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Friends United Meeting |
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May 1998
Rich and Sandy Davis are FUM representatives to East Africa with Rich serving as the principal of Friends Theological College, Kaimosi. This article, excerpted from their January and February reports, shows they are busy!
What Do FUM Representatives in East Africa Do?
Sandy and Rich Davis
January 1998
January 3 Had an incredible journey "inland" to the Lugari Yearly Meeting Pastors' Conference at Silungai Friends. Rich gave a dynamic presentation on the need to unite as Quakers in Kenya. They were very supportive and responded also with a donation of 1,611 Ksh towards the renovation of the library.
January 6 A teachers' meeting in the afternoon gave time for the tutors to decide on their class schedules.
January 7 Oscar, Josphat, Leonidas, and we went to Kisumu to do the major dining hall shopping for the term. A very tiring and long day-and the vehicle was not working well.
The students began arriving for the January term so there were many visitors!
January 8-9 The administration building is in the final stages of remodeling.
January 10-11 We attended and spoke at the Chavakali Yearly Meeting Pastors' Conference.
January 14 A banner day!
The water came back on (been off most of the past 3 weeks)-the electricity
came back on (had been off only for a day)-the phone was working-and Dorothy
gave me a permanent which salvaged our marriage!
January 15 The newly repaired and re-upholstered chairs for the library were returned. The library is beautiful!
January 17 The Board met all day!
January 18 We took four of our students to a regional meeting near Kakamega-a harambee (fund raiser) for the tuition of one of the students. The emcee challenged Harnington to do his best and to continue as planned to come back to pastor the newly planted Quaker church in his home area. He also addressed Rich and requested that if Harnington needed anything to let them know. If he was not obedient to his studies and to good morals, they wanted to know. Wish we could get every yearly meeting to support the students this way!
January 19-23 This entire week, Rich was busy finalizing the organization of his office and the teachers' offices, doing bank business and trying to determine (with the help of a vet) if the cow is ready to breed! Sandy spent the week training the librarian and finishing the project of checking the card file against the books.
January 24 We attended the meeting of the Kakamega Yearly Meeting's Executive Committee.
January 25 A November graduate, Jacob Asige, went with us to Kisumu to take us to Manyatta Meeting and Kisumu Monthly Meeting. The meeting gave Jacob a letter of invitation to be their pastor because he had been serving them while a student and they had sponsored him in college. Rich gave his second message of the day, and Jacob and I talked about the library. With their cash on the spot, we went over the goal! We were so excited and brought the excitement back to the FTC students just as they were finishing their supper. It was a very rewarding day!
January 29 The cement and smaller rock and sand were mixed today and the sidewalk from the classroom building to the office building looks great!
January 30 The Executive Committee of the Board met in the new building.
January 31 Ray and Jan came to visit from Lugulu Friends Hospital. What a blessing they are-much wisdom concerning the direction of the hospitals both at Lugulu and Kaimosi.
February 1998
February 1 Today we went back to the Gibaita Village Meeting in the Nandi Hills. This time, one of our second year students who is assigned there walked with us over the hills, into the valleys and across the streams. We were able to give them a copy of the completed goal chart which had their names on it.
February 2-3 Reports and correspondence. Rich has taken some time this month to talk with each of the tutors one-on-one. There is a great spirit of cooperation!
Enoch Sinachi came to ask if we would come to the Shamberere Regional meeting and speak on church leadership March 22. There is such a wonderful movement toward peace among the yearly meetings and every week a leader from somewhere comes to talk or wants to make plans for a meeting on reconciliation.
February 4 We visited Kaimosi Bible College for most of the day.
John Moru, a former FTC graduate working now in Turkana, came by. He and Rich spent all evening going over the names, requirements, costs, etc. for those interested in being sponsored by the Turkana Girls' School Fund. John stayed overnight and went to devotions with us the next morning. That is always encouraging to the students.
February 6 We were to meet representatives from Uganda Yearly Meeting at the Malaba border today. We took care of business in Kakamega early in the day, visited at the Shikusa Prison and tried to make contact with the Nairobi Yearly Meeting presiding clerk, Stanley Ndezwa, and transported a student with us to Bungoma. Upon arriving at the border, we were unable to cross due to the expiration of our visa and the delay in getting our work permit.
February 8 We went to Gavalagi Monthly Meeting (EAYM South) and were there for the Youth Sunday service at 9 a.m. At Kima, we met the principal of the Kima International School of Theology (Church of God) who is really helpful. He spoke of finding Kima in much the same shape we found FTC. We are exchanging library information and salary schedules, curriculum ideas, and even some ideas of how work teams can help. Lots to absorb here, but a great contact!
February 9 Sandy has continued cataloging new books. The library has over 350 "new" books now and the students and tutors are very appreciative. It is such a joy to see the pride growing in the students and staff. The students met as a Student Council this afternoon. The end result was that they decided to meet again on Thursday evening when Rich could be with them.
February 10 Had to take the day to go to Kisumu and get our visa renewed and our alien registration. Shadrack Ogembe, from Uganda, came for a visit to discuss some of the situations with Friends in Uganda and to encourage us.
February 11 Rich attended the Executive Committee Meeting of the Lugulu Hospital Board. Rich also met with Stanley Ndezwa this day who offered enthusiastic support for renovating the college and agreed to organize a harambee for Nairobi Yearly Meeting.
February 12 Sandy finally picked up the nerve to begin painting the vine around the top of the walls of the reception area in the office building! Plans were launched to paint "Welcome to Friends Theological College" on the facing wall. With all that inertia and brown and green paint-might as well paint a tree in the secretary's office. (Now we are looking for a toy stuffed monkey to hang in the tree!)
Rich met with all the students (no faculty) at 7:00 p.m. This was a time of open discussion and they were given the opportunity to voice their opinions, make suggestions, present what they felt were needs, and talk of situations for which they wanted explanations. Rich learned of many real needs that were not being addressed (like no water containers in any of the dorms); some talked of having to go to classes where tutors did not show up; there was genuine appreciation for the upgrading process; and they had some very constructive ideas for the campus. This month was a true "let's talk" month for all of us.
February 14 Rich was one of the speakers at the Kaimosi Primary School where the teachers were celebrating the completion of some national tests.
February 15 We met Sammy Amani at the Chevakali market to walk to Japheth Amugune's place at Bukulunya where his family was waiting for us to have a dedication service of a plot of land to be used for the planting of a new Friends meeting. The Quakers in that area have to walk very far to the nearest Friends church.
February 16 The guest house got a super cleaning today in preparation for the two doctors who will be here this week.
February 17 We met Sammy Amani and Japheth Amugune at the Chevakali Yearly Meeting office and they took us to visit with Thomas Lung'aho. So much wisdom. So much to offer! We were sorry to have to leave, but plan to visit them again.
February 18 This was the day to go to Kisumu and pick up doctors Tom Gates and Dwaine Williams.
February 19-20 Tom, Dwaine and Rich met with the hospital staff and EAYM Board members both days.
February 21 Tom, Dwaine and Rich went to Lugulu for the day.
February 22 Dwaine went with us to Cheptulu Friends where they had asked us to share about the library and the next project of the renovation of the classroom building. The response was so touching and added 3,000 Ksh towards the classroom project!
February 23-25 These two days were spent assisting the doctors as much as possible while they finished up their meetings and reports.
We also got the gerry cans (one for each dorm) and wash basins (one for each student) which had been requested. Then Rich had to load up the storage cans from the dorms, dining hall, faculty and our house to go up into the hills to a spring to get water. Since the community had been without water for four days, all the stored water was gone.
February 26 A pastor in the Nairobi Yearly Meeting, David Kifunde, came to visit and confirm that the harambee by Nairobi Yearly Meeting was being organized. We took Tom and Dwaine back to the Kisumu airport.
February 27 Three prospective students for the new term beginning in May were interviewed today. This morning a teacher from the Kaimosi Girls' High School came to ask Rich if he would speak to their staff and students this evening for their celebration of the completion of mid-terms! So Rich spent every free moment preparing a message.
February 28 Four of the five tutors, the deputy principal, Rich and Sandy went to Kima International Theological College for the dedication of their library and a workshop. Kenyan Highlands Bible College and St. Paul's of Kapsabet were also invited to attend. The fellowship and ideas were appreciated by all of us. The next symposium will be June 13 at KHBC. We have offered to have the one in September here at FTC.
Copyright (c) 1998 Friends United Meeting
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