Porto Rafti = Bibleville, USA

(The Mediterranean from Porto Rafti)

Hello everyone,

It has been a good week here in Porto Rafti. It now feels more like a home, at least a temporary home. This week we’ve begun our School of Biblical Studies (SBS) portion of the PhotogenX Track. Over the next three months, our school will be going through the core courses of the normal YWAM SBS, which usually lasts nine months. In these courses, we will be studying the bible, and we will even be studying on location in some of the places where parts of the bible were written here in Greece, and also later on the track when we go to Turkey, Egypt, and Israel. As a school, we desire to be taking photographs that be relevant in regards to issues that are taking place in our world. By studying scripture in depth, we believe that God will impart to us what his heart is for the things that are going on in our world, and this can then make its way into whatever photographs we may produce.

This last week, our class went through the book of Philippians. It was a lot of work, and a lot of writing journal observations, but I now feel so much closer with the ideas and heart that was put into this letter that the apostle Paul wrote to the church in Philippi almost 2,000 years ago. A large theme in the book was unity, and Paul encouraged the church to “be of one mind” ( Philippians 2:1). I love the example he uses to portray how the church should go about promoting unity in their midst.

“5Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus, 6who, being in the form of God, did not consider it robbery to be equal with God, 7but made Himself of no reputation, taking the form of a bondservant, and coming in the likeness of men. 8And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross.” Philippians 2:5-8 (NKJV)

A lot of times we look at Jesus, and it is very easy to think that he was a very lofty leader who never associated with those of a lower class. But when we look at the scriptures, we see quite the opposite idea. He ate dinner with the tax collectors and other notorious sinners, he went fishing with the fishermen, and he washed the disciples feet. I find it interesting that Jesus, himself being the God of the universe, chose to reveal himself to us as one who served those around him. If the God of the universe has humbled himself to associate with us, how much more should we, created humans, choose to serve and be involved with the people and issues that surround us on a daily basis.

John Childers, the father of our school leader, Paul Childers, is here with us, and he will be giving us teaching as we go through the Gospels for the next two weeks. This week, we will be studying through the book of Mark. Over this next season of bible studying, I would greatly appreciate your prayers. I have been looking forward to learning more about the Bible, but even just going through the small book of Philippians, I was struck by how much work needs to go into studying God’s word. So, as we move onto studying bigger books, which will require even more reading and writing to process, please pray that I would be doing this by the strength that God provides me, and not on my own, weak, human strength. I know there are so many treasures in God’s word, and I want to be in a position where I allow myself to be affected by all of those treasures. Thank you for continuing to be a part of my life. I hope that I am able to pass on even part of what I see God doing in all these places.

Loving Jesus, Tim

(The Acropolis in Athens)