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Dear Fellows, friends and supporters of CSLI Annapolis,
Happy Easter! I pray this message finds you healthy and coping well with our strange times. We know that none of this--the coronavirus, the economic meltdown, the restricted movement directives--was a surprise to God, nor is He under any restrictions in His ability to work His plan in His time frame
. We know that God is great (Colossians 1:16-17), God is good (Psalm 34:8), and God is faithful (Hebrews 10:23).
We were shocked to hear news about one of our own Mentors in Annapolis, "Whiskey" Bob Wojtaszczyk. He was in Florida earlier in March on a motorcycle trip when he was hit by a truck while on his bike. He suffered some substantial injuries in the accident but his life was saved by a godly police officer who arrived on the scene within 5 minutes of the accident. We will have more details as Whiskey recovers, but please keep him and the doctors who are attending to his physical and mental health in your prayers.
Our year in Annapolis has changed in many ways, particularly for our SJC fellowships and USNA College Associates. St. John's has decided to suspend on-campus learning for the rest of the semester and the Naval Academy has delayed the return of the Brigade of Midshipmen from spring break indefinitely. This introduces novel challenges for the relational nature of both of these programs. However, the work of the Lord in the hearts and minds of the young believers goes on unabated through the work of the dedicated students and Mentors.
We also made the difficult decision to cancel our Pastor Luncheon scheduled for early May. This is particularly troubling since it was aligned with the National Day of Prayer and is always one of the most well attended of these events. I know that these committed shepherds will be in prayer nonetheless as we are able to leverage technology to even provide some degree of community.
Our banquet is another casualty of this crisis, though the story here has a happier arc. Our speaker, Jim Phillips, has agreed to give his talk via Zoom, an online meeting platform. In case you are unable to join us on Zoom, we also plan to live-stream the event on our YouTube page that you can access at this link. < https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCWRrqrB6uhtbD3Gr99pz7qg?view_as=subscriber > We hope you are able to join us at 7:00 pm on Saturday, April 4, as Jim shares "Jesus of Islam" with us. You won't want to miss this unique opportunity
The Year 2 Fellows have also had some challenges, but we are continuing to meet via Zoom until we can resume in-person meetings at Paca House. Ironically, the topic they have been most recently studying is "The Community of Believers" and I trust that this community will not be easily broken by our inability to gather (Romans 8:38-39).
The Institute in Annapolis is able to weather this storm solely because of your support, through your continued prayers and material blessings. I want to thank each and every one of you from the bottom of my heart for your faithfulness to God's work through this ministry, and I am assured that "Well done, good and faithful servant" is a phrase that awaits you in Glory. I pray that we continue to walk in the same confidence as Asaph:
"Nevertheless, I am continually with you;
you hold my right hand.
You guide me with your counsel,
and afterward you will receive me to glory.
Whom have I in heaven but you?
And there is nothing on earth that I desire besides you.
My flesh and my heart may fail,
but God is the strength[b] of my heart and my portion forever.
For behold, those who are far from you shall perish;
you put an end to everyone who is unfaithful to you.
But for me it is good to be near God;
I have made the Lord God my refuge,
that I may tell of all your works." (Psalm 73:23-28)
Love you all!
Rob
Rob Shepherd
City Director
C.S. Lewis Institute--Annapolis
302-222-6973 (m)
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CSLI Annapolis Calendar
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Take a look at the calendar and bookmark this page for your future use.
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