IN BETWEEN TIMES
“I gave you an example that you also should do as I did to you” – Jesus
Dear Family and Friends,
After our Lord got down on His knees to wash the disciples’ feet, He said
Do you know what I have done to you? You call Me Teacher and Lord; and you are right, for so I am. If I then, the Lord and the Teacher, washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another’s feet. For I gave you an example that you also should do as I did to you….If you know these things, you are blessed if you do them. (John 13:12-15, 17)
Jesus didn’t say you are blessed if you know these things or study these things or preach these things. His blessing comes from doing these things. When a Tyrannus or Lydia Hall operates most effectively, the “lord and teacher” of the Hall lives in Jesus’ blessing by imitating Jesus. Far more powerful for “disciple-becoming” and “disciple-making” than a Bible study on John 13 is what the students see in the Hall staff between the Bible studies. This is Christlike character: the power of modeling, of “walking your talk.”
Unbeknownst to Rev. Sanjay Singh, Director of the Pune Tyrannus Hall (PTH) and Director of the MDiv program in English at Union Biblical Seminary, a PTH student recently snuck a 14-second video of him sweeping a student hallway in the PTH: SanjaySinghSweeping.mp4. This is what “Christ in you” often looks like! Humble, obscure, no fanfare, everyday service. And in the Indian leadership context that rarely stoops to such lowly tasks but rather assumes it is above such menial labor, Sanjay’s example to these future leaders stands out even more. A few days later, these same students posted photos of a pork dinner that Sanjay and his wife Sunendra made for them, even though the students already had a meal pass to the seminary’s dining hall. A week after this dinner, this photo of samosa and tea was sent from Sanjay around 7 PM with an invitation to come to their home. Discipleship under Jesus is about life together, fellowship with other disciples as we learn from Him and become like Him. Nothing fancy. Our shared journey. Yes, each Tyrannus and Lydia Hall has a structured weekly community life that includes theological lectures, physical fitness, small trust/prayer groups, and ministry opportunities. But it is these “in between times” when Christlike character is modeled and forged.
Please come for tea, Samosa & prayer together.
To ensure the long-term financial sustainability of this life-on-life discipleship model among female university students in Phnom Penh, the Cambodia Lydia Hall (CLH) Board of Directors with Tyrannus and Lydia Halls (TLH) agreed this year to seek funding for a permanent facility. Two-and-a-half years ago, the Cambodia Tyrannus Hall (CTH) and TLH took the step of faith to do the exact same thing for male university students in Phnom Penh. Due to generous giving on your part, a permanent facility was wonderfully acquired for the CTH within five months. So no, you are not experiencing déjà vu when you read the following paragraph. With only change of gender and minor edits, it is what you read 2 ½ years ago 😊:
The Cambodian Lydia Hall is seeking to find a permanent facility of its own. Since its inception in 2009, it has rented facilities for its women’s Hall. It is now the only operating Hall that is not self-funding. Yearly subsidies from Kingdom-investing donors have been required. In short, a large percentage of Cambodian Christians are marginalized in this Buddhist-majority country. The Cambodian Lydia Hall seeks to assist economically disadvantaged Christian youth from outlying areas to achieve success at the universities in Phnom Penh to not only disciple young Christians but also help their families out of poverty. An opportunity exists this year to purchase a permanent facility for the women’s Lydia Hall. Please pray for the input of wisdom, finances and Tyrannus Hall leadership from both South Asia and America to come together in God’s timing and way for this new facility to come into existence (and so relieve much of the financial strain on CLH).
This time we are setting out on an even bigger step of faith to collect the needed $130,000. Two-and-a-half years ago we started with over half of the needed funds. This time we’re beginning with under $1,000. On June 5th, I received the following email with attached photo from Kaing Heng, Chairman of the CLH,
On May I have visited the house in front of Current Boy house that they just put on sale, it is a nice house. We all think that if we get another house for girl dorm where is close each other it will be great and easy for them for Bible study or fellowship. The house sale is 130,000 USD that I have last negotiations with them. So we would suggest you to visit this house too.
Besides any “hilarious gifts” (2 Cor 9:7) you might consider, could those of you who regularly support Julie and me change your designation from “Olsen Support” to “CLH Building Fund” for the next couple of months? We have a long way to go and every gift counts.*
Lastly, Julie and I had the joy of visiting our son David and his wife Charlotte last month just after the birth of their third son Norman. He is pictured here resting in Julie’s arms 12 hours after his birth. Norman joins older brothers Arthur (4) and Vernon (2).
That all might experience the blessings of doing what Jesus modeled for us,
Steve
* Unfortunately, the giving portal on this website is still under construction. Presently we can only accept checks written out to Tyrannus and Lydia Halls, P.O. Box 191, Wheaton, IL 60187.