Summer Camp 2023

In the first week of December, just after all the schools close, Youth for Christ (YFC) in Namibia hosts their annual summer camp. The theme for camp was "But God..." from Psalm 73:26, "My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever." I volunteered to help as the photographer / videographer and as a host for the Bible quiz "game show."

This year we had over 220 young people ages 15-25 come from all over the country. They were split into four different teams to compete in various sports and games, team spirit, as well as the Bible quiz. Each morning and evening we had sessions with messages following the theme. One morning we split up the guys and the girls for sessions related to their more unique issues. We even surprised them with a color party which only the leaders knew about in advance! Check out the video below to see what camp is like.

Introducing Teen Mission Namibia

After 3 years of teaching, training and guiding his disciples, Jesus sent them out on a mission to "make disciples of all nations." That mission has been passed down from generation to generation until, centuries later, European missionaries first brought the gospel to Namibia. By now the gospel has been in Namibia for over 150 years, and it's high time for us to be sending out missionaries to places that have yet to hear about the good news of Jesus.

But in Namibia, the term "missionary" still carries connotations of foreign Westerners coming here to serve, help, and give. The church needs a dramatic paradigm shift to consider every Christian as a missionary and "all nations" as our mission field.

Enter Teen Mission Namibia (TMN), a project designed to inspire and equip Namibian youth to get involved in God's mission in Namibia and the world. What better way to inspire and equip people for missions than by taking them on mission! So, for their summer break from school, we are organizing an 8-day mission trip to train young people for missions and then give them practical opportunities to serve.

The trip will start with 2 days of intense training, skill development, and team-building at Mission "Boot Camp." We then plan to travel to Osire Refugee Camp, which is home to over 6000 refugees from war-torn countries around Africa. There the team will have opportunities to put into practice all that they've learned. We will end with 1 day of debrief, helping them solidify their learning and prepare to take their new-found passion for missions back to their local churches. 

The team will consist of twenty-one teens age 14-18. They will be split up into groups of three, each led by one young adult small group leader age 19-24. Those young adults will come one day early for specific leadership, discipleship and small group training. We will also have 12 adult leaders managing the details of the trip. So our multi-tiered approach looks like this: 12 adult volunteers investing into 7 young adults who will be investing into 21 teens who will be investing into the whole community.

As you can imagine, such a God-sized vision requires God-sized provision. Each teen will be required to raise a certain amount of support (good practice for full-time missions!), but even that amount will only be a fraction of the actual cost to fund such an endeavor. Therefore, our planning team is seeking individual as well as corporate sponsors to help support this vision. Corporate in-kind donations will help lower our overall expenses, while financial donations will help pay the cost of those things that can't be donated.

If you would like to get involved with raising up a generation of Namibians passionate about missions and equipped to serve, you can give directly to our project through this link. We would also love for you to pray for us regarding the many details that need to fall into place, preparing the hearts of those who will be involved, and God's provision for the whole trip. Thanks for your consideration!

Purposeful Camp Namibia

During the summer break, I got the privilege of joining the team for Purposeful Camp Namibia. This camp was started lasted year as the brain-child of four first-year university students who wanted to pass on the leadership skills they have learned to those younger than them. In only its second year, they selected forty 15-19 year olds out of almost 200 applicants to participate in this influential camp. The Covid regulations restrict group sizes to 50 people, so following all health protocols we were able to successfully pull off this camp in the midst of a global pandemic!

The first day targeted personal development. Participants had a chance to share their personal stories and discuss topics like forgiveness, personal boundaries, and habits. These sessions were led by one of the young ladies who has been in my D-group for the last two years. I also got to share from Philippians 3 about spiritual development and making Christ your supreme treasure. Throughout the day, participants also broke out into pairs or small groups for stimulation activities to discuss and apply the things they were learning during the lectures.

The other days were focused on topics like leadership, public speaking, entrepreneurship, and financial literacy. Participants got to practice giving speeches and making a pitch to potential investors. We also got to have lots of fun with team-building activities, the pool, and even a color party!

The last night was a fancy Gala Dinner where students received certificates and each one got to express what they learned and were taking away from the camp. Our inspiring guest speaker was the Honorable Emma Theofalus, the youngest ever Namibian deputy minister at only 27 years old. Overall the camp was a great success and young people left inspired to live with influence and purpose and make a difference in their communities.

Arriving for camp

A session on telling your story

Teaching about spiritual development

Breakout discussion groups

A team-building activity where we all needed to cross
the finish line at exactly the same time

Color party!

Covered in colors

A toast at our Gala Dinner

Some of the amazing staff and organizers

One Day

This past weekend my church hosted their annual One Day youth camp. We had over 100 youth in attendance, plus many church members and young adults volunteering to help pull it off. I was helping out as part of the worship team. The theme for the day was HE>i (that is, "He is greater than I") and the main sessions looked at how God is greater than everything, greater than us, and greater than our mess ups. During our closing session 17 youth made decisions for Christ for the first time! Then in our worship jam session after that they sang so loud that the band couldn't even hear what we were playing in the monitors. 😂Check it out...

Summer Camp

Summer Camp 2017

The months of December and January mark our summer break here in Namibia. So the first week of December, right after schools let out, Youth For Christ (YFC) runs their annual youth summer camp. This year we had about 480 youth and leaders from every corner of Namibia, from Oshakati to Oranjemund!

This is the third year I've been involved. I was busy hosting the Bible Quiz (almost like a Bible trivia game show), playing guitar for the worship team, and making daily videos to play before our evening sessions. This year was also special for me because we had 3 former NETS students as speakers at the camp, and another one came as a leader with her youth group. Check out the video above to get a little taste of the experience!

Fish River Canyon Hike (part 3)

(Read parts 1 & 2 of this series here and here.)

Day Five

Despite taking shortcuts across land, this was still the longest day of hiking yet. You must pick your poison in the canyon: either large rocks where you must choose your steps carefully, or sand which cuts your traction and fills your shoes. By now the anti-inflammatory meds were helping my knee, and having eaten half my food my pack was much lighter. Because of the long day there was no stop for swimming when the sun got hot, but we did come across our first and only snake of the trip!

A horned adder a bit annoyed by us disturbing his sunbathing

Night five was one I had been looking forward to, but made many of the boys anxious: Solo Night. Each of us was dropped at a place where we couldn't see anyone else and we would spend the night completely alone in the bush. There would be no community meal, no safety in numbers, just us and nature. On the opposite cliffs of the canyon, baboons were howling and the many animal tracks in the sand reminded us we were not alone. Some boys were scared because they'd never spent a night alone in their lives. But my introverted self loved it!

Day Six

The next morning the stories of Solo Night began flooding in. Some guys acted brave and tough. Others admitted to being scared of strange noises. Some had slept through the night, others stayed awake most of the time. One boy even claimed to see a huge, dark fish in the water! I'm not sure how he thought it was going to get to him, but alone in the dark our minds can play tricks on us.

After another long day through much sand, we were pleased to find a nice swimming hole at our sleeping place for the night. We arrived early enough in the afternoon that the cool water was refreshing.

Sharing session around the campfire

This evening it was time for the man talk. We asked the boys what it means to be a real man and they gave some good answers like honesty, integrity and respect. Then we asked how many of them knew a man like that. Only three. Out of all the men these boys knew, only three could be described as real men. Many of the youth in Namibia are raised with absentee fathers, and the other men in their lives are often poor examples, so we were stepping in to help fill part of that gap. We discussed what it means to be a real man, and how real men respect women. We discussed how pornography is devastatingly harmful to them and their futures. Overall, it was well received and all the guys seemed inspired to go and be real men.

Day Seven
At the beginning of the hike, the organizers provided us with all the food we would need for 8 days, including 8 packs of biltong. Biltong is basically dried meat, a favorite snack of almost every Namibian I know. But it's not something I'm particularly fond of, so instead of using it as food, I planned to use my 8 packs as currency. After carrying a heavy pack for the past six days, I promised a pack of biltong each to three guys who would carry my sleeping bag, tarp and mat, gas stove, pot, and first aid kit. With my pack only half-full, this day's hike was so much more enjoyable!

We arrived at our final sleeping place in the bush by mid-afternoon and had another nice swim, including some rock jumping. We cooked our final bush meal and had our final campfire. This night we started turning our thoughts toward home. When you get back, what challenges will you face in keeping your commitments? We also talked about identity in Christ and the gospel. Our desire is for all of them to find their identity in Christ rather than the things they've been identifying with up to now.

Day Eight
Having given away 3 packs of biltong for carrying my things yesterday, I still had 5 packs left. So on our last day of hiking, I got five boys to carry almost everything for me. Basically, all I carried in my own pack was my food and water for the day. An ingenious plan if I do say so myself!

That morning we followed a steep 4x4 trail up to the rim of the canyon. A viewpoint from the top was the last place where we would see the river. We took a moment of silence, then each chose a stone that represented all the things we wanted to leave in the canyon. We then turned our backs to the edge and hurled all those things over the cliff behind us, that way we couldn't see where it landed so there was no hope of finding the stone and bringing those things back with us.

Final view of the canyon

The first sign of base camp was a welcome sight. Some of the boys wanted to run ahead, but we held them back so we would all arrive together. It was nice to know I could sit down and I wouldn't have to walk anywhere else. That was almost more welcome than a shower and a real mattress! That night we celebrated our accomplishment with a braai of meat, boerewors, and rooster brood (roasted bread). The leader even handed out printed certificates and gave each of the boys a youth Bible and a t-shirt.

As we dropped the boys off back at their school, we reminded them that the hike in itself was not magical or life-changing. We only helped them better understand themselves and their decisions. For these boys, the challenge wasn't ending, it was only beginning. The true challenge will be taking what they've learned and going back home.

The Fish River Canyon 2017 team

Fish River Canyon Hike (part 2)

(Read part 1 of this post series here.)

Day Two

View from my sleeping bag as I awoke

Sleeping on the hard-packed sand is not as soft as one might think. I found myself waking frequently through my first night sleeping in the canyon. The morning came early as I watch the stars and the dark sky slowly fade into the dawning light, the few clouds brightly reflecting the rising sun. The others slowly started stirring, preparing their breakfast and re-packing their packs. Then we all gathered for a short morning devotional and to check in before setting off on our day's hike.

The hike along the river was gorgeous with steep canyon walls rising on either side. Once the sun got high and hot we stopped to give the boys a team building task. One facilitator placed a gas stove on the other side of the river. The boys, many of whom could not swim, were to cross the river with matches, a mug, and a tea bag and bring back a hot cup of tea for another facilitator. At first, the two who could swim awkwardly swam the materials across holding them above the water. They started boiling the water as the others attempted to find a way across. Slowly, the bravest ones first, they discovered a path of underwater rocks that were spaced close enough to "leap" from one to the next. Together the more confident ones helped the others find their way to the next rock. Some were literally scared for their lives holding empty two-liter soda bottles under their arms to help stay afloat, but eventually all eight made it across.

Returning the hot tea across the river

With a hot cup of tea in hand, they attempted the same route back. They made a chain from rock to rock where they could pass the tea along. But they got to a point where the chain was too far apart and the boys couldn't reach. As the one lunged out with the hot tea in hand, the mug slipped underwater emptying the tea into the river.

Unsuccessful in their task, the majority determined to evacuate the freezing cold water. Six of them made it back to warm themselves on the sun-heated rocks on the other side leaving two non-swimmers stuck in the middle of the river fearing for their lives. The two begged for help as the others just laughed and called back, "Help yourselves!" They were more concerned about being warm than they were with the safety of the whole team. Eventually they were all forced to return to the river to help their stranded teammates until every last one was across. Needless to say, the evident selfishness provided a fruitful debriefing discussion.

Two team members stranded in the middle of the river

Day Three

The third day was not a long hike, but it was strenuous climbing through large boulders that had avalanched off the canyon walls. I managed to twist my knee which remained swollen for the next few days. But thanks to the short walk, we stopped for another learning session regarding a tree. The boys were asked to spend a moment of silence observing a particular tree growing out of the rock. They noted that it was persistent in growing despite the dry, rocky environment. It now provided shade for animals and a home for birds. We also observed that it didn't choose where it was planted, but simply grew where the seed fell. Similarly, these boys didn't choose the circumstances in which they were born or grew up. It was now up to them to decide whether to call it quits, or to be persistent and grow into someone who thrives and contributes to their ecosystem.

Beautiful scenery as we hiked through the canyon

That evening during our sharing session we asked them to draw their lives as a tree. What kind of tree would they be? How big are their roots, branches, trunk? Do they provide shade or homes for animals? Then they shared how their trees represented their lives. It was a good exercise to get them thinking about their own lives.

Day Four

On day four we awoke and spent the first half of our morning in silence. We ate breakfast in silence and hiked along without speaking. Mid-morning we stopped to debrief the experience. At home, most of the boys never experience silence. Their daily lives are filled with noisy people, loud music, and distractions. We asked what they could hear when they stopped to listen. The wind. The birds. Their breathing and heartbeat. By stopping speaking it allowed them to listen. To listen to the sounds of nature and their own deeper thoughts. Many of them expressed the desire to spend time in silence in the future.

Later that day we found a nice pool to stop and swim. One of the boys, probably thanks to our previous water activity, asked me to teach him how to swim to which I gladly obliged. With his newfound courage, he even jumped off one of the high rocks with the other two swimmers!

That evening at our sleeping place was another nice pool with lots of fish. The boys found a tricky way to catch them, luring them into a shallow inlet with chips they would then close off the entrance with their wash bucket. Fresh fish for dinner tonight!

That night in our sharing session we asked them to draw pictures of the monsters in their lives. By now they were open enough to share honestly about the things they wanted to change in their lives. While these sessions could raise deep issues to the surface, it will be up to them when they get home to actually make that change.

(Read part 3 of this post series here.)

Fish River Canyon Hike (part 1)

(click on any photo to enlarge)

“On my way.” The text came in at 5:37am. I had packed all my minimalist supplies into one large pack last night so I could salvage every moment of sleep this early morning. The red sun only peeked over the distant mountains on the horizon as we were already halfway to Rehoboth. We were on our way to pick up eight 11th grade boys from Rehoboth High School who for the next 8 days would participate in a Wilderness Therapy Hike through the Fish River Canyon.

The program was started by a high school psychologist who realized that boys were virtually impossible to reach while sitting across a desk in a counseling session. So she decided to combine two of her loves, hiking and counseling. Five times a year she and three other facilitators take 8 high school students out into the wilderness where they are guided through experiential learning and various therapy activities. Standing in the lobby of Rehoboth High School, I met our 8 travelling companions for the first time. They looked young and unsure whether to be excited or nervous.

The drive to our base camp near the canyon took about five hours, with only one minor hangup getting stuck in the sand. We quickly unloaded all our camping gear and the boys began filling their packs. By the time we finished our introductory talk setting up their expectations the sun had set and it was time to start the fire for our evening braai.

Each evening after dinner we would all gather together for sharing sessions. This first night we began simply rating the day and asking a few basic questions to get them used to sharing with the group. Then we turned in and had our last sleep on a mattress for the next week.

Day One

The morning started at the literal crack of dawn, as soon as the horizon started to get light. After breakfast we drove about an hour from the base camp to the trail head where we were dropped off and would hike our way back. The view from the canyon rim was stunning. The largest canyon in Africa, it stretches about 100 miles long and up to 17mi wide and 342mi deep in places.

View from the rim of the Fish River Canyon

The initial descent into the ravine was a steep switchback trail virtually straight down the canyon wall. The descent continued 1.2mi and finally opened up to a gorgeous sandy beach on the river where we stopped for lunch. Being winter, the water was relatively low, and at times seemed like long intermittent pools rather than a flowing river. Though it did get deep enough for swimming and cliff jumping in a number of places.

The river was a welcome sight after a hot descent.

Cliff jumping into the Fish River

The day’s hike was relatively short and we arrived at our sleeping place by midafternoon. We brought no tents so everyone looked around for a suitable place to unroll their mat and sleeping bag. Some preferred flat rocks, others sand. We all dispersed to find a private place for a bucket bath with water from the river.  For dinner, we were divided into 3 cooking groups. Our meals were mostly rice or pasta with dried vegetables and canned meat. One of the other facilitators was quite experienced, so he did all the cooking and I just helped with the dishes.

As per usual, after dinner we gathered for our evening sharing session and devotions before heading to bed to fall asleep under the stars. Up to now everything was new and exciting, the hiking, the scenery, getting to know the boys, so I didn’t even mind sleeping on the hardly packed sand or the thought of hoisting my pack back on my shoulders the next morning. However that would not always be the case….

(Read parts 2 & 3 of this post series here and here.)

One Day

Every year my church hosts a one day youth conference called, creatively enough, One Day. This year the theme was "Whatever" from Philippians 4:8. We had different sessions throughout the day with speakers sharing on what it means to think about what is true, honorable, right, pure, etc. Then there were small groups for the youth to discuss what they'd been learning. And as with any big youth event there was plenty of food and, of course, t-shirts.

This year I was helping out on the worship team. Each session opened with some worship music, and then our last session in the evening was all music with a short invitation for those who wanted to make decisions to follow Jesus. Overall the day was a huge success with 165 people there altogether, and 8 young people making first-time decisions to follow Jesus!

I snuck a little video from on stage during our last worship set. Check it out!

Rundu Pastor's Conference

Driving north to Rundu, once you pass through the veterinary road block you realize you've entered a different world. Living in Windhoek it's easy to get wrapped up in the urban lifestyle of the concrete jungle and forget that rural areas even exists. Driving in the north it's inescapable. The roads are lined with village huts and you must be on the look out for goats or cows or donkeys crossing the road. Easy-going villagers are gathering under a central tree for shade and conversation, while others are carrying their large water jugs to the nearest tap. It's training youth workers in this foreign culture where my next challenge would lie.

This past weekend was the Pastor's Conference for the Evangelical Bible Church (EBC) denomination based in Rundu. On one of the days the youth leaders were also invited to have a separate session with me. I started as I usually do, with lots of questions. I had much to learn about youth ministry in this environment before I had anything to share. In their context, "youth" begins as a teenager and lasts as long as you're single, even up to 40 years old. Their weekly meetings are little more than choir practice as they prepare songs for Sunday morning and the annual choir competition. There's an immense generational gap between these youth who are fluent with technology and the internet and the elder generations who are the church leaders. So as you can imagine, youth ministry in this culture has its own unique challenges.

I split them into small groups to discuss the question, "What is your goal for a youth in your church?" Many of them said qualities like leadership skills, knowledge of the Bible, committed, etc. I then asked, "How many of those things could be true of your youth without them even being a Christian?" I find that everyone has great aspirations for their young people, but often we overlook the foundational ingredient: we want them to have a relationship with Jesus! Christian youth ministry is primarily about discipling young people. Other organizations can offer leadership training or entrepreneurial skills or public speaking courses. But we offer one thing that no one else offers: Jesus. And He's the most important thing we can give them!

The youth leaders seemed very encouraged by our conversation and determined to invite me back again. I love working with the youth because they have a great energy and potential, and I hope to help unleash that so it doesn't get stifled.

Main session at the EBC Pastor's Conference in Rundu

Youth leaders discussing in small groups

Making lunch of pap and fish

Breaded fish for lunch

Kavango River, border between Namibia (left) and Angola (right)

Sunday School Training

Part of my role working at Namibia Evangelical Theological Seminary involves going out into the community to serve the local churches. This past weekend I was invited to train a group of Sunday School teachers from the Uniting Reformed Church. There were a few experienced ladies who had taught Sunday School for years, but most of them were young people very new to the job.

After a short encouragement about why we do children's ministry, we spent most of our time considering the differences between behavior modification and heart transformation. Then we went through a number of typical children's Bible stories and discussed how we could teach this story for heart transformation and not just behavior modification. It was quite a stimulating conversation which many of the teachers said they enjoyed and benefited from. I pray that the training will have positive and fruitful outcomes in their Sunday School students this year!

One Day

Every year in the middle of July my church organizes a youth event called One Day. This year was my first, and I was asked to play on the worship team. The theme of the day was #Relevant. We started with fun ice breakers and loud worship music. Throughout the day there were sessions with talks about how Christianity is relevant in our world today. Then the youth were divided up by age into small discussion groups led by our young adults.

According to the schedule, to close the day we would have an evening "Jam Out Session." But before we cranked the amps up to 11, our pastor sensed that people really needed an opportunity to respond to what they'd heard, so while the band played softly in the background, he gave an invitation for people to follow Jesus. Twenty-one people came forward that night, some to follow Jesus for the first time, others to recommit their lives to following Him, and others just for prayer. Those twenty-one lives ignited and motivated our worship celebration! After that the room was electric as we sang and shouted and danced and lost our voices worshipping our Savior.

Over 130 youth and young adults attending One Day 2016