Two Years Down, One to Go: Blessings and Lessons from Oxford

And today marks the day-after-the-last-day of classes in the ’23/24 academic year!

We’re about two years down—and just one to go!!

We had some massively encouraging moments over the last year, including our Oxford friend’s blessing of a flat—a mere nine minute walk from my college. And our sending community back home has SO blessed us with provisions that have covered our academic and living expenses. Going into this, I just kept hearing the Spirit say, “I will take care of you.”

And the most utterly spectacular moment of them all—THE COMING OF THE PRINCESS GLORIA JOY OTTESON. Literally every morning, we wake up with her smiley cheers & singing—so delightful!! Emmaus has been seen kissing her on the forehead, and he loves leading her in bouncy dances before dinner.

It’s insane—the download I’ve had since we got here: I've studied methods of interpreting Old and New Testaments and Church History. I wrote “First Class” essays on the nature of the Trinity and the significance of Jesus’ death & resurrection. More recently, I studied the nature of the Word of God and how to communicate the trustworthiness of Scripture to our friends in church who are silently barely hanging on.

I now turn to the art of proclaiming the significance of Jesus’ death and resurrection in a skeptical, “my truth” kind of world—all while staying firmly grounded in a Biblical, primarily evangelical conviction of faith.

What after? I plan to start sending out lead pastor/campus pastor résumés as soon as this Fall. However, I’ve been encouraged by a number of invitations from various church network leaders who have come through the doors of my college. All that said, I really think the Spirit will speak. Right now, I just keep hearing Him say, “I will take care of you,” “I will show you where you’re going from here."

One of the biggest life lessons I’ve learned in this time has been the death of scarcity and abundance mentalities. On God, the only promise is “ENOUGH,” which comes in daily rations. “Give us this day our daily bread.” Beautiful and good and even comfortable if we’ll accept it!

Ottesons in Oxford YEAR THREE is soon as can be!!!