Anticipated Changes

Gina and I have experienced many changes since moving to the campus of EuNC over one year ago. We have learned to be flexible, to place our complete trust in God and his control, and to make peace with living a life of ambiguity. When the needs, conditions, or situations change, we have done our best to adapt.

Some unexpected changes concerning EuNC's Busingen campus were announced last week to the faculty and staff. You can read about them here. Once more we found ourselves adjusting to a new situation. We learned on Friday that nothing drastic or unexpected will change for Gina and I, and we are grateful. However, we are saddened at the departure of our friends whose jobs will no longer be available to them.

My work developing and teaching online for EuNC will continue through the end of December 2011. I have recently transitioned out of the campus library, and am focused entirely on course development. I am currently co-teaching European History on campus through April 15. I have just completed teaching Intro to Theology, and will begin helping a pair of students complete the online Nazarene History & Polity course in April and May. Following this, my activity will gradually decrease throughout the remainder of the year. I will develop 3-credit and 5-credit online courses for Church History II, and improve on the 3-credit and 5-credit Church History I classes. Work on these will continue throughout the remainder of the year following graduation at the end of June. Gina and I were given the option of ending our contract and returning home, or staying through the end of Gina's contract in January. We are choosing to stay, since we are able to remain in our campus apartment.

So, for the foreseeable future we do not anticipate any radical changes for us in response to the new campus situation. But we are praying with the rest of the campus community for those who will no longer be working at EuNC. We believe God is doing something great for EuNC and everyone involved, even though it is unclear what He has in mind for the immediate future of the campus. You will find if you read the newsletter (follow the link at the top) that EuNC as a whole is growing and continuing to fulfill its mission "to enable disciples of Christ to participate in the mission of God and serve local communities of faith." The news regarding EuNC's accreditation status is very positive, and we were very pleased with EEAA's report that EuNC "has put in place the necessary academic support structure for a successful operation of decentralized education."

Your prayers for EuNC, especially the campus staff as they transition into new places of employment, are very important. The leadership team, consisting of Antonie Holleman and Klaus Arnold, will continue to carry a particularly heavy burden concerning the campus. Keep them in your prayers as well.

Concerning Gina and myself, we can certainly use prayer as we continue to live in a somewhat ambiguous situation. Our biggest prayer request concerns our health and stress levels. Gina's health continues to be unpredictable, though we are grateful that she is not as sick as she was before Christmas. Cultural stress, constant changes, and heavy work-loads as well as health issues contribute to an accumulation of stress. This is perhaps our number one hindrance in being able to do our jobs, and enjoy life and good health. It takes a toll on every level for both of us as individuals and as a couple.

Pray that God will continue giving us the strength we need to do well each day; and that He will give us times of rest soon.