Dr. Chet and Dolores Wood's Prayer Letter

NAIROBI EVANGELICAL GRADUATE SCHOOL OF THEOLOGY

"A School in the Heart of Africa with Africa on Its Heart"

9441 Haddington Drive West, Indianapolis, IN 46256
Tel.: 317-595-9850 Email: Chester.wood@att.net, Dolores.wood@att.net

Dear Friend,
July, 2008

A WONDERFUL TRIP TO ITALY

We have been back now several weeks from our wonderful six week trip to Italy. You may recall that this trip was a gift to us from a friend to help us celebrate our 40th wedding anniversary, which was three years ago. In Rome we focused on the ancient Roman ruins i.e. the Forum, the Coliseum, the Palatine Hill and the Appian Way. We tried to figure out which parts would have been in existence when Paul came to Rome as a prisoner in the late 50’s AD. We saw Titus’s arch which commemorated the destruction of Jerusalem in 70 AD including the taking of Jewish slaves to Rome.

(Picture is Greek Theater at Syracuse, Sciliy.)

We spent a week at Ravello on the Amalfi Coast. From there we visited Contursi, a small mountain village southeast of Naples, where Dolores’ father grew up. We found the family house and family living there with the name of Garippa (Dolores’ maiden name). Although they could speak only a little English and we could speak only a little Italian, we had a wonderful visit with them over a noon-time meal. After Ravello, we spent nine days in Sicily including a visit to Castelbouno, a mountain village where Dolores’ mother grew up. Sicily is full of ancient Greek ruins. At Syracuse where Paul landed (Acts 28:12) we saw a huge Greek outdoor theater. We ended our trip with two weeks of walking in sunny Tuscany.

We returned home invigorated, ready for work but also with heavy hearts because in most of the churches we visited Mary, not Jesus, was at the center of the church. Yes, we have a million digital photos and would be glad to show all of them to you! We thank the Lord for this very special gift.

JESUS AND JUSTICE: A SIX WEEK SEMINAR

July 9th Chester finished a six week seminar on “Jesus and Justice” for a group of twelve or so very earnest people at Grace Community Church in Noblesville, Indiana. The participants had digital copies of the extensive notes on justice and read sections of these each week along with texts from Matthew in preparation for the class. All in the class are in some kind of outreach ministry to marginal peoples.

Chester has again begun to write on “Israel and Justice”. This summer the focus is on the Law and the Tabernacle. The writing is interesting, stretching (recently Chester tried to figure out the precise relation of justice to holiness in terms of the Law), overwhelming at times and moving along slowly but surely. Pray that Chester will stay healthy, focused and be enabled by God as he writes.

Later in the early autumn Chester will probably restart his Saturday morning sessions on “Teaching Dad’s how to teach their children the Bible as a whole.”

LEAVING FOR KENYA ON NEW YEAR’S DAY

We hope to leave for Kenya New Year’s Day 2009 so as to help out in teaching Bible at NEGST. Chester will probably be teaching OT and NT Introduction (survey) for a group of students working for a degree in theology. If the MTh, i.e. advanced level degree, gets off the ground, Chester will offer a course in that program as well. Our trip back will be a bit different this time because we no longer have an apartment of our own to which we can return and we no longer have a car in Kenya. We plan to stay through graduation, July 4th, and then return home for another period of writing. School year 2008-2009 is the 25th anniversary of NEGST. Since 1983-1984 God has blessed and kept NEGST through many ups and downs. Chester began to teach at NEGST in May 1984. It is thrilling to think about the hundreds of graduates of NEGST who are now in ministry throughout the whole of Africa and beyond. We hope to say more about what God has done at NEGST at the 25th anniversary celebration in the autumn of 2009 in Indianapolis.

PhD STUDENTS STUDYING ABROAD

When we return to NEGST in January, 2009, we look forward to seeing just how each of the PhD students is doing. They are now well into the dissertation writing stage which should reach its culmination by the end of 2009. All of the students are expected to spend two or three months abroad doing research at a major library. Hopefully they will also be able to meet with their external supervisor and maybe even attend an international conference in their field of research. Students in translation studies have mostly studied at Amsterdam where the university has a translation center and most of the biblical students are going to Cambridge to work at the Tyndale House library. Pray that
· Their health will be good,
· Their family will not suffer from this period of separation,
· Their time will be profitable in terms of discovering helpful materials and
· Their scope of contacts with scholars who might assist them will broaden.
The entire student cohort except two students has sufficient funds for this trip. We are asking the Lord to send us, LOWM, $5,000 so that we can help that last student to leave for Cambridge by the end of July. If you would like to help with this project, add a note saying your gift is for the PhD at NEGST. Thanks!

AN INVITATION TO VISIT US AT NEGST IN KENYA IN 2009

We would like to invite you to come visit us at NEGST and see for yourselves what God is doing in Kenya and to enjoy the beauty of Kenya. In 2009 NEGST will be celebrating its 25th Anniversary. Trips guided by Paul Heidebrecht of Christian Leaders for Africa are in the works for late January and early July 2009. Paul can be reached at his phone is 630 562-1640.

With deep gratitude we are your fellow servants in Christ,



Chester & Dolores

Gifts toward this ministry are tax-deductible. Please make your check payable to “Light of the World Ministries.” Mail to Light of the World Ministries, 825 S. Meridian, Indianapolis, IN 46225.
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