Here is “Happy Holidays” from Mount St. Helens! (From a few months ago) Praying that 2014 is your best year yet! I’m incredibly thankful for you. Thank you for all that you do, and for simply being you!
Trip Home
These last few months have been a whirl-wind, in the best possible way of course. I spent a whole 3 months back in the US doing a full semester of Bible College (21 credits), traveling across 6 states, speaking, sleeping once in a while, and even dating! This was an incredibly fun, stretching, and standing in awe of God season to walk through. From the moment I landed I got to watch God work. In every situation, class, meeting, speaking engagement, and prayer time, I watched God continue to be faithful, and abundantly pour out His grace for the situation at hand. My season at Portland Bible College will be one that I remember for the rest of my life. I felt like in every class, and in every class period, God through the teacher, taught me something that was applicable to my life now, or very easily applied to a future situation. I felt instantly at home with the people and the culture I found at PBC. I made relationships during these past few months that I believe I will have for the rest of my life. Even though I was busier than I have ever been, I left feeling refreshed, filled up, and ecstatic for this next year in Uganda. Uganda has truly become home, and I’m incredibly glad to be back! It was however hard to leave the US, and new relationships, but I think that is the mark of a good season. I want to thank everybody who made these past 3 months possible!
I made it back to Uganda in time to be apart of all things Christmas here at Life Church, and to get ready for our big New Years celebration and prayer on December 31st. I mentioned in my last update some BIG news for this next year. I wanted to fill you in, and give you some things to pray with me about for 2014.
Looking Forward/2014
January 5-11 is our youth camp at Life Church. We hold this every year at our lake property called Bwerenga. We generally have anywhere between 150-180 kids come for a full week of fun, games, and explosive times in the presence of God. I am the camp speaker this year, and at the end of camp we will be announcing the transition of me becoming the youth pastor. This is something that the leadership and I have been talking and praying about for a while. The current youth pastors have been praying about making a change, and will be doing so the first of the year. They will be stepping into a new season as district pastors, and I get the joy and privilege of taking over from them after camp. This is a huge and new step for me. It’s slightly terrifying (maybe a lot), but in a good way. I’m extremely excited and feel like especially after this last season, I am ready to step out in faith and watch God work. I’m asking that you cover me in prayer through this transition. Your prayers mean more than I think you know. There are so many situations that go way better than they should, and I know confidently it is because of your continued prayers.
Immediately after camp and the big transition, we start preparations for our discipleship program, Ignite. This is our 5th year, and I honestly could not tell you where the time went! Last year’s wilderness trip was such a success we are going to make it a permanent part of the program. After taking our interns out into the wilderness, sleeping on the ground, and learning to work as a team for a week, we’ll start classes, serving areas, and mentorship. With me overseeing both the youth group, and Ignite, I’m excited to see new levels of the two working together, and becoming more, and more effective. We’re believing this to be the best year of Ignite yet!
Thank you for your continued support! I happen to be the one on the ground, but I truly believe this is a team effort, and is only possible with you. Your prayers, financial support, and continued encouragement make all that we do here possible. So again, thank you! You’re awesome!
Love you a ton!
– Seth
Seth Sokoloff 