----------------~OO~h~ CHANCELLOR CLIFTON GANUS JR. TRAVELS TO UGANDA TO TRANSFORM LIVES "About 120 students have been baptized, and we are training young people to be servants of the Lord's Kingdom as well as good UgfJndan citizens," Chancellor Clifton Ganus Jr. said. Chancellor Clifton Ganus Jr. was 90 by the summer of 2012, but he was more active at that age than many people were in their whole lifetimes. He was always moving, working and ministering to others as he traveled across the world. Ganus began the summer accompanying his son, Professor of Music and Director of the Harding Chorus Dr. Clifton Ganus Ill, and the Harding chorus to Eastern Europe. The group of 45 singers performed in a variety of venues throughout the Ukraine, Hungary, Romania, the Czech Republic and Slovakia for three weeks. "It was really a wonderful experience, and I really enjoyed being with the young people. It was just good to be with the kids," Ganus said. "They did a wonderful job of singing. The chorus was really good. And they sang very well, and people loved them, and several people said, 'I've never heard singing like that before. It was just beautiful."' As the summer continued, Ganus traveled to Uganda. He visited Harding Christian Academy, which he helped 196 I Leadership establish in 2003, in Nawangoma, Uganda. Nawangoma, a mountain-top village, had a population of approximately 300 people, and the school's first class of 20 students met in a pair of garages. After a decade, the number of students grew to 168. The school was structured to be similar to Harding; it consisted of Bible classes, chapel five days a week and training for young men to lead worship services and to teach. The church had baptized between 120 and 125 people over the years. Ganus said that the experience there was a lot different than anything he had seen in America. "It's a whole different ballgame over there in Africa," Ganus said. "The culture is so different, and the food, and the way they thiniK, the problems they face." After going to Uganda, Ganus traveled to the Grand Cayman Islands. He spoke at a large lectureship for the 29th time to more than 400 people. Ganus said that the purpose of the lectureship was to unite the small churches scattered over the islands. He said that it was a great encouragement for those small churches to gather in unity to praise God together and to learn from the Bible. When the lectureship began, the speakers were predominantly American, but by his most recent trip, Ganus was pleased that most of the speakers and leaders were locals. One emotional part of the trip for Ganus was the involvement of Cuba in the lectureship because former president of Cuba, Fidel Castro, did not allow any Cubans to attend the lectureship. "Every final service, we gather in a big circle, and we hold hands and sing, but we'd leave a space; one space open for Cuba," Ganus said. "Finally, Castro let two Cubans come, and we closed the circle." Ganus's summer spent traveling to Eastern Europe, Uganda and the Grand Cayman Islands was indicative of the purpose and the love with which he lived his life. His example inspired students to not allow age or distance to place limitations on their ability to serve but to step out boldly in faith. KoryHoward
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