NEWS FOR MID JULY 2007

Dear Friends,

If this news comes to you late, it may be because Angela Merridale, who distributes it for me, is having trouble with her email connection.

Early signs are indicating that cutting the funding to YTC has been a wise move. Things are looking up. Thanks to those who have prayed and are praying.

Next term promises to put me under more pressure in Yala and Siaya due to staff shortage. But pressure should be off a bit at Kima due to a surplus of staff! I am being asked to teach an introductory course in New Testament Greek for the first time at Kima. We are now nearing the end of term, and thus approaching end-of-term activities. The KIST graduation will be on Sunday 29th July. We are due to finally close activities in Yala and Siaya two weeks after that, having some Tanzanians helping us to close the teaching programme and then visit students for those weeks.

We are still looking for people to be in support of AVM - the Alliance for Vulnerable Mission. This is taking off slowly. Sometimes frustratingly slowly given the urgency of the issues here on the ground.

The thought of waking up in the middle of the night to find a rat besides one's head on the bed, has often not been a pleasant one. The 'thought' became a reality a few days ago. I lifted my head on my arm and glared at him (or her) in the dim light in my room. He froze for 2 or 3 (I guess) long seconds, then bolted! Fortunately he found a space at the edge of my mosquito net and didn't end up trapped in the bed with me!

A salutary reminder. All of us will sooner or later be maggot fodder (unless we are cremated that is). So what is a rat?

Jim

Vulnerable Mission

Kima International School of Theology

PO Box 75

Maseno

Kenya