Eldoret #5

Hello there,

Here are a few more "pictures" of our teaching time here in Eldoret. The time I have spent with my students has been absolutely wonderful, and it is clear that they have learned a lot. But not only have they learned, they also have changed some deeply rooted culturally born perspectives. Especially in regards to the treatment of women by society, men, and husbands as if women are more or less inferior to men. The degree of this change depends, of course, on the maturity of the individual man involved. My students have now clearly seen and understood that in the scriptures there is not such a perspective on women, and when it shows discrimination in any form it only reflects the deviant norm of society. So these attitudes are culturally conditioned which the Bible reflects but certainly does not condone.

This is what I have tried to get across in my teachings and I believe I have, for the moment, succeeded. Scripture is full of wonderful, bright, and courageous women like Tamar the daughter-in-law of Judah, Rahab the innkeeper/prostitute from Jericho, and Naomi and Ruth who are in the lineage of David and our Lord. Then there are these anonymous women in the N.T. like the woman with the 12-year-long bleeding I taught about last year, the woman who anoints Jesus at the banquet table of Simon the pharisee, and finally the Samaritan woman at Jacob's well. They are all bright, articulate, and very courageous as they interact with Christ, psychologically wounded and scarred as they are. It was a joy to reveal Christ's love and compassion for these women. So I have tried, and I believe succeeded, in having these pastor students of mine here grasp the beauty and necessity of that kind of attitude.

I have spent some time trying to explain the O.T. Hebrew word "chesed" which is translated as mercy, love, loving kindness, and steadfast love in our modern Bibles. The closest Greek equivalent is the word "agape" love, which is about the undeserved love that Jesus extends to us sinners in redeeming us from our sin. This is what our Lord expects our pastors, as representatives of Christ, to emulate. What has been so wonderful is that I think they understood.

Then there were the emotionally laden moments when I gave a Bible to Milly and Agnes, the two workers at the Rescue center. Milly (I wrote her name as Millie first but that was wrong) is the articulate pastor's wife who was so helpful in bringing cogent arguments to bear on how to deal with victims of rape. She was just great. Her Bible had been stolen or lost a few days before and so she sat there with tears in her eyes when she saw her new Bible. She asked me to inscribe it and add a Bible verse to the inscription so I gave her Jer. 33:2-3.

Agnes told me she only owned a N.T. and that it would mean so much to her after this class to have the O.T. also. So she too was so excited and thankful for this new and precious Bible. The wonderful thing is that I know they will put these Bibles to good use at the Rescue Center.

Well I have to get ready for breakfast and my last morning of study.

God bless you all,

Hans