Well, another school year has come and gone! I have to say this is the fastest year I have experienced as a member of the staff of the Bear Valley Bible Institute. It seems like just the other day we were in our Freshmen Orientation. And then, just two days ago, twenty-one graduates walked across the stage.
Since my last newsletter, a lot has happened here at BV. In March much of the staff and several students, alumni, and friends of Bear Valley (40 in all) made our way to Israel for our Bible Lands Studies Tour. I am so blessed to have been able to make this trip! I will never be able to preach and teach about those places again the same way. I was very excited to get to teach lessons at Jericho and Beer Sheba.
Our fourth quarter here at school (March - May) is the quarter I do not teach in the undergraduate program (although I always have graduates assignments to grade). This is the quarter I use for doing most of my traveling to give reports of our work to our supporters. Because of the Israel trip my schedule has been compacted. So far, I have given reports in King Ryder, AR, Redland, OK, Bagwell, TX, and Blossom, TX. The first Sunday of this month (May), I was very blessed to speak at the 19th Annual Hugo Lectureship. This congregation is such a special church family to my family and me. I love them dearly, and they have been a major supporter of our work since it began. The lectureship was on Saturday, May 5. The next day I gave my report, also. This coming Sunday (May 27), I will be in Wagoner, OK and Cave Springs, AR to give my report. That leaves four other congregations I need to schedule a time to give my report either in late Summer, or early Fall.
I have also scheduled two more international trips this year (I know, more than I usually do). On the dates of June 14-26, Noma, Jessica and I will be traveling to Newport, Wales, where I will be preaching a Gospel Meeting and Noma and Jessica will be teaching the ladies. On the dates of July 18-30 I will be traveling to Siem Reap, Cambodia where I will teach the last course to the students in our extension school there and be present for their graduation. I will also be representing the elders of the Bear Valley congregation in giving support and encouragement to our missionaries in that work. Freshmen Orientation for the next school year is Friday, August 3…and here we go again!
Thank you all so much for your continued prayers and support of this great work. Earlier this month Bear Valley’s 30th foreign extension school opened in the Philippines. We could not do this work without people like you!
Thank you and God bless,
Donnie Bates