Work and Witness Court of Honor

Work and Witness teams are a prime example of the "Africonnection." After a busy day and a quiet dinner, we toured an ANU tribute to the impressive Kingdom contribution of Nazarene Work and Witness teams: Right at the center of the Africa Nazarene University campus is a clock tower surrounded by a eight low walls filled with plaques honoring each of the Work and Witness teams that has given time and resources to the vision that is ANU. The teams come from all over America: Washington State, Illinois, Indiana, Florida, California, Ohio. Some members of the original teams, twenty years ago, are planning to be part of new Work and Witness teams to ANU. Others are not able to participate as they once did, but God is providing new workers with a vision for the holiness education and leadership that African Nazarene University provides. God is faithful. New teams are coming and new names will enter the history of Africa Nazarene University.

Exotic Wildlife--Entry 1 of a Zillion

The Gray Crowned Crane is the national bird of Uganda, just to the west of Kenya, and common in much of East Africa. The cranes in this picture were the "floor show" while we had lunch one day, doing what they're famous for: a mating display that involves bowing, jumping and intricate dancing. Cranes are among the most ancient of birds. Archaeologists have found traces of cranes mixed in with traces of other pre-historic creatures.

Guests at a Wedding

Guests at this wedding wore a variety of clothing styles. The wedding party wore the kind of tuxedo pants, vests, long dresses that would be familiar at a wedding in the states. Some American and European guests were casually dressed. Several of the women guests, though, wore colorful dresses and headwraps like these.

Cute Kids, Sobering Thoughts

As Nancy and I think about the ANU opportunity, we can't help but think about the beautiful children we're seeing. Africa and Kenya are facing challenges that will almost certainly impact their lives: the AIDS epidemic, violence in neighboring countries, and poverty. According to UNICEF the life expectancy of Kenyan children at birth is 48 years. The message of Jesus Christ and the power of Christian higher education are essential to the future of these children and the future of Africa. No pressure :-)

Pretend Zulu's at a Wedding Reception

Today we were invited to the wedding of a young ANU man as guest of the ANU Vice Chancellor. The wedding was held in a local church. The pastor gave stern warnings to the groom about the manly responsibility to respect and care for his wife. At the outdoor reception, the young women "ululated" (the high-pitched, high-low celebration sound made by African and Middle Eastern Women) to welcome the bridal couple as they moved to the head table. The groom's father is the founder and director of an orphanage that serves 800 children--many victims of the AIDS deaths of their parents. As entertainment, several groups of children from the orphanage sang and recited and performed martial arts. The hit of the afternoon was a group of high-school aged boys who did a Zulu war dance in costume. If you look carefully on the far right of the group you can see the groom, still in his wedding clothes, dancing with the group!

ANU's Beautiful Gardens

It's easy to see why The Standard, one of Kenya's premier newspapers, called the Africa Nazarene University campus an "oasis" in the suburbs of Nairobi. The University Vice Chancellor supervised the original plantings and still takes an active interest in the gardens.The area between the four story administration building and the campus library is filled with flowers, bushes and trees. University staff work daily to water, prune, and encourage the plantlife. The moderate climate encourages plant growth that can be astonishing to North Americans. Several places on the campus are poinsettia plants that are over five feet tall. Other plants are similarly lush and attractive.