END OF SEPTEMBER 2019
Register for the December conference before 1st October to get the early-bird price. Details here.
Dear Friends,
The motorcyclist pulled alongside as I pedaled. “You gotta get a motorbike,” he told me. I responded jokingly, that if he wanted me to have a motorbike, then he should buy me one. He didn’t seem to be joking. “You gotta get a motorbike,” he repeated, a few times. I stuck to my guns. He stayed alongside me, perhaps for a minute, before he pulled away.
My cycling is upsetting people. They want a white man to be their role-model for prosperity.
15 years ago bicycle-taxis clogged the roads. 10 years before that, there weren’t even bicycle taxis. Now bicycles are few and far between, but motorbike taxis are everywhere. 20 years ago, no-one had a phone. Nowadays its very rare to find someone without a phone. 10 years ago, it was very rare to have a child go to university. Recently, many people have children at university.
Things are moving on and up quickly. I seemed, to my 1-minute companion, to be trying to hold things back. While everyone is assured that ‘life-is-getting-better,’ people keep quiet and get on with what they are doing. Should it not be so, well . . . These are heady days in many parts of Africa of up and up. Powered, though, by donor money.
I have just one month to go to my intended UK trip. I plan to be in Andover for 3 weeks from 26th October, then in Norwich for the following 3 weeks. I look forward to catching up with a lot of friends! Deadline for registration to our conference on 8th to 11th December at All Nations college is 1st October! Register here.
I confess, I have had my nose to the grindstone working on two big projects of late. One, I am translating a theological book into Swahili. I have just sent out the draft of the first three chapters for people to read, correct, comment, evaluate and so on. Still a long way to go. The English-language book I am working on is called ‘Anti-Racism Exposed’. A lot of research shows that Christians are less against racism than are many unbelievers (most of the research is done in the USA). Researchers cannot understand this phenomenon. This book will explain why this is.
Give thanks: for a significant shift into genuine interest in theological education by a key leader in the churches in my home area. You will know that I have been by various ways encouraging local church leaders to engage in theological education, in a culturally appropriate way, for along time, so this move has been very encouraging. (For reasons of confidence, I cannot tell you what exactly has happened, but give-thanks!)
Give thanks also for a change in level of ‘enthusiasm’ for the Tuesday morning services here at the Coptic Hospital in Maseno. One of the hospital staff-members clearly inspired his colleagues to keep time and be more enthusiastic about our weekly fellowship, at which I give the message. Please pray that this continue, and that the hospital staff be encouraged to witness to patients, through word and deed.
Missionaries: aliens, providers, or fellow travellers