Working together

29 Nov 2012

In the midst of a busy week (nothing new there - each week is busy!), I drive 2 hours to attend a committee meeting for the Women 2000 South Eastern region group. It even snowed lightly when I went over the 700m altitude mark!

I always stay the night after these meetings, so I enjoy getting to know my hostess and fellow committee member. This morning I left at 7am to return home. 2 hours drive and more snow at 700m!

My husband greeted me on my return with "Well, was it worth it?" My answer is "Yes and no". We didn't deal with anything particularly urgent or difficult. I probably could have stayed home and communicated by email. I am the Vice-President, so I guess I have a moral responsibility to participate 'live and in person'! But it was worth it, because we were all able to give such positive feedback on the conference we had organized in June. Each of us has heard other women say how much they appreciated the theme and the day and that the Lord has unplugged certain blockages in their lives as a result.

And it was worth it because we talked about the pleasure of working together - aware of being a part of the Body of Christ where each member has her own rôle to play; the harmonious side of working toward a common goal, discovering the richness of each person, realizing that the Spirit of God is well and truly present and active.

We talked also of our difficulties - and realized also that we were engaged in a spiritual combat.

We talked of giving others the opportunity to participate (we were preparing our Annual General Meeting) and the need to be conscious of mentoring, transmitting our know-how and accompanying others for part of the journey.

We shared a meal together simply and naturally.

It was just so good to be sisters in faith together. So yes, it was worth it.

COMING TO FAITH

27 Nov 2012

 

As our time in Namibia is drawing to a close, so too is most church & school activities for the year. Like Australia, Namibia has a long six week school holiday break at Christmas time, except the holiday goes from early December until mid January.

This Thursday will see the conclusion of the After School Program for the year. After spending each afternoon (Mon to Fri) at the ASP for the last three months, this will bring to a close a significant time commitment for us since our arrival in Windhoek in early September.

The recent Teachers strike (which lasted two weeks) took its toll on our numbers, however attendance has once again picked up in recent weeks. We get the impression that students & volunteers are now totally exhausted & looking forward to the end of the week!

Kate teaching at Bible Club

Two weeks ago in our weekly Devotions with Grades 1 to 4, we shared the Parable of the Lost Son from Luke 15:11-24. Before reading the passage from the Bible, we placed the story into a modern Namibian context. We told the children about God’s love for them, Jesus dying on the cross, repentance & forgiveness.

We explained that like the Father in the parable, God loves us greatly & is eagerly watching out for our return. We explained how we all sin just like the lost son, but through Christ we can repent of our sin, ask for forgiveness, & return to the Father. We explained that with Christianity there is no sitting on the fence, you are either with God or against Him.

Kate leading the singing (Colin Buchanan song - John 14:6)

We encouraged the children to consider what they had heard & if they would like to talk to one of the ASP leaders sometime about getting right with God, then that would be a great thing to do. Before we had even finished speaking, two of the girls said they wanted to stay behind & talk. Class was dismissed & eleven girls remained & said they wanted to get right with God!

We gathered them together, explained what it was to become a Christian & that it was the beginning of a life long journey. We then closed our eyes & prayed the sinners prayer together.        

“I tell you that in the same way there will be more rejoicing in heaven over one sinner who repents than over than over ninety nine righteous persons who do not need to repent”.   Luke 15:7

We will be meeting with the girls over the next two days to encourage them in their walk & to provide them with some Scripture Union Bible Reading Notes.

It never ceases to amaze us how God is at work in people’s hearts. The ASP has now been running for eight years & continues to serve an important need in the community. It will be hard to say our good-byes come Thursday! 

After School Program Volunteers

HIV VISIT

25 Nov 2012

 

The Evangelical Bible Church we attend has an outstanding HIV & AIDS ministry, which focuses on two core aspects of addressing the issue: prevention & support.

The After School Program (which we have highlighted in previous blogs) is the “prevention” ministry, where we share significant time with the children & young adults in our community.

Home Based Care is the “support” ministry, which focuses on loving & supporting people who are HIV positive.  Five ladies from the church serve in this ministry & between them they look after 45 people in the community (mainly women and a few orphans) who live with HIV. Each of these ladies is assigned a number of people to look after & often visit them on a weekly or fortnightly basis.

Last week Kate & I were fortunate enough to attend one of these Home Based Care visits.

We visited the home of a lady in her mid forties who was both a mother & grandmother. We were also joined by another lady (neighbour) of similar age. Both ladies have HIV however are receiving ARV treatment. One spoke Otjiherero, one spoke Afrikaans, & we spoke English! We were very thankful of our Home Based Carer who accompanied us & spoke all three languages.

The house we entered was very basic (as are many houses in the poorer part of Windhoek). It did have electricity but did not have running water. Three generations appear to live in the one house. People are unemployed, money is scarce & life is tough.

Finding a source of income is a pressing issue. Our host spoke of her desire to start a business, and then of her frustration when the small amount of fruit that was growing on her tree was stolen during the night; she was hoping to sell this in order to buy some food for her own family.

We stayed for around an hour. During that time we exchanged greetings, shared stories & read the Bible together. Both ladies then told us of the difficulties they faced in daily living & offered some prayer points.  We then prayed for them & brought their requests before God.

They told us how much they appreciated our visit & we told them how honoured we were to be invited into their home.

In addition to these regular home based care visits, each HIV & AIDS client receives practical support from the church. On this occasion both ladies needed assistance to purchase electricity credit from the local shopping centre (about five kilometers away). We drove them to & from the shopping centre & the church assisted with some cash to help purchase electricity.

We had been warned to be careful (but not anxious) at this particular shopping centre. We decided to stay with the car while the ladies were purchasing their credit. Kate wisely reminded me that the doors of the car should be locked even though we were sitting in it.

Shortly after locking the doors, three men approached the car & one of them tried to open the driver’s side door. Uncertain what their intention was (steal the car, steal whatever they could grab, assault the driver as he was white & sitting in a car???), however they did not get far as the door was locked. I thank God for prompting Kate (who in turn prompted me), as the outcome might have been ugly. White faces in a black disadvantaged neighbourhood are an easy target.

We were privileged to meet these two ladies & share in their struggles. Life is difficult enough without having to deal with a deadly disease on a daily basis. It was great to see the church reaching out in a very holistic way as they try to address the spiritual & physical needs of those suffering in the community with HIV & AIDS.

“My body & mind may waste away, but God remains the foundation of my life, & my inheritance forever”     Psalm 73:26

COME TO LUNCH AND BRING NAPPIES

23 Nov 2012

 

Last Sunday we had the privilege of having lunch with an African missionary couple who wanted us to join with them in eating a ‘traditional meal’. When we asked, in our typical Western thinking, “What would you like us to bring?” at first the answer was “We need nothing, but you can bring what you like” but then changed to “I know you white people like something specific, so could you bring nappies. Size 2 – 5 kgs.”

We were happy to oblige. This young couple had just been delivered of twin girls only 6 weeks before (4 weeks premature) and being a missionary couple, working for Campus Crusade for Christ, they struggle with finances and disposable nappies are quite expensive, especially when you have to buy for two. Fortunately, although the girls were both very underweight when they were born they are both home and doing well.

As we chatted and shared a simple meal of mahanga (thick porridge made with a type of maize meal) and vegetables with this delightful and special couple we found out that they both had Angolan parents but were Namibians; she was born in Namibia and he was a refugee who now had Citizenship status. They are two of many Angolans we have met on our travels over the past three months. The long civil war in that country, which thankfully is now finished, wrecked havoc on its population and many fled over the border to Namibia to relative safety but not necessarily ease.

The stories we have heard from these Angolans have many similarities. There is a shared experience of relatives (sometimes immediate family members) being executed; of brothers or sisters in hospital being given a prescription but having no money to go down to the market to buy it and so dying there; of serious interruptions to education; of surviving on very little; of separation from family; of courage and of God’s provision and grace amongst it all.

We were amazed to learn that this inspiring young man, who speaks at least 5 languages fluently, started in Grade 1 when he was 15 years old by swimming across the river separating Angola and Namibia each day, joining the 7 year olds in the classroom. His natural intelligence, perseverance and diligence meant he was accelerated through some grades. At one point he was ill and missed another whole year of school. Another year saw he and his brother trying to survive in Windhoek on N$150 (AUD $20) a month – impossible. Eventually a relative living in Rundu in the far north of the country took him in and he was able to finish Grade 12. The following year he went to Theological College and completed a four-year Divinity Degree (accredited university standard). His passion is to reach out to the youth of Namibia to give them a sense of hope and a future, hence his work on the various university / college campuses.

What amazed and humbled us was his absolute gratefulness to God for all the blessings in his life and for providing for him; we were ashamed to admit we were thinking of all the difficulties and challenges he had faced. He now plans to go into the very isolated desert region in the east of Namibia in 2013 to reach out to a San (Bushmen) tribe who has never heard the gospel. This will involve he and his wife (and twin daughters) learning a new language (they are a tribe who speak one of the ‘clicking’ languages) and many other hardships but they are both convinced of God’s calling to this task. They are currently raising support for this venture. 

We are so humbled by their story; we really have it so easy in Australia. It takes the sharing of stories, the coming alongside and taking the time to listen, to really appreciate this complex world in which we live.

Herero ladies taken at church last Sunday

Reflexões do ano de 2012

22 Nov 2012

O ano de 2012 está quase terminando. Nem acredito que passou tão rápido!

Faz quase 10 meses que eu tenho servido como missionária da SIM. Tantas coisas aconteceram, tantas coisas mudaram, aprendi tantas coisas, e ainda tem muito por vir.

Eu tive um excelente ano! Esse foi um ano muito diferente de qualquer outra experiência que tive.

Eu tive momentos excelentes servindo com a SIM mas ao mesmo tempo foi um ano difícil para mim pessoalmente, especialmente emocionamente.

Deus tem me ensinado muito a respeito Dele e de mim mesma.

Então eu achei que seria legal colocar aqui uma listinha dos melhores momentos desse ano até agora:

Coisas que aprendi sobre mim mesma:

-          Eu não tenho que controlar tudo ao meu redor. Na verdade eu até gosto de não saber o que vai acontecer no dia de amanhã. (Se você me conhece bem isso pode ser uma descoberta chocante que você nunca imaginou que eu falaria!)

-          Eu consigo sobreviver sem estrutura, planejamento, organização... às vezes! (Eu sei que você não acredita que escrevi isso!)

-          Eu até que sou uma pessoa que tem criatividade... pelo menos quando o assunto é servir a Deus eu tenho várias idéias. Eu tenho gostado bastante de exercitar minha criatividade.

-          Eu adoro pessoas, adoro estar com pessoas, conhecer gente nova, ouvir histórias, idéias, sonhos.

-          Eu realmente acredito que Deus me chamou para serví-lo nesse ministério no momento. Todos os dias eu meditei nesse chamado, na necessidade e no valor desse ministério de capacitação e envio de missionários e me alegrei com a oportunidade que Deus me deu de servir dessa maneira.

Coisas que vi Deus fazer através desse ministério da SIM:

-          Eu tive o prazer de conhecer muitas pessoas que amam ao Senhor Jesus e que estão dispostas a serví-lo no exterior em missões. À medida que eu ouvia as histórias de cada uma dessas pessoas eu me lembrava da bondade de Deus, da sua misericórdia e seu poder transformador que mudou a vida de cada uma dessas pessoas. Ele fez coisas incríveis na vida de cada um deles.

-          Deus chamou algumas pessoas para ir ao campo missionário em países que ninguém estaria disposto a ir, mas éo coração de servo dessas pessoas e seu amor por Jesus que os faz ir. Eles vão para servir os povos que estão tão longe de suas casas, para pregar o Evangelho de Jesus, levar salvação, em palavra e ações.

-          Como mobilizadora de missões eu facilito o envio de pessoas para o campo missionário. Dentre as pessoas que mobilizei nesses 10 meses, 4 já estão no campo, 11 estão se preparando e mais 12 orando por direção para ver se irão. É bom demais saber que muitas vidas serão salvas por causa da mensagem que esses missionários levam consigo e eu não tenho palavras para agredecer a Deus pela oportunidade de fazer parte desse processo de envio de missionários para o mundo todo.

-          Eu definitivamente acredito que Deus tem tudo em seu controle. Quando algo acontecia que eu não tinha idéia nenhuma do que fazer eu só precisava pedir para Ele me ajudar e Ele me guiava pelos seus planos e eu tenho certeza que os resultados são por causa do que Ele fez e não do que eu fiz.

-          A SIM Australia passou por um ano de muitas mudanças e às vezes parecia que eu estava em um túnel escuro sem direção mas Deus nos carregou em suas mãos e nos ajudou a ver a luz no fim do túnel à medida que confiamos Nele para direção para o futuro.

 

Coisas que aprendi ou que confirmei sobre Deus:

-          Ele é fiel, Ele cumpre suas promessas.

-          Ele está no controle de tudo, mesmo quando tudo parece caótico, mesmo quando o sofrimento dói, Ele está sempre presente.

-          Ele me ama, mesmo que eu não mereça o amor Dele, ainda assim ele me chama de filha.

-          Eu não tenho que fazer nada para agradar a Deus pois tudo o que deveria e poderia ser feito já foi feito por Jesus em meu lugar. Eu posso só agradecer e viver a bênção que é ter um relacionamento completo e maravilhoso com Deus.

 

E à medida que eu faço minha reflexão eu me lembro de ter falado para Deus um tempo atrás: Senhor, envie-me!

E Ele disse: eu te enviei para a Austrália para enviar outras pessoas para o mundo todo.

Você é apenas uma pessoa em um campo mas através de sua vontade de me servir juntos enviaremos muitos para muitos campos.

Eu agradeço a Deus por ter me enviado para a Austrália e por ter enviado australianos para o campo missionário. Obrigada meu amado Pai por me dar essa oportunidade de participar do que você tem feito no mundo.

E quando eu olho para o futuro não tem nada que eu possa afirmar que vá acontecer, não tem nada que eu possa planejar, não tem nada que eu possa controlar.

Mas uma coisa eu sei: que eu vou continuar a servir o meu Senhor Jesus , aquele que deu sua vida por mim, pelo resto da minha vida, até que o mundo todo tenha ouvido sua mensagem de salvação ou até o dia em que Ele me chame pra casa com Ele. Não há plano melhor que esse!

Reflections from 2012

22 Nov 2012

2012 is almost finished. I can’t believe how fast this year has gone!

I have been serving with SIM for about 10 months already. So much has happened, so much has changed, so much has been learnt, so much still to do.

I had such a great year! It was very different from anything else I have ever done.

I had great moments serving at SIM but at the same time personally I had some very hard times emotionally.

God has been teaching me a lot about himself and about myself.

So I thought it would be nice to share with you the highlights of this year so far:

What I have learnt about myself:

-          I don’t have to control everything; in fact, I quite enjoy not knowing what will happen tomorrow. If you know me well this is shocking to you!

-          I can let go of structure at times! I know... you don’t believe it!!!

-          I am quite creative when it comes to serving God, I have exercised my creativity and I really enjoy it.

-          I am a relational person, I love spending time with people, getting to know them, their story, their ideas, their dreams.

-          I truly believe that God has called me to this ministry at this point in time. Every day I reminded myself of his call, the value of this ministry and the joy I have in serving him.

What I have seen God doing through my role in SIM:

-          I had the pleasure to speak to many people who love the Lord Jesus and are willing to serve him overseas. As I heard those people’s stories, each person reminded me of God’s goodness, His mercy and His transforming power in their lives. He did incredible things in their lives.

-          God raised some of his people to go overseas in places where no one would really think of going, but because of their servant heart and their love for Jesus they are willing to go and serve the people far away and show them who God really is through love, words and deeds.

-          As a mobiliser I facilitated the sending of some people to some countries, 4 of them already are in the field while others are in the process of going. To know that lives of many will be impacted because of the message those missionaries bring with them and their service to others is a wonderful thing. To know that I have helped them to get there somehow is a great joy and pleasure.

-          I definitely believe that God has all under his control. When something came up that I had no idea what to do about, He guided me through his plans and I am confident that all results are according to his doing not mine.

-          SIM Australia had a wonderful year of changes and at times I might have been feeling left blind in the midst of uncertainty but God has carried us all through it and helped us to see light as we trusted him for the results.

 

What I have learnt or was reminded about God:

-          He is faithful, he does fulfil his promises.

-          He is in control, even when everything seems chaotic, or even when suffering hurts, He is always there.

-          He loves me, even though I don’t deserve his love, yet he calls me his daughter.

-          I don’t have to do anything to please him because the Lord Jesus has done it all for me. I can just enjoy the best ever relationship I can have with God.

 

As I reflect back, I remember saying to God a few years ago: Please, send me!

And his answer was: I sent you to Australia to send others to many places. You are one person in one field but through your willingness to serve me we can mobilise many people to many fields.

I thank God for sending me to Australia and for sending people out of here to the world; and for allowing me to have this pleasure of participating of what He is doing in the world.

As I look at the future, there is nothing I can affirm that will happen. There is nothing I can plan on my own strength. There is nothing I can control.

But one thing I know: that I will continue to serve the Lord Jesus, who gave his life for me, for the rest of my life until the whole world knows him or he calls me home. There is no greater plan that this!

:-) Please continue to pray for U-Don and I as we serve the Lord day by day, that we will rely on Him always for decisions.

Where does this road lead ?

21 Nov 2012

Today I went to visit Murielle to buy half a lamb (organic and locally grown!)

 

She gave me fairly precise directions to find her - she lives out in the country. But I forgot to ask how many metres, no, kilometres, before each section. My mobile phone stopped working. Here I was in a city car winding my way around unknown country!

 

I arrived at a field and saw another car parked there. Was it Murielle's car with a note on it ? I went to look... and heard someone calling out. I looked around and across the small valley saw three figures watching me. Obviously, it was their car and not Murielle's.

 

Nothing for it - I had to follow the dirt road and try and find her house. The road looked too rough for my car, so I pulled out the cooler and prepared to walk the next section. A smallish white-haired man was walking towards me "Can I help you ? I'm from the Forestry office."

 

I explained my mission. "I'm looking for the house called 'le Pouzat'." "You mean the hippy types ? It's another 800 metres from here, but you can't get to it by car - the road is too rough. You will see a grey car parked in a bay. Stop there and continue on foot another 800 m."

 

Mmm, I'm dubious about getting through. Already I have to turn around and the wheels skid on the wet grass. The other 2 men have joined us by now and push me out of the soggy ground. I turn the car then bump my way through the ruts and over tree roots, find the parking bay with the other car, lock up, grab the cooler and head down the last part of the unmade road. A four-wheel drive powers up toward me. Yay! it's Murielle. She has rung home and discovered I was on my way and has come to meet me. We get to her house in one piece and I get my lamb and a nice cup of coffee.

 

I'll go back there - not by the same route though. But Murielle wants another visit. She has chosen to live there with her companion and has raised 3 daughters. She is into alternative living. Lives off her pottery and vegetable garden. Her partner is the local pot grower and seller. I will go back, because Murielle is a new Christian and has this incredible thirst for the Word of God.

INFORMAL SETTLEMENTS

21 Nov 2012

 

An earlier blog made reference to the work we are undertaking with Family of Hope Services (FHS). We continue to spend one morning a week working with FHS who serve the communities of Hakahana & Havana (otherwise known as the “Informal Settlements”).

Havana (notice the "tent school" in the background)

Some 100,000 people live in the Informal Settlements of Windhoek. This is a depressing & disturbing place. People live in tin shacks or shanties, often with nine people or more living in each dwelling. For the majority of shacks, electricity & water is not connected & there are no toilets within the dwellings.

Homes on the hill

There are communal toilets & water points scattered throughout the community however about 20 dwellings share each toilet & water point. As we drove around we saw people urinating on the side of the road & children squatting down at the dry riverbed.

Residents can purchase a water token from the local council, which enables them to purchase water on site at one of the pumps. They then have to carry their large water containers back to their homes.

Community Member showing us how to use the water token to fill his Jerry Can. Note the communal toilet in the background. 

We visited the local market where we saw a carcass of meat being cut up. There was no refrigeration evident & there were at least 50 flies covering the meat. No attempt was being made to keep the flies away. Around the corner we saw meat hanging up on a line drying.

Meat drying out on a line

There were many Shebeens (read grog shops) scattered throughout the community.  Many men are unemployed & often the women try & keep the household together & bring in some income however they can. There may not be money to purchase food for the children, however there is always money to purchase grog for the men to help them fill in the day.

Kate & two of the senior leaders from FHS inside a Shebeen. Note the drink in question was non-alcoholic & made for the local children   

As you can appreciate crime is a real issue.  The residents may not have much, but what they have is often the target of others. The community continues to grow as new residents move in & construct their dwellings. What was the outer border last week, might be quite different in a fortnights time!

The backyard of one of the homes

It would not be safe for “whites” to drive around this area on their own, however we were fortunate to be with two of the leading figures at FHS so we were in good hands. With the weekly staff meeting & Bible Devotion now over, these two ladies generously took Kate & I for a 90 minute guided tour of the informal settlement area. Despite all the difficulties surrounding this part of Windhoek, our dear sisters always have a smile on their faces & a joke to share!     

No sealed roads, civic services or gardens here!

FHS has a substantial feeding program (Monday to Friday) to ensure the local children receive at least one nutritious meal per day. Many children are under direct sponsorship of overseas supporters who contribute a monthly fee to assist meeting the basic necessities of life (including food, school supplies & medical care).

HIV / AIDS is very much in the community with eighteen of the sponsored children being HIV positive.

Our contribution one morning a week might not add up to much but every little bit helps! We have been fortunate to spend a lot of time with the founder of FHS who works very long hours for a very nominal wage. Her husband is an AOG Pastor. We thank God for the people that we have had the privilege of meeting during our time in Namibia. Their lives, witness & ministry humble us. 

(www.familyofhopeservices.org)

Sprawling shanties of the Informal Settlement area

MISSIONARIES

18 Nov 2012

 

During our time in Namibia we have been well looked after & blessed by other Christian Missionaries we have met. It’s been amazing & humbling to meet them, hear their stories & see how the Gospel has shaped their lives & destiny.

One English family (sending agency – Crosslinks) have three young children & have been in Africa now for 8 years. They were originally posted to Lesotho where they spent a number of years in a remote rural village without running water, electricity or a flushing toilet. They went as Bible teachers & continue to serve in this capacity now in Namibia.

Another English family (SIM) have four children & have now served in Namibia for some 16 years. Originally based in Rundu in the far north of the country, they are also pastors & Bible teachers. They both knew from a young age that they would serve God on the mission field & the rest is history.

An Australian family (CMS) from the Hunter Valley in NSW have been here for three or four years. They too heard the call to missions & moved half way around the world to serve in an Evangelical Theological College.

The head of our mission agency in Namibia (SIM) is from Germany & has served in Africa for over 25 years! She has recently returned from home assignment & is ready to serve for another term.

Another couple from Holland (GZB) have been in Namibia for four years & will stay for another four. They serve in varying capacities through distance theological education & in bringing communities in need into contact with communities with means. 

What do these people have in common? Their personal relationship with Jesus Christ has had a profound effect on their lives & compelled them to take the gospel to the nations.  They leave family & friends behind (not to mention comfortable lifestyle, secure jobs & a robust retirement plan) for the unknown, the uncomfortable & the uncertain.

Each Missionary has a support base at home where many churches & individuals give financially & prayerfully to ensure the gospel is supported around the world. They live by faith that their needs will be met & as you can see from above, they have been doing this now for many years. God meets their needs when they step out in faith.

As missionaries come & go from the field, often “things” are passed on between them. This can include rental properties, cars, furniture, jobs & even pets. Dogs & cats can suddenly find they have new owners!

It has been a humbling experience to be in their midst & share some special time with them. They have taken us under their wing to ensure we are travelling OK & we thank God for these faithful servants who know they are only sojourners on this earth.   

Sunset over Windhoek

DEALING WITH BUREAUCRACY

15 Nov 2012

 

Sometimes in Australia we become impatient if we have to wait too long for a service or for something to arrive. We are an instant society; time is precious, time is money. We have discovered, since arriving in Namibia, that waiting is an art form, a way of life, possibly even character building.

While recently dining with a missionary family here in Windhoek we heard them talk about their eldest daughter applying for her Learner Driver Permit. They dropped her and a friend off at the appropriate office at 4 in the morning where she joined the queue! By midday she was in the front door of the building and early afternoon she had her Permit, by which time people were arriving to queue up for the following day (camping overnight). Their eldest son needs to go for his driving test, but at the moment can not bring himself to go through with the waiting process; there are many more things he would rather do with his time.

One of the projects we have been working on for Family of Hope Services (FHS) is the writing of a simple booklet explaining the importance of birth registration. Sometimes cultural traditions or family circumstances prevent this from happening at the time of birth and so the mother is meant to go to the Home Affairs Office in town with a variety of paperwork and register her child.

However, if you are an unemployed mother living in the informal settlement areas of Windhoek it takes a while to save up the N$18 to catch a taxi into town. We have heard many stories of such mothers waiting most of the day, finally reaching the counter only to be told that one of their papers is incorrect or the office is closed for the day and they have to come back tomorrow which they simply cannot afford to do. It all becomes too hard and the baby goes unregistered, causing numerous problems as they grow older.

FHS is working hard to lobby the department to send a mobile office into the informal settlement areas so that the process is made accessible. The wheels move slowly, but they remain prayerful that this will occur some time next year.

When a government is dealing with an unemployment rate of close to 51% you can understand them being a little cautious about granting Work Visas/permits to foreigners. Just about all the SIM team in Namibia are due to reapply for their work permits in the New Year.

Once all the necessary paperwork is submitted it can take quite a few months before the missionaries are informed of the decision to let them stay or otherwise. They all wish to continue God’s work here in Namibia, but they need the authority and permission of the government to do so. They are all praying that they may be granted these, preferably for a 2 year period rather than 1 and that they will not have too long to wait to hear. In the interim they are relying on God, His promises and His sovereignty over all things. We would encourage you to join with them in prayer that their applications would all be successful.

I urge, then, first of all, that requests, prayers, intercession and thanksgiving be made for everyone – for kings and all those in authority, that we may live peaceful and quiet lives in all godliness and holiness.             1 Timothy 2 : 1 - 2

PS: The Teachers' Strike is now over. It lasted two weeks & occurred just prior to the end of year exams. 

Further to our previous blog on "hair", the girls at the After School Program also take great delight in platting Kate's hair when ever they have the opportunity!

 

Like Australia, in Namibia telecommunications equipment is installed on the highest landmark. If that landmark however happens to be a tree, then so be it!

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