End-Month news August 2026

                                                                        jimoharries@gmail.com

Dear Friends,

VDM: Vereinigte Deutsche Missionshilfe

VDM, is a German mission agency of which I am now a member. Give thanks for this wonderful development. VDM, in German is Vereinigte Deutsche Missionshilfe. That could be translated into English as ‘United German Missionary Assistance’. This is a highly respected well established German mission agency facilitating the work of over 400 missionaries. Being a part of this organization will enable German people to donate to me fully legally while claiming back their tax. VDM has a track record of support to the AVM (Alliance for Vulnerable Mission). Their focus is on supporting people who share the good news of Jesus around the world. I visited their offices last year, not far from the location of one of my supporting churches in Worpswede in Germany. To find more details go here: https://www.vdm.org/ Some details of my association with the VDM still need to be worked out.

‘Wildfire’ here
While it doesn’t seem to be exceptionally hot, we are having ‘wildfires’ here at the Bible college at which I am teaching, for the first time I have ever known. Fortunately it has not so far been too destructive, except for the local goats, whose main diet is going up in flames.

Jason Arday, as an African
I have been closely following the situation with Jason Arday and the University of Cambridge. His recent death has been very sad indeed. Many commentators have spilt ink on what has happened. I have not yet come across even one who has taken his African background seriously. I will not endeavour to do so here, as an entirely lonely figure. But I will say that simply ignoring his cultural heritage will not lead to ‘intelligent’ analyses of his predicament. (Partly I can say this in reverse. Should anything extraordinary happen to me here in Africa, and commentators ignore the fact that I am a European living in African community, that would be a gross omission in looking at the details. So, why not the reverse?)

Furlough 2027
I am firming up on a trip to Germany and UK in March / April next year. I hope to spend most of my time in Andover and Norwich, reconnecting with believers there. Please pray for that. In outline, my current programme is:
1st to 8th March, Germany.
8th to 12th March, with mum (in Fareham).
13th to 3rd April – Norwich.
3rd April to 22nd April – Andover.
22nd April for a few days, with mum (not certain of when to leave, but at the latest before May due to commitments in Kenya and Tanzania).
In addition, I am looking into attending one or possibly two conferences. One to be in Oxford, the other in Edinburgh.
Please get in touch if you would like to see me, for me to visit you, would like more information, and so on.

Immediate Plans
I am currently teaching the certificate students here at the Mennonite College of East Africa about the Old Testament. I am then to return to Kenya, probably on 31st August. I don’t yet know details, but any time from then, I am to begin my weekly teaching at Trellis International Training College. (Used to be called Kima International School of Theology.) Pray for this new challenge!

Jim