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Currently I am teaching two online classes at Africa Theological Seminary (ATS) using a blended model: Hermeneutics and Pentateuch. For the beginning of each class there was five half-days of lecture via Zoom. This acted as an induction to ensure all the students could use the online tools and to hit the highlights of the course. Now the students are in ten weeks of purely online learning. Pray for these two courses that the students would learn and be able to apply the material.[1] Below are some pictures of what lecture via Zoom looks like for my students and me.

One thing I am particularly excited about is I finally found an Android Bible app that will work well for ATS students. Some of my requirements were: One, the app (and the Bibles on the app) needs to be free or reasonably priced—by Kenyan standards. Two, the app does not use Internet after installation. And three, the app has some basic Greek and Hebrew tools. The app that was found is MyBible available on Google Play. I put together some videos for my students giving an overview of the app and some directions for installations, the videos can be found at cox-net.com/mybible.[2] Praise God with me for this find and pray that it will be a blessing to the students.

Mid March I head back to Kenya to attend graduation (which is on March 20) and to teach an in-person class. Praise God that I am able to make it back to Kenya. Pray that graduation will be a blessed time where God’s achievement in the lives of these students can be celebrated.[3]

Lastly, following the closure of the Early Childhood Development Laboratory (due to COVID) at the University of North Texas (UNT), Donna was moved around and finally ended up scanning papers all day in a windowless office. So, after much prayer, we made the decision for Donna to leave UNT and start substitute teaching in Denton. The hope is she can get a full time teaching job in August. Pray for God’s favor in this endeavor. Also, pray for God’s provision. Our support is down due to COVID and substitute teaching pays less than UNT.

Footnotes

[1] Hermeneutics has been taught as a “hands on” class with a minimal amount of lecture and a large amount of class/library assignments where the teacher goes from student to student ensuring the students are skillful at interpretation. Pray that the students will be gaining the skills they need with the blended model.

[2] Keep in mind the videos are toward some of my students who are not strong in technology.

[3] If anyone would like to join me in Kenya for graduation, please let me know.

Thanks for praying for Donna’s surgery. All went well and no evidence of cancer. Donna is feeling good, she is just easily tired.

My adjustment back to life in the US had a little hiccup. Both Donna and I quarantined until her surgery as getting COVID before surgery is bad. A couple of days after Donna’s surgery, I went to a small Sunday School Christmas party. Turns out that one of the people preparing food tested positive for COVID the next day. So I have been quarantining away from Donna. Tomorrow I will get a rapid COVID test. If negative, I go back to adjusting to “normal” life.

Thanks for being on this journey with us.

Thank you very much for your prayers for my trip to Benin. By God’s grace along with the help of the TWR team in West Africa and Paul Harkness (another former radio guy who volunteered for this trip), we were able to resolve several major issues with the transmitter (see my last blog for background details ). Continue to pray for the team in West Africa as there are still some smaller issues plaguing the transmitter. Below is a picture of the West Africa technical team along with Paul and me.

I made it back to the US for Thanksgiving and time with my family. I am now re-adjusting to the rhythms of life in the US. As well, my two on-line classes with Africa Theological Seminary are wrapping up and the time to grade is upon me.

Later this week, Donna will have day surgery to remove a large nodule from her thyroid that is pressing against her esophagus and vocal chords. In the grand scheme of surgeries, this one should be straight forward. Nonetheless, your prayers would be appreciated. Given that all goes as expected, I will send an update next week as to how the surgery went and how Donna is doing.

TWR, the organization I worked with before I started working with International Christian Ministries (ICM) and teaching at Africa Theological Seminary (ATS), installed a new transmitter in West Africa for specifically broadcasting into Nigeria. The transmitter is running and broadcasts are being heard in Nigeria. However, the transmitter is not operating as it should. TWR asked me to return to West Africa to work on the transmitter. ICM granted me permission to help TWR for six weeks while still teaching my online classes (which I can do from anywhere as long as there is Internet).

So I am back in West Africa for six weeks working on a transmitter. Prior to moving to Kenya, I spend seven years working here with TWR. It is good to be back and see some of the people with whom I served.

Please pray that the Lord will grant success in working on this transmitter. Continue to pray for my online classes. Below is a picture of me and the techs.

This weekend I was at the Jon Just Memorial Ride in Chaska, Minnesota. For the last 16 years, this ride has raised funds to purchase motorcycles for pastors in Africa. The ride was started by Dave and Cindy Just on the one year anniversary of the death of their son Jon. Jon was a viberant lover of Jesus and avid rider who died in a motorcycle accident on his way to church to lead youth group. Dave and Cindy took what the enemy meant for evil and have used it to bless pastors and Christian workers in Africa.

Praise God with me for Dave, Cindy and another successful ride. Pray for me as I put together a video of the ride. This video is for the pastors and other Christian workers who have received (or will receive) motorcycles to tell the Just’s story. In addition, the video will try to explain how a bunch of people riding around on motorcycles raises money for motorcycles in Africa. The idea of a group ride for fun or for a cause is a foreign idea in most of Africa.

Lastly, thank God that the induction to on-line/distance learning is going well at Africa Theological Seminary.

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The one minute video can be viewed at youtu.be/zvtpEg1xHKY.

This week blended classes started at ATS. Since quarantine started, ATS has sought out ways to keep discipleship and learning moving forward. Lots of different ideas have been discussed and debated (quite passionately at times).

After much prayer, ATS is using a blended model. Students will come to ATS for two weeks. In these two weeks, they will be in mentorship, accountability, and attend chapel. In addition, they will be introduced to four courses, the ATS on-line learning mangement system and pick up text books. After these two weeks they will return home for seven weeks of on-line/distance learning.

When the seven weeks are complete, they will return to ATS for more mentorship and accountability along with wrapping up lose ends for the courses and taking finals. The field assignment (a practical ministry application of what was taught in the course) remains a key component.

A few of my USA based colleagues and I are doing our course introductions via Zoom.

Please pray for this new endeavor.

New Testament Introduction Students

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View from Back of the Class

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View from Paul’s End

Here is a four minute video update on Africa Theological Seminary (ATS) and my book.

Many of the students at Africa Theological Seminary (ATS) have limited access to the Internet and to computers. Because of this, ATS did not consider online learning as a viable option. However, in Kenya all educational institutions are still barred from having in person classes. Hence, ATS is evaluating making a number of courses available online.

It is accepted that many students will not have access to these courses. Although for students who do have Internet access along with devices capable of supporting an online course, it makes sense to allow these students to continue their training while in person classes are barred.

The last few weeks, I have been working on evaluating the viability of ATS doing some online classes and how to potentially offer these classes in a more limited bandwidth way. As wonderful as Zoom is, it is bandwidth intensive. In Kenya, most people do not have unlimited Internet plans and pay for the Internet a few gigabytes at a time.

Pray for my colleagues and me as we work through the best way forward for online learning given the constraints of our students. Thanks for your prayers for the partial release of my book. So far the feedback has been positive.

Back in September I wrote a blog “Can my Dissertation Help Those Working in the Arab World?” The last few months I have thrown myself at this task with reckless abandon (likely letting some other critical tasks fall through the cracks). As I was writing, it seemed that much of what I was writing had value not only to those working in the Arab world, but also to anyone working cross-culturally with Bible interpretation. Hence, the initial idea metamorphosed into the book “Culturological Hermeneutics: Understanding Interpretation Through the Lens of Culture,” which should help those working cross-culturally identify, better understand, and adjust for cultural differences in Bible interpretation.

I have written six of the proposed twelve chapters that will make up “Culturological Hermeneutics.” Before going any further, it seemed prudent that I should do a partial release of what I have done for review and to ensure that it is headed in the right direction to help the body of Christ.

I will be emailing copies to a few friends and colleagues for review. If you would also like to review “Culturological Hermeneutics” drop me an email and I will send you a copy.

Praise God with me that I am to the point of doing this partial release. Please pray with me that the feedback received would be honest (many people in an effort to be encouraging and kind fall short in the honesty category). Pray for God’s direction and leading. Pray for the things I have let fall through the cracks (like keeping in better touch and writing a much overdue newsletter).

I am discouraged with social distancing and quarantines. I have spent a good amount of time pondering if my discouragement is appropriate. In the grand scheme of things, I am very blessed. Many people have been able to keep supporting us through COVID-19. Donna has been transfered to the College of Engineering at the University of North Texas and is working in their recruiting office; so she still has a job. All but one of my kids has been able to keep working through COVID-19. We are all healthy. I have made some significant headway on a research project (more about this coming soon). There is much for which to be thankful.

Had everything gone to plan, I would have returned home from teaching at Africa Theological Seminary in Kenya yesterday. I love teaching along with enjoying researching and writing. Although because of the way things worked out in 2017,¹ I only spend four months a year in Kenya teaching and eight months researching, writing and doing development work. When I miss two months of the thing I love and only get to do it four months out of the year,² in addition to having no idea when I will get back to Kenya, it is discouraging.

Given I remain thankful for my blessings, I think it is OK to be discouraged about not being able to do what God has gifted me to do and what I love to do. So here’s to everyone discouraged with social distancing: May we remember our blessings and may the time of unrestricted reunions come quickly.

Notes:

¹In 2017 after waiting for 18 months, my Kenya work permit was not renewed and I moved back to the USA. For those who do not know this story the following blogs will help fill in the missing pieces:
Work Permit Update: https://www.cox-net.com/prayer_blog/?p=682
Updated: https://www.cox-net.com/prayer_blog/?p=686
Moving to the USA: https://www.cox-net.com/prayer_blog/?p=691
Letter from President of ICM about the Cox Family: https://www.cox-net.com/prayer_blog/?p=700

² This is roughly speaking. I do teach a Sunday School class and have other opportunities here and there.