We are teaching our granddaughter the song “Count Your
Blessings” and giving thanks to God for all the good things He
gives us each day. Typically, she prays, “God, thanks for our
healthy bodies, healthy food, and a healthy place to live.
Amen.” All the important things to a 4-year-old are things we
can all thank God for.
We are thankful to you, our friends and family, who support us
with words of encouragement, prayer, and financial gifts. We
appreciate you being part of our team and partnering with us in
the opportunities God has given us to invest in the lives of
those we touch.
In October, Bridget gave a class to the first-year students about
executive function. These are skills that we begin to develop as
teenagers when the brain is developing higher functions.
Executive function is like an air traffic controller that directs the
information and impulses in our brain to productive outcomes.
Moody’s program is rigorous, and serving as aviation
missionaries requires grit. Growing executive function skills
allows the students to manage school, life, and ministry with
effectiveness and resilience.
Bridget gave them an assessment to give them an idea of their
strengths and weaknesses. She then followed this up with an
interview to go over the results and get to know the students.
She describes this class as humble and appreciative. Students
are now "buddying up" to study together and cut down on
distractions, they are tutoring each other in challenging
subjects, and one student, an only child, has been encouraged
by the kindness and attention of his fellow house mates.
Since spring we have been getting together with two couples from
Moody. I gave them a personality assessment (DISC) to help them know
themselves better. The first couple are newlyweds--the wife works and
the husband is an aviation student. They are going on a month-long
mission trip this winter to see what it is like on the field. They hope it will
give them direction about the mission organization they will join after
graduation. The second couple are seasoned missionaries home on an
extended furlough and now working at Moody. They came home to
transition family to life in the USA. Their children have since finished
school, started careers, and two are married. Their mission recently
asked them to consider returning to the field--but a new country. So,
part of our conversations has been what that will look like, especially
since the wife will not have the daily responsibility of caring for a family.
With both couples the husband has a clear idea of his role on the field,
but the women are going into the unknown. Helping them process
these challenges and equipping them to move forward is a privilege of
our ministry at Moody Aviation.
I (Paul) am continuing to study online at Columbia International University
(CIU) to earn my master’s degree in care and counseling. During my
summer course I was paired up with another graduate student (and former
missionary) to practice some of the counseling techniques that I will be
using. Currently I am taking a cross-cultural counseling class that will be
useful as so many people, staff, and students at Moody are from foreign
countries, grew up overseas, or have been living overseas for many years.
In addition, I am taking some Biblical counseling classes our church offers.
This fall Bridget and I are in “Navigating Conflict and Resolution,” and it
has been a good addition to my CIU classes.
Regards, Paul & Bridget
