ministry update
The effects of the COVID-19 pandemic have been felt in every sector around the globe. The education sector has not been immune, with most classrooms closed. Schools have shifted rapidly to some form of distance education. Horizon Education Network was well-positioned to help our partners with this transition. Most already offered online programs besides their campus-based courses. As a result, they were better prepared for the change. Even still, it has been challenging for them to adapt. Pray that we would be wise in our response to many requests for help.
As the COVID-19 pandemic was announced in mid-March, I was in Cuba (on a tourist visa!). For four days, we met with six seminaries who want to use technology to extend their campus-based education. With about 20 academic leaders, we talked about and demonstrated course design for online and hybrid courses. Several seminaries seemed quite eager to move forward despite the challenges they face. Internet access and device ownership are low, but computer labs and local networks help. One school uses low-cost, credit-card-sized computers as mobile resource libraries for their extension sites. I consulted with them on other possibilities for using their devices for teaching and learning. Please pray for these schools as they plan how to use their resources for ministry training effectively.
I have also been teaching a couple of courses. A colleague and I just finished co-teaching a section of our Effective Online Teaching course. We had ten students participating. They were from Ghana, the Philippines, and elsewhere. I also taught a cohort of five students in Moodle Skills for Facilitators 1. The students in that course were all in Nigeria. In both courses, I saw an eagerness to learn, and my interactions with students have stretched my thinking. Praise God for the opportunity to interact with a diverse group of educators from around the world. Pray that these men and women will continue to train others for gospel ministry in their part of the world.
family update
Thanks for your continued prayers for our family. These are interesting days as we deal with the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic. I returned home as the federal government recommended that all foreign travellers self-isolate for 14 days. I emerged to a changed world. As you know, elementary and secondary schools have been closed. AGL are all working on school work at home. Please pray for K as she transitions from her first year of university. Her semester was cut short because of the pandemic. Looking for work seems like a tough prospect in this environment. Pray that she will find something that will allow her to save money for a return to school in the fall. E is considering returning to school in the fall or embarking on short-term missions. Pray that she will have wisdom and clarity for figuring out what is next. A continues to struggle. Pray that he will have the courage and strength to overcome. Thanks again for your prayers for us.
praise & prayer
- Praise God for his provision for our needs through regular and one-time donations.
- Pray that God’s provision continues as donors feel the effects of COVID-19.
- Pray for our partners who have adapted rapidly to new conditions for teaching.
- Pray for our contacts in Cuba, some of whom cannot continue to teach.
- Pray that students in our courses would use their knowledge and skill to continue training others for gospel ministry.
- Please continue to pray for our family.