Teen Mission Namibia 2023

Teen Mission Namibia (TMN) was designed to help impassion and equip young people to get involved in God's mission in Namibia and the world. Our first trip back in Dec 2021 (see posts here) was a great success, so we followed that up with another trip this July. We took 6 young people and 4 staff volunteers out to the town of Outjo for ten days to train them for mission and then give them practical opportunities to apply what they were learning. (FYI - July is our winter, hence the reason why in the photos we were often bundled up while sitting in the sun. 😅)

Training session at Boot Camp

Mission Boot Camp - Our trip started out with two days of training sessions on topics like what is the gospel, how to share the gospel with others, how to share your testimony, the global need for mission, etc. During a reflection time, one young lady said she had always had the question of why God had His Son killed, and she had never been given a satisfying answer. But in our session on the gospel she heard about the great exchange, that God put our sin on him and gave us his righteousness, and that finally gave her a satisfying answer for why Jesus had to die for our sins. This is exactly why we start our training with that session, because many people have grown up in church and never actually heard the true gospel.

Practicing sharing the gospel with each other

Each morning we gave them a dedicated 30-minutes and a mission-related devotional to have a personal devotion time with God. Some of them were used to an occasional, sporadic Bible-reading or prayer time, but taking a whole 30-minutes and doing it every day for the whole trip was a new habit that many expressed they would like to continue when they go home.

The campground where we stayed had a pen
with some porcupines who came out at night!

Kid's Club Outreach - For the next 4 days, we partnered with two different community centers to organize and run kid's clubs at each location. (Since it was during the winter break, kids were not in school.) Our team organized games, songs, Bible lessons, dramas, and memory verses that all fed into the main theme for the day. They did all the teaching and the leading themselves. While there were certainly some growing pains and learning opportunities, by the end of the week they had it down and were doing a great job.

Playing "Telephone" at game time at the kid's club

A game similar to "duck-duck-goose"

Helping the small kids with games

Working on a memory verse at kid's club

Sharing a Bible story about Jesus

Teaching through a drama

Small groups afterward to help solidify learning

Small group with the youngest kids

Street Evangelism - In the afternoons, we would split up into smaller groups and go walk down the neighborhood streets. If we met people walking, or they were sitting outside at their homes, we would start conversations to share the gospel with them. (This idea may sound old-fashioned in a Western context, but it is not unusual to have spontaneous conversations with strangers in this more communal context.) One of our team members expressed how at first she was afraid of evangelism because she didn't know how people would respond, but that our training sessions gave her more confidence in what to say. She ended up being one of the most bold people as we went out, never letting someone pass on the street without making sure we talked to them! Personally, I was encouraged because many of the older people we met struggled in English, so I wasn't much use except to pray in the background. Meanwhile, the team was much more natural and fluid sharing in their own local languages! It was another reminder to me of exactly why we are training them to be missional.

Debrief - The last day of our trip was spent reflecting on our experiences and preparing them to go home. We talked about highlights, hardships, God-sightings, and how they can take what they've learned back home with them. One participant expressed how they learned the harvest really is plentiful, but "us laborers are busy with other things" sitting in our comfort zones. Another expressed that she learned fearfulness is actually not trusting God, and how she needs to have more confidence in God rather than in herself. One of the evenings we had watched a documentary called "Beyond Gates of Splendor" about some missionaries to Ecuador who were martyred trying to share the gospel with a dangerous, unreached tribe. Quite a few of our team were challenged by their refusal to fight back saying, "They are not ready for heaven, but we are."

Some debrief conversations while dinner is cooking

Relaxing a bit during our debrief time

After ten days of living on mission together with others who are encouraging us toward mission, now it was time to send them back home to go live out the mission in their own communities. Please pray for them as they go back home, that they would take what they learned from this week and apply it to their lives, that they would make missional living a priority, and that they would become advocates for mission in their churches and communities.

Help Support Teen Mission Namibia

One of our strategic visions at SIM Namibia is to help raise up the youth generation to be equipped and impassioned to get involved in God's mission in Namibia and the world. To achieve this, we started Teen Mission Namibia, a one-week youth mission trip. In December 2021, we took 12 Namibian youth and staff to go serve in the informal settlements in the town of Okahandja. We held two days of 'Mission Boot Camp' to train them in topics like sharing the gospel, writing their testimony, etc. Then we spent the next four days serving in the community, leading kids Bible clubs, doing home visits, and sharing our faith. Then our last day was spent debriefing to help them take what they learned and apply it at home. Here's a short testimonial from one of our participants.

Planning for our next trip from July 1-9, 2023, is already underway! The total cost to send one teen on this trip is $300 (USD). We ask them to raise $60 to both make a personal investment and also learn how to raise support for missions. That means we are looking for sponsors to help subsidize $240 per teen. Would you like to help support this vision? You can give directly toward sending teens on this mission trip by clicking here, or using the QR Code below.

Thank you so much for your help supporting this vision through sponsorships and/or your prayers!

TMN: Debrief

Read previous posts in the Teen Mission Namibia series here: Mission Boot Camp; Ministry Days (part 1); Ministry Days (part 2).

For the last three and a half days the team had been working hard pouring out their energy and their hearts in ministry to the communities of Okahandja. They had learned so much in Boot Camp and put that into practice during our ministry days, and now it was time to turn our attention toward returning home. So on Friday afternoon we packed up and drove to the lovely Eldorado campground just north of Outjo where we would spend our last two nights.

Debrief means time to relax

...and enjoy free quality coffee!

This time was set aside for resting, relaxing and restoring our souls, but mostly for turning our minds back home. We had a few different sessions to debrief our experiences and try to convert it into learning that will transform our lives when we go home. In our first session we looked back on the trip, reflecting on some of our highlights, some of the hard parts, and some of the things that God had been teaching us along the way. In our second session we looked ahead to the situations we would be facing when we return home, to the challenges that lie ahead there, and how we can put into practice the things that we've been learning. Then in our third session we discussed how we can be missional influencers within our Christian communities.

We also got to take a short game drive through Etosha National Park. For some it was their very first time ever seeing lions, rhinos and giraffes. But the highlight of debrief was definitely our final meal. The lodge put together an extravagant buffet with soup and salads and lots of side dishes, but most of all more meat than even a Namibian could eat! Delicious tsosaties, and ribs, and boerewors, and beef chops on the braai. They saw lots of cool animals for the first time that day, but what they couldn't stop talking about was the food! 😂

Spotting giraffes in Etosha

Rhino in the shade in Etosha
(they probably removed the horns to protect against poachers)

Pride of lions in Etosha

The amazing spread for our final buffet dinner

Enjoying the amazing food

We closed our time with a little "commissioning" service studying 2 Corinthians 4. We emphasized that we are servants for Christ's sake, sharing His gospel, not trying to boost up our own reputation. Each person was given a mug (it was the closest I could find to a "jar of clay") to remind us that we are simply clay vessels bearing the incredible treasure of the gospel. We may end up experiencing hardships and persecution as we spread the good news, but in the end it is worth it, because these hardships are temporary, but our reward is eternal.

TMN 2021 Team

As we officially closed off Teen Mission Namibia 2021, I left tired but joyful. I found myself reflecting particularly on Paul's statement to the Corinthians in 2 Cor 4:12, "So death is at work in us, but life in you." Our volunteer staff had poured out their energy, their time and their lives to disciple and encourage and equip these six participants. It was like "hardship at work in us," but bringing new life and purpose to them. Now as they go back to their homes and are more intentional about getting involved in God's mission, they are our joy and crown. It was hard work, in the middle of our Christmas vacation, but it couldn't be more worth it.

TMN: Ministry Days (part 2)

Read previous posts in the Teen Mission Namibia series here: Mission Boot Camp; Ministry Days (part 1).

After our first two days of ministry in Nau-Aib, we would now do the same program again with a church in a location called Vyf Rand. Having already been through it once before, this time the program was on point. The team was exciting and engaging, they were loud and jumping around with the kids, and everything went very smoothly. Once again, our themes were gospel on the first day, and mission on the second day. 

Starting off with some game time

Games with the smaller kids

Around 160 kids came to our holiday club

Teaching our memory verse

Now can you recite it?

Teaching the Bible story of Philip and the Ethiopian

Small group with the younger girls

Small group with the younger boys

Small group with the older boys

Trying to keep those littlest ones occupied!

The first afternoon we split up into groups of 3 and were walking through the streets, visiting whoever was home. We would chat with them, and try to share the gospel if they were open to it, or just ask how we could pray for them. At one house, I was sharing the gospel with two ladies in English and could tell they weren't understanding very well. Then one of our other teammates came over (who is also one of my students at NETS) and she began sharing with them in their local language. She connected with them immediately and was so dynamic and engaging. I had no idea what she was saying, but I thought this is exactly why I am here, to train up those people who are cultural insiders who will communicate the gospel far better than I ever could!

The other afternoon we went to visit the dump site. There are a number of children and others who hang out there. They live in the nearby informal settlements and spend the day at the dump scrounging through other people's trash to see if there is anything valuable or edible. When we first arrived they ran after our bus to see what we were going to throw away. So we piled out and tried to engage the young crowd. Some of our team struck up conversations, others joined in with those kicking around a soccer ball. Some of the people, when they realized we weren't giving anything away, lost interest and walked off. Others were a bit more willing to listen. Just before we left we gathered in a big circle to pray, with somebody praying in each of the local languages. More than anything, the experience was very impactful for our team members. Some commented how they realized how privileged they really are. Others were struck by one injured boy who's mom had gotten drunk and poked him in the eye. They were heartbroken when he said that kind of thing happens regularly.

At our devotional around the fire that evening one of our ministry partners reminded us of one of the chief characteristics of Christ's ministry, compassion. Matthew 9:36 says, "When He saw the crowds, He had compassion for them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd." She encouraged us to open our eyes and see what's happening around us and have a Christlike compassion. That passage goes on to say, "The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few." This trip was a challenge to our team members to take up that call and be one of those laborers.

Read the final post in the Teen Mission Namibia series here.

TMN: Ministry Days (part 1)

The Teen Mission Namibia series starts with the Boot Camp post.

We awoke with great expectation and a little anxiety. After a few days of intense training during Boot Camp, we would now spend our next days putting into practice what we had learned. In the mornings we would be running a kid's holiday club. Some of our participants had never worked with children's ministry before. Some had never shared the gospel before. So many on our team would be forced outside their comfort zones.

When we first arrived at the Samaritan's Network community center in Nau-Aib location there were maybe 30 kids getting hands sanitized as they entered the hall. That number quickly grew to over 160 kids! Our theme for the first day was gospel focused, helping them understand that we are saved by trusting in Jesus and not our religious works. Our memory verse for the day was an abbreviated version of Eph 2:8. The team also led some songs, taught the Parable of the Pharisee and the Tax Collector from Luke 18:9-14, and planned a drama along the same theme. Then we broke down into smaller groups by age and each of our team members took a group. This way we could make sure they understood the lesson and they could ask any questions they had. Then we closed off with some fun games in the smaller groups.

Teaching the kids about the gospel

Acting out the Parable of the Pharisee and the Tax Collector

The team doing their drama

One of the younger girls small groups

One of the boys small groups

By the second day our numbers grew to about 200 kids. This day our theme was mission, about how we are now called to go share the good news of Jesus with others. Our memory verse was Isaiah 6:8 when the prophet told God, "Send me!" Our Bible story for the day was about Philip and the Ethiopian from Acts 8:26-40. Then the team had another drama organized to go along with this theme.

The kids enjoying some songs

Little girls small group

Not such a "small" group with these boys!

One of the coolest developments at this location was the teen girls small group. One of our adult volunteers works as a correctional officer in the prisons. One of our other team members acted like a talk show host, interviewing her about her story of growing up, the challenges she went through, and some of the things she sees in her line of work. This really connected with those teen girls, many of whom are living through similar stories and challenges right now. That volunteer mentioned how she looked at one girl in the group and saw herself. It made her heart reach out to those girls and gave her a desire to use her story to continue helping other young girls as well.

In the afternoon, one of the ministry volunteers took us deep into the informal settlements to a location called "Illegal" because the families aren't actually allowed to build their shacks there. There was no water or electricity because the area is not town maintained. Those who do go to church would have to walk a very long way to get there, so we brought the church to them! We split up into groups of 3 and visited different families in their homes, praying for them and encouraging them with the word of God.

Then each day after dinner we would gather around the campfire to sing some worship songs, have an evening devotional, and debrief our days events. This was the opportunity for our team to share their experiences and what God was teaching them through it. In these first few days, many commented how they had been stretched out of their comfort zone, but how it was good, and showed them they could do more than they thought. Good thing, because over the next two days we would be doing the same program again at a different location.

Read the next post in the Teen Mission Namibia series here.