One Week Remaining (3-9-14)

One Week Remaining (3-9-14)

Today, our friends Norm and Nancy Wetterau return to the US (Dansville, NY).  They have been here three weeks, teaching a course in Medical Psychology to a large class of 70+ students. 

We continue on for another week.  It promises to be a busy one! 

Two of my Master’s in Theology students are submitting final draft of their theses on Monday, and hope to defend this week before I leave.  As their Thesis Director, it is expected that I will serve on both juries, alongside another faculty or two.  The defense is a public event.  I expect the two will be scheduled back-to-back, on Wednesday evening. 

Darlene will be participating this week in an external accreditation review of the Master’s in Nursing program (several other graduate programs are included in this evaluation review).  That event was scheduled for Tuesday, but now we hear (through the grapevine) that it has been postponed until Friday.

Thursday, both of us are traveling to the Kibuye Hope Hospital campus “up country” in the company of both the Rector and Bishop.  It will be an all-day affair: we will leave campus here early in the morning (probably ca. 7 am, and return after dark, hopefully, by 7 pm).  I will be touring the campus with the Rector, to survey the construction underway (some 11 projects) and discuss those on the drawing board.  At some point in the day, we will be meeting with several persons on-site in an Oversight Planning Committee chaired by Bishop Nzigo.  Darlene will be conducting rounds in the hospital with the medical staff, physicians and nurses.  We look forward to a nice lunch on-site, and the day of travel up-country.

On Wednesday afternoon, I will be involved in a meeting, alongside the Rector and Vice Rector (President and Provost), with the Executive Director of the National Commission on Higher Education.  This is a high-level meeting!  The topic is HAU’s proposal, on which I have served as the “Principal Consultant,” for two Ph.D. programs: one in Educational Leadership and Instruction, and the other in Theological Education and Leadership.  Your prayers are needed and appreciated. 

Elsewise(!), we both will be wrapping up the graduate courses we are presently teaching.  And my students are planning a “class party” Wednesday evening.  A concluding class party is tradition here: typically, a very nice affair.  Per usual, I am paying for the drinks and sweets; I expect the students will be presenting me thank you speeches and gifts.

We also anticipate this week a private farewell lunch with the Rector and First Lady, our friends Gerald and Marlene Bates, at their home.  I think that event is being squeezed in on Tuesday.

Arriving back in Rochester, NY next Monday (March 17) to a cold and empty house is likely to seem quite boring!