Well, I thought that it was unique that it snowed here the other day because it is April, but apparently it snowed just as much back in Minnesota. What's up with that? I'm pretty sure it has only done that once before (that I can remember). In other news, I will be coming back home soon. God has given me an awesome year at school, even though there were challenging moments. I am sad that I will have to depart from a few kids, but I am glad to be coming home.

Back in Canada

I have been back in Canada for over a month and a half now. Since then I have got to experience quite a few breakthroughs in my walk with Christ. I was concerned going into this year that I would experince the lonliness that I experinced most of the time while I was here last year. The Lord has brought so many people into my life to encourage me though. I have experienced the love that many of my brothers and sisters in Christ have for me. I understand that love is not exactly what comes to mind when most people here the word "Christian." Please do not make the generalization that all Christians believe the exact same things though. If this were true there would not be over a thousand different denominations of the Christian faith. Stereotypes can never fully account for an entire category of people, so why would this in any way be acceptable when dealing with Christians? Christians have often been accused of pushing their ideas and beliefs on other people. These accusations are not without precedent. Christians do often try to push their beliefs on people. It seems to me that their motives behind this and how they go about it are the more important issues though. If there were a group of people who were unaware of the existence of gravity and as a result they all believed they could fly, would not a person who was convinced that gravity exists be justified in telling them that gravity did in fact exist? I foresee your objection. You say that this comparison is unfare because science is based on fact and Christianity is based on faith. Well, if you truly believe in something, you will consider it be based on facts. Whether you consider them to be facts because they have been scientifically proven or simply because your experience tells you that they are, makes no difference. What we are actually talking about is belief in absolute truth. People who do not believe in absolute truth, say that Christians are close minded, judgmental, and arrogant for believing that they know the truth. They do not believe that anything is universally true for everyone. Truth is individualized. However, for someone who believes that there are universal truths, they feel compelled to live their life in accordance with those thruths and to share them with others. There is, then, a presupposition that is made by either group of people. The person who believes that there are universal truths must, by extension, believe that it does not matter if some people do not believe what they believe in order for those things to be true. The real matter at hand pertaining to Christians pushing their beliefs on people, then, is how they do it. Do they do it lovingly (with a genuine concern for that persons well being), or do they simply wish to push their beliefs on another person. Christians are not to condemn people, because it is God's job to judge them, but they are to point out sin (lovingly and tactfully). Christians believe that everyone is in a state of sin before they accept Jesus Christ as their Lord. Jesus' death and resurrection are the necessary means by which people can be saved from their sin. Because Jesus was a sinless man (yet also God himself) and was willing to take the place of sinful people, a person who puts their faith in Jesus as their savior is actually acknowledging their complete dependence upon God to free them from their sins. The belief that this message is applicable to everyone is what should compell Christians to tell people about Jesus Christ and what they believe about him.

I am back. The question is, "why haven't you come to visit me?" Aha, you have no excuse except for because you didn't know I was back. That is a very good excuse. However, now that you know I am back, I will have no more of your excuses. Call me. Write me. Email me. Fax me. Throw a party. Do something besides just sitting there. I don't care what you do so long as I get to see you.

Paul

This is an update for those of you who genuinely care. My appendix ruptured two-and-a- half weeks ago. I was in the hospital for a week. Then I lived at my RD's house for a week. Now I am back just in time for finals. I will be returning home in a week if all goes according to plan.