Update on Africa, Scotland & Northern Ireland

I've recently received a report from Erick Oguta, my good friend who is in charge of the Nazarene churches in northern Tanzania. The work there continues to go well. It is encouraging to hear how the churches continue to grow, and it is such an honour to be able to be a part of the work there. He had some bad news though. There was a couple in Arusha that we always visited when we were in the area. Mr and Mrs Nunduma were relatively wealthy people as he had a senior position with Tanzania National Parks. They always had us over to their house for dinner, and we enjoyed great times with them. Unfortunately, however, she had passed away last summer, and now he also has died. They have left behind three young children, Shilu, Manka and Elijah. We need to pray that God will provide the best way for these orphans to be taken care of. I think Erick and his wife, Getrude, will try to take them in themselves, but if they do they will need a lot of support as they already took Getrude's sisters' children not long ago when her sister died. It will be a big charge indeed and very expensive for this couple that makes so little money already. However, I am confident that God will provide in some way.

On other notes, I had a great time at the Nazarene District Assembly last week in Bangor, Northern Ireland. Jim Diehl, the man who ordained me in America, presided over the assembly and had great and challenging words to share with us. I also enjoyed a good few days off in West Linton, a little village south of Edinburgh where some friends of mine live. I had a good time with friends and also enjoyed some good drives and walks in the hills. One day I ended up on some strangers' farm out in the middle of nowhere and couldn't figure out how to get out of it for awhile, but eventually I found the right trail down through a valley to the next hill so I managed to survive my wanderings without ending up permenantly lost somewhere in the hills of Scotland!

This week I'm going back into Northern Ireland for a few days. I'll be staying with my friends, Andy and Rhoda, while working on a project for the college. It will be good to be away where there are fewer distractions while I try to complete a complicated assignment. It will also be really nice to spend the evenings with my friends whom I haven't seen in quite some time. Then I'll be back on Saturday night in time to preach at the Easter services here in Kirkintilloch.

In memory of Stan Grenz

Wow. I am away in Belfast at the moment and am typing this from an Internet kiosk in the city. I have just gotten back from the Nazarene district assembly in Bangor and was planning two days of rest and relaxation before going back to work in Kirkintilloch. I came online briefly to check emails. I have received several emails since I left home last week for my wee holiday. One was from Stan Grenz saying he was looking forward to coming to visit in July along with his wife, Edna. He sent that on Thursday.

Other emails were from friends who were informing me that Stan died on Saturday from a massive brain hemmorage. I am in shock. He was a friend and a great theologian, and he was only in his 50s. Wow! I will write more later. I do not know what to say.