COVID-19 Update

COVID-19 has officially come to Namibia. Yesterday two cases were confirmed in Romanian tourists who had arrived on Wednesday. They had a few days of interaction with people, but it's impossible to know how far it has spread since then. All schools, public and private, will be closed for the next month. The Independence and Presidential Inauguration celebration planned for next weekend has been cancelled, and all major gatherings will be suspended for the next 30 days (though they didn't define 'major'). They have also suspended inbound and outbound flights for the next 30 days. I know these kind of precautions have been going on all around the world, but yesterday was when it finally hit here.

To make matters worse, the World Health Organization considers Namibia in the category of least prepared to deal with this kind of epidemic. Self-quarantine is virtually impossible in communities where families live with sometimes 10 people in a one-room shack. And those shacks are packed together like tetris cubes. The most vulnerable are the elderly and those with a low immune system already, and Namibia has a huge number of HIV/AIDS cases, which is itself an immune system deficiency. And on top of that, only the upper class can afford the best quality health care if it comes to that.

Stores quickly sold out of
hand sanitizer

This situation could also have a devastating effect on our already-hurting economy. Travel restrictions will impact our tourism industry, which is the second largest industry in the country. Any one who is not a salaried employee will have no source of income with all the business closures and panic (e.g., domestic workers, gardeners, day laborers, etc.). We import most of our food and goods, so closed borders could lead to empty shelves in the stores. The effects of this outbreak could be far reaching.

But despite the potential for doom-and-gloom, we have a great hope in Jesus Christ. And that's what the church has to offer the world during this time of intense fear and panic. This coronavirus is only a symptom of a much bigger problem, that is, the reality that we live in a world affected by Sin. Not only is the creation broken, but each one of us has a sin-sick heart (Jer 17:9). We need more than a doctor; we need a Savior! So even in the midst of a global heath and economy crisis, those who trust in Christ can have rest and peace.

So please pray for us in Namibia. Pray that God would curb the spread of this virus and protect the lives of our vulnerable people. Pray that people would not be overcome by fear and anxiety and irrational thinking. And pray that this global pandemic would cause more and more people to find their hope in Christ.

God, Our Healer

During February our church is having a month of prayer and fasting. To go along with that we've been preaching through a series on prayer. I was asked to preach on the topic of sickness and healing. Whether it’s ourselves or someone we know, one of the most common prayer requests is asking God to bring healing for someone. But does God still work healing miracles today? How should I pray for healing? Understanding how sickness and healing fits into God’s big story will not only help us to pray better, but will also help us to live our stories well. You can listen to the message here if you'd like.

Back to School

I pull into the staff parking lot as I have so many times before, but this day always carries a special excitement. This is Student Orientation Day at Namibian Evangelical Theological Seminary (NETS) when we meet all the new students for the first time, and see our returning students after the 2-month holiday. This year we have 11 new students entering the diploma year, and 4 doing a bridging-year certificate. They are an energetic and engaging group, eager to learn and with lots of questions. Also new this year are two former graduates who will serve as Faculty-in-Training.

Orientation started with introductions and a morning devotion. We had a wonderful reminder from 1 Corinthians 3, that we are humble servants, but we are also God's fellow workers! Then orientation always has to include some info sessions, get-to-know-you games, a campus tour, and of course, community lunch.

Trying to construct our mission statement out of pictures

"Preparing followers of Christ with the knowledge, skills, and character
to serve God, each other, and the world."

Team-building games

The classic Human Knot

For lunch we were split up into groups of four with a picnic bag lunch.
We popped the balloon to find some get-to-know-you questions inside.

Where is "Home"?

Growing up, I lived in the same house on the same street in the same town for over 20 years. Then it was easy to know where home was. Even when I went away to college, going home had meaning. It meant returning to the familiar, to memory, to family, to mom-cooked meals.

But living as a global worker has begun to redefine what "home" means for me. Is it the culture you were born into? Or the culture you have now adapted to? Is it where your family lives? Or the place where you keep all your stuff?

The answer is yes. It's all those things. There is familiarity in a New England Fall and winter Christmas. I know what to expect from the culture I grew up in. There is welcome and belonging among long-standing friends and family. In many ways, I can just "be myself."

But after living abroad for 5 years, in many other ways, I have adapted to live in the cultural there. I have built new memories and traditions on that side. I have made new friends and community. And there is the apartment where I keep all my stuff.

The dictionary defines 'home' as "the place in which one's domestic affections are centered." While it may not be perfect, one thing this definition gets right is that home is about the affections. It's less about a location, and more about the sense of familiarity and fondness, safety and belonging. So next month, when I return back to Namibia from my 6-month Home Assignment, yes I will be leaving home, but for me, I will also be going home.

The Messy Family who are Youth Workers

I come from a big family. When I go to a family reunion we have well over 100 people, many of whom I don't even know and wouldn't recognize if we were sitting right next to each other. But we're all connected somehow. Sometimes that's what it feels like being a part of the family of God.

This past weekend I went to a training seminar for youth workers across New England. There were hundreds of people who I'd never met before, but we had a connection. Not only were we all Christians, but we all work in the same trenches discipling young people through the messy years of adolescence. It was a great encouragement to hear the war stories of others who are working together toward the same goal.

Being in the youth ministry training field, much of the training material was not new to me, but it was an encouraging affirmation that I'm actually teaching the right stuff. For example, the first morning session was a teaching from Eph 4:11-16, which is the very same passage I teach from in lesson 1 of my youth ministry course! Other topics included dealing with suicide, who is Generation Z, contextualization in youth ministry, and child safety policies and practices.

But outside of the teachings, I met a group of six youth workers who came from a small town church in northern NH. I sat with them over lunch and we ended up in a discussion group together. Since I was there alone, they welcomed me in as part of their group. Then right at the end of the last session, as everyone was leaving, they found me in the auditorium to pray for me and my mission in Namibia. People I'd just met hours before caring for me like one of their own. That's all it takes to make someone feel noticed and cared for and a part of something. That's what it looks like to be part of God's family.

Fall in New England

When it is time to schedule my home assignment, I always strategically plan to be back in the States during the Fall. The changing leaves, antique buildings, and painted mountainsides of New England all combine for a picture perfect season. When people ask what do I enjoy most when I'm back in the States, this is high on the list. 

Hearing God

Life gets loud sometimes. Duties and distractions come calling. In all the noise and speed of life, it's a wonder we hear anything anymore. It seems like an antiquated novelty to stop and listen. I once led a spiritual formation retreat and to practice we spent 15 minutes by ourselves in silence. One exuberant young lady said it was the hardest thing she'd ever had to do!

For me it's very easy to, as my friend put it, "do things for God, without spending time with God." So during my home assignment I set aside 3 days to get away from everything, in a cabin out in the woods, with no agenda but spending time with God and listening to Him. We plan for our fitness and our nutrition and our lifetime learning. Why don't we spend as much time and effort developing and caring for our souls?

I had booked my retreat at a camp/conference center that has a private cabin out in the woods for just that purpose. I arrived excited for a bit of silence and solitude, only to find out they had double booked that cabin and instead had put me in a different cabin...right in the middle of the camp. During that week, they were also hosting a high school retreat with 100 noisy teenagers (some of whom were quite fond of hanging out on the porch of my cabin) and a women's conference. So much for silence and solitude. But despite the disappointment and distractions, I determined that one can meet with God anywhere, so I would try to make the most of it.

To help guide my thoughts on this retreat, I was reading the book Hearing God by Dallas Willard. He attempts to lead the reader toward what he calls a "conversational relationship with God." He wants us to understand that yes, God does still speak to us today. And he helps clarify how one can discern the "still small voice" of God in our own thoughts. It was a timely read with many helpful insights. One point was particularly potent, he emphasized how in seeking God's specific will for a particular situation, we often fail to be practicing God's general will for our lives. One example he used was to "be thankful in all circumstances" (1 Thess 5:18), which quickly reminded me of Phil 2:14, "Do all things without complaining or arguing." This hardly described my attitude about being stuck in the cabin in the middle of camp. So, as He often does, God used a situation I didn't like to remind me how far I have to go in Christlikeness and nudge me gently in that direction.

Overall it turned out to be a nice few days and a great reminder that I need to slow down and listen more often. Time spent in stillness and silence isn't a waste. It's soul care.

A still, quiet morning by the lake

A short hike to a big view