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.....