Thursday, May 23, 2013

A word from last year's valedictorian

I’ve asked last year’s valedictorian, Brent Bandy, to write a letter to you as you prepare for all that September has to offer. The Kaléo program valedictorian is chosen as the person who best embodies all the elements of the program. The valedictorian is one who shows tremendous growth in their faith throughout the year, a hunger to learn, and displays leadership in all components. Brent is has been a huge influence on last year's class and I’m so excited to see the wake of changed eternities he will leave as he continues his journey following Jesus. As the summer progresses I’ll continue to post letters from last year’s award winners. Here’s Brent:

           Before I even begin I will quote a good friend when I say that the experience of the Kaleo Program is beyond words! It is something you need to experience firsthand to truly understand, but for you who want a small preview to the year I feel privileged to be one of the few to excite you for your adventure to begin.
            In fact, I would urge you to begin right now as you read this post. If I were to be given one tip to prepare me for the year when I was at the stage you are all at, it would have been this: to start praying and asking The Lord to begin preparing your heart for what His has in store for you and what He desires would come out of this year of intense teaching, spiritual formation, and spiritual development. I believe that putting yourself in a place where God can already start to move in your life will intensify the work He plans on doing in your life.
            God was most definitely at work in my life over this past school year at Qwanoes and I believe He was using this work in my life to work through me and even impact others by it. I saw this mostly with my fellow classmates and how I was able to process everything I was learning with them and challenge them as they challenged me in many areas of my faith and walk with The Lord. It is an amazing feeling to be transformed by The Lord and an even more incredible feeling when He uses that change to affect others around you.
            And my prayer for you is the same the Apostle Paul had for the Philippians and the same that I have the students that have just completed the Kaleo Program and which is: “that your love may abound more and more in knowledge and depth of insight, so that you may be able to discern what is best and may be pure and blameless until the day of Christ, filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ – to the glory and praise of God (Phil. 1:9-11).”
            I encourage you again to begin your journey today as you wait with excitement for your time at Qwanoes to begin. May God keep you safe in all your endeavours before you arrive and also that you will begin to position yourselves so that The Lord strengthen and grow you in all you do.
                                                                                                            In excitement,
                                                                                                            Brent Bandy

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