Sandhof Lilies

Ever wonder why I call my blogsite "Blossoming Deserts"? Well, here's one classic example. For most of the year the pan at Farm Sandhof is acres of nothing but dirt. It's basically an old dried up flood plain. But during years when we have a great rainy season, like this year, the pan floods with water and up spring these lilies. For 4-5 days it is transformed into a huge field of pink and white blossoms as far as the eye can see. All it takes is a bit of water and these desert flowers, sometimes hiding in their bulbs through years of drought, come bursting to life. It reminds me of the transformative work of Christ when He pours a bit of the water of life on a dried up soul!

TMN: Debrief

Read previous posts in the Teen Mission Namibia series here: Mission Boot Camp; Ministry Days (part 1); Ministry Days (part 2).

For the last three and a half days the team had been working hard pouring out their energy and their hearts in ministry to the communities of Okahandja. They had learned so much in Boot Camp and put that into practice during our ministry days, and now it was time to turn our attention toward returning home. So on Friday afternoon we packed up and drove to the lovely Eldorado campground just north of Outjo where we would spend our last two nights.

Debrief means time to relax

...and enjoy free quality coffee!

This time was set aside for resting, relaxing and restoring our souls, but mostly for turning our minds back home. We had a few different sessions to debrief our experiences and try to convert it into learning that will transform our lives when we go home. In our first session we looked back on the trip, reflecting on some of our highlights, some of the hard parts, and some of the things that God had been teaching us along the way. In our second session we looked ahead to the situations we would be facing when we return home, to the challenges that lie ahead there, and how we can put into practice the things that we've been learning. Then in our third session we discussed how we can be missional influencers within our Christian communities.

We also got to take a short game drive through Etosha National Park. For some it was their very first time ever seeing lions, rhinos and giraffes. But the highlight of debrief was definitely our final meal. The lodge put together an extravagant buffet with soup and salads and lots of side dishes, but most of all more meat than even a Namibian could eat! Delicious tsosaties, and ribs, and boerewors, and beef chops on the braai. They saw lots of cool animals for the first time that day, but what they couldn't stop talking about was the food! 😂

Spotting giraffes in Etosha

Rhino in the shade in Etosha
(they probably removed the horns to protect against poachers)

Pride of lions in Etosha

The amazing spread for our final buffet dinner

Enjoying the amazing food

We closed our time with a little "commissioning" service studying 2 Corinthians 4. We emphasized that we are servants for Christ's sake, sharing His gospel, not trying to boost up our own reputation. Each person was given a mug (it was the closest I could find to a "jar of clay") to remind us that we are simply clay vessels bearing the incredible treasure of the gospel. We may end up experiencing hardships and persecution as we spread the good news, but in the end it is worth it, because these hardships are temporary, but our reward is eternal.

TMN 2021 Team

As we officially closed off Teen Mission Namibia 2021, I left tired but joyful. I found myself reflecting particularly on Paul's statement to the Corinthians in 2 Cor 4:12, "So death is at work in us, but life in you." Our volunteer staff had poured out their energy, their time and their lives to disciple and encourage and equip these six participants. It was like "hardship at work in us," but bringing new life and purpose to them. Now as they go back to their homes and are more intentional about getting involved in God's mission, they are our joy and crown. It was hard work, in the middle of our Christmas vacation, but it couldn't be more worth it.

TMN: Ministry Days (part 2)

Read previous posts in the Teen Mission Namibia series here: Mission Boot Camp; Ministry Days (part 1).

After our first two days of ministry in Nau-Aib, we would now do the same program again with a church in a location called Vyf Rand. Having already been through it once before, this time the program was on point. The team was exciting and engaging, they were loud and jumping around with the kids, and everything went very smoothly. Once again, our themes were gospel on the first day, and mission on the second day. 

Starting off with some game time

Games with the smaller kids

Around 160 kids came to our holiday club

Teaching our memory verse

Now can you recite it?

Teaching the Bible story of Philip and the Ethiopian

Small group with the younger girls

Small group with the younger boys

Small group with the older boys

Trying to keep those littlest ones occupied!

The first afternoon we split up into groups of 3 and were walking through the streets, visiting whoever was home. We would chat with them, and try to share the gospel if they were open to it, or just ask how we could pray for them. At one house, I was sharing the gospel with two ladies in English and could tell they weren't understanding very well. Then one of our other teammates came over (who is also one of my students at NETS) and she began sharing with them in their local language. She connected with them immediately and was so dynamic and engaging. I had no idea what she was saying, but I thought this is exactly why I am here, to train up those people who are cultural insiders who will communicate the gospel far better than I ever could!

The other afternoon we went to visit the dump site. There are a number of children and others who hang out there. They live in the nearby informal settlements and spend the day at the dump scrounging through other people's trash to see if there is anything valuable or edible. When we first arrived they ran after our bus to see what we were going to throw away. So we piled out and tried to engage the young crowd. Some of our team struck up conversations, others joined in with those kicking around a soccer ball. Some of the people, when they realized we weren't giving anything away, lost interest and walked off. Others were a bit more willing to listen. Just before we left we gathered in a big circle to pray, with somebody praying in each of the local languages. More than anything, the experience was very impactful for our team members. Some commented how they realized how privileged they really are. Others were struck by one injured boy who's mom had gotten drunk and poked him in the eye. They were heartbroken when he said that kind of thing happens regularly.

At our devotional around the fire that evening one of our ministry partners reminded us of one of the chief characteristics of Christ's ministry, compassion. Matthew 9:36 says, "When He saw the crowds, He had compassion for them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd." She encouraged us to open our eyes and see what's happening around us and have a Christlike compassion. That passage goes on to say, "The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few." This trip was a challenge to our team members to take up that call and be one of those laborers.

Read the final post in the Teen Mission Namibia series here.

TMN: Ministry Days (part 1)

The Teen Mission Namibia series starts with the Boot Camp post.

We awoke with great expectation and a little anxiety. After a few days of intense training during Boot Camp, we would now spend our next days putting into practice what we had learned. In the mornings we would be running a kid's holiday club. Some of our participants had never worked with children's ministry before. Some had never shared the gospel before. So many on our team would be forced outside their comfort zones.

When we first arrived at the Samaritan's Network community center in Nau-Aib location there were maybe 30 kids getting hands sanitized as they entered the hall. That number quickly grew to over 160 kids! Our theme for the first day was gospel focused, helping them understand that we are saved by trusting in Jesus and not our religious works. Our memory verse for the day was an abbreviated version of Eph 2:8. The team also led some songs, taught the Parable of the Pharisee and the Tax Collector from Luke 18:9-14, and planned a drama along the same theme. Then we broke down into smaller groups by age and each of our team members took a group. This way we could make sure they understood the lesson and they could ask any questions they had. Then we closed off with some fun games in the smaller groups.

Teaching the kids about the gospel

Acting out the Parable of the Pharisee and the Tax Collector

The team doing their drama

One of the younger girls small groups

One of the boys small groups

By the second day our numbers grew to about 200 kids. This day our theme was mission, about how we are now called to go share the good news of Jesus with others. Our memory verse was Isaiah 6:8 when the prophet told God, "Send me!" Our Bible story for the day was about Philip and the Ethiopian from Acts 8:26-40. Then the team had another drama organized to go along with this theme.

The kids enjoying some songs

Little girls small group

Not such a "small" group with these boys!

One of the coolest developments at this location was the teen girls small group. One of our adult volunteers works as a correctional officer in the prisons. One of our other team members acted like a talk show host, interviewing her about her story of growing up, the challenges she went through, and some of the things she sees in her line of work. This really connected with those teen girls, many of whom are living through similar stories and challenges right now. That volunteer mentioned how she looked at one girl in the group and saw herself. It made her heart reach out to those girls and gave her a desire to use her story to continue helping other young girls as well.

In the afternoon, one of the ministry volunteers took us deep into the informal settlements to a location called "Illegal" because the families aren't actually allowed to build their shacks there. There was no water or electricity because the area is not town maintained. Those who do go to church would have to walk a very long way to get there, so we brought the church to them! We split up into groups of 3 and visited different families in their homes, praying for them and encouraging them with the word of God.

Then each day after dinner we would gather around the campfire to sing some worship songs, have an evening devotional, and debrief our days events. This was the opportunity for our team to share their experiences and what God was teaching them through it. In these first few days, many commented how they had been stretched out of their comfort zone, but how it was good, and showed them they could do more than they thought. Good thing, because over the next two days we would be doing the same program again at a different location.

Read the next post in the Teen Mission Namibia series here.

TMN: Mission Boot Camp

December 12 was a day that we had been planning and praying for since the beginning of the year, and now it was finally here. It was time for Teen Mission Namibia! The staff had gone to Elim Training Center the night before for a little orientation and prep. Then the morning of the 12th we met up at the bus station with the six participants who had committed a week of their Christmas holiday to participate in God's mission. Team members ranged from 18-24 yrs old, and came from various towns and churches around Namibia. But all were coming together to grow in their relationship with God and be equipped and impassioned for mission.

Our first two days were spent in training and preparation, what we were calling "mission boot camp." We began by making sure everyone had a solid grasp of the gospel. So in our first session we unpacked what it means to trust in Christ alone for a restored relationship with God. That word alone is very important because it means we're not trusting in our religious activities or family history or tradition. We also discussed how trusting Christ means directing our lives after Him. Being a Christian is not just "fire insurance" for the afterlife, but it's a whole new way of living, progressively uprooting sin from our lives and pursuing Christlikeness.

Our second session was all about God's mission in the world. We looked at the biblical story of how God has been gathering a people who joyfully worship and glorify Him. God's relationship with Israel in the OT was to demonstrate His glory to the rest of the world. Now in the NT, His followers are sent out to the ends of the earth to go make more joyful worshippers of God. Even today there are still around 3 billion people in the world who have no access to the gospel of Christ, so it will take pioneering missionaries to go to them to share the gospel for the first time.

Other sessions included training in how to share the gospel with others, how to write your testimony, and how Christian social work fits into missions. We had a guest speaker come in and share his story of getting paralyzed in a car accident, and teach us how we can use our stories to point others to the gospel. Our schedule also included daily personal devotional time, as well as meeting together in small groups. Our mission during the week would include organizing a children's Bible club, so we also spent time learning games and planning dramas in preparation for that.

Practicing some games for our kids club

Classic wheelbarrow race!

"Fill the bottle" is an old favorite here

Small group time

Morning workout

Personal devotion time

Practicing sharing the gospel

Our last night of Boot Camp was a bit of a commissioning service. We had a guest speaker share about some bold prayers that we hear about in the Bible. One of the most challenging prayers that struck our participants was, "Make me bold!" When the disciples were delivered from persecution, they returned to their church community and prayed, not to be delivered from persecution, but to be even more bold in sharing the gospel (Acts 4:29). As our team was about to go out and share the gospel the very next day, that was our commissioning prayer, "God, make us bold!"

Read the next post in the Teen Mission Namibia series here.