There and Back Again

Do you have a favorite book, movie or band that you can't stop talking about and sharing with other people? That's kind of how I feel about Namibia. So when my friend Chris asked me to help take some of his youth group teens on a missions trip, I was pumped. After much training, preparation, and prayer we finally touched down in Arandis on July 15th to partner with Children of Promise Ministries and Arandis Christian Center. Children of Promise is a ministry who places orphans and vulnerable children into forever foster families and also has a private school to provide for their education. Arandis Christian Center is the church where my friends Tresford and Fabiola Banda have been faithfully ministering for the past 8 years.

Teaching in the public schools. When you
squeeze an orange, orange juice comes out!

During the week we had the fullest schedule of any team I've ever taken. In the mornings some people taught in the ministry school, while others assisted in preschool or worked to fix up the ministries athletic facilities. Then we ate an early lunch and went immediately to the public schools to visit with the 7th, 10th, and 12th graders. Our program was a quick message and skit about how, when the pressures of the world come on you, whatever is on the inside is what comes out (see photo). Then we would split up into small groups to ask them some response questions about pressures they experience, and also let them ask us questions. Then we would go back out to the athletic fields to run an afterschool program with the ministry school kids. We led crafts and games for each different age group. By Thursday afternoon word had gotten around the neighborhood and we had over 200 kids participating! Then after a quick supper, we would do evening activities with the church, including youth group, prayer walks, and gender-specific small groups. However our primary objective was not the tasks, but the relationships which God would use to work in both their lives and ours. Because many of our team were so close in age to the ministry kids, they were able to have a peer influence which proved quite effective. When it was time to go, many tears were shed on both sides which indicated our true success in building impactful relationships. However, the fruit of the seeds sown for Christ during that week won't be known on this side of eternity.

Much thanks to all those who were praying for this trip and the teens involved on our team. I know God used these experiences in many of their lives to give them a more global perspective of God's mission in the world and how they might be a part of it.