NEWS END OF NOVEMBER 2009

Dear Friends,

"The problem with Africans is that they don't think." The number of times that I have heard that said by missionaries is amazing. I used to say much the same myself. Perhaps I still do?

That is what makes it amazing for me when I come to UK / USA and meet black people there. Some of them really 'do think'! Some people of African origin are great scholars. Some are even presidents of Western countries . so what's the problem?

Imagine bringing a new law into the UK, that schools were to be taught using only Kiswahili. Any students found speaking English in school would be beaten. Then government in UK must also be carried out in Kiswahili. All official legal activities in the country must be in Kiswahili. Anyone speaking English is to be considered a primitive country bumpkin.

As if that is not bad enough, in today's globalising world we have to add - that the Kiswahili to be used in the UK must be used in the same way as that used in Tanzania. This means, say, that problems such as illness must be said to be due to witches, even if people actually believe them to be due to viruses. Men must say that they keep cattle, even if they do not. People should not concede to being on time for meetings, even if they are on time, and so on.

Then British people would fear 'thinking' in case this resulted in the wrong use of Kiswahili. Better just to say what a Tanzanian has said, word for word, whether it is 'true' or not. (There would not really be 'truth' anymore anyway.)

Jim

PS Have you seen the Manhattan Declaration (November 2009)? http://manhattandeclaration.org/sign-the-declaration

PPS Give thanks that we are now nearing the end of this term's teaching programme at Kima, Yala and Siaya. Please pray for me as I hope to engage in some writing during the vacation. Pray also as I am seeking to take in two additional new children to my home.