January 2022

New Brunswick is getting a new blast of snow this weekend, adding to the several feet already piled up along the roads and sidewalks.  From my office window I can see the growing mountains of snow lining the church parking lot where the plows have piled it.  There is a winter storm warning out for tomorrow throughout the day and ending Sunday morning which might disrupt our plans for services.  They are very prepared for the snow here, however, and it doesn’t take long for the plows and salt trucks to come through (at least on the main city roads) and for the giant snowblower tractors to be out blowing the driveways of those with contracts (even at 3 a.m.).  We are grateful for God’s protection and His provision of a warm house and a vehicle with winter tires that runs well and handles well in the snow.

The Lord kept Adrianna healthy through her time with us for Christmas, but all too soon it was time for her to head back to BJU. With negative C-id test results in hand, she was able to return to South Carolina on schedule on Jan. 8.  She has a full class schedule this semester with some particularly challenging classes and extra choir practices for the Spring concerts.

Here, the year began with a number of ministry adjustments at both church and the Bible Institute.  There were a couple of C-id cases in our church here, so the schedule was pared down to only Sunday morning and evening services and prayer meeting Wednesday evening.  Then on January 14 our province was moved to level 3 winter plan for at least two weeks, to try to stem the advance of the O variant.  The new restrictions greatly limited physical contact outside the “home bubble”.  The services have all continued with livestream, but the Bible Institute delayed in-person classes and began with online classes and the homeschool Co-op was delayed completely.  As we have been on the program for helping with song leading and accompanying services, we have continued to get to the services, though our boys have stayed home.  

My Missiology 2 classes began on January 20 and will run every Thursday morning through March 10.  The lockdown which drove our classes online has been extended for two more weeks in other Maritime provinces, but thankfully, NB announced yesterday that it will end the lockdown tonight and return the province to level 2.  That means we will be able to go back to in-person services, classes and co-op, and we should be able to resume other activities.  For EBBI that also means we’ll have chapel again, as well as group music practice and piano lessons. 

One of the effects of the pandemic has been that the French outreach has been on hold this month, with plans to start up again in February, Lord willing.  We have been praying that God will help us to connect with people and that He will grow this ministry despite the pandemic and fears.  This week, I spoke on the phone with a woman from Ivory Coast who moved to Moncton with two sons a month ago.  She was eager to find an evangelical church with a French work and connect with believers.  We are looking forward to meeting Mar—Chan— and her sons and seeing how God can use us in their lives, as well as how God might use this connection to bring us in contact with others.