Greetings!
Greetings! You are often in my thoughts and prayers as we enjoy this time away in Canada.
It’s just after 5am here in Vancouver and my first glance out of the window tells me that we are in for a sunny day. The weather has not been great since we arrived – a lot of rain. It has not dampened our enjoyment of the place, but the Canadians are complaining bitterly that it’s nearly the end of May and spring has not yet arrived. As soon as the sun peeps through, however, they are on their bikes and on the beaches in their droves. We have thoroughly enjoyed living in Vancouver and have no difficulty understanding why it has been rated the most desirable city in the world for two years running. In the spare time we have had we have explored much of the city to our great pleasure. A couple of evenings ago I did a 10 km run around Stanley Park, and last night Irene and I enoyed a walk along the beach as the sun was setting and casting a pink sheen over the mirror-like water and the snow-capped mountains in the distance.
Last Friday I completed my first two courses – the Gospel of John (25 hours) and Kinetic Christianity (25 hours). John was taught by an Aussie prof who has taught at Regent for 15 years, and Kinetic Christianity by a visiting prof who treaches at Oxford. Both were stimulating and life-giving. This week I am taking a course on Ageing and the Elderly (15 hours) taught by James Houston, the founder of Regent and author of many books. He is 88 and full of godly wisdom. Sitting under his teaching is like sitting at the feet of Jesus. My afternoon course on the book of James is taught by a young single woman in her thirties who has done both her Master’s and PhD on the letter of James. She is very knowledgable and I am learning a lot. The contrast between the two, however, is summed up in a proverb I heard yesterday: “He who learns from the young is like one who eats unripe grapes and drinks from the wine press. He who learns from the old is like one who eats ripe grapes and drinks vintage wine.”
In addition I have been able to attend a number of very stimulating Public Lectures and Chapel Services at Regent, and on the weekends we have visited several churches. I have had the privilege of hearing authors Mark Buchanan (author of 6 books currently available at Word on the Street) and Darrell Johnson preach. Last Sunday evening we attended Tenth Avanue Alliance Church and found it to be full of YA–a similar kind of service to our evening service. Made me homesick for RUC!
On Friday we take the ferry to Victoria to return the vehicle friends so kindly loaned us for the month, and then on Tuesday we begin our travels east to visit family and friends in the province of Alberta.
Irene joins me in sending much love.
May the peace of Christ be with you.
Leigh