End of June 2002

Dear Friends,

Give thanks for a good visit here by Angela Merridale and Anne Lawson. They have had a varied and interesting experience including visiting many indigenous churches, exploring the countryside in this area, and spending some time working in the KIST library. Give thanks for the encouragement that their visit has been to me. Pray for Anne for recovery from the weakness that has been plaguing her for some months.

Give thanks also that our neighbouring pastor Pudo is now much better.

I am considering writing a paper for subsequent publication referring to the view of the Luo people on 'good and evil'. Please pray that if it be God's will that I do this that he enable me to know how to write it. It is to be part of a project that is attempting to explore African peoples' understanding of evil, as an aid to church and mission work.

Give thanks that a discipline case we had at home has turned out well. One of the lads living with me took 5kg of maize from our store to sell so as to make some money. We have kept him home for a few days and I have gone as far as talking to his headmaster on this in the hope that he will thus realise the seriousness of what he has done. We attended a funeral on Sunday of a young man who died in remand due to a case of petty theft, and a chicken-thief is also due to be buried tomorrow when he chose to run into a car in the road in preference to prison. He stole just one chicken. Theft is a serious issue here. Both these men come from my home village area.

Please pray for the continuing recovery of two children at home. One has been diagnosed with meningitis and is now on his second round of treatment. The other has pneumonia. Both have been quite seriously sick. Give thanks that they are being treated by a local doctor.

The new KIST Principal Don Smith is due to arrive on 5.06.02. Pray for his final preparations and his early days here that he will be able to pick things up quickly. Pray that I may be helpful and an encouragement to him.

Jim Harries