The morning started early on what I knew would be a long day. I stopped by the supermarket on the way to the venue to pick up some donuts for the team. Mine was the first car in the parking lot, but it turns out a few others had beaten me there and were already sweeping and wiping the dust from the chairs in the main hall. Other helpers started floating in and we gathered to pray before things got crazy. For months our small group had been planning and looking forward to hosting a conference on spiritual maturity for the young adults of Windhoek and now the day had finally arrived!
Registration started slow and we were wondering if we'd set our hopes too high. But by the end of the day we had over 120 people come, and perhaps more impressively, 29 different churches were represented!
We all gathered in the main hall to start the day with a welcome, introduction and worshipping together. Likewise, members of the worship band were from 4 different churches. In a nation where denominationalism is so divisive, it was important to us that the team on stage would represent the unity in diversity that we so value. They did a great job leading us in worship, each contributing a bit of their own style. I know some of the attendees were a bit stretched experiencing the music style of different worship leaders!
Our culture has a bit of a love affair with youth. From the 'fountain of youth' to anti-aging cream, etc., the idealism and, frankly, idolatry of youth has given growing up a bad reputation. Or to put it another way, it's given maturity a bad reputation. Yet biblical authors consistently exhort their readers not to stay in the immaturity of childhood, but to grow up in maturity (e.g., Col. 1:28; Eph 4:13; Heb. 6:1)! So in our opening session I gave an exhortation to press on to spiritual maturity. We cast a vision for what spiritual maturity could look like, thinking the way that God thinks, desiring the things that God desires. You can listen to the message here.
Immediately afterward we broke up into small groups to discuss what people took away from the message and how they could apply it to their lives. My favorite part about these discussion groups was that the leaders of those groups were members of the young adult small group that I help lead on Sunday nights. Thus what they experience on Sunday nights, now they were putting into practice themselves in these little discussion groups. And the feedback from all of them was how encouraging and confidence-building it was! Some of the attendees also commented how this was one of their favorite parts of the conference.
Small group discussion
One-on-one prayer time
Following discussion groups we had some fantastic food prepared by other members of our small group. I think some of the attendees may have just come because they heard there would be free food!
Long line for food at meal time.
Serving lunch
Hanging out after lunch
After lunch we had two workshop slots where attendees could choose which topics to hear. These workshops were mostly focused outward, beyond ourselves. Immaturity is self-centered, but maturity looks outward to others. One workshop focused on missions and helping young people catch a passion for mission where they are, but also among the still many unreached people groups around the globe. Another focused on how to use your particular gifts and passions to start a ministry and reach others with the gospel. Another focused on understanding Islam and how to engage your Muslim friends with the gospel. But by far the most popular workshop was the one about maximizing your singleness for God's glory! I'm not entirely sure if attendees wanted to learn about seeking God's glory, or about who else in the group was single. ;)
"Using Your Gifts for Ministry: A Tale of Two Gamers"
"Mission is on God's Mind. And Yours?"
Another highlight of the day was the Panel Discussion with all the speakers of the day. Attendees had written down questions which were then posed to the panel to hear their thoughts. There were many insightful questions regarding topics of the day like singleness and marriage, dealing with lust, pursuing spiritual maturity, and more. One of the highlight quotes regarding singleness and dating was, "Don't start cooking until you're ready to eat!" But perhaps the greatest applause and cheers came when one workshop speaker mentioned that his wife was the one who proposed to him!
After another round of small groups and dinner, we closed off the day with a last main session. The worship team again led us well in worship. Then our final talk considered the idea that 'adulting is hard.' Pressing on to spiritual maturity is hard because Jesus asks some really hard things of us. Putting fleshly desires to death is hard. Loving God more than we love the things of this world is hard. Yet it's worth it because, like the saints in Hebrews 11, we're not home yet. We're still looking forward to our reward. You can listen to this message here.
Overall it was a fantastic day where young people experienced diverse Christian community and were challenged to continue their spiritual growth. We got lots of great feedback about the day, including descriptions like "life-changing" and "in season." Most people were even asking when the next one will be! Clearly we found a niche where God's Word is desired. Please pray for us as we continue to make ourselves available to help meet that need.
Wedding bells are in the air! No, not mine. 😉 August has been a big wedding month here with weddings almost every weekend, including 3 seminary students and a couple from my church small group. I love how every culture has their own unique wedding celebrations and traditions. For example, at a village wedding no invitations are needed; everyone is invited. Guests come to the homestead and camp out for a whole weekend. They slaughter some cows or goats to feed everyone. In some traditions the bride has been in hiding for a whole week. In others, the groom has to crawl on hands and knees to get his bride from her family.
Wambo weddings are just 'a bit' louder than a typical Western wedding. When these friends in my church small group got married, after the familiar church ceremony many of the Owambo guests and family broke into some spontaneous traditional songs. Click on the video below to watch a short clip!
At a Herero village wedding the groom's party stays at their own campsite away from the bride's family's house. The weekend is filled with different events like the bridal parade and slaughtering the cow. The final event on the last morning is when the groom's party walks over to the bride's family's house to get "their" wife (They are a more communal culture rather than individualistic, so the bride is becoming part of the family.). They go into the house for some final marriage advice, then emerge with the bride. She remains covered and the couple surrounded while they make their way to the vehicle to return to the groom's camp (along with her wedding gifts and luggage in another truck). Everything is done very slowly with their heads down to mimic cattle. The ladies traditional dresses and headgear are also picturing cattle. Check out some clips in the video below.
Christian weddings not only provide a tangible picture of Christ's love for His people (according to Eph. 5:25-27), but they also provide an opportunity for non-believing friends and family to experience Christian community. For example, guests at a village wedding camp out together, eat together, celebrate together...non-Christians rubbing shoulders with and having late night conversations around the fire with Christians. When outsiders experience loving Christian community it doesn't make sense other than lives transformed by Christ. "By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another" (Jn 13:35). One of the young adults in my church small group recognized this. When asked how he would apply the Great Commission in his life, he said, "I want unsaved family members to see Christ's love in me and my friends at the weddings I will attend this month."
Around 50% of the population of Namibia inhabit the northern part of the country, making it a strategic location for missions. This area has fewer big cities, but is flooded with small villages. This more 'rural' dynamic, along with the travel time (min. 8hr drive from Windhoek) and language barrier (less people speak English) make it a more difficult setting for visiting missionaries. Yet, when an elder from my church asked to bring two of his teenage grandchildren on a mission trip, this is exactly where we went.
Being welcomed to the village by the youth and children
We partnered together with a NETS alumni who is a local pastor in the small town of Ongha. One of his major tasks since arriving only 1 year ago has been discipling his congregation who are very young in their faith. He is also the pastor for a few 'out stations' [sister churches] around his area. (Think, for example, of an itinerant preacher who would rotate between different churches each week.) So he organized for us to preach at a few different churches and also lead workshops on topics like forgiveness and how to lead a youth ministry. We were also welcomed into the homes of some of the church members to share meals together. The visitors got to try mahangu pap and 'marathon' chicken for the first time ('marathon' because you had to catch it first!). The families' generous hospitality was overwhelming, but a true display of an African welcome into the community and the family.
Teaching on forgiveness at New Jerusalem Church
Walking home with some students after school
Mahangu flour (before) on the left and pap (after) on the right
Catching dinner
Gospel Outreach Bible School
We also worked together with a small Bible school in Ondangwa called Gospel Outreach Bible School. We taught their morning classes for the week going through the book of Jude verse-by-verse and also looking at how Christians today should understand the Old Testament in light of the gospel. We also led a marriage seminar for community couples which was very well attended. One lady responded afterward that she had never heard anything like this before and was very thankful. On our last afternoon we had a joyous celebration together. The students prepared a traditional meal for us, then we played volleyball and another traditional game where one team was trying to fill up a bottle with sand as many times as possible while the other team was trying to throw you out with a tennis ball. Everyone was smiling and laughing and it was good conclusion to our ministry week.
Couples attending a marriage seminar
Teaching Bible school students about the book of Jude
Playing volleyball together
Playing the dodgeball-bottle game
As usual, we also spent our last few days playing tourist, debriefing the trip, and preparing the team to return home. Both of the teens expressed how their experiences in the village altered their perspectives on American life and material possessions and how they really had nothing to complain about. A recurring word used to describe the experience was "recalibrating." Even though I stay here in Namibia, I could say the same. The village life offers a simplicity and relationship-centeredness that helps recalibrate my priorities and values that get quite bent by urban life. How often the West thinks they have so much to teach, but don't realize how much they really have to learn.
Most people just drive through Usakos, perhaps making only a pitstop on their way to or from the coast. It's a small town with only around 3,000 people and not even a stop light, so it's easy to miss. But those are 3,000 image bearers of God in desperate need of a relationship with Jesus. So when my parents wanted to bring a team from the States, that's where we spent our week of ministry.
Tucked away behind the town is a small vocational training school called Anistemi College and Training Centre. Anistemi is the Greek word for "rise up." They accept students who have dropped out or struggled in traditional schools and offer them a variety of programs including office admin, I.T., joinery, and hospitality/tourism. Student range from age 16 to mid-twenties. Our team stayed with students in the hostel (dorm) and led a holiday club during a week off from classes. We played lots of games together and held workshops and discussion groups on tough topics like overcoming addictions, pornography, and trust. But perhaps the most profitable times happened "in between" as we built relationships with students over a cup of soup, late night conversations or walks around town.
Playing a game of "Chicken, Cowboy, Conquer"
Playing soccer in the riverbed
Trust fall activity during a workshop about trust
We had small group discussions after each workshop.
Walking around town with the students
We also worked together with Maranatha Church to hold a women's & youth conference in the evenings. We held a combined praise & worship time and then split up for the talks. The church mostly organized the women's side while our team led the youth side and helped with childcare. We had about 40ish youth each night and through the testimonies of our team members, we again tackled some tough topics like the effects of alcohol, forgiveness, and overcoming past hurts. The childcare proved invaluable for some of the women to have time away from their kids to focus on the message. A few of our team members had some nightly attachments once the crying toddlers got comfortable with them!
Serving soup and bread for a light dinner before the conference
Teaching a Bible lesson during the childcare time
Linda speaking for the women's conference
Steve speaking for the youth conference
We spent the last few days as a team doing some touristy things, debriefing the trip and helping them focus on going back home. Some teams come to build 'stuff' like wells or buildings, but we came to build relationships and invest in people. While 'stuff' decays and passes away, people's souls last forever. And that's an investment worth making every time.
We had a lovely time this past weekend with the NETS (Namibia Evangelical Theological Seminary) community celebrating the accomplishments of all our graduates. There were 13 graduates from the Distance Education course and 13 graduates from the residential 1-year Certificate of Theology (green gowns). Many of these students are continuing into the next level of studies at NETS.
We also had 2 graduates with a Diploma in Theology and 7 graduates with a Bachelor's Degree in Theology (purple hoods). Many of these graduates are already serving in leadership positions at their churches. A few are going on to internships while others are fulfilling the requirements for ordination in their denominations.
Then last but not least, we had an outstanding 7 graduates from the Honor's Degree program (teal hoods). Most of these students are already involved in pastoral ministry and have just returned to advance their education. They all had to write a research thesis relevant to the Namibian context to receive this degree.
Congrats to all our graduates! Please be praying for them for guidance in their next steps. More photos from the ceremony below...
NETS student choir performing at Graduation
Pastor Rudi sharing as our keynote speaker at Graduation
Current 4th-year student Willem receiving an award for godly leadership and servanthood.
My former mentee UJ receiving his Bachelor's Degree.
A NETS lecturer giving the dedicatory prayer for all our graduates.
Ever since I first saw photos of the ghost town of Kolmanskop it has been atop my bucket list of places to travel in Namibia. As other places have slowly been checked off the list, it has patiently remained. This year our semester calendar worked in such a way that we got two full weeks off for Easter break, so I knew this would be my opportunity.
I packed up the car early and set off on the road south before the sun even peaked up over the eastern horizon. It would be about 8 hours driving time south to Keetmanshoop, then west across the desert to Luderitz. I'd been forewarned that as you approached the coast the wind may have pushed the sand dunes into the middle of the road. And sure enough, though the road stayed clear, I did see plow trucks pushing the encroaching dunes off the railroad tracks. Beyond the sand dunes were the most barren, rocky hills you've ever seen. If you look up 'wasteland' in the dictionary then this is probably where they get the picture. It made me wonder how anyone could live out here. But at long last, the small coastal town of Luderitz peaked its way through the desert hills, my holiday home for the next few days.
Luderitz is a small colorful town painted across the hillsides which empty into the picturesque bay. Sailboats, schooners, and freighters alike are anchored across the small harbor. Its German architecture and names reveal it's abundant history. While it's a quiet town with plenty of nooks and beaches to explore across the peninsula, my main objective wasn't found at the ocean, but about 10km back into the desert.
Kolmanskop is open to visitors from 8-1 each day, but that wasn't enough for me. I wisely purchased the amateur photographer's pass which allowed me access from sunrise to sunset. So once again I was up before the sun to enter the gates as the first morning rays touched the earth.
Kolmanskop is an old mining town which has long since been abandoned and overtaken by the desert. The buildings range from mansions for the wealthy, to workers homes, an old restaurant or saloon, even the old hospital. These buildings are spotted across an eastern hillside which makes morning light invaluable for photographers.
When I arrived I was literally the only person there, the deafening silence of the desert and these creepy old buildings all to myself. I found the early morning light to be best for exterior shots, especially with no one else around. Then I moved inside as the daylight got brighter and the sun arched higher in the sky. I know faded colors, peeling paint, and dune-filled doorways doesn't sound too exciting, but around every corner was another amazing discovery. This place was a photographer's dreamland! Each room had a unique character of it's own. Sometimes the light cast through the open rafters at just the right time to paint some jaw-dropping designs. But I've exhausted the words it would take to explain, so I'll let the pictures tell the story on their own.
As the sun was finally covered by the approaching evening clouds, my feet were sore and my memory card full. The now eerie black windows watched as I turned my back to descend the dunes to my car, the whistling wind again the only sound left on the solitary slope. Like my footprints in the sand which are quickly covered in the wind, what stories were once made in these halls and homes have gone the way of history and left only the deteriorating walls and doorways to tell their tales. In a desert known for its diamonds, I too had stumbled upon an unexpected jewel.
After multiple short-term trips to Namibia, God has called me to return long-term to teach the Bible to the next generation of Namibian pastors and youth workers. Through this blog you can share in my journey and be a part of what God is doing in Namibia. Read more...
Namibia is a country of about 3 million people located along the Atlantic Ocean of south western Africa. It is ranked 5th in the world in HIV/AIDS prevalency, an epidemic that has decimated the working-age population and created a generation of orphans. While 89% of the population claim Christianity, rampant vices like immorality, abuse, and alcoholism reveal that it is religion in title only. The true gospel which frees from the bondage to sin is the only solution. Read more...
