AFRICONNECTION

It's Saturday morning here--an opportunity for spending a little extra time on our devotions and for catching up on some household chores. It's hard to believe that we've entered the third year since our transition from Northwest Nazarene. A lot of amazing experiences, wonderful conversations, and with God's help, some significant accomplishments in that time. What's the news since our last entry?

In late December and early January, our "last" adult child, Benjamin, came to Kenya, completing the family visits. He welcomed in the new year in Kenya, visited the Nairobi National Museum and Amboseli National Park.In the picture, we got such a kick out of the Maasai, who are famous for their height, being overshadowed by our vertically precocious son! (Yes, and you have permission to slap your leg when you remember that his father Mark is 5'8" and a little horizontally precocious!) The Park showed very clear signs of the terrible drought Kenya has been experiencing. The Maasai we visited with said they had started the drought with over 800 cattle and ended it with 300. We would ask for your prayers for the Maasai and for all people in the rural areas of Kenya and other parts of Africa.

The NMI book African Voices has been released, and should be available for local NMI chapters right now. Since we were primarily just the editors of the inspiring words and ideas of our African interviewees, maybe it's ok if we encourage you to read the book and experience some of the blessing and inspiration and challenge WE experienced as we talked with the leaders featured in the book, including an interview with our new General Superintendent, Eugenio Duarte.

In addition, NMI has asked us to do a second book of interviews, so we are having additional conversations. Interestingly, two of our most recent conversations have been with former Muslims who are now passionate Christians and Nazarenes. They have faced and are facing terrible persecution as a result of their faith. As a result, we have agreed to disguise their names and other details to help protect them from further persecution. One man, for example, was a member of a small house church in the capital city of his home country. Over a period of less than two years, almost 90% of the members of this church were martyred for their faith and only this man and one other are still alive! And yet this man has persevered to become an ordained Nazarene minister and graduate of one of our developed-world Nazarene institutions. We have not finished transcription of his interview yet, but when we do, we'll share some excerpts with you. It is inspiring and challenging to us and we think will be to you as well. An interview we completed just this last Tuesday was with two young men, also both former Muslims, who have been inspired by the truth of the gospel and want to bring that truth to the people of their own country. Will you join us in praying for all three of these men, that God will protect and guide them in their work?

(Picture lovers don't give up--there are two more pictures near the end, including a "pre-grandbaby" picture!)

Some other highlights?

At ANU, Nancy is teaching Christian Beliefs and Spiritual Formation. In a way, though, these are only the small parts of her work. The main part (this is Mark talking here!) is mentoring and mothering a constant stream of students who come in and out of her office.
The University has just completed, under the leadership of Vice Chancellor Leah Marangu, Chancellor Jerry Lambert, and facilitator Dr. Jim Copple, a very significant "Youth Summit" whose goal is the empowerment, education and employment of Kenyan Youth. Millions of Kenyan young people are unemployed, and millions more will be born in the next decade. This summit was co-sponsored by ANU; Nazarene Compassionate Ministries, Incorporated; USAID; the Kenyan government and several Kenyan corporations. It was officially opened by Moi Kibaki, the President of Kenya. Nazarenes in the US can be justifiably proud that their University in Africa is engaged with Kenyan government, business and academic leaders, American government officals, and Nazarene officials, is working on practical solutions to some of the persistent challenges in Africa.
Mark is working with departments on several projects. The University is implementing a new academic database and trainers from the US were on campus last week training staff and faculty. The University is introducing several new academic programs next trimester and Mark is helping program launch coordinators in programs including Law, Peace and Conflict Resolution, Counseling, as well as the distance learning delivery of Christian Ministries and Commerce. In addition, he's helping the Department of Religion with a proposal for the start of a new and badly needed doctoral program. It's a bit of a stretch for the Department from a Western perspective, but is a high priority for the denomination in Africa and would make further use of our good group of doctorally prepared Religion faculty.

What's the transition news?

When we accepted the invitation to come to ANU, we agreed that we would be away from the US for three years. As we mentioned earlier, we are nearing the third anniversary of our transition from NNU to ANU. While our intent has always been to return to the US after three years, we had hoped that it could be marked from our arrival in Kenya in January 2008 rather than from our departure from NNU. Nevertheless, since Mark needed to find employment in the US upon our return, we shared our intentions with the ANU Vice Chancellor and World Mission leadership late last year and began networking.

We prayed for a place where we could continue to serve the Kingdom and the denomination, and in our most audacious prayers, we prayed for a place close to our five adult children in LA. By early January, Mark was in conversation with three institutions--one in the Northwest and two in Southern California. By mid-January Mark began talking in earnest with Point Loma Nazarene University about a position as Vice Provost for Academic Administration (the position Keith Bell currently holds, for our California readers).

In mid-February Point Loma very generously invited both of us to come to San Diego for interviews and encouraged us to spend a few days with our children in Los Angeles, including Andrew's wife Birge, pictured with our first grandchild. Two days after our return PLNU offered Mark the position which he accepted, with the transition to happen as the current Vice Provost retires at the end of June.

Leave it to the Lord to answer our prayers so extravagantly! To be called to a Nazarene institution two hours drive-time from our kids with a view of the ocean from nearly anywhere on campus points again not just to God's faithfulness, but to his desire to answer prayers generously--spectacularly, even! Mark is excited to work with the outstanding leadership and faculty at Point Loma as well as to being closer to our children. Nancy is thrilled to be moving within two hours of a new grandbaby scheduled to be born this month. We want to praise the Lord for his faithfulness and answers to prayer, and yet...

We haven't been kidding when we've said what a wonderful privilege it has been to work with the students and staff at ANU. It has been and continues to be one of the highlights of our experience-rich lives. We're already making a list of "things we'll miss in Kenya." We'll share that list with you another time.

It's fairly common wisdom that the transition from the US or the UK to the mission field can be very challenging. Thanks to the wonderful care we have received from ANU staff and our field director, we have really not found it so. What's less well-known is that the return FROM the mission field to the US or UK can be a significant challenge. Would you please pray for us in this regard? We genuinely feel that the Lord is directing us back to the US, but we leave such warm feelings and need and opportunity for service here. We see such sacrifice and commitment here. The question we are asking each other and the Lord is the same one we were asking as we did deputation last summer: how can EACH of us be "missional?" How can we be obedient to the Lord's call for witnesses wherever He has placed us?

We are still almost three months away from this transition, so there will be additional time to talk about some of the highlights of our time here and some of the things we've learned, and to thank those of you who have been such faithful readers and supporters of us on this journey. In the meantime, thanks as always for reading, for inviting us into your churches and lives, and for your commitment to the Good News of the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

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.