Meeting Other Faculty

What a privilege it has been to meet and get to know two other couples on staff here ~~ Dr. John and Gaynor Crow.  They are British, but worked at AU for 10 yrs. some time back; then were in Independent Schools in China and ?, before returning here recently.  Dr. John is Chair of Intensive English, and Gaynor is working with Jane Kies.  They typically have about 90 Intensive English students, and are wanting to have much smaller class sizes for better progress by the students.  They have a home in Harare, but are living in Mutare now.

Ab and Chris Abercrombe are from South Carolina, and teaching in the Faculty of Agriculture.  Last week Ab set up some cameras on the edge of campus to catch photos of wildlife there for his Natural Resources class.  He reported that a very large lizard had bent the camera to point toward the sky, so it didn't capture how large this animal actually was.  I've learned that there are cobra, python, and many poisonous green snakes in these parts!!  Yikes!  They also have many stories to tell of dealings with Immigration!!

Though it is dry here, many of the trees are beginning to leaf out, and boganvillia (?) is in bloom everywhere.  Poinsettia plants are like trees here, and have beautiful red curly petals on their blooms!  There is also a tree with gorgeous yellow clusters of flowers, and I was told that it would grow in the U.S.!

Our meeting with student leadership and Resident Assistants yesterday gave us a lot of first-hand information about the needs of students, and ways we can help them adjust to being here.  This afternoon I will meet with the Intensive English students to share slowly and simply some study skills.  They are just getting oriented to the campus, and had a tour of the Library yesterday.  Do you remember those days of finding your way around a new college campus??

The Volunteer in Mission student group is very active here on campus, and I will meet with them tomorrow afternoon.  Having been inspired by volunteers who have come to the campus for various reasons, they plan a couple of trips a year to Rusape to volunteer at a senior residence.  Students who like kids can also join the Fairfield Buddies group ~~ like Big Brothers Big Sisters ~~ they go to the orphanage at Old Mutare Mission to play with the children there.

Please lift up in prayer:

          ~~ All first-year students who are trying to adjust to college life, lots of homework, learning to budget their own time, etc.  Very similar to college students at UW-Whitewater!!!

          ~~ All students who are still working out their housing arrangements ~~ AU is in desperate need of more dormitory space.  There are approximately 100 students living off campus in Mutare, who must ride a bus to and from the campus every day.  We are challenged to help meet their needs, too.

          ~~  My own struggles to understand languages and accents!  And to learn the proper procedures and protocols for getting things accomplished.

Til next time  ~~~~

Still struggling with the blog....



Mary Beth met Christian Zigbou will visiting campus in 2011

Mary Beth is getting her feet wet so Bonnie is back with sharing more of her words via internet.   Tuesday (8/27) she left early in the morning to travel back to Harare to work on the visa.    So I share a note she sent to a few folks which gives details to those first days.   Enjoy her first days of  being at AU.

 

I went with Kies (a missionary couple who are teaching at Africa University)  to a huge UMC Campground Meeting near Mutambara, our mission station about an hour and a half southeast of here.  They estimated there were about 3,000 people ~~ men, women, and children, who had been camping out in small igloo-like tents since Wed.!!!  Yesterday afternoon was a huge gathering on the hillside ~~ similar to Jesus feeding the 5,000 ~~ with an excellent message from 1 John, lots of singing, and then serving communion to EVERYONE.  Amazing!!!  Because Christmas Pass between here and Mutare is being worked on and has only one-lane traffic, we didn't get back here until nearly 7:30pm.  I had a bite to eat with them and Janine Roberts, the missionary at Fairfield Orphange, before coming on home.

Kies attend a Presby. Church in Mutare because they have an English service ~~ very mixed congregation, lots of ex-pats, wonderfully friendly and welcoming, and a great praise band!  Their guest preacher this morning was from Denver, CO!!  Had tea in the courtyard after service, and then did some grocery shopping.  Didn't get everything I would like to have for the apt., but enough that I can eat breakfasts here from now on, and enjoy some snacks.  Jane loaned me a plate, silverware, skillet, paring knife, so those all help the cause.  

 

While eating supper tonight in the cafeteria I had a nice conversation with Florence, who invited me to attend their UM Student Movement meeting tomorrow night, 6:30 - 8:00, in the chapel.  So, another "in" with students.  Also met Lacey, the student from Martin College in TN, where Laura Kirkpatrick McMasters is Chaplain.  She has quite a story herself, and will be speaking at a conference in South Africa in Oct. related to Students Staying Sober.  She says there is a lot of drinking, especially off campus, and at a very large party center in Mutare.

 

Will meet tomorrow with the Coordinator. of International Students, and try to meet with the woman who heads up the housing.  They are very short of accommodation space, and can only suggest that any more students find a place in town, and then ride the AU bus back and forth.  Two girls even came around to my Flat yesterday morning, saying they were unhappy with their lack of accommodations and wanting to speak with "The Warden."  I hope she has had a good weekend, as she is the one who came to our office in the Health Center Fri. afternoon to vent and deal with her frustration with discourteous students hounding her to find a place for them on campus.

Tues. I'll go to Harare to get my visa, leaving here at 6:00 AM!!!!  Oh, my!  Has been quite chilly the last couple of nights, but warming up nicely during the daytime.  Jane has invited me to her Intensive English class the end of this week to share a little about culture, study skills, time management, etc.  So, I've been working on a list of suggestions in very simple English.  We'll also be setting up several grief support groups to help students and staff process the losses in their lives.  Lots to be done here in terms of improving mental health!

The first 5 days have been full...and exciting

Bonnie, Mary and Gene  

Thought you would like to know that the new Ubuntu Center is coming along nicely, and I will try to take and post a picture as soon as I figure all this out.  The brick work is done up and around the windows and it's looking very nice!!!  Jane and Larry Kies have been providing wonderful hospitality, which I greatly appreciate.  I'll be working with Dr. Machinga, a parttime counselor who began on Aug. 1.  She has already gotten the ball rolling in terms of talking with Dept. Chairs, some dorm personnel, doing a seminar on How to Succeed in College, etc.  Tomorrow we will meet with the Coordinator of International Students.  Tues. I must go to Harare to get my visa ~~ has been very interesting to hear all the frustrating stories of delays and denials of people's work permits, etc.  Mine was no exception!!

During this time of adjustment, Mary Beth will appreciate all your prayers not only for her but for all the students at AU especially those who are on campus for the first time.   What an exciting place to be. 
In June Bonnie and Gene Albert met Mary Yello, an AU student in the Choir after one of their performances.   It is my prayer that Mary and Mary Beth will meet soon.  Hugs to you Mary's.   

Having some problems getting the blog working...

A photo shared by AU graduate Eric Mulanda- the famous road to AU

Mary Beth has now trusted me to get the blog "fixed".   So that you can read her words today... here's what she sent to me this afternoon.  She wrote: 

 So good to hear from you!  My first 5 days here have been full of awesome conversations and experiences, but when I go to my blog, it says it has been removed.  As directed, I went to the Blog Dashboard to try to find it, without success.  It says there are "no posts."  Frustrating, because I spent several hours last night working on it, only to have it apparently disappear.  Can you be of any help?  A student who rode with us yesterday said he had read my first entry and was looking forward to continuing to read my blog and it seems to be gone.  

So we are trying to get things back to where she can work on it from her IPad at Africa University.   Pray for a miracle.   

100 Days at Africa University

Welcome to my blog!  I'm glad you are joining me on this wonderful journey to Africa University in Mutare, Zimbabwe.  After my visit two years ago, I felt God calling me back to provide some counseling assistance to students.  Many of you know that the wait for approval of my temporary employment permit has been long and very frustrating, BUT that is all behind me now.  I will be leaving on Mon., August 19 to fly from Chicago O'Hare via Dulles and Johanasburg to Harare, where I will spend the night.  A driver from AU will pick me up on Wed. morning for the 3-4 hour ride to Africa University.

Above is the billboard that greeted us as we approached the entrance to the campus.  A new billboard now proclaims the 20-year anniversary!!  It is, indeed, an institution where lives are being changed so students can return to their own countries and be change agents!

I welcome your prayers as you go with me in my heart.  Plans are for me to return home on Nov. 27.