the essence

I have a formal paper due Thursday; you know, one with an index, abstract summary & all that jazz. Its on marketing research methods & I was just reading the conclusion of the rough draft that I wrote last week. I don't even remember writing that stuff, which shows why you shouldn't wait until the last minute to write your papers late at night (it soudned pretty good though, I even surprised myself). :)

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Last night was our 1 Corinthians Bible Study. Its really good & in-depth like the studies we have back home. I've really been missing that kind of thing over here, the teaching at the chapel is pretty good, & its biblical, but overall I'm not that impressed. To be honest, I don't get as much out of the teaching here as I do back home, BUT, I think I've grown more being over here than if I were back home.

Anyone who knows me knows that I don't really like going to the chapel over here, but just the whole situation has helped me to grow. Dealing with the change has been part of it, but since I don't like things here I'm having to learn to have the right attitudes about things, to "humbly submit" as Darlene put it (although I haven't done too well with that), to have the sincere love of Christ for people that I would rather never see again in my life, & to realize that just because something is different doesn't mean its wrong. I may not like it, agree with it, or think its the best way, but I know its nott flat out wrong.

I know that the Lord has me here for a reason. I don't know what that reason is, but that doesn't matter. I just need to have the right attitude about it. For all I know he may have me here just to learn the things I mentioned. If I was still in my comfort zone back home I believe I'd still be immature in these areas (at least more so than I currently am).

Anyway, this Bible Study is really good & reminds me of the Tuesday night college study we used to have at David's house when I lived over there. But last night they were talking about whether or not to continue. Apparently the people who were complaining that we didn't have a Bible Study are the ones who sporadically show up. Raymond F., who's kind of been leading this, was saying how disappointed/upset etc. he was with these people & was wondering or not whether we should keep going with it. All 8 of us who actually showed up last night decided we did like it & thought we should keep going even if there were only three of us who came.

I voted to keep going even though I am mixed about it. By the end of Sunday I'm so tired & want to go home, but at the same time I'm enjoying this study. So, I made sure to tell him that I thought we should still have it, but with my exams & stuff I wouldn't always be able to make it.

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Well, I should be going now. Places to go & people to see after all.