Summer Camp

American Thanksgiving

Pretty much everything here winds to a halt in December, our summer holiday. That means all the year end celebrations happen in November. So with the last week of D-group coinciding with Thanksgiving weekend, it just made sense for us to end the year with a big American style feast. So everybody signed up to bring a dish and scoured the internet for the best American recipes. I handled the staples, the turkeys, stuffing and gravy.

As the anticipation grew and word got out, in typical African style, anybody who hears about it is invited. But isn't that what holidays are all about? Everybody should have 'family' to celebrate with where they don't need to be 'invited'.

Some pre-meal gameage

Tasty looking birds

Riko carving the birds
(now he wants an electric knife!)

Everybody chipped in to make a good lookin spread!

Been craving that drumstick since last year

We take time to share something we're thankful for.
Apparently somebody made a good joke.

The crazy Thanksgiving crew

They say all the best parties end in the kitchen

Apparently I have now created a new tradition...since clearly 2 years in a row makes something a tradition! Now everybody's already talking about Thanksgiving next year. 😁

Swakop Mission Trip

Each year at NETS we take a week out of our lecture schedule to send our students out on mission trips in various places around the country. Our purpose is two-fold: to reach out to our own population with the gospel of Jesus, and to help our students gain valuable practical ministry experience. This year we sent out four teams to Keetmanshoop, Rundu, Queen Sofia, and my team went to Swakopmund.

In Swakop we partnered with various local churches as well as just sharing the gospel with whoever we met on the street. Some of our students led Family Life workshops at two different churches, encouraging family members to treat each other with love. We met with various local pastors to both encourage them and share with them about NETS, but also to ask questions and learn from their years of experience. And on Sunday morning we participated in an ecumenical worship service including multiple churches from around the community.

"Missing the Mark" game at Youth Night

On Friday night our students organized a Youth Outreach Night and encouraged youth from various local churches to invite their friends. The evening was organized around the "wordless book" colors with a different activity focusing on each color: gold reminding us of heaven and a perfect relationship with God; black indicating sin; red pointing us to the blood of Christ; white teaching us of forgiveness and cleansing from sin; and green encouraging us to grow in our relationship with God. By the end of the night the youth had heard the whole message of the gospel!

Each day we also split up into teams of 3 to walk around the town or the beach and share the good news with whoever we came across. We would play games with children then share with them using a "wordless bracelet." Sometimes we just prayed with people. Often they were polite but disinterested, but some were open to talk. Outside the library, I was chatting with 4 young ladies who had been studying for their grade 12 exams. Their understanding of Christianity was very religious, but had little to do with their everyday lives. At one point I was encouraging them to wait for a relationship with a good Christian guy, but they told me good guys don't exist and they would rather have someone to sleep with them even if he was bad, than to feel lonely. They would rather have someone to support them and a baby even if he cheated and didn't love them, than to wait for a guy they couldn't imagine existing. I was struck by their hopelessness. They would rather cling to the temporary tangible pleasures of sin, even with lasting consequences(!), because they couldn't imagine any other option.

As I stood on a street corner a uniformed police officer came walking down the sidewalk. I chuckled to myself wondering what the police would think of what we were doing. Apparently it showed on my face because he playfully asked me, "What are you smiling about? Do you have some good news?" Again, I chuckled to myself in wonder that he would phrase it that way, and responded with an even bigger smile, "I have the best news!"

And that's exactly what those four girls couldn't understand. That gospel says that all the pain and damage of this sinful world...it doesn't have to be this way! That really is the best news of all, but some people just aren't interested. It's like C.S. Lewis said, that we would rather go on making mud pies in the slums because we can't imagine what is meant by the offer of a holiday at the sea.

Overall it was a great trip, not only for practical ministry experience for our students, but also as a stark reminder to me of exactly why I am here, because there are young people all across Namibia who are living and dying without hearing the true gospel.

Adulting is for Grown Ups

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.

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Wedding Bells

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."

Ondangwa Mission Trip

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.

Usakos Mission Trip

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.