Declaring God’s Faithfulness- August 2019

I hope this last year has gone well for you. This year has been good to me and I have seen God's faithfulness in my life. I guess I just wanted you to tell you a little bit of what has happened in the last year.

My first year at Dallas International University (which was formerly called GIAL when I applied to the school) went really well and I am preparing to start my next year there, which will hopefully end with me completing my Master's Degree in World Arts with a concentration in Linguistics next May. I have had the privilege of serving as the Student Body Association president in the spring semester, and have been elected as the president again for this upcoming fall semester.

Dallas International shares a campus with several other Linguistic and Anthropological organizations, including SIL, which provides linguistic and anthropological support to organizations like Wycliffe Bible Translators. Because of this, there are many people stopping through the area who are working to translate the Bible into people's heart languages, and I have made a lot of good friends and connections with people working all over the world to help fulfill the Great Commission.

In terms of my music, I have joined a Brass Quintet and have been part of several music teams for the school's chapel worship time. I have even written a scripture song to help some children in a homeschooling group memorize portions of scripture. Music feels a lot less like work now that I am engaged in doing a lot of other things as part of my studies.

I have connected with a local OPC congregation that meets in some of the facilities on the campus. Most of the children of the congregation have most of the Westminster Shorter Catechism memorized, which is impressive and also a little intimidating. Nonetheless, it is a place where the Gospel of Jesus Christ is preached, and I have been moved by their hospitality and their testimony to God's goodness. During my time in Dallas, the OPC held their general assembly there, and I had a chance to meet a lot of interesting people who came to worship with the congregation during that time.

Having prayerfully considering what I want to do with my studies, carefully studying the word of God, and by consulting with the various people I have met here in Dallas, I have decided that after I finish my degree, it will be my plan to join Wycliffe Bible Translators.

As you may remember, I was already really interested in helping increase the access to and engagement with the scriptures among all the people of the world. But my time in Dallas has made it more clear that this is a particularly important way in which God is working.

I may have to take a little time in between the completion of my degree and serving with Wycliffe because I may need to take some time to pay off some student debt I accumulated during my undergraduate studies since I do not want financial matters to distract me from that work. God has been good and has provided the resources that I have been able to thus far study for my master's without taking on additional debt.

My regards to everybody in the Wellsville PCA congregation.

Peace In Christ, Jeffrey Zane Hansen

Editor’s note: Jeffrey was part of our congregation throughout his four years as a student at Houghton. He participated fully in the work, fellowship, and worship of our congregation. We were blessed by, and appreciated his involvement in the music ministry, which included playing the organ for the worship service.

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