Mission Report

Hi Everyone!  I haven't had much time to write here lately, but I want to let you all know we will be having a gathering focused on our time in Africa very soon.  Here are some details:

Missions Report from Josh and Nicole on their service in Namibia


Saturday, April 9 beginning at 6:30

Calvary Baptist Church
1620 Bridge Ave
Albert Lea, MN 56007

Talk about time in Africa followed by Question and Answer session (please come with questions!)

There will be lots of pictures and stories, as well as songs, dance, cultural artifacts, and language.

Children are welcome- this would be a great learning experience!
 
I know this is short-ish notice, but we recently realized that our summer schedule is really filling up.  (Can you believe we have already booked 13 weddings?  God continually surprises me- more on that later.)  We don't want to put it off any longer.  If you can't make it, but would like us to speak at your church or group, just send me a message and we will see what we can do!

Short-Term Missions Trips

I just wanted to share a quick link with you- seriously, it will take like 5 minutes to read it. To be honest, I am afraid to even broach the subject, like I am afraid to discuss many. Our time in Namibia turned many of our preconceptions on our head. About giving. About serving. About Love. About evangelism. Most importantly, about God.

Up until this point, our lives since we got home have been about surviving, enduring transition, and clinging to Jesus as we re-integrate to this now-somewhat-foreign culture that used to feel like home. It doesn't anymore. Nowhere does completely (for more, check out this past post). And we are okay with that. It has been a really intense time, in so many ways, and we've sometimes struggled with being real and honest, when everyone wants a happy face and a positive report.

The most often-asked question we receive is [often with a wistful sigh] "Wasn't it amazing?" followed by close second in "I can't imagine the fun you had!"

I nod politely and mumble something about us being at peace that was where God wanted us at the time, but inside I am screaming:

"NO! Are you crazy? It was not fun! How can you think I could enjoy seeing people suffer from disease, death, poverty, hunger, abuse, spiritual lies, and things I could never even write here because most hearts can't handle it?????"

Yes, it was amazing- but not in the way they think. I think the best word to describe it is "satisfying."

My heart is forever broken by the things we experienced. Not that it's not joyful about so many triumphs, but my blissful ignorance was shattered. I have seen a greater hurt, one that only Jesus can heal- but don't read that too quickly. The important part is that Jesus CAN heal.

There is so much I want to say, and so much I need to process. Things that aren't necessarily fun or pretty or peaceful. Please take it all with a grain of salt.

He didn't teach us those hard lessons only for us to keep it to ourselves. If there is one thing we have discovered about our first time out, it's that he was laying foundation.

And that is truly the hardest, and most important part of building anything. I feel it. The weight and responsibility of it. The necessity of not forgetting. Needing to not waste even one moment. Just when I think I can't handle one more tiny bit of stress or change, it has come.
But He has been faithful, so faithful. More than I can ever articulate.

I know He has a brilliant and beautiful plan, one I can't fully see, yet. He is worthy of my trust.

I guess this post didn't exactly go as planned, but that's okay. It's pretty much analogous to life, huh? There will be more on short-term mission trips, and so much else. Please allow me to share with you on this journey.

The Truth About Evangelism

As we wrapped up our time in Africa, I looked back over some of my old journal entries and found a few that I would like to share. Today's is from March 16, 2003:
________________________


I was thinking a bit today about evangelism, especially in regard to a couple we have had the privilege of talking with lately, who are both seeking. I know there is so much bad evangelism in the world today, but I wonder what makes up good evangelism. I think the key is not necessarily that you have to know so much about your faith, but rather that you have to believe it. It is only then that you can encourage people to seek truth.

No one is going to be offended by being encouraged to seek truth, because it still respects their right to decide for themselves what they believe truth is. It respects their ability to reason. It prevents you from coming across as if you think you know better than they do. People know, deep down, that they were created for a purpose, even if they aren't sure what that purpose is. This means they know (at least on some level) that they have value, even when they don't always feel like it.

Traditional evangelism, in which we tell others what they need (Jesus), how to get it (prayer, repentance, relationship), and when they need it (now- or maybe yesterday), may certainly work in some situations. But it assumes they want to know our views, and may give the impression that we think we know more than them or are smarter than they are. Far too often, although we have the best of intentions, this pushes people away. It leaves too much opportunity for us to come across as bossy, self-righteous, or condescending. There is too much chance that our human way of doing things (which is often woefully inadequate), will get in the way of the Gospel.

But, if we believe Jesus Christ as truth, we can encourage others to seek truth, all the while knowing that God is faithful to draw truth-seekers to Him.

Sometimes people will ask what you believe, and of course we should use every opportunity to share our Christian faith. But oftentimes I have come into contact with people who aren't really looking for yet another opinion or belief- they want fact. They want truth. They want Jesus, even if they don't know it yet. If they seek truth, they will find Him.

This Is No Sacrifice

We are home in the States, safe and sound.

Even though I have quotes set to continue to load every day for the near future, I felt a pull to post today. After all, this post needs to come on Easter...

Today, as I was sitting at Josh's parents house, I was thinking about Easter and all that it means. It seems that with all of the traveling and reacquainting and settling in and jet lag (we slept 15 hours on Saturday!!!), I have hardly had time to focus on God this weekend. I know most people use "not enough time" as a lame excuse, but I am completely serious and literal about it right now

Of course, that just isn't good enough. It is in these times that we must push ourselves to make time, and to show God that He is our priority.

Everyone goes on about the sacrifices Josh and I have made this last year- being away from family & friends, living in a brutal climate, acclimating to a new culture, etc. And yes, while the last year has been a blessing and privilege in many ways, it has also been a sacrifice. As a result of our decision to be obedient to God's calling on our lives, our families and friends have also had to sacrifice. It has been a challenge for us all.

But when considering "sacrifice", the term is somewhat relative. Relative to the cushy American lifestyle of TV, internet, personal vehicles, homes with multiple bedrooms, vacations, fast food, etc., our choice might look somewhat significant. But this weekend we celebrate God's sacrifice, when He gave His only Son to die for our sins. On a cross; a criminal's death. He was perfect and had done no wrong, but He suffered the consequences of my sin. He died for the salvation of the whole world, but He would have done it for any one of us.

That's real sacrifice. That is the measure against which I want to model my life. To know that my life is no sacrifice, because it isn't really mine at all.

Our dear friend Britt taught a song (by Jason Upton) that has really resonated with me this past year. The chorus says:

"Your thoughts are higher than mine
and your words are deeper than mine.
Your love is stronger than mine.
This is no sacrifice; here's my life."

People often ask us if we will return to Africa. The reality is that we just aren't sure. At this point, it seems that God may be leading us back there, but all the details are hazy and incomprehensible, so really nothing official to report. What I do know is this: I pray God will give us the courage and strength to obey His call, no matter what it might be- whenever, wherever, however. It is terrifying, especially given the fact that we know God may call us to things that are a little different than for most. But what is my life for, if not to do His will? There is nothing I can do to repay Jesus for His mercy, love, generosity, and selflessness. As I see it, all I have to give Him is everything that I am.

My Missions Motto

“We are called not to be successful, but to be faithful.” - Mother Theresa

This has been my missions motto. There is so much that I hope and pray for regarding those we work and live with here in Namibia, but He is in control. He is the only one who can make so many things happen. My job is not to fix things or change people, but rather to faithfully do what God asks from me, submitting to His will. It has been such an important reminder of priorities.

Tie-Dye

Recently we tie-dyed at the youth program, and it was so much fun! The kids hadn't ever done anything like it before, and they thought it was pretty magical.

Love love being able to see the world through a child's eyes- they are so impressed with all the little things I take for granted- colors, learning, music, weather, animals. I am often convicted about how little of God's creation I appreciate adequately.

I was supposed to come here to take care of them. What's extra-special is that I find myself learning from them every day.

Jesus and Hoarfrost

When we first arrived in Namibia, people complained about the weather. All. The. Time. Just like people at home, people seemed to connect through shared challenges- one of those “Misery loves company” things, I suppose. In Minnesota, we get the best of both worlds to “connect” about- 100°F heat and 100% humidity in the summer, and -70°F wind chill in the winter; commiseration is only a conversation away. Of course, here we use Celsius, so the numbers are never quite so impressive. Interesting fact: Fahrenheit and Celsius match up at -40°, which means people can imagine how cold it might be (but only imagine- it has never gotten anywhere near there in Namibia).

Anyway, after about 2 days of hearing and participating in the negativity, I decided something had to change. If you live in a foreign country, you aren’t allowed to be negative- you will drive yourself crazy with all the little cultural differences that irritate you.

That being said, I want to detail the heat here for all you snow-covered folks at home. (BTW, we aren’t having a white Christmas. Maybe there will be a sandstorm, and it can look sort of like a blizzard). Personally, I know I’d want to know, so here is the reality:

I L-O-V-E sunshine, and in comparison to living here, we have basically been deprived of it our entire lives. But, the sun here is much hotter, and your skin feels like it’s on fire at times, even when you aren’t sunburned. Instead of getting great tans, we hide from the sun as much as possible. It’s so bright that, even when you wear strong sunglasses, you still get a headache.

Everyone sweats all the time. Constantly, and from every orifice of your body (except the eyes-I don’t think my eyes sweat). It doesn’t matter what you are doing- you wake up in a pool, sweat while you sit, stand, eat, talk, write, listen, anything. You sweat immediately after your shower (probably during, too), which makes it hard to find the motivation to even take one sometimes. Yes, I have gone for 3 days here without a shower- disgusting, but sadly it makes little difference. It is a workout just to move. We have started doing the majority of our work in the morning and evening, since we are completely ineffectual during the blistering afternoons.

Recently we were playing sand volleyball (which goes without saying- every sport here is played in the sand), when Josh’s shoe started to fall apart. The sand was so hot, it literally melted the glue that was holding the sole of his shoe together. Food, candles, crayons, thin plastic, and soap melt- and not just when they are sitting in the sun. We don’t have a thermometer, which is fine because we’ve been told that some of the temperatures we will reach won’t register properly.

Because yes, it’s only going to get hotter.

During our winter/ U.S. summer, we heard rumor that we should get rain in November. Still waiting. I guess the fact that we got a little rain in September messed everything up, and now the rains won’t come until January. When they arrive, temperatures start to cool down a bit- to 90 or 100 degree F.

Last year, God blessed me with the forthought to bring two pictures with us to remember the snow and be able to show it to people. The hoarfrost is beautiful, and it makes me colder just thinking about it.

When I feel like I’m melting, Jesus and hoarfrost are the only things keeping me going.

*********************************************************************************
It has now, officially, rained!!! PRAISE GOD!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Our Boys

Here are some of our boys from Block E. These guys come every Friday afternoon, and many times in between, and we LOVE our time with them. They all come from rough backgrounds, but they are fun, affectionate, and curious. They challenge us each time we meet with them. We eat snacks together, play soccer, read stories, and talk about life (which can be difficult, because of the language barrier).

This is on of the toy cars they make (yes, they MAKE these themselves) from wires and tin cans.

They are adorable kids! Please pray for their futures.

Zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz...............

I am tired. No, like really, super exhausted. I know I have neglected Called to Love Africa, so I want to get back into it. I have all the common excuses: holiday season, camp, 110 degree weather…you know. I will try to keep my eyes open as I write this post, but I am afraid I will wake up with drool on my keyboard and 179 j’s across my computer screen.

This all started with a “brilliant” idea…

Internet is really expensive here, and it is something of a necessity for us. I use it for researching curricula for some Hope’s Promise stuff, AIM keeps in contact with us via email, and it’s our primary mode of communication with loved ones at home. So, you can see the dilemma: one dollar per megabyte on the one hand, and missionary budget on the other.

However, we recently heard that internet from our provider is free between the hours of 1am and 5am, which is great, because we can save a lot of money. The only problem is that this is in the middle of the night (and the connection is really s-l-o-w). But, since it’s so hot in the afternoons that productivity is only slightly higher than zero, we thought we could sleep for 4 hours in the afternoon to cancel that out. We just forgot that the only reason we can sleep at night is that the temperature drops when the sun goes down.

So…”brilliant” was really code for “insane.” No matter, I just figure I am training myself for future motherhood.

Random Thoughts That Float Around In My Brain

So I hope you take the descriptor “random” literally…just wait- these are the observations I have made so far. There are few people who think like this, and if you’re one of them, you should call me up. Maybe we can get a support group or group counseling going or something...

***You know how it’s a big deal in the U.S. to speak a second language? Here you’d be considered a slacker. Because of there being so many tribal languages in a close vicinity, it is not unusual for people to know 5 or 6 languages, and not unheard of to know 9 or 10.

***We have no heating or air conditioning.

***The other day, I was at a local store something like a very small Pamida, and I was looking at a pair of jeans. I realized the button said “Abercrombie.” Thinking this curious, I looked at the label, and sure enough, the store had just slapped their store sticker on the label, and there was an Abercrombie tag. Now, they were selling these for about the equivalent of four dollars (on sale). They were originally about eight. Even though they didn’t have my size, I was tempted…

***There are these obnoxious little thorns everywhere. Teeny-tiny. And everywhere. Walking home from the church one day, I started getting a pain in my lower back, and I didn’t know what it was. Somehow, and I have no idea how, one was lodged in the waistband of my underwear. Like I said, they’re everywhere.

***It is really common for families to be spread out age-wise. For example, the difference between the oldest and youngest child in a family may be such that an aunt and her niece are in the same class at school.

***If you want to stimulate motivation to read Scripture, buy a brand new Bible. It has given me a renewed fervor to examine passages, to highlight, to write notes. Not being able to rely on what I have highlighted or written before has challenged me in new ways.

***Jelly shoes and American music are ubiquitous here. Of course, the music is usually somewhere between 10 and 20 years behind. The other day, we went into a drug store and everyone and their brother was singing along to “Wind Beneath My Wings.”

***The phrase heard everywhere is “Ai Mon” (or something like that). It sounds like “eye mon” (rhyming with don or con). This is what people here say when they are frustrated, like when we would say “shoot” or something similar.

***Josh likes to keep several books going at once, so that he can choose his reading material based on his moods. He will mention how great a book is, and I might begin reading it simultaneously (which works fine since we usually read at different times of the day. Since I can’t stand bookmarks, and since he despises when I dog-ear the pages, I came up with a solution- paper clips- they don’t fall out, they don’t bend, and they don’t get in the way.

***When they write the date here, it’s day first, month second, year third. For example, October 4 is 4/10/09. This can be very confusing. Also, when quoting numbers, the period and comma are switched (ex. Four-thousand three-hundred four dollars and twenty-three cents looks like 4.304,23. Again, rather confusing.)

***The phones here are wonderful. Not that they are cheap, or their reception is any good, or any of the typical concerns. Rather, they have flashlights on them! And screensavers! And you can compose your own ringtones (my personal fave)! Josh is enamored.

***When we first got to London, we were walking the escalator to the Underground (yes, the double-high escalator was out of service), and I kept thinking how rude British people were! Here we are, trying to politely bear right in a crowded venue, when at least half the people don’t seem to care at all. Then it dawns on me: since they drive on the left side, they also bear left while passing each other. Oh my word, I felt like the biggest imbecile on the planet. Makes Matthew 7:3 all the more pertinent, huh? I am just glad I did this in London, because nobody there knows me.

***Interesting trend/habit/cultural tradition (I am not really sure which)- it is common to see women and girls in public with their hair in bright orange or green rollers. Like, really common. Not sure why.

***Another hair trend: braids (I know you’re shocked). Most people don’t go to a salon, they just braid each other’s hair (even little kids know how). The interesting part stems from the fact that people usually add extensions into the braids to give them length, and they sell them everywhere! No joke, I saw them at the grocery store!

***Namibia has year-round school. The school year follows the calendar year. Students are supposed to go until at least grade 10, and then if they meet certain qualifications they may complete grades 11 and 12. They call grade 12 “matriculation,” and have a big party (like prom) in the middle of the year. Although school is public, there is a yearly fee that must be paid for every child to attend school. Computer and physical education classes cost extra. There is no “kindergarten” school level.

***Women carry everything on their heads here. I’ve seen mothers with a basket on their head, a baby on their back, a child on one hip, and holding another child’s hand on the other side. That is talent. Josh and I watched a movie once in which a girl was learning to balance a book on her head. The next day, we saw a woman walking down the street carrying this very large, oddly-shaped vase on top of her head. No contest.

***In the U.S. (in spite of all the skin cancer research) most people enjoy having a tan. Many people pay big money to at least fake having one. In contrast, people here (who have much darker skin) tend to walk everywhere with an umbrella to protect them from the sun. I guess they had to find something to do with umbrellas, since it hardly ever rains…

***People go all-out for 21st birthday parties here (sort of like a quincinera in Latin culture). For those who can afford it, large parties are thrown, and all the attendees dress up and toast the honoree. Kids in the youth group keep asking what I did for my 21st birthday, and are often disappointed when they find out I ate dinner with my family and had French Silk pie.

***The other day, we were in Windhoek and I saw a vintage aqua-colored VW Bug. It made my day.

***The sun here is far more intense than at home. Even when it is not super hot out, you can still feel immense heat in direct sunlight. The sun is also far brighter; Josh and I can’t step outside without sunglasses. The ironic part? Locals NEVER wear sunglasses here!

Go

Most people are not called to foreign missions, but all followers of Christ are called to be missionaries.

“Then I heard the Lord asking, “Whom should I send as a messenger to this people? Who will go for us?” I said, “Here I am, send me.”- Isaiah 6:8

Go where? Send me where? How about to a school, park, hospital, or prison? Maybe down the street to your neighbor’s house. Your first step might be to reach out to your own family. Tell your child he can take a break from the video games, and spend time with him! Missions, or sharing the Gospel, begins with modeling love in relationships. We have all been sent to where we are right now.

Do you know that other countries are sending their own citizens to do missions in the United States? In fact, just the other day we went to a church in which one of the young ladies had done some mission word somewhere in the Southeastern U.S.

Matthew 28:19 says, “Go and make disciples of all nations.”

I am pretty sure that includes our own.

Love Like Crazy

We were asked to do a video for one of our supporting churches, and in order to get the most mileage out of the effort, we thought we could share it right here.

Week 31

It's been forever awhile since I last did a weekly update, and somehow it's already week 31! Time flies (or crawls, depending on the day and attitude).

Monday was fine, without much to report, until that night. I. Couldn't. Sleep. A. Wink. Not at all. This had never happened to me before, and I laid in the dark, and read, and wrote, and stared. Eight hours is a really long time to be by oneself. Anyway, we figured out the next day that I was severely dehydrated, and that was the cause. It made Tuesday interesting.

We went to the preschool on Tuesday morning, and I can't really remember that much about it (I wonder why?) I know that they practiced Christmas songs for the Christmas program they are having in November (before summer break), and it is easy to figure out who learns phonetically :)

Wednesday's highlight was the youth program, where we read the stories of the lost sheep and the prodigal son. The kids decorated hearts that said "God always loves me." Forgiveness and grace may not always be emphasized, and we want to make sure that the kids know they cannot earn their way to eternal life, but that they must receive it as a gift of grace.

Thursday we had the mommies meeting, and it was a great time. They are learning so much, and are grateful for the chance to learn, which makes leading a pleasure.

Friday brought about the highlight of the week: a sleepover with 2 of our youth group girls. These girls are so precious and full of potential, not to mention fun! We watched movies after youth group, and then spent the next morning making and distributing PB&J sandwiches to kids in Block E. It was simultaneously beautiful and heartbreaking; heartbreaking to see them exposed to so much poverty, but beautiful to see them showing Christ's love.



On Sunday we had another special event: a missionary family came down from Windhoek to accompany some students from the Namibian Evangelical Theological Seminary (NETS). One of their students, who is from Rehoboth, preached at a local church we had never been to, and we went to support him. Unfortunately his message was in Afrikaans, but we got the gist of it, and he did very well (it was about racism versus unity in the body of believers). Afterwards we had the chance to have lunch with his family and spend time with the Windhoek group.

Raindrops and Bare Feet

Written 9/24/09
Week 28

We can do no great things, just small things with great love. It is not how much you do, but how much love you put into doing it- Mother Theresa

Today I felt a raindrop- it hit me right on the side of the nose. There was also a spot every 3 feet or so that had evidence of a raindrop- yes, a single one (this was a light rain). Allegedly it rained last week, but this is the first I have seen or felt rain since April, making the seemingly mundane newsworthy.

The “bare feet” referred to in the title aren’t ours; Josh would faint if I ever went out without shoes. It’s a bit risky, with broken glass, thorns, hookworm (only in moist places, so not in dry season), and scorpions (which is not to say kids don’t go barefoot, like, all the time). Instead, they belong to an 11-year-old boy we have befriended, D. He was supposed to leave for [farm] school 2 weeks ago, but we saw him walking along the street in town. We stopped and asked why he wasn’t in school, and he said it was because he doesn’t have shoes.

It’s true; countless kids are kept out of school due to not being able to afford school fees, shoes, or a uniform. They are born poor, so they shouldn’t be educated? How much potential and human capital is being sacrificed by condemning these children to a life simply focused on survival? Growing up in the U.S., I just took it for granted that education was free and mandatory.

How many pairs of shoes do you have? This includes casual shoes, work boots, athletic footwear, dress shoes, slippers, sandals and flip-flops, etc. I did a search, and found out the average American woman owns somewhere between 19 and 27 pairs of shoes (no results for men). If we each cut back to just 5 pairs, think of how many kids we could send to school with the money formerly allocated to footwear.

Josh and I know we cannot single-handedly support every kid, but D was so close to being able to go. We bought him some shoes (costing less than 20 American dollars), some socks, and some school supplies. Although he was thankful, he’s an 11-year-old boy, so he wasn’t super-enthusiastic about getting school supplies. But his grandma? She looked at us as if we had gone crazy (I love that look!)

We were so grateful for this opportunity. Sometimes it is really difficult to know who to help, where the legitimate need is. Remember that when we say “yes” to someone, we are essentially saying “no” to someone else, as there are limited resources. We have been praying for God to show us very specific ways in which to serve others, and He has blessed us abundantly.

Recently, we were listening to a song by Chris Rice, and these lyrics really touched us:

See you had no choice which day you would be born
Or the color of your skin, or what planet you’d be on
Would your mind be strong, would your eyes be blue or brown
Whether daddy would be rich, or if momma stuck around at all

So if you find yourself in a better place
You can’t look down on the frown on the other guy’s face
You gotta stoop down low, look him square in the eye
And get a funny feeling, ‘cause you might be dealing ...

How did I find myself in a better place
I can’t look down on the frown on the other guy’s face
‘Cause when I stoop down low, look him square in the eye
I get a funny feeling, I just might be dealing
With the face of Christ

How did I find myself in a better place? I ask God that question every single day.

Jesus Loves the Little Children of the World (Weeks 14 & 15)

“ Let the little children come to me, and do not forbid them; for such is the kingdom of heaven” -Matthew 19:14

The last 2 weeks have been super busy, so I am combining them into one post.

Week 14 ended my time at Kwakwas. It was bittersweet; in this short time I had come to love my students, but my duties there were exhausting when placed on top of all my other ministry commitments. On my last day of teaching, I was blessed to have Josh accompany me to the school (the class created the message behind me for him):

We had a great time playing with and taking pictures of the kids:

Leading my little ducklings. These were taken down at the dry riverbed:



I let them do sidewalk chalk, and they really got into it- just look at their clothes!

If you look closely at the writing, you can see where I wrote “Nicky [heart]s Josh,” and then they copied it all over the cement, often with letters backwards or transposed.

Week 15 began in Rundu, and was a blur once we returned on Wednesday. As soon as we came back, we found this visitor outside our front door. His wingspan is around 3 inches or so:

This was Steve’s last week, and we went with him to the preschool, which is always tons of fun. Amathila Happy Kids preschool is located in Block E, and serves mostly orphans and vulnerable children (OVCs). One of the saddest things about Namibia thus far is that, anywhere you go, you can say those three letters and everyone knows exactly what you are referring to. It is that common.


I thought this was just precious.

Since it was his last week, Steve brought apples, which were a huge treat for the kids.

Doing emergency surgery on a paper chain. No worries; crisis was averted.

I am telling you, this kid got air.

The Josh fan club.

The kids here are amazing, and they are teaching me so much. Take a look through the all the pictures that have been posted of kids here. More often than not, their expression is that of pure joy. And they have nothing. Many of them only have the clothes they are wearing, which are often hand-me-downs. But they don’t seem to care; they don’t seem to have any idea of how little they have. Although we are often asked for food, money, or “sweets,” I have never seen one child pout when we say no. How many kids can you say that about in the U.S.?

One of the reasons we are grateful to have come here at this point in our life stems from this contentedness. Before we have had the chance to make much money or accumulate many possessions, we have been given the opportunity to think carefully about how Jesus wants us to live. We feel called to a life of greater simplicity than many of those around us. Don’t get me wrong- we are not trying to push our agenda on anyone. How you live is between you and God. We just find it difficult to justify using our resources to have all sorts of unnecessary stuff when many kids here don’t even have shoes or enough to eat. These children have just opened our eyes to how He wants us to live. It is something we are working on, because we want to find the balance God has for us. Luckily, we have several more months to think about it!

Well, that’s our last two weeks in a nutshell; we hope yours were terrific. God is faithful as always, and is caring for us even in the difficult times. We are both learning so much here in Namibia. Thanks for visiting!

Prayer Requests:

1. Guidance and peace- lots of readjustments going on in our ministry schedules!
2. Family and friends back home
3. Power against the enemy’s strongholds
4. That the Truth would be revealed in Rehoboth
5. Steve’s travel and transition back to the states
6. Community involvement in the youth center

Week 10- So Long, Farewell

Week 10



Josh started my week off beautifully with these yellow roses!

This week began with a lot of changes. Monday morning at 7, we moved to a different host home. Although we have enjoyed our time with our first host family, and will miss them immensely, the new host home is in a much better location and is just a better fit for our situation. Our new host family consists of a pastor and his wife (a principal at a farm school), and their 3 children. After dropping off our pile of stuff (which seems to have grown a bit since we arrived) and quickly speaking with Myrtle, we were off to Windhoek!

Monday was Brittany’s last full day in Namibia (she flew out on Tuesday), so Steve, Josh, and I went to Windhoek to spend the day with her. We spent some time with the Rineer family while Britt completed her debriefing, and then met up at Mugg and Bean for lunch, her favorite. We all walked together to the combi rank, and hugs, good-byes, and prayers ensued. We miss her already.



Britt- Thank you for sharing your time, gifts, and heart with us. You have had an incredible impact here for the Kingdom, one only God can measure. I can’t wait to see you next spring!

Tuesday was our first full day with our new host family, and we spent a lot of time unpacking in between ministry duties. Tuesday and Wednesday I also began meeting with some of the children I will be counseling; until this point I have just met with the moms, so that was an exciting transition.

Wednesday we found out some crazy things had been going on in one of the farms we visited last week, Schlip. During our camp there, I chose to spend time with the older group of teenagers and young adults. A group of students from the youth group had performed the Sin on My Back skit that we had performed during the mini-camp. Afterwards, some students shared testimonies about how God had helped them overcome sin in their lives. Jerome (the youth group leader) asked the older group for other examples of spiritual strongholds, and one that came up was witchcraft. It kind of took some of us by surprise; of course it’s sinful, but we were just expecting more “everyday” sins (for lack of a better way to say it). It was simply unexpected.

This past week, an article came out in the local newspaper about weird things happening in Schlip. Since I don’t read Afrikaans, I cannot tell you what it said exactly, but Josh and I spoke to someone who was consulted by local authorities on this matter, and this is what we were told:

-there was unexplainable activity that took place in Schlip this past week, including rocks, household items, and possibly animals flying through the air when nobody [human] could possibly have thrown them.
-one local law enforcement official was hit by a cast iron pan that flew up from the floor
-people were injured by flying rocks
-apparently, this is not terribly unusual here (but it is said to happen more frequently in the north)
-the local citizens called law enforcement officials, who eventually called local religious authorities

Spiritual warfare is very, very real here, possibly in a different sense than in other places. Given the presence of “religions” other than Christianity, it shouldn’t be terribly surprising. There are times here when you can literally sense a spiritual darkness. Alcoholism, abuse, self-mutilation, and violence abound. Suicide is unusually common. This is very, very serious, and we would greatly appreciate your prayers. We know we are safe in the Lord, but we have no doubt the enemy will try to attack us. He cherishes his power in this place. Please do battle with us:

Prayer Requests:

1. That the eyes of unbelievers would be opened to the truth
2. Spiritual, Emotional, and Physical Safety
3. Energy and good health
4. Settling in and developing relationships with new host family
5. Protection from the enemy’s attacks
6. Guidance in how we divide our time in ministry
7. Family and friends back home
8. Britt’s transition home
9. Guidance in counseling at Hope’s Promise
10.Community involvement in youth center

Week 9- Farm Camp

Namibia has year-round school, with “holidays” (or school breaks) in May, August, and December-January. I was envisioning life slowing down a bit, but this has been our busiest month so far! Between visiting Swakopmund, having a “stay-awake” (or lock-in) with the youth group, mini-camp at the youth center, and farewell activities for Britt, we’ve stayed busy. This week continued the chaos.

On Sunday we had our weekly team meeting, and it was also a farewell party for Britt. She did praise songs by request, and it was a sweet time of fellowship. Catherine’s boyfriend, Matthew, is here from the UK for a week, so he joined us, and then her former host family also came over, so it was a party. Here’s the crazy part: as her former host mom and I were discussing people’s misconceptions of Namibia, I happened to mention the Man vs. Wild story, and it turns out that Bear Grilis, the star of the show, attends his (rather large) church at home. Small world, huh?

On Monday I started my new job at Hope’s Promise, and we found out we will be moving to live with a new host family. It was a dramatic way to start the week. Working with Hope’s Promise is a wonderful opportunity for me, because I am able to serve God using my specific gifting and training, which doesn’t always happen in missions. We are also excited for the opportunity of living with another host family. We love our current host family very much, but our new home will be a better fit for us in terms of location and privacy.

Monday and Tuesday were also filled with a frenzy of packing all our belongings, because on Wednesday we were off to farm camp! Since we were gone from Wed.-Sun., we had to both pack for the camp and be ready to move the morning after we got back. Josh took the lead on this project and did an amazing job of getting things prepared.

Farm camp was with the youth group at our church ESK, and it was a wonderful experience. During each of the three school holidays, the youth group does some sort of outreach project, and this time it was doing one-day kids camps at each of three farms. “Farm” here does not mean the same thing it does in the U.S.; here it is more like a small rural town with up to a couple hundred homes on a large piece of land. There are usually some stores, and at least one church and school.

Our transportation was a little different than what it may have been at home:



As you can see, the majority of the 30 or so youth sat or stood in the beds of trucks for the 100 km to our destination. We stayed at Omamas, the farm where the youth leader grew up. His mother was a such a hospitable person, graciously allowing 40 people to camp out at her home for 4 nights. They family raises goats and chickens, and they were certain to wake us up bright and early every morning.



The youth all slept outside on the front porch (on mattresses borrowed from the local hostel, which is on holiday), and for some of them this was a big deal, because they’ve never done it before. There is no electricity, and the water is sparing, so we mostly used the outhouse for a bathroom (another first for some). Josh was excited because he got to see an animal slaughter for the first time (a goat), and he even ate goat head and intestine-yum!



This is the sunrise on our first morning, taken from the front porch.



Laundry drying on the line; we haven’t seen a clothes dryer in Africa yet.



The ruins of a neighboring house



We had a sprinkling of rain during the sunrise, and this rainbow appeared over the neighboring site

We drove to a neighboring farm for our first day, and started out with no kids (which is problematic for a kids camp). We decided to walk the streets to scrounge up interest. As soon as we told parents “free lunch,” they were sold. Eventually, we had maybe 100 kids.



This is one of the homes on the farm

During the camp, we did songs, games, and sports, and fed the kids lunch. Each child received a butter and jelly sandwich and “cool drink,” which is basically colored sugar-water. All leaders ate the same. In the afternoon, we did an “Olympics” with relays, netball, and soccer.



Spectators sat on halfway-buried tires



The boys played soccer, and girls played netball. We haven’t witnessed any co-ed sports in Namibia.



The sky looked amazing.

The second day began much like the first, with a beautiful sunrise, praise music blaring from a truck (at 5:30 am!), and the little boys making a fire.




This time, we went to Schlip, another farm south of Omamas.



This free-roaming bull sat down in the middle of the only driveway to the school…thankfully, that was after we drove in!

I became very excited when I found out that their school only goes up to grade 10 and that all students go to Rehoboth High School for grades 11 and 12, because that meant there was a good chance that at least one of my Bible study girls was from Schlip. Indeed, one of them is, but unfortunately she was in Windhoek!

There were fewer kids at our camp in Schlip, but we still made the most of it. The highlight of the day was when some guys from the farm challenged the guys from our group too a game of soccer, and our boys won!



Here’s part of our cheering section.

During the game, some of the local kids tried to teach me Namatal, and tried to imitate my English. We had a lot of laughs!

The last day was pretty low-key: we had very few kids show up, so we had a shorter camp than usual and called it a day. Everyone was really tired, so it was probably for the best. There was a lot of time to just hang out, relax, and bond, which was a huge blessing. I set up shop tweezing eyebrows (per request) with the only tweezers I could find- a horrible round-tipped pair Steve lent me- but the “customers” still left happy. Josh built fires for the braai (barbeque) grills. It was so nice to have a quiet, peaceful evening- a perfect end to a great experience.

Prayer Requests:

1. A smooth transition home for Brittany
2. That we would be able to adapt well and quickly to our new living situation
3. Community involvement in the youth center
4. God’s guidance and provision in setting up a counseling program with
Hope’s Promise

General Rundown

Hope’s Promise

Monday I met with the national director of Hope’s Promise, and I will now be working with their ministry. I will still be working with the youth center once we are at the point of developing and running a program, but much of my time will now be spent counseling foster families. I will do individual and family counseling, as well as some crisis pregnancy counseling. It will be a couple of weeks before I begin with this ministry.
It is incredible how God connected me with Hope’s Promise. I had been working at the youth center on the construction and remodeling, but was looking for a different ministry where I could use my educational background. I was considering programs, and knew a teammate who was leaving the next week had worked with Hope’s Promise. I asked her about it, and she invited me to tour the next day, and the director was just getting ready to leave when we came in. She graciously took the time to meet with us, and to explain HP. It turns out they work with foster families (my family has done foster care since I was born), were located next to the youth center (so I can walk with Josh to work), and teach beadwork to teenage moms (beading is one of my main hobbies). Additionally, they had been praying for someone to do counseling to free up the director a bit, as she has many responsibilities. I work when I have the time, so it won’t interfere with the youth program, and I will still be able to nurture those relationships. This is a huge blessing.

Youth Center

This past week the youth center at times had 3 volunteers working at once. Considering we have struggled to get one, this is exciting! We are hoping to continue this trend. Josh and Steven have been hard at work preparing the main room so that it can be usable for the 2 day youth camp we are doing next week. Kids here have year-round school, and they have breaks in May, August, and December, so they will come to us instead of going to school!

K & M

This was Kristen and Mackenzie’s last week, so we have been trying to spend a good deal of time with them, as well. We have only known them for a few weeks, but it’s amazing how living in a foreign country can bond you together. After the women’s night Britt and I went for a sleepover at their house. We all stayed up past 2 am, which is unheard of here.
On Tuesday, after a full day of clown ministry, the we had their last night of Bible study with the RHS girls.

Saturday Night we all went up to Windhoek to Kristen and Mackenzie’s farewell dinner. We ate at this really cool restaurant called Joe’s Beer House. It’s not exactly the type of place you’d expect to find a bunch of missionaries, but we try to do the unexpected. Josh had a platter with Oryx, Crocodile, Zebra (a little too close to horse for me), Chicken, and Ostrich. I had vegetarian pasta. To each his own.

This is a picture of all the AIM missionaries from Rehoboth. L-R: Nicky, Catherine, Stephen, Brittany, Heidi, Mackenzie, Josh, and Kristen.

Youth Group Talk

Friday Night we got the chance to speak to the youth group about relationships with the opposite sex. Each month has a theme, and this month’s theme was relationships; we had heard a bit about dating relationships, about friendships, and about our relationship with Jesus. It’s possible that we were asked to do this because we are the only people there that are married (not even the youth pastor is), so that automatically gives us some credibility or something. Well, we’re no experts, but we are passionate about godly relationships.

The enemy did not want this talk to happen, and we aren’t sure why (yet). First, I got strep last week. Then, he was intimidating Josh because this was really his first big talk on relationships to a large group. Right before the talk (like by 1 hour), I started to lose my voice. About 15 minutes before, I started to get really dizzy, like maybe I needed to eat something. There is a grocery store about half a block away, but when we walked there, they had closed early. I looked for food in the kitchen but couldn’t find any, so I literally ate some straight sugar (for making coffee). Disgusting, but it got the job done.

Anyway, we commenced with the talk, and it went pretty well. We were a little pressed for time, but that just means that we have more to say for another day . The theme of our message was, “Don’t just settle for virginity; Strive for purity!” The kids seemed receptive, and we got comments and questions afterward. It was a blessing to be able to share what God has done in our lives.

Quote of the Moment

“Oh the desert is lovely in its restfulness- the great brooding stillness over and through everything is so full of God. One does not wonder that He used to take His people out into the wilderness to teach them.” -Lilias Trotter

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We have several more posts ready, but the internet is s-l-o-w today. Check back for more! To see more, check Brittany’s blog.

Block E

Recently, we (13 of us) piled into a teammates vehicle and went to deliver 320 PB&J sandwiches to kids in Block E. Rehoboth is divided into sections, and Block E is the most impoverished as well as the most dangerous. Many of the residents speak Nama, so even the tiny bit of Afrikaans we know isn’t always helpful. However, holding out food to a hungry child easily erases language barriers.

As soon as we began to hand out food, we were mobbed by hungry kids. Most of them are dirty and barefoot, and they think we’re rich because we’re white. And to them, we really are. Because of the amount of need, we only give food to children, and it is very difficult to turn away a hungry person just because they are an adult. It is a tough choice to make.

Some of the kids got creative, and would go home to change clothes to get a second sandwich. They also ran around the block to come at us from a different direction, trying to confuse us about who had already been fed.

Overall though, most of the kids are so unselfish. Although they usually aren’t getting the nutrition they need, they were often more concerned about sharing with family and friends than about themselves. If there is anyone in whom I would understand greed, it would be them, but they were models of what Jesus would want, even though most don’t know him yet.

“In the poor, we meet Jesus in His most distressing disguises” - Mother Theresa

First Day (written 3/23/09)

Today we got the first glimpse of what a normal Namibian day may look like for us: we woke up in our host home, went to the youth center, worked with Brittany and Steven, worked on remodeling the building, said good-bye to Lulu, ate lunch, played with the kids after school, walked home, shower, quiet time, etc.

Although ours is mostly a relational ministry, there is something to be said for manual labor. It gives us an activity to complete, a temporary purpose, which is helpful during this time of transition.

Today I stood in the doorway to the youth center, and just asked God what we are here for. Why has He asked us to make sacrifices to follow His command to come here- comfort, time, energy, vanity, financial security, leisure, control, being with family and friends… How will He use that?

There is so much to be done. We really don’t know anyone here very well yet. We miss our friends and family. There is no place we have found (yet) where we can be completely alone with God, where we can sing or dance or cry free from judgment. We are learning a knew language and culture…it is overwhelming.

All that gets me through right now are God’s promises: that I am His child, that I cannot be separated from His love, that He has a perfect plan for my life, that I can do all things through Christ…

I usually read the same number Proverbs as the day of the month (Proverbs 1 on the 1st, 2 on the 2nd, and so on). For some reason, today I thought I should do the same thing with Psalms. It didn’t hit me until I saw it: Psalm 23.

The Lord is my shepherd;
I shall not want.

Doesn’t that just say it all?

I could have stopped there and gotten the message, but I continued:

He makes me lay down in green pastures,
He leads me beside the still water.
He restores my soul.
He leads me in paths of righteousness for His name’s sake.
Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death,
I will fear no evil.
For you are with me,
Your rod and your staff, they comfort me.
You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies.
You anoint my head with oil,
My cup runs over.
Surely goodness and mercy will follow me
All the days of my life,
And I will dwell in the house of the Lord
Forever.

I shall not want. I have all I need. Even in emotionally challenging times, He is all I need.

Of course, that doesn’t mean all our wants are met: a dinner at Casa with family and friends would be lovely.

This adventure in Africa is a reminder that our desire for comfort, familiarity, and control must always be superceded by our desire for Christ.