Although students won’t report to the Chisomo Bible Training Centre in Malawi until the second week of September, the staff is already preparing for the new term. Students attending Chisomo receive a theological education and also learn a vocation. This allows them to support themselves and their family while leading a small village church.

The Chisomo staff is excited about the coming year, especially because the school’s carpentry instructor spent the break between terms in a practicum at a furniture company. "We are eager to see how the internship will affect his work at the Centre," said Margit Schwemmle, one of the missionaries at the school. Last year, 12 students completed the one-year program; the staff is hoping for an equal number of eager students this fall.

It’s been a very busy time during the last two weeks of August at Pacific Islands University in Guam. With classes beginning on August 31st, the staff was occupied with getting themselves, the campus and the students ready for the fall term. Registration is one of the busiest weeks of the year for the staff.

The entire process is complicated by the fact that most PIU students come from other islands in Micronesia; they arrive by plane, at all hours of the day and night. “It’s been a lot of fun picking up returning and new students as they come in to the airport,” notes college president Dave Owen. “It looks like we will have just under 90 students on the Guam campus. Except for a few conflicts and unexpected problems we have almost everybody situated in dorms and classes.”

“Experience is the best teacher.” That old adage applies to language training too, as Joachim and Miriam Berger in Malawi have learned. Spending time in the classroo m is great – but getting out and talking with people is even better.

So it is that they spent an afternoon with a local pastor who had just returned from a month of training in the city. Pastor Mabvuto excitedly shared all that he had learned; he also asked the Bergers many questions about Germany. After sharing a meal, Pastor Mabvuto invited Joachim and Miriam to return on Sunday for worship, the first service he will lead since returning from the city.

The trip to the church took about thirty minutes by car; Pastor Mabvuto normally takes an hour to ride his bicycle there. After the service, we talked a bit with a former Chisomo student and his wife. “Yes, our Chichewa now stretches for smaller conversations from everyday life," write the Bergers, “but we are still far away from being able to preach and teach.” That will require some more experience.

The word for dandelion in Persian is ghasedak; it is also used to generally refer to the fluffy part of a flower which carries the seeds on the wind. Iranians believe that the person on whom the ghasedak comes to rest will receive good news.

Working with the SAT-7 satellite television ministry in the Middle East, Paul Hieber constructed a set for a new television program entitled “Ghasedak”. The show will directly answer the letters sent in by young viewers. The first of 60 planned episodes was produced recently, featuring the final version of the new background.

The happy, smiling face to the right is Melody Plaxton, the Dean of Academic Affairs for Pacific Islands University in Guam. Why is she smiling? Because the box she is hold ing – which is about to be deposited at the post office – contains over 400 pages of documents and reports, verifying that PIU has met the accreditation standards requested by TRACS, it’s accrediting agency. “We had a lot of folks working together to make this happen, so don't think I did this all alone!” writes Melody. “I think just about our entire staff was involved! Great teamwork and what a relief to be done!”

Pacific Islands University is comprised of Pacific Islands Christian College, Pacific Islands Bible College and Pacific Islands Evangelical Seminary.

"The destruction is enormous: Burned out shops along the street, row after row of homes destroyed,” writes Hartmut Wacker, a representative of Liebenzell Missi on in Germany. “But much more tragic is that more than 2,000 people lost their lives.” Violent clashes between Kyrgs and Uzbeks in the southern city of Osh lead to tragic suffering.

Liebenzell Mission in Germany established a fund for reconstruction assistance for those affected by the recent unrest and violence. Wacker was on a mission to deliver the first aid from this relief effort. The mission was able to help about 40 families with food, clothing and assistance for rebuilding. “It’s almost impossible to find a family which has not lost a loved one,” noted Wacker.

While the financial and aid support helps in the short run, the long term solution is reconciliation. Said one evangelical pastor, “Through their actions Christians must show the love of God to their neighbors; understands their life of sorrow and deep despair."