NEWS FOR END OF APRIL 2007

Dear Friends,

I am very glad to be able to report that I PASSED the final exam (viva) to my PhD, so apart from some finishing touches have been able to bring that to successful completion. Thanks for all your prayers and encouragement.

The Africa forum held at Doncaster in London was a very valuable time. There was apparently a much higher than normal turnout of 33 people included many UK missions leaders and practitioners. The discussion was stimulating, and I believe that seeds were planted and mission leaders were challenged to carefully evaluate their strategies. The whole event has been recorded on digital video camera, and will hopefully be accessible in that form on the web in due course.

I have just been at the UK Wycliffe Centre, between Oxford and London, where I have presented a seminar focusing on the links between Bible translation, linguistics and mission as it is done on the ground in Africa. I had some valuable interaction with the Wycliffe people.

British people are obviously very concerned about the creation of unhealthy types of dependency in much of Africa. A good book has just been produced on this, called When Charity Destroys Dignity.

I hope to provide more of a report on my time on the USA in due course. Also to launch the 'Alliance for Vulnerable Mission.' Watch this space!

I am sorry that I am not able to visit more people, due to the brevity of this time in the UK. I plan to return to Kenya on 26th April.

Best wishes,

Jim