Dear Friends,

It has been long again since we wrote our previous letter to you all. However, you have always been in our prayers. We both want especially to thank those who sent letters and cards over the last Christmas and Easter to us. Your support and prayers sustain us in this ministry.

The second academic term is in progress at the college. During this term we have a visiting scholar from the Presbyterian Church in Canada. Dr. Dorcas Gordon, a New Testament scholar, has been appointed the principal of Knox College in Toronto. Before assuming her new job, she wanted to experience Africa. She will be with us until the end of May. She is teaching one of the New Testament subjects Joe was teaching, so Joe finds more time for research during this term.

The long-awaited new college car has been delivered over the Easter weekend from South Africa. The whole community is excited to have this new double-cabin pick-up truck. We are truly grateful for all the contributions made by the partner churches and friends. Construction of a three-classroom block has been completed, and we have been able to use them since the beginning of this academic year. At the moment, one additional staff house is under construction. Again, many thanks for your support and prayers to accomplish all these projects. The college doesn't have any problem in terms of facilities now. The bachelor of divinity program has been well-implemented. This year we received eight more students out of 30 first-year students. One major problem is the financial self-support of the college. At its last meeting the Board made a resolution to make a drastic structural change toward financial self-support. Joe is one of a three-member task force that has already drafted the restructuring plan. According to this plan, the college would be restructured in two years with the goal of financial independence. There are still many hurdles to get over: changing the current college constitution, establishing new boards, sensitizing the member churches, etc. The first step will soon be taken by having a parachurch conference to sensitize people about the necessity of such restructuring. This new venture should open up a whole new perspective for the college to step out of the so-called neo-colonial structure toward a self-reliant mode of operation.

This last rainy season has been very unusual, which means that we have had plenty of rain. In Malawi, we cannot complain about too much rain, though. No water problem this year, but power black-outs have been a daily ritual, requiring us cook on charcoal for many days. From the second week of April, we began to have gorgeous weather—really clean blue skies and cool temperature. Nowadays, the weather is very pleasant and comfortable. We are getting into the dry season, and soon it will become quite dusty.

Back to our family. Our son John found a new law firm, Stradling Yocca & Rauth, in Newport Beach, California, last August. He is now well-settled there. His wife Agnes enjoys her teaching job at a nearby kindergarten in Newport Beach. Both of them are too busy in their work to have a child yet. But we are assured that they will give us another grandchild next year. Our daughter Ruth and son-in-law Mike have been busy with their first son, Peter, who is now one-and-a-half years old. We both had a wonderful time with them last Christmas back in the States. We celebrated Peter's first birthday together. Joe was asked by their minister to baptize his own grandson during our stay in California. We are again excited to learn that Ruth and Mike expect their second child in October, when we will be back in the States to do mission interpretation. We do also hope that we would be able to see as many of you as possible during this short and busy period of time.

May our God abundantly bless you, your family and your work with health and much meaning of life.

In Christ,

Hannah and Joseph Kang