Good afternoon, Brothers and Sisters of the Shackle Island Congregation!
First, we want to thank each and every one of you for your support. It has been a sigh of relief to know that this burden is no longer looming over our heads. We thank God constantly for you and your work. I do apologize for the lack of communication in September. That was due to some very exciting news… We are thrilled to share our daughter’s arrival. Savannah was born on August 31st, and we couldn’t be more overjoyed. She and her mother are in excellent health, and Savannah has already brought so much love and happiness into our lives. We are delighted to see her growing and developing, and we look forward to sharing more of her milestones with you. Currently, she has figured out that her tongue exists…who knows what new discovery she will have by November’s Update.
This quarter at school has been challenging but the most profitable quarter. However, it was a transition learning to balance fatherhood and preaching school. Luckily, I have learned to balance late-night diaper changes and memory work.
The classes were as follows:
Monday – Synoptic Gospels, Preacher and His Work.
Tuesday – Hermeneutics, Bible Geography
Thursday – Acts, Greek
Hermeneutics has been extremely helpful and extremely difficult. The assignments have definitely made me think about the process of interpreting and how to ensure it is not done incorrectly. Our instructor, Ethan Tate (no relation), teaches an altered class at his home congregation. He has offered to share his study material with me, and I would love to teach a class on this subject in the future.
Greek has been challenging but oddly enjoyable. I am up to 90 words, which makes up just over 50% of the New Testament. However, there are a few thousand unique words, and these 90 appear very frequently. Todd Houston does an excellent job teaching this class. I’m still getting the hang of parsing, but we have four-quarters of Greek, so there is plenty of time to practice. All other classes have gone well.
Unfortunately, Hurricane Helene has caused significant damage to the area. Our house is fine, but the school building suffered minor water damage. Due to the devastation in the area, all classes for the remainder of the quarter have ended, and all students are participating in the relief effort. We will begin school again on October 28th.
Please keep us, the students, the school, the Church, the volunteers, and the communities affected in your prayers.
In the coming months, during the winter breaks, my wife and I would like to visit and meet in person. Please look out for an email (nathanhuntertate@gmail.com) or a text (615-319-7596) to coordinate a date.
We love you, and we thank you for loving and supporting us. Please continue to pray for us as we continue on this path.
In Christian Love, Nathan, Sierra, and Savannah Tate.