NEWS middle of February 2004

One day walking 12 miles, some of it in the hot tropical sun, and the next cycling 25 miles, proves my father to be pretty fit! Dad has been here since Tuesday 3rd February and intends to leave again on the 23rd. It is great to have him around! (All the other days have a lighter programme planned than the above!)

Activities continue while dad is here. At Yala, we have opened a new class. The first meeting of this class had to be discontinued, as wailing showed that a neighbour died as the class was running!

Give thanks – as I received news yesterday that following my submission of a Chapter and a proposal I have now been officially registered onto a PhD at Birmingham university, (having to date formally been on the Mphil programme). This is confirmation that I can continue on this research programme that should be for the next 5 years or so part-time. (I do not have to go to Birmingham to do this, but am working from here.)

Kenya has been hit by a transport crisis as from 1st February as new government regulations being enforced rendered 70% of the public transport vehicles in the country illegal, forcing them to come off the road so as to have seat belts and speed governors fitted! Thankfully the number of buses on the road is rising again as they get fixed up, although there are indications that the service may not be as comprehensive as it was!

Pray for African people in today’s communication age. The Western world is dropping onto them more and more powerfully through TV, internet, frequent travel of Westerners to Africa etc. This is giving more and more people the desire for ways of life that are way out of range of their budget. The pressure for Western people who are in Africa to satisfy these rising wants is increasingly great and comes over as wanting money at every turn for every step of cooperation with any "Western project" – including theological education.

Pray for us on 18th to 23rd February, when I plan to be on the road with dad first visiting some KIST students down into Tanzania, and then giving him a chance to experience a game-park. Pray for many new developments afoot at KIST, including having a short-course running in vacations starting December 2004. The latter is a major new initiative that will require considerable thought and planning. YTC has a board meeting planned for 17.02.04, to discuss planned future developments and changes. Continue to pray for the teaching opportunity that recently opened up for me with the Coptic church.

Jim