SED Goes to India
By Gary Gifford.
Dean Jim Jeffery and Gary Gifford traveled to Spicer Memorial College during February this year to visit our sister institution and share some teaching and learning time with the Educational Administration students taking the MA program we facilitate on their campus. Jim was on campus a little over one week during which he made a Friday evening vesper program presentation, a chapel presentation, taught a number of 1 half hour class sessions, and renewed friendship and working relationships with the president and a number of the campus leadership team members. Our dean is known, respected and appreciated by those at Spicer.
Gary Gifford was on campus at Spicer for about two weeks and like Jim made several presentation including an 11:00 worship hour Sabbath sermon, a chapel talk, evening worship for all students in the men’s and women’s residence halls, as well as a number of class sessions (see Photo 1) and a special seminar regarding the Frame of Reference for SDA Educators and the role and function of eight Divine resources which provide the supernatural power needed to accomplish what God has in mind to be attained through SDA Christian Education. We had a good time with the students, professors and members of the community. Regarding food, I ate a XXXX. It is a very large tortia-pastry-pancake like thin stiff creation that is rolled into a very large tube. Then they put a beautiful mixture of lumpy mashed potatoes way down in the center to hold it on the plate (see Photo 2). I had never seen or eaten anything like that before, but would eat it again at any time.
The campus has been there many years and they are beginning to replace and/or build new buildings. The 2,000 seat church (see Photos 3 and 4) was completed several years ago due in part to a large philanthropic donation from an alum. The new student center was just completed in 2009 (see Photo 5) and is in use for the first time this year. The students appreciate it and frequent it often.
Though material things are somewhat less abundant there (we took over 100 pounds of books, CDs, DVDs, and a number of pieces of technology hardware) their faith, courage, dedication to God, and desire for quality education in order to better meet the needs of humanity were evident as threads woven deeply into the tapestry of their lives.
If you have an invitation to go to India to visit Spicer, I encourage you to accept it and go. Go ready to be a blessing, but realize that you will no doubt receive more than you will ever be able to give.
Photo 1 Photo 2 Photo 3
Photo 4 Photo 5
