Washington United Methodist Church

Our church supports Larry & Jane Kies.

Here is their latest update from September, 2011:

Since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses….. let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us.  

Hebrews 12:1

Newsletter Vol. 26, No.2

September 2011

Dear friends and family,

Some friends were telling us a funny story of an acquaintance of theirs who had taken his mother along on his honeymoon. I said, I can beat that- I know someone who took both mothers-in-law on their honeymoon! After the laughter died down, I continued- ‘It was us!’

 Twenty-five years ago Jane and I had the joy to have both mothers present at our wedding in Maun, Botswana. My mom (and older sister) flew out from Iowa, and Jane’s mother was already in the country teaching. It seemed only natural to drive with them up through Chobe National Park and over to Victoria Falls before saying good-bye and continuing with the rest of our honeymoon.

In August, we celebrated our 25th wedding anniversary by re-tracing part of that first trip with a visit from another set of Iowa family, my sister Mona and her husband Rick, plus Jane’s mother, AND all four of our children, including our two state-side sons, Ben and Pule. 

One of the highlights of the journey was getting wet in the spray of Victoria Falls. Close to the Falls we saw a larger-than-life statue of Dr. David Livingstone, the 19th- century Scottish missionary-explorer who was the first white man to see what local people called ‘the smoke that thunders’.  Livingstone himself wrote, ‘scenes so lovely must have been gazed upon by angels in their flight’.

 I have since enjoyed reading about the life of David Livingstone, and have been inspired by his influence and dedication. Early in his career he spent six years evangelizing in Botswana, before feeling his life’s calling of exploring and mapping central Africa in an effort to fight the slave trade- what he called, ‘the open sore of the world’. Modern historians have very mixed feelings of the results of his diaries and letters; they not only helped open up the continent of Africa and abolish the slave trade, but also led to the Scramble for Africa, when European powers carved up much of the continent disregarding tribal boundaries. That being said, we take inspiration in the positive aspects of his work and his determination. 

Some of his writings reveal the personal tragedies resulting from his calling:‘Matters worsened when our baby, Elizabeth, succumbed to a bronchial infection and very soon died screaming. The cry I would remember in eternity.’ (1848, Botswana)

With many tears running down my cheeks I have to tell you that poor dearly beloved Mama died last night about seven o’clock. For the first time in my life, I feel willing to die. D.L. (to his friend Oswell after his wife Mary’s death from malaria, age 41, Zambia, 1862) 

And in perhaps the greatest understatement in history, penned a few days before he died from the ravages of dysentery, aged 60, in the swamps of Zambia, still pushing on in his quest despite failing health, ‘It is not all pleasure, this exploration.’ (1873)

We also take great inspiration from the loyalty of two unsung heroes, James Chuma and Abdullah Susi. His two African companions helped honor Livingstone’s request to be buried in England by salting and sun-drying his corpse, then carried it for nine months through swamp, bush and jungle before seeing it loaded on a ship in Tanzania bound for Southhampton. But for the single-mindedness of Chuma and Susi, the letters and journals that accompanied Livingstone’s body would probably have been lost forever. As Rick and Mona have seen, our relatively comfortable lives here on the Africa University campus are a far cry from the privations Livingstone experienced on his journeys. The slave trade has long ago been declared illegal; we now feel privileged to be working with the modern church against the bondages of poverty. As such, we feel that we ‘stand on the shoulders of giants’ who have been here before us- both missionaries and early church leaders brave enough to take up the Christian faith and build a local church. 

We are thrilled to see former AU students take up the challenge to be pioneers in their own countries: Mande (Class of 2007) and David (Class of 2009) are both helping establish new university programmes in the Democratic Republic of Congo (formerly Zaire).

We also see the glow in the eyes of new Agriculture students such as Theoneste, a refugee from Rwanda, determined to start a new productive life instead of merely existing in a nearby UN refugee camp; and Irene, whose home is sixty miles away. Both entries to AU were only possible because of scholarships. 

Thank you to those who have helped past students such as Mande and David in their dreams of university educations, and continue to help new students such as Theoneste, Irene… and many others. They will almost certainly never achieve the fame of David Livingstone, but we pray they will do their share in building the church in Africa and developing the capacity to produce more food for a hungry continent. 

USA Here We Come 2012 We are still working on our itinerary for church visits in May-Oct 2012, and hope to have a rough draft ready for our next letter at the end of the year.

Family news After our family trip, Ben returned to Boston and continues to work at M.I.T. While here, he delighted us with his juggling skills, as well as his guitar playing, including duets with Pule and Michael.

Pule had a very successful summer internship with Microsoft in Fargo ND, and will work full-time for them after graduating from Iowa State next May.Carly, 16, has had some wonderful mission trips with her youth group and playing guitar in the youth band. Right now she is focused on her major ‘O-level’ exams in October (well, a couple of swimming events as well).

Michael, 11, is putting the final touches on his major school project on Rabbits, and is enjoying Drums lessons.

Please join us in prayer:-that we, and all church workers, can be faithful ambassadors for Christ in the work that we do-for AU graduates who sometimes go home to conditions almost as challenging as those faced by David Livingstone-for those you know who feel overly frustrated in their jobs, feeling that ‘It is not all pleasure, this…..’ whatever they are doing, that they might find grace in their job… or a more fulfilling job Thank you for your letters, emails, thoughts, prayers and support!

Yours and His,
Larry and Jane Kies

U.M.C. Advance Special numbers:
Africa University Farm Development: 3021027
Africa University Scholarships: 3021028
Salary support:  09572Z (Larry)  10739Z (Jane) 

Larry and Jane Kies
Africa University
Box 1320
Mutare Zimbabwe
email- LKies@africau.ac.zw