How far north? Someone asked. About seven hours north of Okahandja, Namibia. Now, try to capture this picture. We are now enjoying summer here. The temperature is hovering around 90 F. Nice, dry, heat, but closer to 98 in the north. You might feel a slight breeze - around 10 p.m. on a good day. Ugh! But we rented a vehicle with Air conditioning since there wasn't a Center vehicle that could make the trip safely. We packed up ourselves and our new puppy and arrived safe and sound.
The reason for the trip was for me (Catherine) to conduct a Choose to Wait teacher training in a town about 3 hours away from Oshikuku, called Omutele. Contact had been made with a pastor there and he was interested in knowing more about the program. So arrangements were made and preparations made for the Oshikuku Choose to Wait team to accompany me, while Tony stayed back at the Oshikuku center with Bella.
The training was to begin at 6 p.m. Friday evening, but when we arrived at 5 - no one seemed to know we were coming, except the pastor who was not to be found. After contacting the pastor by phone and making a few adjustments to our plans, we realized that what we had planned isn't going to fly. The community that we had entered was extremely poor and the church reflected that state. No one really knew who we were or what our program was about, only that we were christians and teaching a program about sexual abstinence. When we began to sing and dance, the young people showed up, then the children, then the older folks (out of curiosity, I'm sure). By then it was around 8 p.m. and the church was beginning to fill up.
So much for the training. The group was too varied in age and backgrounds, we needed to adjust, again. Quick! We turned the event into a mini youth conference. At one point two of our team took a group of children to the back of the church for a kids club activity. We ended up Saturday afternoon having been very well received and reaching about 80 people in that community, sharing the message of God's plan for the world through His Son, Jesus. The theme became - You have a Maker, and He has a plan for your life. The pastor walked us to our vehicle and made us all but promise that we would return to continue the teaching on Choose to Wait, stating over and over again that there are schools all around the region that need to have this teaching. We felt honored that God chose us to bring the Good News to these brothers and sisters in Christ.
They did not prepare a meal for us (we packed a lunch), they didn't provide tea or coffee, or even water for that matter - but they showed us love and open hearts. We came away full!
What a lesson that was. My plan was thwarted - but God's was so much better! Another lesson on humility to add to the list. Pictures of some of our team wearing Choose to Wait t-shirts, of some of the youth dancing, and me too. One of pastor Adam, Fillippe (one of our team) who was a translator, and Julius (the Ministry Coordinator in Oshikuku). There's a couple of me teaching, and several of the participants. You can see the various ages of those who attended.
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