Africa Institute of Marriage and Family

We're now settled into our new home at African Christian College in Swaziland and have begun our first semester of teaching. The only thing of significance remaining to be sorted out in our home is placement of wall decor. We saved that for last, so we can see how everything will fit together before making holes in the walls. And I have a couple of rooms yet for which to make curtains. But these things had to be put on hold when classes started the 20th of January.

Fielden is teaching four classes: Marriage and Family (which we are co-teaching), First and Second Corinthians, Hebrews and Cultural Anthropology. All of those are third year classes, except for Marriage and Family, which both second and third year students are taking. I am teaching three classes: Marriage and Family (with Fielden), English II and Introduction to Psychology and Counseling. All of mine are second year classes (besides the Marriage and Family class). I have 14 second year students, and Fielden has 6 third year students. This is the first year for a third year Bachelor's Degree program, and only those six qualified to enter the program. We are both enjoying the classroom scene, interacting with the students and teaching subject matter that we feel strongly about.

We have some good students from different countries: Zimbabwe, Zambia, South Africa, Malawi, Swaziland, Uganda. There is even a Kenyan in the first year class. A young man, who had grown up with our children and spent many hours in our home on Mt. Elgon, came with his wife and two young sons. They had quite an ordeal getting here, including extortion at borders, sleeping in bus stations, running out of money. We had to call Christians in Zambia and Zimbabwe to help them on their journey. However, they finally made it and are settling in.

Besides teaching classes, I am serving as the school counselor; so I have counseling hours as well. We are both on the curriculum committee to sort out courses needed for the new Bachelor's program. It's been quite nice to stay in one place for some months for a change. Fielden, along with other staff members, is working with students to help plant a couple of new churches in the surrounding areas. We have visited two churches, one in the country and one in the capital city, besides the church that meets on ACC campus. We are coming to appreciate all the different staff members for the good work they have been doing at Manzini Bible School for some years. They are leaving a great legacy.

One item of news for many of you: Fielden had minor surgery this week. You may remember that last August, when we were in Zambia, he suffered for two days with a kidney stone. Since that time, off and on, he has been having pain and occasional bleeding from the bladder. He went to see a doctor in Manzini, and she sent him to a urologist in Nelspruit, a 3 1/2 hour drive from here in South Africa. When he saw the urologist last week, he found the kidney stone lodged in his bladder, and it was too big to pass. So he scheduled surgery for this week. Fielden didn't want to alarm people, so he wouldn't let me tell you until after the surgery. All went well: the doctor removed the stone and reported no more stones in his urinary tract. Fielden had to spend one night in the hospital after the surgery and came home the following day, Thursday. He is a little sore and weak, but he managed to teach his classes today--Friday, two days after surgery. Praise God with us!

Love, the Allisons