CEF Newsletter - April 2007 II

Dear all,

I wonder where you are sitting at the moment - it is strange to be able to communicate so easily and quickly across continents. I am in a dingy cupboard; when I go outside I will walk through the sand under the blazing sun past people sitting doing nothing, people cycling with bicycles piled with vegetables, people carrying their shopping on their heads and live chickens by their wings. I do not expect to see any other white people. How does that compare with where you are now?

We had 55 teachers at our conference on Monday, which was far more than I expected. They came from 16 of our schools plus from other schools we don't support. I taught them on the attitudes they must have if their schools are to grow. Phil spoke about new methods of farming. We showed them around the farm and they were very impressed with the crops and the animals. On such occasions we must expect that some will listen and respond well, while a large number will go away and forget what they heard. This was illustrated in an annoying way. I had spoken to the teachers about taking care with the resources they have and storing properly what we give them. After this talk they looked through our teacher training library, which was organised into different subject areas. After they had looked through it it resembled a bomb site, with books scattered everywhere carelessly. I gave them a good talking to about this - what is the point of teacher training that is not put into practice? (Remind yourself - what is the point of reading and listening to the Bible if you are not striving every week to put it into practice.)

The last two days I have been lecturing at Covenant College. I have now finished my series of lectures, and it seems to have gone well. We seem to have good quality, committed students at the moment. They have been asking me some testing questions, especially on the Trinity. What advice can any of you give me on this one: at the church of one of the students several women's husbands have become Muslims and are trying to force the women to attend the Mosque and to cut them off from contact with Christians. If the women stand firm, the husbands are likely to marry additional wives (polygamy is common here, especially among Muslims) - in the context of many children per women and abject poverty, such polygamy would be very difficult for the Christian women to cope with. Any suggestions? Tomorrow the students have their exam - I don't think I will make that issue an exam question.

Friday and Saturday we have our trustees' AGM. Please pray that it would be successful, with the right decisions made in a peaceful manner. There are a couple of difficult issues to consider.

After that I'm off to Lusaka. I won't have much to do there - was hoping to go and see the Vic Falls for the 1st time, but it's not possible.

Looking forward to seeing everyone.

Joseph