Merry Christmas and End of Year Summary

Hello--We are so grateful to each of you who has read our blog this year and it is our pleasure to wish you a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year. We agree with CS Lewis about alot of things, but we disagree with him about Christmas greetings. He said if he didn't have to write so many Christmas cards he would feel alot more "peace on earth and goodwill toward men." Maybe if there had been blogs and Facebook and e-mail he would have felt differently.

Christmas is a "lower key" event in Kenya--decorations don't go up in shopping centers until late November. Employees typically only get Christmas day off work. Most people go "up country" to the homes of their parents for Christmas Day. This post includes a picture of Nan on a visit to Kisii in Western Kenya, a Kenyan Santa Claus, and a Kenyan "clown" at a children's Christmas event in one of the shopping centers.

University Church of the Nazarene will be having a Christmas morning service at 9AM, followed by candy for the children and tea and mandazis (triangular, lightly sweetened Kenyan donuts). At noon, we will be hosting 25 international staff and students for a Christmas dinner in our home. We'll have students from Zimbabwe, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Tanzania, Malawi, the US, and even two new students from China. Mark will be making chicken stew, rice, cabbage and the Vice Chancellor has donated part of a goat--a local favorite. Some guests will be bringing food from their home country and all guests will be bringing a story or song from home. We're looking forward to it.

Some highlights of the year:

• Completion of Commission for Higher Education Self-study Document--this involved 6 weeks of work for Mark and a team at ANU in preparation for an accreditation visit. One of the things that came out was ANU's success in research, in helping students who come in with some academic challenges to be successful. For example, a student team from ANU has been chosen in a competition with other Kenyan universities, as one of four to represent Kenya in an international competition among Kenyan university students. ANU prepares its students very well.
• Publication of "African Voices" as 2010 NMI book. American Nazarenes should see this book among the set of missionary titles being offered in 2010. It was a privilege to do the interviews and edit the book. We hope you enjoy hearing several of our African leaders "in their own words."
• Trip to Manchester--described below
• Election of Eugenio Duarte as General Superintendent and appointment of Fili Chambo as Regional Director--We have already communicated our respect and appreciation for these men. When you pray, please remember them and the tasks that they are called to accomplish.
• General Assembly in June and early July
• Deputation in July and August--It was our pleasure to connect with many, many of you during our deputation--in Indiana, Idaho, Utah and California, we enjoyed our time with you.

Nan's October and November Alumni Events

As coordinator of alumni activities at ANU, Nan oversaw two significant events in October and November. On Thursday, October 29th, the alumni presented a chapel. They shared with students--in ways no one else could do as well--the importance of making good use of their time at the University, On Sunday, November 1, Nancy and the alumni council sponsored the "Second Annual ANU Alumni Bash", this time held at Osiota ("Stone" in the Maasai language) located at the bridge on Maasai Lodge Road.

In fairly typical fashion, the event, scheduled for 1:30, began a bit late, but once it started, provided a mix of good food, lots of laughter, and stronger connections between the alumni and the University.

A survey distributed to the alumni showed that 97% of them (all but one) are employed--a wonderful blessing in a nation where jobs are hard to get. Also, 87% of alumni indicated that their ANU education had prepared them "better" or "much better" than their work colleagues from other universities. We're pleased at the success they are having and at their satisfaction with the education they received at ANU.

Manchester Trip

In mid-October, Mark took part in a week-long Manchester UK meeting of international graduate theological educators in the Church of the Nazarene.  There were representatives from Asia Pacific Nazarene Theological, NTC-Brisbane, Nazarene Theological Seminary in the US, Brazil Nazarene College in Campanos, Brazil; Seminary of the Americas in Central America; Korea Nazarene University; as well as NTC-Manchester.

Although he had met and spent time with several of these people before, Mark continues to be blessed and  impressed and "taught" bwith the godly witness of these people:

• Dr. David McCullough, the current school principal of NTC-Manchester, served as the van driver for the group during the five days the team was there. He was gracious and patient with the group even though the time included NTC-Manchester graduation and the arrival of his board in two weeks!
• Dr. Herbert McGonigle, a world-famous expert on John Wesley, is recovering from an illness, but Mark noticed what a wonderful, attentive listener he was, and how he made every person feel special.
• Dr. Abraham Im, president of Korea Nazarene University, the largest school in the Nazarene system, was upbeat and inspiring in spite of recovering from the death of his wife just recently.
• Dr. Ron Benefiel, the president of NTS, who had helped organize the meeting with Dr. Jerry Lambert, conveyed by his manner and his words that all members of the team were important and that no one institution was orchestrating the actions of the others.
• Dr. San Young Lee(pictured), a second-generation Korean Nazarene with degrees from Princeton, Duke and Vanderbuilt, and academic dean at the Nazarene seminary in the Philippines, gave us an update on how the seminary became a place of refuge for up to 120 neighborhood people during recent storms and floods. In your prayers, it would be especially good to remember Dr. Lee and the faculty and staff at APNTS as they attempt to return to ordinary.
  

Some other highlights of the trip:

• On Saturday, the group attended NTC-Manchester's graduation in the wonderful Whitworth Hall on the campus of the University of Manchester. Like alot of victorian-era buildings, it was built as an academic building but looks like the inside of a church: at the back and on the sides, 40-foot tall stained glass windows. Roof supported by heavy, dark oak beams. At the front, a two-story structure with choir loft and huge pipe organ above and seating area below.

On Sunday morning, the group attended the Longsight Church of the Nazarene in Manchester, and then had meetings Sunday afternoon and Monday.

On Tuesday, after the meetings had been concluded, the group drove two hours in the van to Epworth, and got to tour the second of two pastor's homes in which John Wesley was raised, St. ANdrews Anglican church where his father Samuel was pastor for 30 years, had lunch at the Red Lion Inn where Wesley had stayed as an adult, then visited the Wesley Memorial Chapel in downtown Epworth.Some additional pictures below.