News for End of February 2005

Greetings friends,

Give thanks that I have just received a very encouraging email from my PhD supervisor, telling me that progress so far on my thesis is good! I have to make some major revisions to the latter half of it, but all in all the word is positive.

I am about to set off on some travelling. I drive to Nairobi tomorrow with some missionary colleagues from Tanzania. Then from Thursday this week until Sunday I am at the SIM mission Spiritual Life Conference at Brackenhurst, near Nairobi. Their international director Malcolm McGregor is to be our guest speaker, a man of whom I have hear much that is positive. So I am looking forward to good Christian teaching, and also opportunities at building and developing relationships with SIM missionaries.

After coming back to KIST on Monday 28th February, I am due to begin a trip that will take me as far as Musoma in Tanzania on Tuesday 1st March. I will be visiting KIST students who are on internship in the course of this trip, from which I hope to have returned on Friday 4th so as to be able to teach our YTC classes in Yala (Wagai) on Friday and then Siaya on that Saturday. I have arranged to travel with one of our pastors from the Yala area on this trip.

I am then due to report back at KIST on 9th March. This will give us just two days to get everything square with the Principal, who is due to leave on 11th March for Germany and then the USA. This means that from 11th March as well as interim Dean I will also be acting Principal, until our Principal returns near the end of April. Our term will close on the day before Good Friday. Please pray for this time and this raised load, especially as activities will also be continuing at Yala, where we are preparing for our 11 years anniversary on 26th March. At the end of March we then have the Church of God missionaries retreat in Malindi (near Mombassa).

Give thanks for the three YTC teachers who are currently studying at Ibeno Bible College in Kisii in Kenya, from whom we have just had good reports.

Please pray as I need to be making more detailed plans for my furlough time in the UK that is to begin August 2005 and go to December 2005.

Give thanks for the many visits from supporters from the USA that we are receving here at KIST this year.

Please continue to pray for Siaya Theological Centre. We are continuing to teach every Saturday. It is encouraging so far!

Best wishes,

Jim