Greetings, dear brethren, in the precious Name of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ! I hope this newsletter finds you well.
It is hard to believe that another year is fast approaching its conclusion. This quarter has gone very quickly at BV. At this writing we have one more full week of classes and then Finals week. The Final Exam for my class (Old Testament I) will be on Friday, December 19, which means we will be able to have two full classes (Monday and Wednesday) next week before the Final. I’m sure the students would covet your prayers during this time.
The last few weeks of the second quarter are busier around here than usual. Not only is the quarter ending, but also the year and with that comes the holiday season. Mixed in with winter and holiday parties is the bittersweet feeling of bidding our seniors farewell. This year, five men will be ending their two-year training at the end of Finals. Remington Afre, Diondre Hensley, Jon Picon, Corey Sawyers and Andrew Warnes have done an outstanding job and they will be missed. We wish them all of God’s richest blessings in their works. We have every confidence that they will bring glory to the name of Christ wherever they go.
As I noted in the last newsletter, my schedule is changing. I say it that way because it is more of a transitional change than an abrupt one. While I am still helping in the extension program, specifically in the Latin American extensions, my travel schedule to that part of the world is much less. However, that does not mean I am not traveling at all.
I have been invited to speak in Padova, Italy on January 6, at an annual seminar conducted by our brethren there. I am excited about being able to help in this work. I will be flying out January 1 and plan to return on January 8, just in time for our Freshman Orientation here on January 9.
Classes begin for our third quarter on Monday, January 12. I will be teaching Homiletics II to the Juniors and Seniors and then it is just a short five months until graduation.
Plans are still being made for our new program of online training. It is my hope that not long after the first of the year we will have more details to announce about this exciting new opportunity.
Thank you all for your love and support and interest in this work. I am so blessed to be a part of it and I can only be a part of it because of people like you!
Thank you and God bless!
Donnie Bates