Bible School in the words of our students
We are once again grateful to the Lord for the group of students we had this past year and how each of them invested into the Holsby community. As with every year, we are most encouraged by the life-changing investment that Christ made in their lives. Our theme verse this year was Joshua 1:9: “Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be frightened, and do not be dismayed, for the LORD your God is with you wherever you go.” Through obedience to this command, Joshua was led into a life of worship as he continued to witness all that God was able to do through his availability. In the first chapter we see that Joshua had to be available to the promises of God, the word of God, and the presence of God. Our prayer for every student who journeys on from here is that they would continue to mature in their availability to Jesus Christ who indwells them, being their daily expression of worship and the opportunity to be continually led into worship.
Student Life: Teya Bartel
Student life at Holsby is different than other Christian environments because it is honest, open and real. At Holsby you have the perfect balance of exploring nature with friends by going on adventurous walks or spending quality time with Jesus.
It is small enough that you feel comfortable opening up to the students and staff and making friendships that will last a lifetime.
Lectures: Ramona Schmidt
The lectures are one of the major things that distinguish being at Holsby from my normal life back at home. I have never been in a place before where I am under the influence of biblical teaching for up to five hours a day! Having guest lecturers from very different backgrounds broadened my understanding of the variety that is in the body of Christ and helped me accept differences concerning personalities and opinions.
It has been a privilege to learn about things that matter in my everyday life for these eight months!
Discovery: Anna Schmideder
The Discovery program was a big part of what made these nine months at Holsby really special. For various reasons, I grew a lot in my faith through being outdoors. While hiking, canoeing, kayaking, climbing or skiing through the beautiful nature of Sweden, God revealed Himself to all of us through His creation. The different settings gave the perfect opportunity to reflect on the lectures at school, talk about questions and observations we had, and to basically share what the Lord had been teaching us with the tight-knit group of brothers and sisters.
We developed deep friendships with each other based on trust, honesty, love and the mindset of being pushed out of our comfort zone into the given challenges. We learned to stick it out together and enjoy the outdoors, and because of that we were all willing to go on new adventures, leaving the comfy life in Holsby for one to ten days. Looking back I can say with all my heart that the Discovery program was a perfect place to learn about myself, of being a leader and follower, and about the many technical skills we needed to know.
Outreach: Christopher Guido
Outreach has been such a blessing for all of us, whether you were playing basketball with kids or having fika with the elderly. It’s great that we had this opportunity to give back to the community and share about God at the same time.
Missions (Bosnia): Viktor Kaisler
Fifteen students from the Bible school served ten days in Bosnia, at the Gorazde Hope Center. We helped the people at the Hope Center with food distribution and health fairs in schools. After the civil war in Bosnia and a very high unemployment rate, there is not just physical need but also spiritual need. In teams of two and a translator, we visited many homes of people living in poor conditions and brought them basic food essentials.
We also went to schools and taught them basics about health and played games afterwards. Some teams could share the Gospel while they talked with the families. I am going back to Bosnia for seven weeks to help with the Hope Center in their adventure camp and English camp as an intern. I am looking forward to how God will challenge me and what He will do in these few weeks.
I enjoy getting news from Holsby, a “home” of refreshment, knowledge, community, family, growth, adventure, joy and renewal in spirit, mind and body. A place like “NO OTHER”.