My report entails three recent blessings. Before I left Kenya for Christmas in US, the new chair of the FTC board’s Development and Fund-raising committee went with a student, a faculty member and a driver to visit our sugarcane plantation. They took a picture of the cane, which appears on the back of the FTC Christmas card. When they returned they shook my hand, congratulating me on how lush the sugarcane looked. The student, who had himself participated in the early stages of work of planting the seed-canes and weeding, remarked that the work crew had thought the work was a joke. He and his fellow workers were sure the sugarcane would never make a good harvest. That made me laugh! They didn’t even know how capable they already are of building a better future for themselves and their meetings.

During the on-campus studies of the “school-based” or modular students in the Diploma in Theology program, several came to see me to talk about continuing their studies in the bachelor’s degree. All were mature students who had entered the Diploma course (similar to an associate’s degree in the US) with the idea that this would be all the study they would undertake. All were studying in the “school-based” format of study because taking time away from their existing work or ministry for full-time study did not seem realistic or desirable. But this group of four had been so excited, so inspired by their FTC studies that they were looking for ways to come for study in the bachelor’s degree, which is not offered in the convenient “school-based” format. It is my hope every single one of their teachers feels as blessed as I do by what they have accomplished in inspiring these mature students for eager further learning.

In late November while things were very challenging on campus, I had a task of taking a day away to give the graduation address and blessing of the graduates in Kitale School of Theology. The small college is operated by Elgon East Yearly Meeting. It was a lovely day of pride in accomplishments and eager hopes for ministry in the future. I was grateful for the chance to meet with these Friends and get to know their institution better. The happy and peace-filled day gave perspective on the current challenges back at Kaimosi return and a reminder that education is always “pole pole” as we say here in Kiswahili, bit-by-bit and slowly-by-slowly.

Ann Riggs