Oxfordian Bliss

I am in love with Oxford, Wycliffe, OCCA, EVERYTHING. I have never been so perpetually ecstatic about anything in all my life - except for the 10 weeks following my baptism. I am happy, and content, and excited, and thankful to God for all that he is doing in my heart, mind, and life. I am making friends daily, and I feel like I've known them forever.

Sometimes I remember that I am here "on my own" and Spiff has long since left, but it sure doesn't feel like it. I feel like I've found the family of believers that I've been searching for my whole life. I've found the community I've been longing for. I'm submerged in the Biblical teaching I've come to love immeasurably. (Though, I should clarify that the English like to welcome you for 2 weeks before they start classes, so we don't have lectures for another week or so...) And I'm studying under some of the world's leading theologians!! (We're talking John Lennox and Alistair McGrath, not to mention Ravi's leading apologists!)

Everything I strived for at Calvary, Camp, and Houghton - community, fellowship, biblical submersion - but was never able to establish, I have found right here at Oxford. I can't even believe that God has provided this, everything I've prayed and ached for all these years. It's more than a dream come true. Each day it gets better and better, and it's only getting started. The students (about 150) are all thriving, genuine Christians training to be leaders in the Church, they are thankful people, and they truly love each other. I've never seen such a healthy or lovely community of believers. (Or so many young men with pregnant wives!)

The OCCA program is made up of 13 students who are meshing immediately. And even though we only met yesterday, we are already sitting together at meals and gatherings, and yet we are integrating so well into the student body that you can hardly tell the OCCA folks from the regular Wycliffe students, because we are all friends together. (Regular Wycliffe students would be the seminary students, most of whom are studying to be ordained in the Anglican church ("ordinands"), as well as a few independents. OCCA is like the "little brother" of Wycliffe...we're not exactly seminary students, but they love us anyway.)

The city of Oxford is beautiful, and safe (OXFORD, people! I'm in friggin Oxford!!!). Several of the OCCA folks are here at the NOOC (where I live), so we see each other pretty often. I even got a ride to Wycliffe by the Spaniard and the Ukrainian. And then later I walked home around 10 all by my lonesome, and felt completely safe. (Safer than I felt at Camp, even.) It's just crazy. This whole experience is crazy.

And guess what! Monday is the 7 month mark of when I got baptized, and fell in love with God all over again. I am sooo excited. It's like a birthday, almost. 7 whole months of the hardest journey of my life, no kidding. 7 is God's perfect number, after all. People, celebrate with me!!!!