On Thursday and Friday we had our 17th Campus Days at the Word of Life Bible Institute. We had 8 young people come to check out the classes and other activities. On Thursday night we have an introductory meeting, pizza (of course we have pizza, I organize the event!), and some games with our students. I got to pick out the prizes too. Here is Marty holding up his classy prize.. a self-inflating Whoopie Cushion.

Our students were great. They had a lot of fun (and finished the pizza too) and were very welcoming to our guests.

Crystal and Missy showing off their prizes. Crystal was the winner of one game, and Missy was voted the worst at another game, so we gave her a prize too.

After another meeting and getting to sit in our classes and a chapel, four of our visitors filled out applications to come to the BI!

Kara finally gets on the Johnstone Blog

We have three more Campus Days this year. These are great events for young people to get challenged to study God’s Word and catch the heartbeat of our Bible Institute.

Dear Friends and Family,

We want to give you a long overdue update of the happenings with Naomi’s pregnancy, as well as the status of our Basement Project.

Naomi’s pregnancy is moving along well. She’s almost to the 32-week mark, a major milestone in this pregnancy. We are so thankful to the Lord. Her obstetrician told her that when the abruption initially occurred, the size of the haematoma was 15 cm (a “huge abruption”, according to her). Now, it covers about 2 cm. What an amazing answer to prayer! Naomi is now able to be back under the full care of the midwife we had originally hoped could oversee this pregnancy and delivery. Naomi’s midwife feels that Naomi can be free to go back to more normal levels of activity – a huge blessing! At this point, Naomi’s stamina and energy levels are pretty low from so many months of limited activity, so we’d appreciate your prayers as she tries to increase her activity level in keeping with what her body is able to do.

We are also very encouraged with the status of our Basement Project. We have sufficient funds to go ahead on Phase One of the renovation. Many thanks to those of you who gave generously to us for the completion of this project. We are pulling together all the details for a work team to come from Olds, AB, and at this point, hope to have the project completed by the end of November. We’re very excited about this and look forward to seeing it completed.

Once again, thank you all for your continued prayers and support. We trust you are as encouraged by these answers to prayer as we are!

Naomi, for us all.

Last week I had the privilege of helping teach a seminar to our students and a few guests. TERM (The Emmaus Road Message) is a Creation to Christ presentation of the Bible, for those who know little or nothing about the Bible. We want to make sure that our students understand the Gospel, and are able to clearly share it with others.

John has taught this material many times and all over the world. I have been able to help teach the seminar the past four times here at our Bible school. This time was different for me as we were using a new manuscript. Previously we had used The Stranger on the Road to Emmaus which was geared for people from a “Christian” background or culture. This new book, which won’t be in print until next year, is for people from a polytheistic (many gods) culture or background. It is a major revision, as there are many different assumptions that must be made and more foundations laid before trying to explain who Jesus Christ is.

“In the beginning, God…” (What beginning? There was no ‘beginning’. And which of the gods are being mentioned here?)

Without these changes, taking extra time to carefully lay down foundational truths about God being unique, Jesus could easily be added on to one’s religion as just another god. You must make sure that people understand that He isn’t just another god, he is the one true God.

Students following along with the study

Comments from students after the seminar:

“The Emmaus Road message is a good tool to help tie together all the events in the Bible into the most important theme of the whole book. As Christians, sometimes we don’t see why certain events or stories are in the Bible until we realize everything happened because God was preparing for this one day when Jesus would die on the cross for all of mankind.”

“I have a better understanding on how to share my faith with others and answer their questions. I feel better equipped to talk to people about Christ.”

“The Emmaus Road study has been beneficial to me because it helped me learn more in depth what God has done for me and how all the Bible stories tie together. Now I can explain the Bible to others.”

“It’s really made me reflect on what I believe. I have grown up in a Christian home, but some things I never really got. The rat (illustration of our sin) on the cross was very symbolic to me. I finally realized that God poured out His wrath for my sin on Jesus for me.”

“Thank you so much for your lectures. It was the most biblical teaching in my life.”

“I learned a lot of how things tie together that I did not know before. Answers to questions that I was afraid I would not be able to answer if someone asked me to explain something.”

“This study has been beneficial because it really helped me understand why Jesus died and why all the other things in the Old Testament had to happen.”

“It’s been beneficial because now everything fits together. It’s like a puzzle and in the end it makes a beautiful picture. I believe in God and the Bible, but now the Bible makes a little more sense.”

“…I really appreciate being taught about it. I can now talk more about God’s Word to people, because I understand it so much better!

I’m looking forward to getting my hands on this new book!

Dear Friends and Family,

We have been keeping very busy lately with our 46 new students. But we wanted to update you on a couple more personal items before time got away on us.

New Baby
Naomi went in for another ultrasound yesterday. Once again, the baby’s growth seems to be doing well. There is a bit of concern over whether the location of the abruption will affect her ability to give birth naturally, since there may be danger of haemorrhaging. We will have to look at that whole issue in a couple more months. In the meantime, we’d appreciate your prayers in this regard. On the whole, we are encouraged. Naomi often finds it necessary to take a few moments throughout the day to pray and remind herself of God’s care and goodness to us. It is easy for us to be overcome with worry and “the unknown” sometimes. We really do appreciate your continued prayers.

New Basement
We also want to update you concerning our Basement Project. We have been so encouraged to see people supporting us in this way. Currently, we have had $1600 come in. Thank you to those of you who have prayed and given. Our goal is $4500, so we still have a little ways to go, but we are excited to see it coming in. We hope to have the actual building process completed by the end of November. It will be so nice to have the extra space to make room for the littlest Johnstone.

Once again, we want to thank you all for your many emails, cards and phone calls, assuring us of your thoughts and prayers for us. We have been so blessed in our friends and family.

Troy and Naomi Johnstone

Awhile ago we asked people to pray for 45 students. We had 45 register on Friday September 8 (44 new students and one returning student who will graduate in December). On Saturday, the brother of one of our male students, who came up with his family, decided that instead of going home he should enroll as a student! He said that he hadn’t even thought of going to Bible school, but once he was here he knew that this is what he needed and what God wanted. That makes 46 students for this year. Thank you for praying, and praise the Lord God for answered prayer!

This is by far our biggest class of students, especially compared to last year when we had 25. These students come from all over and from many different backgrounds. We are excited to have our first two Albertans attending the school this year, one of which is a good friend of ours.

Dr. Wendell Calder is our keynote speaker for the weekend and guest lecturer for the first week of classes.

I have heard some interesting traveling stories.. two young men came from Nova Scotia in an old car that broke down several times and actually was rejected for a safety inspection two days before leaving! Thankfully, they and all the others traveling a long way made it.

Where they are from:
1 Brazil
1 Korea
2 United States
1 British Columbia
2 Alberta
2 New Brunswick
5 Nova Scotia
32 Ontario

Our international students proudly holding their national flags

In addition to the new students we had a couple of alumni from previous years drop by for a visit.
Nathan graduated only a few weeks ago, but he was back for a bit and stole my camera for a flattering self portrait

Laura was a student in our very first year (5 years ago!). She is showing us her new diamond ring!