Nashville News I

I am in Nashville, Tennessee, for the NAD Teachers’ Convention.  I am what you might call a scout, since I am here a couple of days earlier than most of the attendees.  I did see a few people who are here early, among them Randy Wisbey, president of La Sierra University, and Larry Blackmer, Education Director for the NAD.  I also saw Susan, principal from Calexico Mission School.  Before the weekend is done, over 6,000 educators will descend on the Gaylord Convention Center!

Things back home in Arizona are moving along—actually the pace is picking up as the school year is but a few days away.  School begins in most schools on August 13 & 14.  I hear encouraging news from across the conference.  Yuma reports more children knocking on their door.  Glenview, under new leadership, is very active in trying to reach more and more students.  They have established a high enrollment goal and are determined to reach it.  Thunderbird Academy is anticipating an increase in enrollment.  They have two of their teachers partnering up to make visits and calls to prospective students and their parents.  They spent considerable time at camp Yavapines in Prescott during summer camp.  It appears to have been a fruitful experience.

Thunderbird Elementary, as you already know, is also under new leadership.  Penny is doing a wonderful job at providing presence and leadership, crunching numbers, organizing, communicating, and providing resources, while I am working with the board, and working to create a direction for the staff and a new school community culture.  There are forces at work (as there are everywhere) that actively try to derail these new initiatives, but I trust God will deal with those sources of grief in His own time.  Needless to say, we are busy.  We are introducing a new Math curriculum in the lower grades.  We are working to spruce up the campus.  We are formalizing certain facets of administration that needed tweaking.  We are preparing for the first day of school.  We are determined to exceed, by God’s grace, the budgeted number of students.  I know God has some new student out there for us.

AWC (Adventist Worship Center—our new church) will be at their annual church campout in the relatively cooler ambience of mountainous regions of Arizona.  I will be preaching there on the 11^th when I return from Nashville.  Things are moving there too!  My co-pastor Chris is camping with them before he sets out for Nashville as well.  We are sharing the pulpit as we try to transition the church forward.  It is a unique church with a unique personality.  I say that as a good thing.  We could use more churches that were as accepting and open to struggling people.  The church needs pastoring and I am look forward to making this journey with them.  It has been a while since I had a church for which I was responsible.  I miss having a local church family—so it will be a good thing for me too.  I pray it will be a good thing for them.  Good is good!

I will try to keep you posted on the developments on the various fronts.  Pray hard! (227.0)