“Lift up your heads, O you gates; be lifted up, you ancient doors, that the King of glory may come in.” (Psalm 24.7)
1. We want to give thanks for the workshop on Worldviews, for faculty and graduate students, held last Saturday, May 23. Dr. Isaac Mutua, the East Africa representative for the International Association for Christian Higher Education (IAPCHE), came already on Thursday to join us for the event. The attendance at the workshop itself was not large, since there were a number of other events on campus demanding the presence of faculty. But those who did attend expressed their appreciation for the presentations, which introduced a Christian perspective as it impacts teaching in various branches of scholarship. We are grateful for the participation of two colleagues, Julian Mugishagwe, specialized in African traditional religion, who introduced the African worldview, and also Rev. Dr. Aidan Msafiri, head of our Department of Philosophy, who gave an example applying a Christian worldview concretely in his own discipline, namely, environmental ethics.
2. We would ask your prayers regarding our own plans for travel in the next few weeks. Early in June we had hoped to travel to Nairobi to follow up our contacts with universities there, but that will not be possible now. Exams at SAUT are scheduled for the second and third weeks of June. As soon as we finish marking exams, we will visit a number of universities in Dar es Salaam with an eye to possible placement for IICS/CSI faculty. We would ask your prayers for wisdom in these discussions, and for safety as we travel to Dar es Salaam and then return to Canada.
3. Thank you for your prayers for our work at this university. During the last few weeks we have had numerous opportunities to share our experience of teaching at St. Augustine University of Tanzania (SAUT) with scholars who are considering teaching overseas, explaining to them the educational needs in East Africa, especially in Tanzania, where university lecturers are in short supply. University officials have reminded us of a special need for lecturers in engineering. Please pray with us that Christian scholars in Canada and the United States will respond positively to that need.
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