Greetings in the precious name of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ! It is my prayer that this newsletter find you well and blessed in the grace of God!!
Since our last report, we have had our annual staff retreat. As I mentioned last time, this is one of the most anticipated events of our year around here. The reports from all the works with which Bear Valley is associated is truly exciting and inspiring. This year was no exception. Reports were given on 17 extension schools around the world, as well as, the Denver campus. We also heard of new plans for accelerated growth in the extension program. In coming months I hope to be able to share more details of that plan. For now, I will leave it at this: our goal in 2015 is to establish five new schools! If God blesses us with success in what is planned, the coming near future will be breathtaking.
Some changes in my responsibilities have also developed since our last report. I will begin teaching Old Testament I (The Pentateuch) next quarter, which begins on October 20. I will also be teaching Advanced Homiletics (Homiletics II) in the third quarter, which begins in January. I had planned to make a trip to see some of our supporters later this month, but these changes in my schedule have necessitated a change in those plans. I will have to plan on making that trip at a later date. In the future it looks like I will have to use the two quarters I am not teaching to make such trips. I am very much looking forward to teaching these classes, and covet your prayers.
I have also been asked to head up a new program we are beginning at BV that will involve some online training. We are not ready to go into detail on this new program yet because we want to have everything in place before we advertise just exactly what it is. I hope that we will be ready before too long.
All of these changes in my work will mean that I will be traveling a lot less than I have in the past. As most of you know, travel has been a big part of my work over the last five years. I would not trade for the experiences I have had in that time; however, in the last couple of years it has become more difficult physically. So, traveling less is a welcome change for me. I will still have the opportunity to travel some, just not as much.
Thank you all for your love and support of this work. You are such a vital part of what we do and of so many great things the Lord is accomplishing all over the world. Thank you from the bottom of our hearts.
God bless,
Donnie Bates