The grass has greened up, buds are starting to open on the trees, but today, it is snowing here in Owen Sound.

April was a packed month at our Bible Institute. We had two Campus Days, a Bible conference with Dr. Renald Showers, and last week a seminar from Answers in Genesis.

The AiG seminar presented the creation vs evolution debate to our students and the importance of upholding the book of Genesis as the foundation for our Christian faith. It was surprising to hear the speaker say that of the 120-130 theological schools that AiG has surveyed in North America, less than 30 uphold the literal interpretation of Genesis! Many of the schools that traditionally would have held this view have moved away from it in recent years. Increasingly, we see the vital necessity of providing people with the opportunity to get grounded in the Bible’s foundational truths before they head out to impact the world for Christ.

Troy & Naomi

Today we completed our second Campus Days event this month. Campus Days is a special time where prospective students stay on campus on a Thursday night and attend classes, chapel and information sessions to find out what it would be like to be a student at WOLBI. This month we have had 24 young people come and express an interest in studying God’s Word here at WOLBI and have had a number of them apply.

On a personal note.. This next week Naomi and I will be celebrating our 2nd wedding anniversary (April 27). We thank the Lord for watching over and blessing us these past two years. I thank God for providing me with a wonderful, godly, and wise wife who has a vital part in my life and ministry.

Thank you for your prayers!

Troy (& Naomi)

Quiet..

It is very quiet on campus right now. The students have left for a weeks vacation before the start of Spring Quarter. Even some of the staff are gone on March break with their kids. While I am not used to the quiet, it is a great time to catch up on some projects for the BI.

Winter Quarter was a busy one for our students with classes and Snow Camp on the weekends and for us as I was taking an evening course in homiletics here at the BI. I really enjoyed studying how to research and prepare sermons, but it also ate up quite a bit of time.

I’m going to have a hard time staying out of the classroom during our Spring Quarter.. there are quite a few great classes and seminars coming up. In April, Answers in Genesis will be having a creation seminar on campus for our students. Here are some of the professors and the courses they will be teaching this coming quarter:

• Dispensational History and Daniel – Dr. Renald Showers has served in the pastorate and as a member of the faculties of Lancaster Bible College, Moody Bible Institute and Philadelphia College of Bible. Dr. Showers is on staff at Friends of Israel and has authored numerous books and magazine articles as well as produced teaching videos.
• Church History – Dr. Tom Taylor served on the faculties of Faith Seminary and Biblical Seminary for thirty years as Associate Professor of Church History and Old Testament. Retired emeritus from his official position, he has taught church history at Word of Life Bible Institute since 1971.
• Revelation – Dr. Jimmy DeYoung is a well-known prophecy teacher in North America and Europe. Dr. DeYoung became the VP and General Manager of New York City’s first Christian radio station for 5 years. Since 1991, he and his wife, Judy, have been residing in Jerusalem where they work as journalists. Dr. DeYoung has written books, produced videos and has a weekly radio broadcast, Prophecy Today.
• Genesis 1-11 – Dr. John Whitcomb earned his BA from Princeton University. For 39 years he taught in the Department of Old Testament and the Department of Christian Theology at Grace Theological Seminary. He has lectured around the world and authored numerous books and produced audio albums and video courses.

Please be praying for our students as they continue to grow in the knowledge of the Lord.
Troy & Naomi

Registration weekend is over and classes have begun for our second year of the Word of Life Bible Institute! Harry Bollback (one of the founders of Word of Life), Dr Wendel Calder (who is also teaching the book of James this week), and Pastor Wayne Heikkenin (former WOL missionary) challenged us from the Word of God and we heard many testimonies from WOL staff and a few alumni from last year who came by for a visit.

We have 20 women and 19 men enrolled for a total of 39 students for the 2003-04 class year. This is a big improvement from last year when it was a 2-1 ratio of women to men.

Where are they from?
Bermuda 1
Indiana 1
Korea 4
Manitoba 1
British Columbia 1
Ontario 25
Quebec 2
N.B. 2
N.S. 2

We have a very demanding schedule these first few weeks of with classes, orientation, and personal evangelism training. Please pray for the students that they will have the strength and endurance as they adjust to the new schedule, new roommates, etc.

In the next few days my mother and Naomi’s parents are arriving from opposite sides of the country. My mom is coming up to visit with us and attend an anniversary celebration for some friends, and Naomi’s parents are coming to teach our students a seminar on the Gospel of Jesus Christ using a book her father wrote called “The Stranger on the Road to Emmaus”. We look forward to having our parents here, especially when they can spend time with each other.

Troy & Naomi