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  ~~~~