could just parrot everything I know and have learned over the years, but I don't want to do that. I want to make sure that I am growing, that it is coming from my heart. I don’t want just the lingo. I want that maturing together to include me!
Colossians 1:28–29 expresses their desire:
So we tell others about Christ,
warning everyone and teaching everyone
with all the wisdom God has given us.
We want to present them to God,
perfect/mature in their relationship to Christ.
That’s why I work and struggle so hard,
depending on Christ’s mighty power that works within me.
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HÖST FEST
It might sound redundant to write about having a grateful heart from which to say thanks! But it makes one ask the question: Why do I give thanks? Is it out of obligation because it is the right thing to do? Is it because I got something I wanted? OR does a grateful heart within me bubble over with thanksgiving and joy because I belong to the Lord Who does ALL things well — whether it involves difficulties or delights — and I trust HIM.
There are various international Thanksgiving celebrations, and one of them is here at Holsby. We call it the Höst Fest (Autumn Fest). It is our own day set aside to recognize most specifically the Giver of all good things and express our gratitude to HIM for all HE is and all HE has done!
Staff, students, and invited guests gathered in the dining room for a delightful evening of fellowship and appetizing cuisine. Flaming turkeys (a sparkler was the flaming part) with all the trimmings, and pumpkin and apple pies being the grand finale, made for a celebration to be remembered. In between courses, Scripture verses about giving thanks were shared, and we also praised the Lord with music.
Express your joy in singing among yourselves
psalms and hymns and spiritual songs,
making music in your hearts for the ears of God!
At all times and for everything
giving thanks in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ
to God the Father.
Ephesians 5:19–20
Yes, indeed! It is a good thing to give thanks to the Lord — not just in festive times, but even when one feels overwhelmed by circumstances.
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FAMILY GROUP CAMPING
Sweden is a country of incredible beauty! There is so much even reasonably close to the campus to simply discover and enjoy!!
On a weekend this past month, one of the family groups decided to do an overnight camping jaunt. They had rather ideal weather for this time of the year. Because of our extended fall, there were even still magnificently colored trees. Sunset over the lake by which they camped was also oh so majestic and serene!
It was a good time of bonding more together as a group. In the evening, "Ye olde editor" and Wally (newly arrived home from Latvia) surprised them with a visit — bearing gifts of hot chocolate and cookies! It was cold that night — right at the freezing point.
The time was memorable and not soon to be forgotten!
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"DISCOVERY" KAYAKS
"Discovery" was out there again on one of their excursions! This time it was kayaking in the Baltic Sea! Was it cold? Yes!! They encountered an incredible fog as well — barely seeing 50 meters ahead of themselves. However, they also experienced sunny sky and blue waters another day.
These circumstances presented plentiful opportunity to be exercised in trust. Here is how a couple of them experienced it —
It was an awesome time to be outdoors for a few days/nights and see God's wonderful creation. Every day we had two leaders who were chosen by Timo and Alfred. When I had my turn, it was foggy the whole day! We did not see anything around us. Timo showed us our final destination of the day, and it was our responsibility to lead the whole group there. We set our bearings with the compasses and led the group through the fog. It was really hard for me to trust only the compass and the map — we hardly saw 50 meters ahead of us. We did not see the islands around us, nor the sun. It is sometimes really hard to trust in God because we cannot see Him. But it is important that we do.
Kayaking in the Baltic Sea was definitely a challenging experience for everyone! One day was totally foggy. Being totally dependent on the compass, the map and the leaders of the group made me think of the comparison to our walk with Christ. The compass is like the Holy Spirit who is continually pointing towards Jesus. The map from which we took our bearings is represented by the Bible. And our leader always must be Jesus. We were all headed toward the same goal, but the journey was just as important as the final destination. ["Ye olde editor" thinks that often it is more so.]
Trust in the LORD with all your heart;
do not depend on your own understanding.
Seek His will in all you do,
and He will show you which path to take.
Proverbs 3:5–6
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A WORD FROM OUR DIRECTOR — JOHN POYSTI
In this issue of the NEWS UPDATE, we'd like to take a peek at the goings–on of our director, John, and his wife, Christine. The Poystis have been with us in Holsby for almost 7 years, and we thank the Lord for the investment of their hearts and lives into the people who come on campus.
Recently, John lectured to the students on Bible Interpretation. At the concluding session on contextualization (applying biblical truth in various cultural settings), John presented them with a few case studies, and then had the students debate among themselves how they would approach them, using what they have learned so far in class. Here are a couple examples:
- Some young people in a church in California decide to celebrate the Lord's Supper using coke and potato chips to represent the elements. Is this an acceptable case of contextualization? Why or why not?
- In Papua New Guinea, they don't eat bread, they eat yams, and their only drink other than water is goat's milk. The missionaries decided to translate the "bread" and "wine" of the Lord's Supper to "yams" and "goat's milk." Is this acceptable? Why or why not?
A very lively debate ensued .... To read more, click here.
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CAMPUS FUN SHOTS
When lecturer John Ashmen comes, students are always introduced to surströmming — the nastiest smelling fish in Sweden. Always outdoors, of course!
A student social committee plans weekend fun nights at least a couple of times a month.
It pays to have a really clean room in the dorm — so these girls found out!
Director John wants to make sure you get in on this one, so he has contributed the following:
Every year, sometime during the fall term, "prank season" begins. In an ever–escalating, but usually friendly, "war," the men’s and the ladies’ dorms try to outdo each other with their creative tricks. The pranks often involve the theft of some item deemed necessary by the other party (shoes, bedding, etc.), or the strategic placing of water or malodorous booby traps in the most inconvenient place possible. This year was no exception ....
However, after evidently reflecting on the words in the Sermon on the Mount, Blessed are the peacemakers ..., the girls decided to end the escalation with a "prank of kindness." Secretive and elaborate planning ensued, culminating in an evening the guys will not soon forget. The ladies lured their unwitting victims into the Chapel, and after an enthusiastic "Surprise!!" each guy was escorted upstairs to the BIK for an evening of hot chocolate and a special slide show.
Parents and siblings had been asked to send pictures from the younger years of their sons or brothers. Everyone had fun trying to guess their identity — to the mild embarrassment of the victims. The ladies then read a humorous story (contributed by a family member) about each student, sometimes causing them further embarrassment, but it was evident that this was a prank that had ended the war. Stay tuned for further reprisals of kindness!
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PRAYER/PRAISE UPDATE — by John Poysti
- Pray for Luke, Cheryl, and Emmalise Thomas as they settle in to their apartment in the village of Holsbybrunn. They are looking forward to developing contacts with their neighbors and making progress in learning the Swedish language. Pray that the adjustment to a new culture will go smoothly.
- Pray for the comprehensive renovation work that has been started on two of the unoccupied buildings on the Holsby campus. One of the buildings will become Luke's and Cheryl’s new home. Pray for the funds and manpower needed to get this project done in good time. Any volunteers out there?!
- The Holsby basketball team lost their first home scrimmage game to perennial powerhouse Nässjö, but showed encouraging signs of coming together as a team. Pray for coach Danny Stephens and his team of all–Canadian students as they compete and interact with local athletes. The goal is not only to win games but to also win hearts for the Lord.
- We are grateful for a week of lectures on the "Life of Peter" with Peter Reid, principal of Bodenseehof Bible School in Germany. Staff joined the students in class for our annual staff enrichment week. Pray that the truth of God’s Word will continue to transform our hearts and minds.
- Christmas break for the Bible school is from 15 December to 7 January. Pray for the safety of our students as they travel — some to their families, and others around various places in Europe. Also pray for our itinerant staff families (Ashmens, Millers, and soon the Strohms) who are on home assignment in these weeks.
- Thank you for continuing to pray for our German friend, Puschel. After spending a good two weeks in palliative care, she was allowed to go home to Bülow, which must be her favorite spot on earth! She is making some progress, but still struggles with severe cramping in her legs. This may be due to her bout with meningitis. Pray for a very tangible release from the severity of these cramps. Pray for strength for the whole family in these days of meeting her physical needs.
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FIRST SUNDAY OF ADVENT
The first Sunday of Advent has already come and gone. That marks the official start of the whole Christmas holiday season. With very little exception, every home/apartment in Sweden displays at least one Advent light. At this dark time of the year, the lights give added cheer. Of course, for us as believers, we know this season prepares the way for the coming of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, Who is the Light of the world!
Each year, students and staff from Holsby usually go into town (Vetlanda) on this Sunday and share in the festivities — which usually include a time of singing in the square as people mill around and enjoy the celebration. It also includes traditional folk–dancing around the massive lighted Christmas tree in the middle of the square. This year there was an exception! Shortly after all the shuttles had been announced at Sunday lunch, word was passed around to the students/staff that the whole program had been cancelled because of forecasted severe winds (which came in full strength that evening). That was a "first" for all the 38 years Holsby has been in existence. Of course it was a disappointment, but the students found a way of compensating. They got out there in the circle in front of Brunnsgården and sang and danced around the tree!!
Advent is celebrated widely in Europe. In fact, here in Sweden, Christmas does not begin until the 24th of December — and continues on until the 20th day of Christmas (13 January). That is when all the decorations are removed.
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ALL GOD'S BEST
From our home at Holsby to yours — wherever you are, we want to wish you all the best for a blessed Advent/Christmas season!
The world wants to take Christ out of Christmas and commercialize it more than ever! Let HIM find ample room in your hearts and homes this season! It is because of God's great love that Jesus came! And HIS reason for coming was YOU and ME!! On this HIS birthday, take time and find ways to tell HIM how much you love HIM. And always remember — our greatest expression of love to our Savior and Lord is our obedience to HIM. Jesus says:
If you love me,
obey my commandments.
John 14:15
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TACK SÅ MYCKET!
Thanks so much to a number of people who contributed their photos to this issue of the NEWS UPDATE! And please note that there will be no publication for 1 January.
See you all again February 1st!
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