Hallelujah!!!
Yesterday, July 19th was a wonderful day. As many of you may know my first major building project was to complete the Ark in Oshikuku. Catherine went with me the first time for three and a half weeks and we put a lot of time into finishing the project in preparation for the grand opening on July 27th. We went back to Okahandja for some much needed R&R and then I returned with a team from the Netherlands to finish the job. Please see previous blog entries for the entire story.
Yesterday after a long drawn out process and many obstacles we had the building wiring completed and at around 4:00 PM we turned on the building power for the first time. We were all so excited we started singing and praising God for His provision. I almost cried it was so wonderful to see the power on.
The Dutch team was here to witness the power being turned on and to take the first hot showers. Until you have not had a hot water or electricity for awhile you do not realize how wonderful it is.
We still have many things to complete before the grand opening in one week but now that we have power we are much closer. We thank you for your prayers and your support. Without you all this may have not happened on time.
When I get back to Okahandja I will post several pictures of the building before and after. I am so blessed to be a part of what God is doing here and look forward to what He has for us next.
Walking by Faith,Tony & Catherine
Sunday, July 20, 2008
Thursday, July 17, 2008
Back in Oshikuku
As you can see from the post from my wife I am back in Oshikuku working with a wonderful team from the Netherlands. We are working feverishly to finish the project here and are fairly confident that we will complete the project on time. There is still much work to be done and we still do not have electricity.
We have decided to hire new electricians to complete the project. This we hope and pray will have the power up and running on Monday the 21st. The electricity has been the biggest issue we have had to deal with. Pray that we will finally have success.
I have been challenged in so many ways and yet also encouraged in so many ways during the first two months that we have been here. There are many comforts that I miss but I know that the absence of those comforts has helped me turn more to my Father and to trust Him even more than I ever have before.
We still feel that this is where God wants us to be. We are going to continue pushing forward because we know our reward will be in Heaven and that is worth every trial and tribulation that comes.
I have been encouraged by my new Dutch friends and I have been blessed to be able to encourage them also. Working with so many wonderful brothers and sisters from all over the world is a bonus that I had not expected. I am seeing that we are facing the same challenges and the enemy is after each and every one of us, BUT we all have the same God and Father and He will lead us on to victory.
I am also encouraged by the emails and Skype calls/chats that we have had with many of you. Please keep in touch because we are greatly blessed when we hear from you.
Until our next blog may God bless YOU ALL!!!!
We have decided to hire new electricians to complete the project. This we hope and pray will have the power up and running on Monday the 21st. The electricity has been the biggest issue we have had to deal with. Pray that we will finally have success.
I have been challenged in so many ways and yet also encouraged in so many ways during the first two months that we have been here. There are many comforts that I miss but I know that the absence of those comforts has helped me turn more to my Father and to trust Him even more than I ever have before.
We still feel that this is where God wants us to be. We are going to continue pushing forward because we know our reward will be in Heaven and that is worth every trial and tribulation that comes.
I have been encouraged by my new Dutch friends and I have been blessed to be able to encourage them also. Working with so many wonderful brothers and sisters from all over the world is a bonus that I had not expected. I am seeing that we are facing the same challenges and the enemy is after each and every one of us, BUT we all have the same God and Father and He will lead us on to victory.
I am also encouraged by the emails and Skype calls/chats that we have had with many of you. Please keep in touch because we are greatly blessed when we hear from you.
Until our next blog may God bless YOU ALL!!!!
It’s OK. You can cry.
Maybe you never cry. OR, maybe you’re like me and have had days when you feel like you’re on the verge of tears and if just one more thing goes south, you’ll let the waterworks loose. I’ve had a couple of days like that since we’ve been here in Namibia. Oh, I know missionaries are supposed to stay upbeat and positive, but I need to be real with you. So this story is the other side of the coin.
We spent our time in Oshikuku working very hard on the (physical) building and on building relationships with the workers there. The living conditions stretched us, the work itself stretched us and we came home exhausted, but rejoicing that much was accomplished on every front.
Tony returned to Oshikuku a few days ago with a volunteer team from Holland to complete the work on the physical building. When he called me the other day to report on the progress, his words set me on edge. “I’m afraid to tell you everything. I think you’ll cry.” So, how do you think I replied? “Ok, since you think I’ll cry, then don’t tell me.” NO! Of course I was really curious after that lead in. “What? Tell me, I’m sitting down.”
“Well, you know all the wall tile that you and Mapuna put up the last week we were here?” He began. “Yeah…” I answered. “It’s all falling off the walls.” He said with disappointment in his voice. “Yeah, we have to completely redo the entire thing.”
OK. We never put kitchen tile on walls before. We did the job to the best of our limited experience and ability. But, we really pushed ourselves that week to get about 2/3 of the kitchen tiled. Unfortunately, it was done incorrectly. And, now to hear that it was all for NOTHING! Yeah….I wanted to cry.
After getting over the initial shock, I calmed down and realized that it’s OK. We learned that everything we do doesn’t end in victory. There are moments of defeat as well, and that comes with the territory. Any type of work has it’s disappointments as well as it’s successes. Kingdom work is no different.
So, if you feel like crying today. Go ahead…. God hears you and he has his eye on you. Tiles will fall, electrical gadgets will break, fuses will blow…. But none of it escapes the eye of the Almighty. We are rejoicing today that Tony is not completing this work alone. The Dutch team is working alongside him, and they are encouraging each other in the tasks before them. Please continue to pray for perseverance and patience for all – that we will not give up, but press on to meet our goals.
We miss our family, friends, our church, and all that’s familiar, but we know that God is doing a great work and we get the privilege of having a front row seat.
With tears of joy,
Catherine for…
Tony and Catherine
We spent our time in Oshikuku working very hard on the (physical) building and on building relationships with the workers there. The living conditions stretched us, the work itself stretched us and we came home exhausted, but rejoicing that much was accomplished on every front.
Tony returned to Oshikuku a few days ago with a volunteer team from Holland to complete the work on the physical building. When he called me the other day to report on the progress, his words set me on edge. “I’m afraid to tell you everything. I think you’ll cry.” So, how do you think I replied? “Ok, since you think I’ll cry, then don’t tell me.” NO! Of course I was really curious after that lead in. “What? Tell me, I’m sitting down.”
“Well, you know all the wall tile that you and Mapuna put up the last week we were here?” He began. “Yeah…” I answered. “It’s all falling off the walls.” He said with disappointment in his voice. “Yeah, we have to completely redo the entire thing.”
OK. We never put kitchen tile on walls before. We did the job to the best of our limited experience and ability. But, we really pushed ourselves that week to get about 2/3 of the kitchen tiled. Unfortunately, it was done incorrectly. And, now to hear that it was all for NOTHING! Yeah….I wanted to cry.
After getting over the initial shock, I calmed down and realized that it’s OK. We learned that everything we do doesn’t end in victory. There are moments of defeat as well, and that comes with the territory. Any type of work has it’s disappointments as well as it’s successes. Kingdom work is no different.
So, if you feel like crying today. Go ahead…. God hears you and he has his eye on you. Tiles will fall, electrical gadgets will break, fuses will blow…. But none of it escapes the eye of the Almighty. We are rejoicing today that Tony is not completing this work alone. The Dutch team is working alongside him, and they are encouraging each other in the tasks before them. Please continue to pray for perseverance and patience for all – that we will not give up, but press on to meet our goals.
We miss our family, friends, our church, and all that’s familiar, but we know that God is doing a great work and we get the privilege of having a front row seat.
With tears of joy,
Catherine for…
Tony and Catherine
Sunday, July 13, 2008
Training Motivated Teachers
It's always a pleasure to teach someone who is eager to LEARN. The attendees at the recent training I conducted in Oshakati have experience with real students in real classroom and group environments. More than half of the 40 trained were certified teachers, and the rest were very experienced with students as volunteer helpers, club workers, and Church staff. What a sense of satisfaction it was for me to unwrap the "Choose to Wait" package layer by and layer and watch the light go on in their eyes. Several times throughout the training, I observed them nudging each other and nodding in agreement.
These are comments I heard over and over:
We've needed this for so long.
I can't wait to tell my principal about this.
Every teacher needs to be trained in "Choose to Wait."
When are you having another training?
I'll be teaching another group this Saturday. These are students that have the potential to be leaders for their generation. They are Christians and have attended parts of the "Choose to Wait" teaching in the past. We're going through the material with them in a more deliberate and systematic way, and encouraging them to be cycle-breakers in their generation. Sharp, creative, talented young people who loves Jesus. I wish you could hear them worship! I appreciate your prayers.
Sunday, July 6, 2008
Notes from Catherine
July 4, 2008 Happy Fourth USA!
This weekend we pack up, say goodbye to our friends and staff in Oshikuku and head back to our home in Okahandja. There is a bitter sweet feeling about this, because we’ve enjoyed the work and fellowship here, but know that we have other projects to work on. So, even though there’s still so much to do here, we will leave – for now. Tony will return soon for a week or so to complete the projects.
Tuesday, Julius was busy in a nearby town and when Kids Club time came, there was only ME to work it. So, I said a prayer and put my creativity to work. First, I grabbed 4 – large plastic coke bottles, cut them in half. I used the bottoms to hold crayons and colored pencils on the tables. Then I took the tops that looked kind of like funnels and realized that I could make a game with them. So, I quickly grabbed some white fabric leftover from curtains, some rice and scissors. I cut the fabric in 3 in. squares and sewed them on the sewing machine, leaving just enough room to fill them with the rice. The “bean” bags worked nicely as the children tossed the bags from one “funnel” to another. They loved the game.
This weekend we pack up, say goodbye to our friends and staff in Oshikuku and head back to our home in Okahandja. There is a bitter sweet feeling about this, because we’ve enjoyed the work and fellowship here, but know that we have other projects to work on. So, even though there’s still so much to do here, we will leave – for now. Tony will return soon for a week or so to complete the projects.
Tuesday, Julius was busy in a nearby town and when Kids Club time came, there was only ME to work it. So, I said a prayer and put my creativity to work. First, I grabbed 4 – large plastic coke bottles, cut them in half. I used the bottoms to hold crayons and colored pencils on the tables. Then I took the tops that looked kind of like funnels and realized that I could make a game with them. So, I quickly grabbed some white fabric leftover from curtains, some rice and scissors. I cut the fabric in 3 in. squares and sewed them on the sewing machine, leaving just enough room to fill them with the rice. The “bean” bags worked nicely as the children tossed the bags from one “funnel” to another. They loved the game.
Then, with the other “bean” bags I made I put a toss game together. Taking a piece of plywood – about 3 feet by 3 feet – I used a marker pen to make a big smiling face in the center and four small circles around it, marking the face as 100 points and the small circles as 25 points each. The smaller children lined up for the tossing game and it kept the whole group busy for some time.
The children began coming in from the neighborhood around 3 o’clock and by 4 there were over 30 children. The “bean” bag games kept them occupied as I counted and put a plan together in my mind. Without an interpreter telling a story would be difficult for them to understand. Tony found me outside and saw all the children and just me and asked if I needed help. Yes, my husband rescued me and I’m so glad he did. We worked together on the games and then moved the children inside, careful to have them make a nice line first. Once inside, I took charge with “circle” time – singing and learning scripture verses and playing clapping games. Tony took another head count (since children kept coming after we started the club), and he prepared the juice and cookies. He motioned to me at one point – we have 46! Wow!
After circle time we laid out coloring sheets and gathered them in groups around the tables. They enjoyed the coloring, making their picture of Jesus and the little children more beautiful than their neighbors. Next was juice and cookies time – one by one they lined up. What’s this? Crumbs on the face, one little boy steals back to the end of the line. No, no! Only one cookie you little rascal. He ran outside with a big guilty smile. Kids! Don’t you just love ‘em?
They didn’t want to leave when the clock turned 5:00. We had to chase them out of the yard. Go home! Go home! You must get ready for school tomorrow. Out…. Out! Come back tomorrow.
If we had more staff, there could be a kids club every day, but as of right now Julius can only provide a program once a week. He also runs two “Choose to Wait” clubs in nearby High Schools – one on Wednesdays and the other on Thursdays. When we have volunteers visit, they enjoy helping with these clubs.
I’m also happy to report that over 40 people attended the “Choose to Wait” training that I taught the last two weeks. That means more trained workers and potential staff help! That’s a great big praise report! We're very exhausted, but it's a good kind of tired. Thanks for your continued prayers. We sure need them.
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