Sue writes:
Good news! There are two qualified candidates for CLTC IT manager coming for interviews this week.
Jeff has been diligent to sift through several applications, and he is glad there are two candidates which seem to meet the college's criteria. The candidates' references has given positive reports. On the telephone, the candidates sounded promising. Now it is time to meet them in person.
Please pray Jeff and other interviewers will be able to detect any unreliability or inconsistencies in stories the candidates tell. It would give the college community a boost to have this new employee be an honest worker who is able to teach others.
Thursday, October 30, 2008
Saturday, October 25, 2008
Saturday, Bread Day
Sue writes:
Saturday is a day to do different things. This Saturday Jeff dealt with how to accurately present spiritual bread. I labored to make physical bread. I'll tell you about these things.
Jeff was invited to preach at an Assemblies of God church on Sunday. Two students at our college are part of that village congregation. It is being torn apart by quarreling, so the students asked Jeff to speak on Christian unity. He has been praying and asking God to show him what Jesus, the Bread of Life, wants this church to know about Himself and life in Him. We would appreciate your prayers for the Holy Spirit to unite this congregation.
While Jeff was working with spiritual bread, I have been kneading physical bread. Saturday is my day to make sure we have the food we need for the next week.
I start by seeing what our garden has ready for me to harvest. This week it was green beans, cherry tomatoes, celery, carrots, green onions and cabbage. Then I go to the open-air market outside our college gate. It was a joy to find pineapple, bananas, cucumbers, lettuce, and papayas there this week. Besides the usual sun, the extra rain that's starting to come has brought several new garden foods to maturity.
Those home-grown treasures have to be processed somehow. While my bread was rising, I chopped or grated the cabbage, carrots, celery leaves (Celery here grows lots of leaves and thin stalks.) and the greens of the onions into a coleslaw for tomorrow. The green beans and whites of the onions I cooked for lunch today. The lettuce will make a nice bed for some tomatoes, cucumbers and cold CLTC chicken breasts for dinner, and my bread will taste good along with it. Papaya is a nice finisher.
It's satisfying to work with the materials the Lord provides for us. Whether it's physical or spiritual bread we work with, we know all good things come from our generous God. We ask His blessing on our labor:
And let the favor of the Lord our God be upon us;
And do confirm for us the work of our hands;
Yes, confirm the work of our hands. Psalm 90:17
Friday, October 24, 2008
Absentee Voting and Updates
Sue writes:
We were recently delighted to receive our absentee ballots for the upcoming national election in the mail here. We have marked our the ballots, and I tried to send them off this morning. Someone had stolen the stamps from the college secretary, so I gave money to a person who was going into town to buy stamps for me tomorrow and to mail the ballots from Hagen. We are doing our best to take part in this election.
The photo shows Jeff with his absentee ballot. He's still very much alive after his malaria, but he has lost about 20 pounds since we came back here. I think he looks really great slim. He was getting even more fit after our return to the college by running in the early mornings. It seems that vivax mosquitoes feed at dawn, so we think he got malaria from running by the river where the mosquitoes live. He is getting his energy back after malaria. We're thankful for folks' prayers and concern.
In other news, the CLTC employee who was charged with robbery of college funds has been bailed from prison. Bail requirements are that the person cannot leave our province or be in the presence of other witnesses for the trial. The trial is set for 10 November.
There is no more news about our carjacked van or the robbers who kidnapped our college store manager.
Some good news is that the long-awaited Mundhenks, who also serve with Pioneers, arrived on campus this week. They are getting settled to be ready to serve in the college year that begins in February.
Sunday, October 19, 2008
More Ups and Downs
Sue says:
The retreat turned out excellently! Thanks for your prayers. The principal was an outstanding speaker. The hike to the falls and swimming in the cool water was a male-bonding time. The students gave testimonies of praise to the Lord for His faithfulness to them in their time here. AND the food was delicious. A memorable combination.
We have been concerned that Jeff has been feeling poorly the last five days or so. When the chills and fever hit last night then again twelve hours later, we were alerted. He has malaria! Our campus clinic nurse was kind enough to come see him and bring him the best meds available. He should make a turnaround in twelve hours. He asks for prayer for perseverence through his aches. He says they are worse than with flu, and pain relievers aren't helping.
On another up note, the college employee was released from prison to return to campus. The trial is scheduled for ten days from now, which is earlier than had been expected.
The retreat turned out excellently! Thanks for your prayers. The principal was an outstanding speaker. The hike to the falls and swimming in the cool water was a male-bonding time. The students gave testimonies of praise to the Lord for His faithfulness to them in their time here. AND the food was delicious. A memorable combination.
We have been concerned that Jeff has been feeling poorly the last five days or so. When the chills and fever hit last night then again twelve hours later, we were alerted. He has malaria! Our campus clinic nurse was kind enough to come see him and bring him the best meds available. He should make a turnaround in twelve hours. He asks for prayer for perseverence through his aches. He says they are worse than with flu, and pain relievers aren't helping.
On another up note, the college employee was released from prison to return to campus. The trial is scheduled for ten days from now, which is earlier than had been expected.
Friday, October 17, 2008
The Best of Times; the Worst of Times
Sue writes:
It challenging to sort through all the good and bad that has befallen our community this week. I'll briefly list the events.
Our college employee at last was granted bail. The employee has not yet been released from prison.
The manager of the college grocery store was kidnapped from the yard of his house as he was coming home from work. He was held at knife point, bound, and his key to the store taken. The robbers then took the money that was in the store. The employee was shaken, but otherwise unhurt.
The house of the Nazarene minister in Bunem Wo, one of the two villages that border the college, was burned down today. His two-year-old child died in the house. A collection is being taken up to help the pastor and his family out some.
Prices at the markets are going up. A huge, ripe, juicy pineapple now costs $2 US (!). As I bought the fresh produce for the graduate retreat for this week-end, it was a good thing a local woman came along to help me. She looked out for the way I held my money (so it would not be accessible to anyone else). She also knew how to pick ripe cooking bananas and alternative markets at which we could comparison shop. We were able to make all our purchases for within a dollar of the estimated cost.
Several student wives are cooking for the men on (on-campus) retreat this week-end. They and the principal's wife are busy marinating beef and baking lemon cake for the guys for tonight. Tomorrow I will go over and show the wives how to bake banana bread.
Jeff and another faculty man are in charge of the retreat. They are well prepared with the college principal speaking about leadership qualities, a couple action movies, a hike to a nearby waterfall, and tasty food.
Please join us in prayer that God would use the retreat this week-end to encourage and refresh the men who are ready to graduate and go out as ministers. Also ask God to show us how to continue to meet the needs of our neighbors with tragedies in their lives. We really appreciate you who pray and our God who supplies answers.
It challenging to sort through all the good and bad that has befallen our community this week. I'll briefly list the events.
Our college employee at last was granted bail. The employee has not yet been released from prison.
The manager of the college grocery store was kidnapped from the yard of his house as he was coming home from work. He was held at knife point, bound, and his key to the store taken. The robbers then took the money that was in the store. The employee was shaken, but otherwise unhurt.
The house of the Nazarene minister in Bunem Wo, one of the two villages that border the college, was burned down today. His two-year-old child died in the house. A collection is being taken up to help the pastor and his family out some.
Prices at the markets are going up. A huge, ripe, juicy pineapple now costs $2 US (!). As I bought the fresh produce for the graduate retreat for this week-end, it was a good thing a local woman came along to help me. She looked out for the way I held my money (so it would not be accessible to anyone else). She also knew how to pick ripe cooking bananas and alternative markets at which we could comparison shop. We were able to make all our purchases for within a dollar of the estimated cost.
Several student wives are cooking for the men on (on-campus) retreat this week-end. They and the principal's wife are busy marinating beef and baking lemon cake for the guys for tonight. Tomorrow I will go over and show the wives how to bake banana bread.
Jeff and another faculty man are in charge of the retreat. They are well prepared with the college principal speaking about leadership qualities, a couple action movies, a hike to a nearby waterfall, and tasty food.
Please join us in prayer that God would use the retreat this week-end to encourage and refresh the men who are ready to graduate and go out as ministers. Also ask God to show us how to continue to meet the needs of our neighbors with tragedies in their lives. We really appreciate you who pray and our God who supplies answers.
Wednesday, October 15, 2008
Third Week of Fourth Term Activities
Sue writes:
It's already Wednesday here. While carrying on with our courses, we are also putting in work on the Graduating Men's Retreat which takes place on the week-end.
Jeff is leading it up. He's working on the schedule with the students and a co-worker. He has lined up the principal to speak and chosen a movie or two to watch with the guys. A hike is planned for Saturday afternoon. Communion together Sunday morning.
I am learning lots of new things about how to cook for the 25 people who will be attending.
First, there was a discussion about whether to get meat birds (young chickens) which can be roasted or the older breeder birds which need to be mumued to tenderize them. The workers solved that one for us. They chose to bring us breeders. Live ones. The student wives killed and plucked them for us. I didn't look. But I will need to take four of the dressed ones up to our our house when we walk up tonight. The fridge in the college meeting hall doesn't work. Who knows what we'll do with the retreat refrigerated items for the week-end.
Then I had to arrange transportation to the open-air market in Banz for fresh food. At first I was told I had to go at 7 am Friday when a bus was taking someone to the airport in Hagen. But I have an 11:30 class to teach, and that vehicle wouldn't come back by then. So the college will allow two student wives and I to ride in Friday afternoon. The Highlands wives will come with me. They know how to choose good cooking bananas. And they don't have qualms about asking the vendors to lower their prices if they are too high.
We are having lots of papers to mark and a going away dinner for a short-termer who has helped us out. Please pray that we will rest in the Lord for our strength and that as glitches pop up we will see our service as an offering to Him.
It's already Wednesday here. While carrying on with our courses, we are also putting in work on the Graduating Men's Retreat which takes place on the week-end.
Jeff is leading it up. He's working on the schedule with the students and a co-worker. He has lined up the principal to speak and chosen a movie or two to watch with the guys. A hike is planned for Saturday afternoon. Communion together Sunday morning.
I am learning lots of new things about how to cook for the 25 people who will be attending.
First, there was a discussion about whether to get meat birds (young chickens) which can be roasted or the older breeder birds which need to be mumued to tenderize them. The workers solved that one for us. They chose to bring us breeders. Live ones. The student wives killed and plucked them for us. I didn't look. But I will need to take four of the dressed ones up to our our house when we walk up tonight. The fridge in the college meeting hall doesn't work. Who knows what we'll do with the retreat refrigerated items for the week-end.
Then I had to arrange transportation to the open-air market in Banz for fresh food. At first I was told I had to go at 7 am Friday when a bus was taking someone to the airport in Hagen. But I have an 11:30 class to teach, and that vehicle wouldn't come back by then. So the college will allow two student wives and I to ride in Friday afternoon. The Highlands wives will come with me. They know how to choose good cooking bananas. And they don't have qualms about asking the vendors to lower their prices if they are too high.
We are having lots of papers to mark and a going away dinner for a short-termer who has helped us out. Please pray that we will rest in the Lord for our strength and that as glitches pop up we will see our service as an offering to Him.
Thursday, October 9, 2008
Updates
Sue writes:
We had a surprise about the case of the CLTC employee awaiting trial for conspiracy in a robbery of CLTC funds. The hearing which has been postponed again and again over the last two months is just a bail hearing! We thought all along it was the actual trial. The bail hearing is still pending. Please pray for the employee to receive the basics (food, water, clean air, a place to sleep) that are necessary and for the CLTC community to live in peace together about this matter.
After two months our washer has been returned to us in working order. We are grateful.
Another child died in Sigri village this week. This one a seven-year-old boy. I don't know many details except that he was well one day, felt weak at breakfast the next day, and he died at our college clinic while being examined. We grieve with the family.
Our classes continue going well. I look forward to tomorrow's missions class in which several students are scheduled to tell oral biographies of famous early missionaries. Our first quiz is slated for Tuesday.
We are enjoying delicious green beans from our garden, and new calves are being born each day now just over the garden fence. I counted three mamas with new babies today. The calves are so cute and clumsy when they first walk around a couple hours after birth. They seem as though a flea bites them so they take a leap in response. They sometimes are able to frolic around friskily, but other times they land in odd positions on the hill and they have difficulty knowing which way to move next. So amusing to watch!
We had a surprise about the case of the CLTC employee awaiting trial for conspiracy in a robbery of CLTC funds. The hearing which has been postponed again and again over the last two months is just a bail hearing! We thought all along it was the actual trial. The bail hearing is still pending. Please pray for the employee to receive the basics (food, water, clean air, a place to sleep) that are necessary and for the CLTC community to live in peace together about this matter.
After two months our washer has been returned to us in working order. We are grateful.
Another child died in Sigri village this week. This one a seven-year-old boy. I don't know many details except that he was well one day, felt weak at breakfast the next day, and he died at our college clinic while being examined. We grieve with the family.
Our classes continue going well. I look forward to tomorrow's missions class in which several students are scheduled to tell oral biographies of famous early missionaries. Our first quiz is slated for Tuesday.
We are enjoying delicious green beans from our garden, and new calves are being born each day now just over the garden fence. I counted three mamas with new babies today. The calves are so cute and clumsy when they first walk around a couple hours after birth. They seem as though a flea bites them so they take a leap in response. They sometimes are able to frolic around friskily, but other times they land in odd positions on the hill and they have difficulty knowing which way to move next. So amusing to watch!
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