Thank you

It's a pleasure. That's the usual response to "Thank you" in Namibia. Where do we start? How can we possibly thank everyone who is making this Cafe a huge success? Let us just feature one friend - our artist, musician, buddy - Julius. Thanks to him - we have signage. Really cool, artsy signs. The original picture came from our Dutch daughter, Annelies's camera, and Julius put it to paint and board. Voila!

Meet the Students

Pamela is 20 years old and speaks Afrikaans, Damara and English. She was born in Windoek, Namibia and lives with her mother and two year old daughter.

Her goal: “I want to become a best server at the restaurant to be a successful server.”

On November 10, 2010 Pamela entered the YDM program and after hearing the gospel message - made a decision to follow Christ and become a Christian. In her own words, “I see how He helped me. He opened my eyes to let me know that He will be there always.”
When asked how her life is different now, she replied, “Oh yes, now I know how to pray and talk to him. I learn more when I go to Church.”

Meet the Students

We are putting a little bio together for each of the students in the Youth Discipleship and Mentoring Program. Here is the first one. This young man has shown exceptional effort and determination to succeed in spite of physical disabilities and harsh family circumstances. Several years ago he was in a severe car accident and spent months in rehabilitation, lost several fingers in his left hand and walks with a limp. But, we are impressed with his heart to serve.

Meet Ulrich.
Ulrich speaks Damara Nama, English, and Afrikaans.
He was born in the city of Gobabis in the eastern region of Namibia.
There are 5 children in His family from ages seven to twenty-five years old.
He lives with his mother and siblings. Ulrich has completed grade 12 with good marks, and has held several jobs locally during the past few years.
His goals in his own words, “I would love to be able to support my family and go to university and one day become a successful business man. Just be a better me.
His hobbies: I enjoy drawing pictures, writing poetry and songs, writing short stories, and swimming, working crosswords and reading.

When asked what he has learned in the first 5 weeks of the YDM program, he gave this answer: “I have learned to put faith in what I yet haven’t seen. I learned to be patient and how to thank the Lord for everything he is doing in my life but most importantly I started having more and more confidence in myself. simply put – I learned to live again.”

The place is hopping!

Garden cafe is a novelty in town and the word is spreading. With this hot weather, a frappe or smoothie sounds very refreshing and so the story goes..... people are coming to get refreshed.

Our students in this picture are pausing for a little breakfast.

The Trotters came for a short but sweet visit and brought precious words of encouragement from our church family. We cherish those friendships!

We thank the Lord for his provision for supplies and funds to continue the plans for the cafe. We are more equipped and business is growing as well as the workers improving their skills. God is good!

Ready to Refresh

Just completed one week of training and already we are encouraged. Today is our grand opening and we have three trainees working and doing great! Every morning we begin the day with devotions and Bible study, followed by vocational and practical training. The students are growing and discovering their weakness and strengths and willing to work on those weaknesses. That's half the battle - recognizing and then being willing to do something to improve and better yourself. We all need that, right?

Dutch apple pie on the menu is a big favorite! It looks good enough to eat, eh?

Can you smell the espresso?

Yes! We are open and even though business is slow at the moment, it's ok. We are getting into the grove. Baked goods are ready, and the coffee master (Tony) is getting faster at making those lattes. The first day of training with eleven students, three made a decision to follow Christ. We are rejoicing at the opportunity that the Lord has given us to disciple these precious young people. They are eager to learn and have great potential. We see a couple who could easily move into a management role at the Garden Cafe in a few months time. Oh! By the way – it’s official! We have been approved as “The Garden Cafe.” Finally!

Our Grand Opening is scheduled for this Saturday, 20 November. We sure appreciate your prayers as we welcome the community into our oasis of peace and refreshment. So far the brownies and cinnamon rolls have been top sellers! Although the banana muffins are surprisingly popular as well. One woman whispered in my ear, “I don’t even like bananas, but that muffin was great! (Thanks, Connie Abendschein). We have set up a small Christmas tree and have a handmade wire cross on the wall below the scripture, “He who pursues righteousness and love finds life, prosperity and honour.” God is celebrated in this cafe! No apologies!
We have much to be thankful for. We move into our own little apartment tomorrow and get to unpack our personal things and make it home. The Lord is giving us strength each day for the new things we are learning about running a small business. So many people near and far have contributed to this venture and we truly are blessed!

We will take pictures of customers and trainees soon. Keep your eyes open!

No longer homeless

(I wrote this a few days ago - and forgot to post it) Packed up with nowhere to go! That was my status a few days ago. The strange thing was – I wasn’t stressed like I expected to be. I surprised myself, really. People that helped us pack and clean even commented, “You look so calm.... you aren’t worried about where you’re going to live?”

Three days later. As we sit resting in our friend’s very nice little granny flat, we are happy to say that God has provided every need ... and then some.
Not only have they welcomed us to stay with them for these four weeks, but they will not accept any payment for our stay which includes laundry and housekeeping services. Do you see what I mean about above and beyond our needs. We just looked at a flat that is available in 30 days. It’s one bedroom and a tiny kitchen, living area and bathroom, a nice size covered carport (perfect for running space for Bella), and the price is within our budget!

Tomorrow we sign the rental agreement and put a deposit down on the flat. We are now free to focus our attention on the training cafe. Thank you for your prayers and support. We have received so many words of blessing and encouragement from friends near and far. Although these are uncharted waters for us, we feel the powerful wind of the Spirit filling our sails and guiding each step.

Our needs at the moment are to equip and set up the cafe. We are in negotiations with a coffee supplier for the espresso machine, and waiting for the answer from the catering company for other items. Our target date for opening is November 15th. Can it be done? To be continued....

Grand Opening

The Garden Cafe is becoming a reality! Can you believe it? Things have developed and progressed quickly and the doors just opened up in a miraculous way - we can't even tell you all the details, there are just too many. Here's the reader's digest version.

We knew that our time here wasn't over yet when the position with Christ's Hope ended. We were not sure how all the details would fall into place, but we were sure that those young people that we have been discipling still needed care. Our leadership role in our church here was not over either. There was just too much that was started and beginning to grow and it wasn't the time to walk away. It would have been like leaving a building with only the foundation laid, or not finishing sewing a dress when you just had the pattern cut out. It just wasn't sitting right with us - in our spirit as well as in our minds. The more we prayed we felt God leading us to continue what we started and what we are good at - discipleship. Mentoring was added to that as well, when we realized that too many young people here have little to no hope for a future. Why? Because they don't have the grades to make it into futher education - and most times - they don't have the money either. Also, because they have poor language skills and no practical skills. Computer training is available - for a huge cost. Trade skills are available - again at a cost. Most families just can't afford it. Like I said - little to no hope.

The owner of the building where the cafe lives, is the father of a good friend of ours, from our church. The rent is very reasonable and the location is right in the middle of this quaint little town. The cafe is designed not only as a "coffee house" but it's a training center for those with no idea what to do. Without higher education or at least excellent grades they won't get a job anywhere in town. We are giving them an opportunity to be trained in restaurant skills - such as customer service, table waiting, kitchen prep cook. Today was the first day we accepted applications for the program. We were blown away .... as we counted the applications at the end of the day. Twenty six interested in the program! Several arrived before the hour advertised and impressed us with their desire and drive to complete the process successfully.

There are still a few details to be worked out - but we are encouraged by large donations from a local businesswoman, a computer programmer from Germany, and several of our own partners. The local pastors and community leaders are talking to young people they know about the program and supporting us. Well, this is getting too long, really. Let me just add a few more pictures. We have a flyer going up this weekend to announce the grand opening - November 15th. Please pray for us, and for this community. We are playing christian music at the cafe and our Dutch daughter, Annelies painted Proverbs 21:21 on one wall . There is no hiding that we are a faith-based program. Pray that more people will step up and offer their skills and services to lift young people up and out of hopelessness. With God - all things are truly possible!

Coming soon - TheGarden Cafe

Life is about changing, the country song says. Well, we are experiencing change at the moment that is giving us more than a fair share of challenge. Saturday we hosted an information coffee and invited local pastors, community leaders and interested friends. We shared the vision for the cafe - that we were not just opening another coffee shop, but that the purpose is to train young people in restaurant skills. There wasn't the big turnout that we had hoped for, but everyone who came took our brochure and information to pass on to others, so that's a good sign. We still have some equipment to purchase before we can open our doors to the public, so we are hoping that within a couple of weeks we will have what we need to host a grand opening. Please pray - we need a good espresso machine, and we need other kitchen equipment, such as an oven to bake our delicious specialties. Training has already begun. We have two women who are learning to bake, and one young man who is keeping the grounds neat and tidy. We have a staff! (kind of)

It has been so long since we have posted pictures and info that we decided to post a few pictures and some quick notes.

Our youngest daughter Nici has been with us for over two months now and we are having a great time together. She has helped with children's work, tutoring older students, taught the children at church, and has helped us with our work in many ways.

Three weeks ago our dog, Bella surprised us with 13 puppies. That's right. She isn't able to produce enough milk to go around so we are helping by bottle feedings 4 times a day. Ugh! So cute, yes, but so much work.

Recently we had the joy of hosting an evangelist from the states who attends my parents church - The Connection in Poway. George Elias brought us lessons on Evangelism and Discipleship and spoke all over Okahandja - challenging and teaching with passion. We believe that there will be much fruit as a result of his obedience to come and share.

Our home church, Lifebridge sent a team in July which escorted our Nici to us, and they were involved in tons of ministry throughout the 10 days that they were in country.

About three years ago, when we were preparing to come here, we told you we would commit to two years and asked you to partner with us. As we evaluate and pray about our future we do not feel that we are being released from our service here in Okahandja, Namibia. On the contrary we feel that we are being called to stay for another year or two. Since you are our partners, we feel it’s important for you to understand what God is doing and where He is leading us.

As you know, we have been serving with Christ’s Hope International and have been blessed in so many ways through our work there. Recently, we realized that the Lord is opening doors for ministry outside the scope and vision of Christ’s Hope, and therefore, we have submitted our letters of resignation and are preparing for the new journey that He has for us. Our last day with Christ’s Hope International will be September 30^th, 2010.

What is the new journey? Well it is building on the relationships we have with the local churches, other likeminded Christian organizations, and the local government to reach a section of society that has been neglected. The people we are referring to are young people who for whatever reason are unable to complete school and who are unemployed. These youth end up on the streets, stealing to survive, living off other family members, and have little hope for a future.

What is the plan to help them? Through our partnership with the entities above we will be opening a small restaurant, the Garden Cafe. The idea is to work with the local churches and schools to identify young people who want to make a difference in their lives. Those who are recommended to the program, will be interviewed, fill out an application and will agree to go through a one year internship program. The training program will include basic restaurant skills, as well as fundamentals of reading and writing English, but most importantly -- we will go through an extensive discipleship program with them. Upon successful completion of the program we would help them prepare a resume and guide them through the process of finding a job.

This is a great opportunity, but a huge undertaking and we realize that much prayer, practical support and good old fashioned work is required to make this a success. Every person we have shared the program with has verified that it is much needed and will be well received – from the government and town officials on down to the young people themselves. This program will improve the level of training and education for the students, promote community involvement by having the churches and school officials participate, and bring a strong sense of personal integrity and mutual respect within the community.

If you are interested in contributing financially or in any other way to this new program, please contact us and we would be happy to work with you.

Recently Clinton told us about a young man (let’s call him Joe) he knows from the neighbourhood. Joe had been on the streets for some time. He doesn’t know his father and his mother is trapped by a life of alcoholism. From what we were told he was not wanted by extended family, so he was making his own way. That’s not uncommon here; there are many young people on the streets. What is uncommon is someone rescued him from a life of hopelessness. Clinton was moved to help this young man. Most poor people are not so generous. They are more likely to hoard what they have instead of sharing. It’s really a “protect my own” mentality.

As “head boy” of his school, Clinton was able to use his position to plead Joe’s case to the administration of the school. The results - this young man is now able to stay at the hostel as a guest of the school. We see this as very good news because that means that even those who are poor can reach out to others less fortunate than themselves. In the process of helping Joe with housing, Clinton talked with him about his spiritual life and Joe accepted Christ as his Saviour this week. On Easter Sunday Joe joined us for church and he stayed with us all that day and night too. We packed a snack bag for him as is our weekly custom for our other two boys (Clinton and Simon) before we brought them back to school the next day. Our family is growing!
Praise the Lord! You have been a part of this ripple effect, you know. We are seeing the second generation of seeds that were planted months ago. God is working in these young lives and we give Him all the glory.

Your financial support is giving us the freedom to feed and care for these young people whose parents just can’t for various reasons. It’s a pleasure to have them in our home. This month is the “winter” holiday for school kids, and Simon and Clinton will be taking a little time away to visit family. They are based at our house during weekends and holiday times like this and we enjoy these “extra” times with them. Simon will be travelling to the north to attend a ministry friend’s wedding as well as to visit his elderly grandmother. This will be only the second time he has been with his grandmother. Can you imagine? He is very excited to surprise her. Like I said, it’s a pleasure for us to help. It’s almost like watching dreams come true. Of course we have to pack some food for him.... Well, we can’t send him empty-handed, c’mon,... I’m Italian, remember? What I wouldn’t give for a Claro’s market around here!

Amazing Grace MMC 2010.MP4

Mighty Mens Conference 2010

I just returned from attending The Mighty Men's Conference led by Angus Buchan the author of Faith Like Potatoes. The conference was at his farm in Greytown, South Africa. What is the big deal about a men's conference? Well this one had at least 400,000 men gathered for one purpose - to worship and to hear from God. Yes, I said 400,000 men. You can look up Mighty Men Conference on YouTube. There are already several clips from people who attended.


I have to start by saying that this was an experience that I am still trying to fully absorb. Putting what I experienced into words is not going to be easy but I want you all to know what happened.


The conference ran from the 16th through the 18th of April, but my journey began on April 14th. I boarded a bus in Windhoek, Namibia and we traveled 950 miles. The trip took over thirty hours. The trip in itself was an adventure because I was on a bus with 58 other men all headed to the same conference. I was the only one on the bus who only spoke english. I was nervous, excited, frustrated, tired and totally out of my comfort zone. I did not know anyone on the bus. I had no idea how long it was going to take to get to South Africa and I was not in control. I do not do well under those circumstances but God was working on me. I got to know a few of the guys on the way down and I was beginning to feel more comfortable. We shared with each other and by the time we arrived in Greytown, South Africa I felt better about being with these men.


When we got to Greytown it took us another hour to get to the Buchan farm. As we drove on dirt roads we came over a hill and the site took my breath away. We were looking over the Buchan farm and there spread out before me were tents, cars, campers and people for as far as the eye could see. How can I help you understand the magnitude of what I saw? Well Petco Park holds 42,445 people. The number of men at this conference could have filled Petco park nine and a half times. I still cannot believe what I saw and I was there.


The first session began at 7 pm Friday night. We had to walk just over a mile from our campsite to get to the main stage. The stage was set up high with three huge video screens. In front of the stage were row upon row of hay bales and throughout the field there were huge towers with more speakers and more video screens. Word has it they had to run over 4 miles of cable to power everything.


We started with some praise songs and I have to tell you I glimpsed a piece of heaven. To hear over 400,000 men raising their voices in praise to God was beyond words. We were in a valley of sorts and you could hear the voices echoing off the hills. I know God was watching and had to have a tear of joy in His eyes as He watched that many men, His children, singing to Him. I was unable to sing at times and had tears streaming down my face. It was the most incredible thing I have ever experienced.


Then Angus Buchan came on stage. From where I was sitting he looked like an ant and I was pretty close to the stage. Angus expressed his being overwhelmed at seeing so many men. He then shared that the theme of the camp was about being Watchmen. He reference Ezekiel 3: 17-19 and as he recited the verses we knew that we were going to be challenged about being men of God. Angus did not share anything profound and it was all stuff we knew and heard before but his humility and his genuineness captured the hearts and the attention of the men. Angus did not hold back. He challenged every man there about being watchmen in their homes, communities, churches, work places and schools. That first night we consecrated ourselves and santified ourselves before God. Grown men were humbled before God and many for the first time. Men wept openly and prayed with and for each other. Men for the first time in their lives made public declarations of their faith. It was humbling and you could almost hear the angels rejoicing in heaven over each man that gave his life or rededicated his life to Christ.


After the first session we walked ove a mile back to our tent and I was so tired I just went to sleep. I woke up at three in the morning and could not get back to sleep so I got dressed and went for a walk. I walked between the rows of tents and just felt the presence of God over us. I looked and saw a layer of mist hanging over the camp which felt like God covering and protecting us. I prayed as I walked and praised God for what He was doing. I prayed over the men in attendance and then started walking back to our tent. As I was walking back I looked out again and I sensed that on the hills around the camp where His angels watching over us too.


Saturday was another day of challenge. The first session Saturday focused on our time with God. Angus felt God telling him we needed to be silent before the Lord so we all got on our knees in the field and bowed our heads and for five minutes we were not allowed to talk or move. Imagine 400,000+ men bowed before the Lord, silent, listening to hear from Him. I get goose bumps again just remembering it. You could have heard a pin drop. At the end of five minutes Angus said we could sit again but almost every man stayed on his knees. Angus then said that for some the five minutes went quickly and for others it felt like an eternity. Then he said that five minutes is no where near enough time to be in His presence. He challenged every man to spend an hour with the Lord alone every day. We then were released to have lunch and reflect on what we heard.


The evening session on Saturday was the largest crowd yet. We did not care about the media helicopters flying over head, we did not care that we were making history, we just wanted to praise our Father and hear from Him again through His servant Angus. This session was more for the fathers. Angus challenged the men to train up their boys to be men and then to release their boys to be men. Again nothing profound but straight to the heart. At the end of the session Angus asked fathers and sons to get together. I looked out over the crowd and saw fathers embracing sons. I saw them crying together and I was overwhelmed. I wept and rejoiced seeing fathers with their sons. Then Angus challenged the fathers again to release their sons to be men of God.


That night we went back to our tents exhuasted but full of the Spirit. We sang praise songs with those camped next to us and just enjoyed fellowship with each other. Men sang and shared openly for over two hours.


We woke up Sunday with excitement about the next session and with reluctance because this was the last session. Sunday the wives were invited to attend and Angus focused on speaking to the women. He outlined what the men had gone through and challenged the women to let their men be the watchmen of their homes. It was a short message and then we prayed together and it was over.


During each session Angus would say "Amen" as a war cry and the men would echo back loud and with everything they had as one voice. You can listen to the bits on YouTube and hear a sample but it does not do it justice. To hear over 400,000 men say "Amen" as we did and to hear it echoing off the hills around us... no words can do it justice. I can only imagine how our Father in heaven felt. I can see Him sitting proudly on His throne saying, "Those are my boys."


Angus challenged us to be the men God called us to be. He reminded us of our responsibilties and said that if each of the men in attendance kept their word to God then there is no way South Africa and the rest of the world would not be changed. I agree with that. I know that many of the men will go back and their lives will not change but I hope and I pray that those whose life was changed will go home and begin to make a difference.


Each man who is reading this, and who is a Christian we are each watchmen and we need to heed the words written in Ezikiel 3:17-19 "17 Son of man, I have made you a watchmen for the house of Isreal; so hear the word I speak and give them warning from me. 18 When I say to a wicked man, "You will surely die," and you do not warn him or speak out to dissuade him from his evil ways in order to save his life, that wicked man will die for his sin, and I will hold you accountable for his blood. 19 But if you do warn the wicked man and he does not turn from his wickedness or from his evil ways, he will die for his sin; but you will have saved yourself." To my brothers reading this, please do not let another man's blood be found on your hands. Stand up and be the watchman. Alone we can do nothing but together through Christ we are unstoppable and Satan and his legions must flee!

When you least expect it!

I won't mention her name, but one of the volunteers here gave us a very nice card before she left. Her words caught us off guard. As we read tears filled our eyes. Her raw honestly and transparent sharing made us realize that we are having an impact on lives even when we are hanging out at home. It begs the question: "Who are you when the spotlight is off, and the audience leaves?" Here is an excerpt from her note to us:

"....I felt so lost and I think I lost my faith in true love. I needed proof from God that it is possible to be married and happy at the same time. And then I met you, I saw you interacting with each other, I saw your love for each other and I heard you, Catherine talking about your marriage in the Choose to Wait training. That all touched my heart and was exactly what I desperately needed. You made a difference in my life and the word. Thanks is not enough to express what it means to me!"

She is not Namibian and yet the Lord has used our relationship to encourage her in her faith and personal life. So... one never knows who is watching or listening. When you least expect it - God could use you to bless someone. Share the love my friends.... share the love!

Keep your eyes on this blog. I know when Tony returns from South Africa, he will have MUCH to share.

Celebrating the Risen King!

Some places still celebrate Easter. You know, the stores are closed on Good Friday, people go to church and it's not all about bunnies, baskets and egg hunts. Well, I wish I could say that the people of Okahandja understand and honor the true meaning of Easter, but I can't. However, the stores are closed and the whole town takes a long vacation from Good Friday to "Easter Monday," which is a public holiday. I am happy to report that the Duran's took some rest time as well. Clinton and Simon joined us on a family day outing to Swakopmund. Ah... yes... sitting on the beach (bundled with sweatshirt and towels), enjoying the gentle splashing of the sea! Heavenly! If you're wondering if the water is cold, you'll have to ask the boys. It was a first for Simon. He had never been in the sea before, so it was fun watching them catching waves. Clinton experienced his first go-kart racing. We laughed, played and got a little caught up in the competition, but all-in-all had a relaxing day in the sun, with the smile of the Son upon us. So nice!

Tony's Health Report

After Tony's last blog, we had an honest heart to heart. It was difficult for him to hear, but I had to remind him that he is not getting younger. We were encouraged to have his eyes checked to see if his contact prescription is still accurate. He was challenged to drink more water. (it's still quite warm here). So, after seeing the Optometrist and hearing that the contacts are fine, we had to consider the questions that she raised during the examination. The key question: "Do you spend a lot of time at the computer?" Following that visit, we explored the possibility that he may need a pair of reading glasses for up close work, like computer and reading his Bible.

He looks really funny wearing my reading glasses, but he was humble enough to try them. The results? The past week, his headaches have been manageable - more "normal." There may still be some underlying issues such as chronic sinus problems, but at least we are moving in the right direction. Whew! That was a tough road to walk. Oh, in case you're wondering - I'm trying to catch a picture of him wearing my glasses, but.... well, he's just too quick for me!

His Timing and His Way

I am sitting here Saturday morning at 10:36am trying to find the strength to press on. For the last two weeks or so I have been getting migraines. Today as I type it feels as if someone is stabbing a knife into my eyes and another through the base of my skull. It is a pain that I would not wish on anyone. In the past two weeks I have been bedridden three days because of the pain. Rest assured that on Monday I am going to go to the doctor.
I share about my headaches not to get sympathy but to let you know that He is always working. On the days I was stuck at home in bed I had a couple of my brothers in Christ come by and pray over me and encourage me. It is quite humbling to have these men come and pray for me. These are men we have been pouring into and to see them step up moved me so much that I cried after they left. I can only imagine what our heavenly Father felt seeing His children being His hands and feet.
He is my strength and He alone has given me strength when I do not feel like doing anything. Last Thursday I was asked to share with a group of young men about what salvation is and what baptism is. These are young men that have been identified by a sister organization here to be future leaders in their community. My head was pounding and I did not want to go but I had already missed one appointment to talk to these young men, and I was not going to cancel again. I prayed for His strength because I did not have it in me to speak.
We drove to the meeting place which was about 20 minutes from our house. When I got there I saw that we where meeting in the dried up riverbed. There was no covering and no chairs so we all sat on the ground. When we arrived it was sprinkling and only four of the ten young men had shown up. I prayed silently for His strength as I sat there on the riverbed with these young men and asked one of the boys to pray for our time together.
As I began sharing with these kids I felt and knew that God was with us and that He had caused the pain in my head to subside. I sent up a silent praise at His mercy. I presented what salvation was and how they could know when it was real in their lives. I then shared on what baptism is and the significance it plays in our walk with Christ. Then I answered questions for over an hour. I have to say that our young people are hungry for answers and they want us, their elders, to take the time to listen and answer their questions.
Some of the questions were tough and again I had to ask for His help and His strength. How do you answer a question that challenges their heritage and their culture? The questions they asked we have heard consistently since we have been here. Will I go to hell if I commit a sin and die before I get a chance to ask for forgiveness? Will I go to heaven if I have never been baptized? Do I have to be confirmed to be a Christian? Do I have to be confirmed to get married? What if my pastor does not live as he teaches us to live? How do I pray for someone I hate? On and on the questions came and the whole time I felt God speaking through me.
When we finished there were ten young men in the group. It sprinkled on and off the whole time but we stayed and talked and shared. It was an amazing time and I am glad I went. Being with these future leaders was encouraging to me and I had no idea that I had been an encouragement to them.
Their leader, one of the men I am mentoring, came to me later and said that the young men were surprised to see me come in the rain and then to sit on the ground with them. I did not think anything of it at the time. I just did what Jesus would do. I got down on their level so that I could be with them.
When I got home it was after 7:00pm and my head was killing me. God had sustained me through the whole time I was talking. Praise the Lord for allowing me to be the one He used to share with these young men.
I am learning and coming to realize that our walk with Christ is not just 9 to 5, it is 24/7. He wants us to be ready at all times to be His hands and feet. I continue to pray that He will shape me to be more like Him. Even though I am in pain I know that He is at work in me and through me.
Thank you for your prayers. I can honestly say that I have felt them and cherish them.

YWAM students filled my cup!

While the week of teaching is still fresh in my mind and heart, I wanted to take a few minutes to post a brief report. Like last year, I was energized and filled up each day as the students soaked in the teaching of Choose to Wait. Most of them have heard some sort of teaching about Love and Sex, but ALL of them commented that THIS was different. It was my joy to present to them God's design for love, marriage and sex. We had some lively discussions, fun role-plays and dramas, and a few somber moments where I could sense the Holy Spirit was gently healing past wounds. Some had father wounds, others mother wounds, still others - relationship wounds. Their enthusiasm and interaction made it a pleasure for me. Several of these students are fresh out of High School and yet are so eager to strengthen their relationship with God and build their faith by submitting to the DTS (Discipleship Training School) training. It was inspiring to be with them, not just for the class time, but for tea time, meals and one-on-one visits. This week I met some GREAT young people (from Namibia, USA, South Africa, Zimbabwe, and England) and count it a privilege to have participated in their overall training. I have a deep respect for the staff of YWAM and the work they are doing with young people. The Spirit of the Lord was definitely at work in the hearts and minds of each one. One again, He proved His faithfulness. Thank you for your prayers.

Working 9 to 5

Hello everyone!!! I cannot believe that it has been almost a month that we have been back in Namibia. The time seems to go by faster everyday. They do say time flies when you are having fun. Yes we are having fun.

It is 7:17pm on Saturday evening for us and we have had another full day. We are finding out that working in fulltime ministry means that we do not have regular working hours. Yes we have office hours from 9:00am to 5:00pm but that is only our office hours.

Our morning starts out with personal devotions and time with our Lord. We treasure our time in the morning with Him. We then pray with each other and have some breakfast and then it is off to work.

No two days are the same here. For example on Wednesday we were working in the office and we had someone pull up to the entrance. We were not expecting anyone so I went to see who was visiting us. It was a friend of ours (Gerrard) who works with Smaritians Purse. He is the country coordinator for Operation Christmas Child and is responsible for recieving all the shoe boxes that get delivered to children in Namibia.

We have 40 foot shipping containers on our property that they use to store the shoe boxes until they can be delivered to the children. Whenever Gerrard shows up I know he needs to get to the shoe boxes. Getting to the boxes is no small task though. To protect the boxes we have to weld the shipping containers closed that they are stored in. So to get into the container we need to grind off the bars.

Well when Gerrard got out of his car we greeted each other and got caught up on how each of our families were doing. I shared about our visit to the States and he shared all about the events that happened while we were gone. After getting caught up he informed me that there was another container arriving at 2:00pm, It was now 11:30am, and he needed help to unload the boxes from the truck and put them into the shipping container on our property.

I then made several calls and found six young men that I have worked with in the past to help us. I then went to pick them up at noon. Then I had to get the grinder, extentions cords, and the welder so we could reweld the container closed.

By 1:00pm I had the men and equipment we needed for the job and was heading over to the contaniners. When I get there Gerrard informed me that the truck with the boxes was running late and tells me that the truck will not arrive until around 7:00pm. It is now only 2:00pm.

I then take the six young men back to their homes and tell them I will pick them up at 6:45pm. I then go back to the office and work till 5:00pm and then go home to eat dinner, peanut butter and jelly because Catherine is at our weekly Bible study.

At 6:30pm I leave to go get the young men and we head back to the containers. We get there by 7:00pm and the guys are looking for the truck. Gerrard arrives and tells us the truck is running late and tells us it will be another hour. At 9:30pm the truck finally arrives. As it pulls up we see that the boxes are on a flat bed truck and the truck is full of boxes.

Each box is about 2 feet by 2 feet square and has approximately 10 shoe boxes inside. Each box ways between 25 to 40 pounds and did I tell you that there were over 400 boxes that had to be unloaded from the truck and loaded into the empty container?

The good thing is that is was late and it had cooled off quite a bit so it was not as hot. In less that one hour we had unloaded the truck and loaded them into the container and welded it shut. I was so tired and sore. My body was reminding me that I am not 20 years old anymore but I had kept up with the young men. I think they were suprised that I was able to keep up with them.

I then took the young men to their homes and then headed back to our house. I got home at 11:30pm. I crawled into bed and was up early the next morning to see what new adventures that day would bring.

I am learning how to be flexible and to be patient and you that know me know how much I dislike when things do not happen as planned. The time we had to wait though was time to speak into the lives of the six young men and to encourage them. God's timing is always better than my timing.

Each day is different and I have learned to make my plans in pencil because God often edits my plans to coordinate with His. I do love His sense of humor. Seriously though I love how He is helping me to become more like Him. The more He is in me the more these young men get to experience Him.

Thank you for your prayers and your support. You are with us each day and are making a difference in our lives and in the lives of so many here. God Bless!!!!

Remember Sunday Dinners?

We are finding a simple routine here in Okahandja, trying to prioritize and remember that we are here to build relationships and people for the glory of God. It sounds simple, doesn't it? But we find that it requires deliberate attention and planned action on our part. Now that we have resumed our positions in the International Office, we have regular office hours, which makes it more difficult to have ministry outreach in the afternoons. That leaves evenings and weekends. Not a problem. Our Namibian boys, Clinton and Simon are with us on Saturdays working around the house, helping with various projects and hanging out. On Sundays, the boys meet us at church and afterward we have family dinner. OK, it's not like the Sunday dinners I grew up with - pot roast and potatoes (that cooked in the oven while we were at church), or delicioso meatballs and spegetti, but it has become our tradition here. We pick up some ready-roasted chickens at the local store deli, make some home fries and salad and enjoy! Who has time to spend over a hot stove these days? Oh, did I mention that I'm the new Worship director at our church? Yeah.... well, it's a long morning and I appreciate the break from kitchen duty. Since our return we have added another young man to our sunday dinner - Jeremiah, a senior in High School. The last day of our August youth camp Jeremiah shared that he has been changed on the inside, and we can see by his behavior since then that it is genuine. He walks to church every Sunday, Tuesday evenings for worship team practice, and Wednesday evenings for cell group. In the group photo he is pictured on the far left with a big smile. Brick by brick, we are building the character of God - and He is growing big in each of them.

Mom's in touch has always been a big part of my life when my own kids were growing up. There are no women's ministry in most of the churches here. A lot of the women work, if they can get work. I have no idea how many women are available or willing to come, but I feel we need to offer some mom support. I know it meant so much to me when I was there. So, this week, Susanna (neighbor and housekeeper, sister and friend) and I are beginning a MIT group in our home. This is a brand new idea here - so we are very excited. I'll let you know how it goes in a few weeks. Stay tuned.....

Some Trip!

Here's our beautiful family - in case you haven't seen this picture yet. Left to right: Tony and Catherine, Johnny and Erin, Nathan and Jordan, Nici, James and Malia in the back and Krista and Dave front right. So much fun to all be together. It was short but oh so sweet!

So.... how was the trip to Namibia? Well....

It took 24 hours to get us out of San Diego! For goodness sake. The rains caused havoc at the airport. Planes were delayed all the way up the coast. Our trip originally was San Diego to San Francisco, San Fran to London, London to Johanesburg, and Jo-burg to Namibia. Then.... the rains came and the wind blew... and the delayed plane from SF meant that we would miss our London flight. So... we had a very nice United agent re-book us and we stayed in SD another night and left the next day for LAX, then took the evening flight out for London. While waiting at the airport in LAX, I had a very lovely conversation with a woman on her way to visit her son and daughter-in-law and their new little one. It was fun chatting with this new grandmother who was so anxious to see her very first grandchild - daughter of her only son. We shared some of our joys and concerns as parents and grandparents, relating funny stories and personal testimonies. About ten minutes into the conversation she dragged out of me that we were missionaries on our way back to Namibia and heard my heart for reaching the lost with the gospel message. She shares our faith in Christ and was delighted to meet us! Not only did that help pass the time, but it reminded me that we are truly on a mission and many other believers are standing with us in prayer as we press on. We were seated in the exit row on the flight to London, thanks to the kind United agent in SD. Yeah! Tony had room for his legs for once! (Well, I always feel badly for my hubby. His knees literally push into the seat in front of him). It still isn't so easy to sleep, but at least we were able to move around and we were right next to the toilets. Good news for me. The 12 hour flight to London was a bit bumpy, but we handled that ok. In London the following morning was a challenge getting our way through customs and through the terminal, finding the right gate for our Johannesburg flight that evening. We always appreciate the opportunity to walk a couple of miles pulling our luggage through unfamiliar territory while our bodies are screaming... "What are you thinking? Can't you see I'm trying to sleep!"





The flight from London to Johannesburg is about 10 hours and again our seats were in the exit row - very nice to have extra space. Lastly, the flight from Jo-burg to Namibia is another 2 hours. So, by the time we reached Namibia, we were literally walking in our sleep - totally. But... !!! We did make it along with all our luggage. No problems with customs and no problems with tickets or anything else. The only thing that would have made it really sweet... was if we would have been bumped to first class on one of those long legs! Maybe one day. All things are possible. Thanks for all the safe travel prayers!

Celebrating!

Just about two months ago we set foot on USA soil, after being in Africa for about a year. So many things have changed and so much has happened that we are still spinning from all the activity and info. My goodness!

The pictures will tell the story much better than my words, but let me summarize. First, we are thankful that our house is now re-rented. After days and days of repairs, painting and cleaning, we were able to acquire new renters before the end of the year. That's a big praise! Then, Christmas happened! Getting to play and party with family and friends filled our days and nights. Visiting a different church each weekend allowed us to report and share with partners what God is doing in our ministry outreach in Namibia. We are so thankful for all who make it possible for us to do what we do without stressing about paying our bills or putting food on our table.

A highlight for me (Catherine) was playing and singing with our daughter Krista's band, "Stonetrain" at Capri Blu New Year's eve. It was a blast!

The day after Christmas James (our youngest son) proposed to his girlfriend, Malia! We are going to be parents-in-law again! How cool is that! More celebrating and pictures and smiles and tears of joy!

It's hard to believe that we are now packing our bags to return to the "mission." But, the time has come and we are anxious to see our Namibian family and resume our work there. Thank you to everyone who welcomed us and hosted us and made us feel warm and fuzzy inside. Our tanks are full with joy and love! Bless you all!