Pastoral Conference and Leadership Training
The training of 74 Christian pastors, leaders, and elders ended successfully here in Tsumeb. About half the delegates were attending a By Provision training for the first time. The group represented several tribes (Luchazi, Ovambo, Damara, Herero, Bushmen) from Namibia and Angola speaking many different languages. Most sessions were interpreted into two main languages with a third being done in the back of the room with a group of seven that didn’t know English or the two main languages being interpreted at the front.
Dale Wallace led sessions on leadership. African culture and biblical leadership have clashing values. Dale used Scriptures, life stories, and nature illustrations to help the participants see how God wants leaders to act. This approach is ideal. The oral culture places a priority on story telling and nature dominates the survival of each pastor present. Seeing the eyes of the participants come alive when they understood a Biblical concept that eluded them was encouraging.
Dr. A.K. Lama, one of the visiting conference facilitators felt sad after touring around Tsumeb and seeing the condition of most evangelical churches. Most of the churches are surrounded by slum dwellers, displaced people within Namibia and also from Angola. The condition of the people living on Baptist church property and the church building itself is like that of a slum. Dr. A.K. Lama was heart sickened. He is the Baptist leader of India and has requested that his organization send help in the form of missionaries who could devote themselves to teaching here year round. Pray God will grant his request.
Scott Johnson, another conference facilitator, summarized his thoughts after finding out that one of the interpreters for the conference couldn’t even read his own language: “I had already begun my pity party for these people, when I realized that I/we have the education and resources to read and study God's word anytime. But do I/We seize the opportunity? Is it better to be ignorant or have the ability and be a fool?” ---Words to ponder.
Each conference participant received a MP3 with the Bible in their own language. This is to help them develop Bible knowledge and understanding, without getting sidetracked by the lack of reading ability. The participants were ecstatic, some even asked for an extra MP3 to take to a friend. Oral cultures are able to internalize the Bible by hearing it much easier than by reading it. The feedback has been wonderful. Many say that they now have a grasp of the Bible, beginning to end, an understanding of how Bible characters relate to each other, and a better comprehension of the time line of the Old Testament. For most it is the first time they’ve been able to get through the entire Bible.
Most church leaders who came for training have not finished high school. Their biblical knowledge is low, mostly due to poor reading skills. Most Christians in the rural areas are influenced by the indigenous witchcraft. They need more biblical teaching on fundamentals. Please pray that the Lord will enable By Provision to continue such training programs in Namibia.
Proclaimers (Audio Bibles)
One of the fun things Dale, AK, and Scott got to do was help distribute the solar powered audio Bibles from Faith Comes by Hearing. These proclaimers were a special children’s version, with extra dramatization of the Bible reading and includes some songs. We visited eight different preschools. The children performed for us singing praise music. It was a joy to hear them and then to look at their faces and see them fighting to get closer and closer to the proclaimer to hear God’s Word.
Discipling African Teens
Building on the school hostel continues. It’s count down time. We had to go all the way to Windhoek, 6 hours one way, to get the tile. The ceiling boards we ordered a month ago arrived today. Our house parent got a scholarship to a university in South Africa. Pray we will find another house mother. The girls are anxious to know DAT will be up and running next January when for the next school year.
Good News Camp
The third week of August was the Good News Camp for school age children. A large donation of water bottles by Pell City High School provided 101 children and 30 staff people a drink container for the week. The children were fascinated to have their own bottle with their name embossed on it. They had lots of fun using them for different games. The children were also seen using them as “cool pillows” while resting in the grass in the hot afternoons. The staff reported much lower incidents of headaches and colds. This fact was attributed to having personal water bottles and the increase of water consumption. Over 50% of the children made positive spiritual decisions during the camp. May these children keep an open and soft heart towards God’s will for their lives.
Drilling in Namibia
Nailoke is the lady that lives in our town and has been helping us with solar cooking workshops. It finally came about in our conversations that our main task here in Namibia wasn’t doing pastor leadership conferences, nor other workshops to help micro businesses (sewing, solar cooking, tilapia), but rather well drilling. Nailoke told Elizabeth about her family’s situation up north. It was a common story of lack of water and early deaths due to water borne diseases, just last year her brother in law died at 35 years old. When we went to visit, we found she had left out the most impacting fact from her story. Determination, hard work, courage, and a never give up attitude like we’ve never seen before in Africa were clearly displayed before our eyes. Their community had hand dug 11 wells, over 80 feet deep, losing lives in the process. All of these wells eventually collapse. During the rainy season the loose sand pours in and fills them up again. These are hand dug wells with no casing, no base, nothing but a hole in the ground and a bucket at the end of a rope suspended between two forked branches.
It is a struggle for family members who leave the bush to prove their love for their family. They are regarded as having chosen riches over family and find themselves in a terrible situation of being manipulated to give all they earn to the family members that have stayed in the bush. Nailoke said she had been petitioning the government for help with water for her community for many years to no avail.
Bruce Whitmire and Brian Smith came in August to help with drilling. While Brian was here he went to Omuthiya with Gary and Nailoke. He had the pleasure of installing the pump at Nailoke’s family community land. Nailoke’s joy in the picture below pumping water is the satisfaction of knowing that she has contributed to her family’s well being with an essential element of life: clean water.
With your support, we provide people with clean drinking water and give them the chance to hear the gospel. With this clean drinking water, their quality of life on earth greatly improves. With the gospel, they have a decision to make. With a decision for Christ they have a promise of never thirsting again and living in heaven with Jesus for eternity.
Upcoming Prayer Needs:
* Approval of Wilkins’ work permit for Namibia
* A hostel parent for teenage young women
* Safety of travel back to the US October 1st
The constant uplifting of prayers on our behalf keeps this ministry in operation. Pray for the thirsty in Angola, Botswana, and Namibia.
Gary and Elizabeth Wilkins
