The month of September began with a river trip on which I took the IBEM students who combined their studies with ministry as we went from village to village preaching and teaching. Each morning we set up a makeshift classroom with whatever benches or chairs we could find and we studied through the book of Revelation. It was a 30 hour class and we had to work pretty hard to get through all the material. It may sound like a tough course and less than ideal teaching conditions but.... it was awesome! I had a great time teaching and our students were eager learners! We spent a lot of time in the classroom.... but it didn't end there.... We visited 5 villages in 5 days and in each place the students had opportunities to preach in the churches, to do personal evangelism and to work with children. We had a lot on our plate. I would call it: "organized pandemonium!" By the end of the week everyone was quite exhausted but at the same time we were happy to have been spent in the Lords work.

After their course on Revelation the students had one more week of studies and then last Saturday we wrapped up our first school year of "IBEM Selva". Eight students made it all the way through and graduated from our seven month intensive discipleship training program. These brothers and sisters lived with us, ate with us, studied with us, prayed with us, went on missions trips with us, did ministry with us and, in general, had lots of fun with us. As we went through the graduation ceremony and then sent them off with their suitcases it felt like a part of our family was leaving us. Frankly it hurt. It was sad. It was difficult. Amy and I and our kids all developed deep relationships with the students and it was hard to say "good-bye". Some of them we may never see again this side of heaven. We pray that the Lord will use and bless each one of them according to their gifts and abilities and in their future ministries!

Amy put together the following video that runs through the highlights of the past 7 months. If you take the time to watch it you will get a good feel of what IBEM Selva life was like for the the students.



We want to thank everyone that prayed for this ministry and gave to make it happen. Whily and Niki Cacho and Jesse and Janel Mattix worked diligently with Amy and I on so many details throughout the school year. We are thankful for what the Lord has done! Please pray for those that were impacted and for the disciples that were formed.

Missionary quote for the day by Samuel Zwemer: "The great Pioneer Missionaries all had 'inverted homesickness' this passion to call that country their home which was most in need of the Gospel. In this passion all other passions died; before this vision all other visions faded; this call drowned all other voices. They were the pioneers of the Kingdom, the forelopers of God, eager to cross the border-marches and discover new lands or win new-empires"

Micah for the Tuttle's