by Banji Simasiku
“Let the guest come so that the host or hostess may benefit.” This is an African proverb, which denotes that the guest or visitor brings many blessings for the local people and home. Northrise is always delighted to receive guests. On the 27th of August, Northrise received two more guests who will be with us until late October. These are Mr. Graeme and Dr. Merryl Blair from Australia.
Dr. Merryl Blair volunteered to instruct Northrise’s Bachelor of Theology students in a course, Old Testament Theology, for 6 weeks. Her course objectives are to introduce her students to the Old Testament in the Bible, and to teach specifics such as the Psalms, Prophets, and Odyssey. In her teaching, Dr. Blair hopes to relay how the Old Testament helps us to grapple with our faith. “The Old Testament can be read with an eye about what it wants us to know about God and Jesus,” she said. She is a Lecturer in Old Testament Studies at the Churches of Christ Theological College in Melbourne.
Dr. Blair also revealed that she is learning from both her students and her staying here in Ndola, Zambia. To her, this journey has reaffirmed that “God is indeed the God for the poor, and he gives justice for them.” One of her greatest challenge is seeing how that we, the people of Zambia, live community rather than talk community.
Students have admitted that her teaching style is easy to follow and one in particular greatly appreciates how Dr. Blair takes time to make sure that everybody in the class is on the same page.
Apart from instructing, Dr. Blair has also shared during Chapel on three consecutive Mondays here at Northrise, as she is an ordained minister with the Churches of Christ in Australia. Mr. Blair has also been a great blessing in many countless ways, especially to the Northrise Network team for having helped with re-wiring of the entire computer network at Caravelle House, Northrise University’s current campus location.
The Blairs also had a great opportunity to make a presentation about Ethics at the Human Recourse National Convention under the Zambia Institute of Human Resource Management held in Lusaka (the capital city of Zambia). The Convention gathered over 200 Human Resource practitioners from around the country and a few other presenters from neighboring countries like South Africa.
Undeniably, Northrise benefits more and more with each visitor that comes and it is only hoped that the Blairs are just among the many to come and bless us. We wish the Blairs God’s blessings in their lives.