Endings and Beginnings

After four long years, I heard the Academic Dean call my name inviting me to walk across the platform, shake a few hands, and receive my diploma of graduation. They call it commencement not because it is the ending of our time in seminary, but because it is the beginning of our journey after seminary. Having officially received my Masters in Biblical Studies from Reformed Theological Seminary Charlotte, the chapter in my life called "Seminary" is now closed, but the chapter entitled "Missionary to Namibia" is just a page turn away.

I find myself standing in a doorway. I look back and see four enjoyable years in Charlotte spent making great memories with great friends, learning theology by the book but also experiencing it worked out in real life, and learning how to both give and receive true community. Charlotte will always have a special place in my heart. But as I pack up my life, say my goodbyes and do many things for the last time, I'm reminded that life comes in seasons. As I walk through the doorway into a new season, I'm excited to see what new lessons God has to teach me, what new experiences he has planned for me, and what new friends he will give me. As much as we love the past, we can never live there again. We can only allow ourselves to be molded by it as we blaze a new trail into the future.

No sacrifice

"For my own part, I have never ceased to rejoice that God has appointed me to such an office. People talk of the sacrifice I have made in spending so much of my life in Africa. . . . Is that a sacrifice which brings its own blest reward in healthful activity, the consciousness of doing good, peace of mind, and a bright hope of a glorious destiny hereafter? Away with the word in such a view, and with such a thought! It is emphatically no sacrifice. Say rather it is a privilege. Anxiety, sickness, suffering, or danger, now and then, with a foregoing of the common conveniences and charities of this life, may make us pause, and cause the spirit to waver, and the soul to sink; but let this only be for a moment. All these are nothing when compared with the glory which shall be revealed in and for us. I never made a sacrifice." ~David Livingstone, missionary to Africa from 1851-1873

The Lost Boys

Since the early 1900s, authors and playwrights have toyed with the idea of what life might be like for children if there were no adults. From Peter Pan to Lord of the Flies to Jimmy Neutron, generations of children have salivated at the idea of having no one to tell them what to do. However, as expected, each of those situations turns foul. As children, we only see the negative side of discipline and dependence, but looking back as mature adults we recognize the positive influence many adults have had in shaping our lives.

Sadly, this very scenario is playing itself out in Namibia where almost half the population are children. Based on the latest national census, approximately 43% of the population is under the age of 18 (UNICEF 2010). For comparison, in the United States only about 24% of the population is under the age of 18.

One could look for causes in the AIDS epidemic, sexual promiscuity, or unemployment forcing adults to relocate, however the devastating results remain. The nation is left with thousands of children being raised by other children with few positive adult role models to influence their lives! As they grow up, vices abound among the young adult population: alcoholism, sexual immorality, abuse, laziness, theft, selfishness, greed. This vicious cycle only repeats itself as the younger generations learn from the ways of their predecessors.

This tragic situation is one reason NETS (Namibia Evangelical Theological Seminary) has determined to develop a youth ministry program for their school. Our goal is to raise up youth workers who will be positive, godly role models and influencers of the younger generations. These children are the future leaders, businessmen, pastors, teachers, and politicians of Namibia. What kind of leaders they become depends largely on the example and training they receive from older generations. May God use this program to train up godly youth workers and transform future generations of Namibian young people!

My Story Toward Namibia (part 3)

(Continued from "My Story Toward Namibia" part 1, and part 2)

Having been accepted as a missionary appointee with SIM, I began communicating with the team they already have working in Namibia. It's a diverse team with members from Germany, Switzerland, and South Africa, but I would be the only American at present. It turns out the team is already working in two areas dear to my heart and vision: theological education and youth ministry. I asked if there were opportunities that fit my vision of training future leaders and was quickly put in contact with the Acting Principal at Namibia Evangelical Theological Seminary (NETS). His response to my inquiry was about to blow me away and show God's confirmation and direction for my future journey. I'll let you read his reply for yourself. He wrote:

"Almost half the country is under 17 years of age, and while there are very few paid youth ministry positions, there is an enormous need. We are aware that a very different model of ministry training is required to meet this need. We want someone to come and help us develop a sustainable pathway for the training of youth leaders."

Youth ministry and theological education all wrapped up into one opportunity! Could it be any more perfect for what God has uniquely gifted and prepared me for! This is not just a youth ministry project; it's a youth ministry multiplication project. By training Namibian youth workers the gospel can advance faster and farther than I could ever take it myself. He continued:

"This [curriculum] will necessarily involve low cost and short-term programs that are accessible to people who are holding down other jobs. . . . There is a need for us to also decentralize in order to make things accessible for those who live in the [outlying] regions."

As I mentioned previously, I had reservations about working in a formal seminary environment because it seemed too expensive and largely centralized. These issues cause problems getting the training to those who need it most. But the very characteristics they want in a program are the very things I'm excited about as well: something inexpensive and decentralized!

So with great excitement and expectation, I will embark on this journey with a vision of advancing the gospel in Namibia through training indigenous youth workers. There will certainly be many challenges and roadblocks ahead, but for now I'm rejoicing in God's confirmation by providing this unique opportunity.

My Story Toward Namibia (part 2)

(Continued from "My Story Toward Namibia" part 1)

During my year in Namibia, I was taken-aback by the prevalence of the Prosperity Gospel which teaches that Jesus wants you to be healthy, rich and comfortable. I was shocked at how many sermons I heard which taught the preacher's opinions rather than Biblical truth. When anyone with an eloquent tongue can call himself a preacher and take up an offering is it any wonder that bad theology is often the norm?* This sparked my desire to work full-time training the next generations of Namibian pastors how to study and teach the Bible.

Teaching at a small Bible school in Ondangwa

The first step was obtaining a Master's degree in Bible which I have been pursuing for the last 4 years from Reformed Theological Seminary. This degree would qualify me to teach at the formal seminary in the capital city of Windhoek, Namibia Evangelical Theological Seminary (NETS). However, I have a few reservations about a formal seminary style education. First, it's often too expensive for Namibians to afford. Between tuition, books, transportation and living expenses, it becomes a costly affair. Second, students have to leave their homes, families and potential ministries to come to a centralized campus. Such relocation is a further expense and removes them from the very community where they could minister most effectively. Oftentimes students who relocate for education never go back. So I would love to find an opportunity to teach the Bible in a program that is both decentralized and inexpensive.

My second step was finding a sending agency who had compatible goals and values. Back in January, I spent a long weekend with SIM based in Charlotte. They've been around for 120 years, with home offices in 13 countries and have 1600 missionaries worldwide. In other words, they know what they're doing. During the weekend I met so many godly people who are passionate about seeing God's glory made known among the nations. They seemed to have a great balance between emphasizing the Great Commission, but not neglecting social needs and community development. And importantly, they already have a team in Namibia so I wouldn't be starting from scratch. At the conclusion of the weekend I was officially accepted as a missionary appointee with SIM! Next came perhaps the greatest variable of all, would my vision be compatible with the team already on the field. . . .

(Continued in "My Story Toward Namibia" part 3)

* I would be remiss to mention that there are some Biblically based, theologically sound preachers and churches which are reason for great hope and optimism. However, they are often the exception and not the norm.

My Story Toward Namibia (part 1)

The summer after I graduated from college I went on my first short term mission trip to Namibia through my church in NH. Our team had been invited by Youth For Christ to join an outreach taking the good news of Jesus Christ into every public school in the country. Even though I was an experienced short-termer, I had never yet been to Africa. For the first time I experienced the vast savannas, the beautiful sunrises and sunsets, and the amazing views of the night sky. I experienced the joy and hospitality of the Namibian people, but also got a taste of the deep pain and brokenness in the country. They say in Africa that once the sand gets in your blood, you can't stay away. That was certainly the case for me after just my first trip.

Over the next 10 years I helped lead short term trips back to Namibia nearly every summer. My church was developing lasting partnerships and learning how to use short term trips to make a long term impact. We went not just to accomplish projects or fulfill an agenda, but to build relationships. It was through relationship that gave us the best avenue to share the love of Christ with each other.

In 2008, I decided to live in Namibia for a whole year to get a fuller picture of what missionary life in Namibia is truly like, how our church could better help our Namibian partners, and if this was something I could do full-time. During that year I helped teach youth and adult Bible studies, was involved with a church youth group, taught a Bible class for a Christian school, participated in outreaches, and so much more. But more than anything I was there as a learner, learning about their culture and traditions and learning to love a people who God loves. As my heart grew for Namibia and it's people I began to realize that God had much bigger plans for me in Namibia, though at the time I had no idea how big. While still unsure exactly what it would look like, I started exploring next steps, which, for me, meant seminary. . . .

(Continued in "My Story Toward Namibia" part 2)

Some people may say...

Some people may say why go to Africa? It's primitive and under-developed. There's war and disease. Here in America you have all the comforts, technology, healthcare and ease of life you could ever ask for. First of all, Jesus constantly condemned a love of wealth and comfort, calling people instead to a life dedicated to God (Mt 19:21, 29). If a desire for comfort prevents us from following Christ, we must seriously reevaluate our priorities. Second, religious statisticians have observed that the center of global Christianity is no longer the West (N. America and Europe; 41% of the world's Christians) but rather the Global South (Latin America, Africa, Asia; 58%). By the year 2025, it is estimated that 1 out of every 4 Christians in the world will live in Africa. There is no doubt that God is moving in Africa, preparing them to be a major player in the world Christian movement. Why wouldn't you want to be a part of that? Third, it's true that some of the greatest social issues in the world today exist in Africa (poverty, malnutrition, orphans, child slavery, racism, HIV/AIDS, etc.). Is that not, then, where God will accomplish some of the greatest feats of love, mercy and justice? The Dark Continent needs the Light of the World (Jn 8:12).

Some people may say why go to Namibia? It's a small, insignificant country which nobody has ever heard of. There are only 2 million people and have little to no influence in today's international world. But God says how many of you were called because you were wise, influential, or noble?? No, rather "God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise; He chose the weak things of the world to shame the strong . . . so that no one can boast before him" (1 Cor 1:27, 29). Jesus himself hailed from the small town of Nazareth and ministered in the backwoods province of Judea rather than the industrious and influential Rome. Perhaps Namibia has far more potential in the economy of God than some people realize.

Some people may say why go to the desert? It's hot and dry and leaves you thirsty, sunburned and miserable. There are sandstorms and droughts, and did I mention it's stinkin hot! But the physical conditions of the desert picture our spiritual condition before Christ. We were dead in our sins, bearing no fruit because we weren't attached to the vine (Eph 2:1; Jn 15:4). We were a barren, desolate wasteland. Such is the spiritual condition of the lost in Namibia. But Jesus is the Water and Bread of Life (Jn 4:14; 6:35). Those who seek him to satisfy their spiritual hunger and thirst will be satisfied and blessed (Mt 5:6). He will renew the wasteland, water will spring up in the wilderness and flowers will bloom in desert (Is 35:1-2).