Trauma theory, science, New Testament, forced internal displacement, and extra-terrestrials...it's been a busy month

Dear Friends and Family,

I am not sure I have ever been so busy! This month our new semester kicked off, and that means I have lots of wonderful and valuable teaching opportunities. (I'm teaching Synoptic Gospels, Acts of the Apostles, helping teach Research Methods, an advanced Greek reading group and a student research group on forced displacement). My students are lovely and are working hard (which is, I suppose, the benefit of being at the seminary long enough to develop a reputation as a demanding professor!). 

At the beginning of the month, Campus Crusade for Christ held their big (1,400 person) national conference here in Medellín. I was asked to be a panelist for a plenary session (fielding questions on everything from theology to sexual ethics to aliens...yes...aliens). In addition, I offered four workshops (all filled to capacity) on faith and science, mostly to university students who are themselves studying science and want to know how to square their studies with their Christian faith. 

The big, exciting new opportunity, of course, is running the research project on forced internal displacement in Colombia (the humanitarian crisis in which millions of Colombians have become refugees due to the nation's internal violence). The project kicked off on the first of the month, so I have been up to my bushy eyebrows in contracts, budgets, administration, acquisitions, and policy development. It is a stimulating challenge to help five different leaders plan research projects for their teams of 4-6 scholars (on subjects ranging from psychology to sociology to political science), all while running my own team of three PhDs and three leaders of Faith Based Organizations, focusing on economic issues. I've also been learning all about everything from trauma theory to sociological field research methods, all the while trying to figure out what it means to be an effective leader for this sort of project in this cultural context.

Oh, and under the leadership of my buddy Dr. Casey Strine (University of Sheffield), we submitted a research grant application that would allow us to expand and compliment this work with displaced people! I'll share more about that if we get the grant.

I'll mention briefly that my colleague, Guillermo Mejia, is now editing the seminary's semi-annual journal. The new edition came out this month, to which I contributed a little homily on loving God with one's mind, as well as a book review (on hell!), if those of you who are Spanish speakers want to take a glance! 

So, I'm hopping like a jack-rabbit all day long. But God has blessed me with a fantastic administrator who is keeping me afloat, and I am trying to figure out how to ease my burden in a couple other areas.  And on that latter subject, I'd appreciate your prayers!

Peace be with you all,

Christopher, Michelle, Judah, Asher, and Zoe Hays

From Michelle

As you can tell from the pace of Chris' letter above, the June vacation at the seminary has ended and there is now LOTS of activity around here. The seminary students are back from their break and our own kids are working hard again at their studies (which means that I am once again deciphering lists of strange project supplies and finding out where one acquires them in our city).

In other news, we as parents were very proud of Judah this month because he decided to be part of a presentation our family made to a group from the United States that was visiting the seminary on a short term missions trip. Judah talked about what it is like for him to be a missionary kid in Medellín, what the advantages and disadvantages are of living in another culture in his opinion, and what he is coming to enjoy about Colombia. For me, it was lovely reminder of the fact that God has a reason for each member of our family to be here in Medellín (not just Christopher) and that God is using our experiences here to shape and mold us.     

Hands-on Learning

Asher (and his partner in crime Zoe) have been busy this month coming up with all sorts of science experiments to try at home and with other kids in the seminary. Their favorites have included glow-in-the-dark glitter slime (pictured above) and homemade lava lamps. Some of the ladies at the seminary have been assisting me this month as I have been working on experiments of my own, trying my hand at cooking new Colombian recipes. I am amazed at how many of my friends here cook delicious dishes from memory without really measuring the ingredients. I had no idea that there were so many different ways to cook a plantain and I love the truly delightful things they do with fresh coconut milk. 

Unexpected Visitors

Asher spotted this iguana walking around in the park just outside our house a few days ago. Although he says that his first choice pet would be a Harpy eagle from the Amazon, Asher was excited about the possibility of catching this iguana. Unfortunately (or luckily depending on whom you ask!), Asher didn´t manage to capture him this time.

Praise God!

  • For a positive and rich experience speaking at the Campus Crusade for Christ national conference.
  • We have identified all six churches and displaced communities (i.e. "pilot communities") that we will be working in for our project on forced internal displacement. This includes a community of indigenous people in the south of the country, where we had previously been struggling to find a partner. 
  • For an administrator to help me run this displacement project. 
  • The personnel on the research teams were shuffled a great deal these past couple of months, but I think the changes have made the teams far stronger than they were before. 

Please Pray

  • For us to be able to appoint someone to work full-time on our project translating the BibleMesh Greek and Hebrew language education material, and thus ease some of my work-load. (I would still run the current team of 8 people working on the project, but a full-time worker would take a lot off my plate.)
  • For us to finalize the appointment of co-researchers amongst the displaced persons in each of our six pilot communities. 
  • For me to grow in wisdom (and technique) as a leader for this project, and that my business would not cause me to be insensitive to personal relationships (which are especially vital in this cultural context.)

Student Profile

Over the past year and a half we have had the chance to get to know Armando Valderrama Aranda well, since he is one of our adopted "nephews" in the seminary and has dinner with us every week. He is a tremendously kind student, hailing from Bogota, and working energetically to serve the Church even as he studies. 

"I minister in my local church as a youth leader, and I also volunteer teaching classes at Bella Vista prison. I came to the seminary because my desire is to be trained biblically in order better to serve the Lord and the community in which He has placed me. Upon graduating, I hope to return to my home church in Bogotá in order to serve the members who worship there and to minister to my city, which very much needs the Lord, as well as knowledge of His word."
Copyright © 2016 Christopher and Michelle Hays, United World Mission, All rights reserved.

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