Greetings!

I think that it is summer there in the United States. It is still hot and humid summer here, though the peak of summer here is from April to May. It is rainy season now, so it rains almost every day and night.

Last semester (second semester of 1999-2000), I joined the UGKAT, a music band at the Divinity School that plays bamboo instruments. Every Tuesday evening, students gather to practice the bamboo instruments, which we play during chapel service. Although I am a professor, I joined the group and practice with them. It has been a good experience to intermingle with them.

On March 18, just before graduation day, the Divinity School had a commissioning service to send the graduates to their local churches or ministry fields. Each professor blessed about two students during the service. I blessed and encouraged one of my bachelor of theology students and one Korean master of divinity student, a missionary.

On March 19, we had university commencement. About 1,100
students graduated from Silliman this year. Among them were 20 divinity students. The university commencement began at 3:30 p.m. and finished about 7:00 p.m. The usual way this is done is for a dean of each college to present a diploma to all students. Here in the Philippines they have a different style. The dean of each college called each student's name and presented his or her diploma. That's why it took almost four hours. Amazingly, most students kept their seats until the end of commencement. Only a few professors attended the commencement. From the Divinity School, only the dean and I attended the commencement. An interesting thing was the snack table behind professors' seats. If a professor feels tired and hungry, he or she can go backstage and get some snacks. When I saw the students from my mission class graduate, I felt good. They expressed their appreciation and asked me to visit their places.

The Divinity School has a six-year education program. During the first two years, divinity students study general college subjects. Beginning with their third year they begin theological education. In their fifth year they do an internship, and in year six they complete their bachelor of theology. This semester (first semester of 2000-2001) began in June. The number of new divinity students decreased this time—only nine bachelor of theology students and three master of divinity students. I am teaching church history and mission classes again in addition to one religion class at the College of Arts and Sciences. Eight students (20 last semester) registered for the history class, 13 for the mission class (20 last year), and I have about 40 in my religion class. The religion department asked me to teach one subject this semester, and I willingly accepted that offer. It is extra work for me, but it's an opportunity to meet non-divinity students and to share the gospel with them. For this reason, I decided to teach one class in the religion department, an introduction of the New Testament.

My house (school housing) was repaired this summer. Since the buildings and grounds never came to fix the house, my housemate and I hired workers from the village to repair the old septic tank and build a new one, and change the old tiles in the bathroom, shower room, and kitchen. The tiles were so old and dirty, even acid wouldn't get them clean. The tiles hadn't been repaired in 25 years. We still have a water problem and need to repair the leaky roof.

I try to teach a lot to the students, so I study hard until late evening. Most students, however, do not prepare for class. Furthermore, some students asked me not to use Cebuano (a dialect in this area). In the Philippines, English is the official language at school, but teachers use English and their dialects in provincial areas. The divinity students' English is usually not as fluent as the English of the other college students, because many divinity students come from provincial areas. If I just lecture, they do not take notes, but when I write the lecture on the blackboard, many write it on their notebooks. Therefore, I write important things on the blackboard.

I have been giving special help to several Indonesian students, two divinity students and some university students. (The majority of international students at Silliman University are Indonesian.) I meet them, eat with them, phone them, counsel them, and encourage them. One of the divinity students just completed her thesis, with a little help from me.

Beginning in the middle of July, I will help one student from Myanmar (master of theology) until he graduates, in about two years. I will have individual studies with him in three subjects through a program of the Southeast Asia Graduate School of Theology.

I would like to ask your continual prayers for me and for my health in this hot and humid tropical weather and also for associates, colleagues, and students here. Thank you for your concern and prayer.

May the peace of God be with you!

Sincerely,

John Eunsik Cho

E-mail: jcworldwide@yahoo.com

The 2000 Mission Yearbook for Prayer & Study, p. 170