To Eastern Bushmanland .... and beyyyyooooonnnnddd!

Before you embark on this epic, written by David about his recent trip, I would recommend you copy and paste (into Word or somewhere) the entire thing as it is 5 pages’ long and there is a lot of info to digest.

I have recently returned from a “’safari’ – visiting some more distant towns. Here is a brief account ....

Leg 1: TUESDAY Ongwediva - Tsumeb (270km)

Tsumeb is an attractive mining town, where the main mineral is copper – but there are many others on offer as well – all the streets have different mineral names. Every town has its own character. Tsumeb demonstrates the erstwhile divisions between black and white. The ‘whites’ generally live in the ‘rich’ part of the town, whereas the “blacks” live in the location – which is much poorer.
I was warmly received by Yorri and Ronelle Jordaan, the couple who pastor the CRC (Christian renewal centre) church. We were put in touch with them through Ivonne, a close friend of Alisan’s. The Jordaans had agreed to contact all the pastors in the town to a gathering where I would explain what courses were available through NETS, and encourage pastors and churches to get involved.
As it turned out hardly anyone came – only 3 people from the Jordaans’ church, which was a bit disappointing. However it illustrates the difficulties involved in getting a ‘foot in the door’ in the town.

Choosing a contact person is tricky. If you choose someone from an ‘established’ church, they generally only consider other established churches worth inviting. As an Anglican, I have a more or less open door with Anglicans – but Roman Catholics almost never attend (for obvious theological reasons) and Lutherns hardly much better (because they have their own training system in place). I asked the secretary in the Lutheran church (‘black”’township) about the other churches. She told me about the Catholics and the other Lutheran church. When I asked if there were any others she said (in Afrikaans) “Oh, then there are the small ‘repentance’ churches” – but did not know anything about them. I wanted to respond that I thought ALL churches were ‘repentance’ churches but I held my tongue.

On the other hand, choosing a ‘Charismatic’ or ‘Pentecostal’ contact person often means that other churches (especially the established ones) don’t take you seriously, so you stand to ‘tarnish’ the image of NETS, which tries to draw people from all denominational shades.

Sometimes the best bet is to work with the NG (Dutch Reformed) church. Ironically, although it has a history of being the church of the ‘oppressor’ in years gone by, it now enjoys the most credibility with the ‘established’ churches (as it is also supposed to be ‘conservative’) and the ‘charismatic’ churches (as it has, in many cases, bought into ‘born again’ theology). However, the NG churches are not present in many of the towns I serve, and in some cases serve ONLY the white community, and are not interested in NETS.

I had a good conversation with a local Lutheran pastor who seemed interested in the courses. And then I found the pastor of the Church of the Nazarene – an American. I discovered he was running a TEE programme for Nazarene pastors all over Namibia. Some Nazarene students study at NETS, but it is not encouraged as that church has a strong emphasis on ‘holiness’ theology and thus want to do ‘their own thing’.

Leg 2: Tsumeb to Otavi (63km)

Having over-nighted with the Jordaans I proceeded on to Otavi, a small town with a couple of factories. First job was to find somewhere to camp, and I found a nice spot on a farm. The Jordaans had given me a name of a new pastor in town, and I went to seem him.

Having met and chatted, I then went back to town to find a place to watch some cricket – the world cup semi-final, between .... AUSTRALIA and ..... SOUTH AFRICA! No questions for whom I was shouting! South Africa batting first ... the rest is history. At the end of the first innings I was glad I had an appointment with some pastors in the evening! My contact was a man called Hendrik Hoabeb – an AFM (Apostolic Faith Mission) pastor. He had organised that 4 other local pastors come and hear about the NETS courses. It was all good – everyone was keen and took lots of application forms. We will see what ensues ...

Leg 3: Otavi to Grootfontein (87km)

Contrary to what many ‘white’ people would do, I pick up hitchhikers. The local people have little of their own transport. I think it would be anti-Christian not to. It seems quite safe. Put it this way, I have not been car-jacked yet. I get 3 benefits from picking up hikers.
1. Sometimes they offer me money, which I sometimes accept – it helps to pay for the car insurance.
2. I usually use the opportunity to preach, big time. Most people are at ‘born’ into an ‘established church’ (Anglican, Lutheran, or Catholic) which almost always means they have no understanding of the Gospel and no assurance of salvation. I hope they have an understanding when they reach their destination!
3. If I pick up an Oshiwambo speaker, I sometimes get good language practise (depending on their dialect). Speakers range from very comprehensible Oshikwanyama to totally incomprehensible dialect.

The time in Grootfontein was a washout. I had organised the time with an NG ‘missionary’ ... who had gone away with only few days’ notice. No students had been contacted. Actually, some of the NG missionaries do some great training with the NETS TEE courses. It is an ideal situation – the local pastor catches the training vision and organises elders in his indigenous congregation to do the courses – which the NG church usually pays for. Grootfontein is on the edge of Bushmanland, and there are at least 6 Bushmen (San) people doing the course.

I tried to locate some pastors. The first was an old Assemblies of God pastor, who was new and couldn’t speak Oshiwambo, English or Afrikaans. Luckily, his son interpreted for us. I left some materials with a Lutheran Elder, and Catholic deacon, and popped in at a Universal Church of God Church.

Having ‘done’ Grootfontein, I had to find a place to sleep – a very nice rest-camp availed itself, complete with swimming pool. Ahhhhh. We have a great tent that we purchased here, which goes up easily. It saves up to 80% on accommodation costs (example AU$11 vs AU$100 per night).

Leg 4: Grootfontein - Tsumkwe (300km)

… and all of it dirt road, though relatively good. But make sure you take enough fuel for the return journey!

En route, I had organised with a local NG pastor to see 2 of his students – both Bushmen. Both were 20km off the ‘main road’ – one of the 20 km ‘roads’ was just a ‘track’. My task to find ‘Shorty’ was to get to the school, and then ask for a guide. On arrival, one of the ladies comes running out of the school (term has just finished) shouting “Here I am, here I am”. “Who ARE you?” I ask. “I am the one you came to pick up.” “No I am not.” “Oh no, my lift has just not arrived”.

Anyway, having visited Shorty, I had to return to the school, take her, her colleague, and 2 bushmen children, and HEAPS of luggage to the main road, and then backtrack to the ‘Animal inspection gate’ (15 km back), drop them off, and then proceed back towards Tsumkwe. They hoped to catch a lift from there

Shorty is officially a Deacon in his church. I asked him “What does a deacon do?” He could not answer me. Later, in speaking to the NG minister, I discovered his title of ‘Deacon’ is simply to give him a place in the ‘church structure’. Officially, a deacon is there to deal with financial issues – in particular to distribute to the poor and needy. However, in Shorty’s church, there is no money. There is simply 100% need with ALL the people in the church.

Shorty has no job. He has a few goats and chickens, and lives off the land, hunting, eating berries … as the Bushmen have always done. However, his love for Jesus is evident. The minister says often finds him reading his Afrikaans Bible under the tree when visiting him.

I found Jaffet, the other Bushman (church) elder. At both points, I chatted a little with them, and then proceed to do the Matthias Media ‘Bible Overview’ with them - and their household and local family and friends. It was my first opportunity to hear ‘Bushman’ spoken ‘in the flesh’. What surprised me was, now and then, in the interpretation, I picked up and Oshiwambo word or two. I later learned that there is a fairly complex political history involved – with the people being resettled variously by church and government.

The Bushmen are extremely economically deprived. They live in very deserted parts of Namibia where there are no opportunities for business. You may have been aware of them petitioning Brangelina for assistance during their natal visit of the country. But the NG church is doing a lot to uplift them. Helping them acquire farming stock, sinking boreholes, educating, sustaining preaching points, training elders, and selling curios and artefacts, that otherwise are inaccessible.

Then on to Tsumkwe. Actually this is a Bushman word, with 2 clicks. The ‘Ts’ is the click which you would make when you say ‘Tch, tch’, being disgusted with a child’s behaviour, or having pathos evoked by a small cute animal. The ‘kwe’ is the click you would make (for the horsey ones) in the side of your mouth when are telling a horse to get a move-on. So, try that one for tongue twister.

I got to the lodge after nightfall, and having eaten a grand feast of rice and pilchards, I spent an evening with two American fellow campers, Eric and Sharikay, who are touring the world – see www.border-crossings.com.


Leg 5: SUNDAY Tsumkwe – Ongwediva (650km)

On the final morning I met up with 4 Bushmen elders of the NG church who are all steadily working through the NETS TEE course with their ‘Dominee’ (Pastor) Hendrik van Zyl. We had a great a discussion (in Afrikaans) about some leadership issues – including what they thought was the most important aspect of Christian leadership, how they became leaders and what their vision was for their respective congregations.

The men labour under having to do the course in Afrikaans, which is not their mother tongue. They have no Bible in their language. One of the previous ministers composed an orthography for their language and also translated the Gospel of Mark. More recently, an anthropologist came and composed a new orthography, and now the men have to start at the beginning to learn to read their own language. A sad situation.

I exhorted them to do read their lesson at home before their weekly meeting, and write down in a workbook everything they didn’t understand. But am I on another planet expecting non-literary people to do something like this?

As I prepared to leave and have some good unwind time listen to some CMS Summer School tapes, I was accosted by a couple wanted a ride; 300km to Grootfontein. Suddenly there were them and then 3 Bushmen in the car.

The man, a Kwangali from Rundu, was speaking to me in English initially. Then I realised they understood Afrikaans better. Whilst we drove they got an on-the-fly translation of 2 ways to live in Afrikaans, which the Kwangali lady translated into Bushman (the real name for the Tsumkwe language is !Kun, I think).

But I also discovered they spoke Oshiwambo, so I got a bit of practise in, and learned a few more words. When we arrived last year, CMS graciously bought me a hand-held recorder. I use it to record words and phrases, and use it for practise when I am in the car on my own: a real asset.

After Grootfontein, the journey was quieter until back in Owamboland, where I started picking up hikers again. Unfortunately, you travel through ‘Ndonga’ which is dialect compared to the ‘High Kwanyama’ which I am learning, so communication is tenuous – but fun.

I arrived home by 6pm and greeted by my beloved children and dear wife who, during my absence, fielded the home-schooling and the many people who come to our gate – at all times of the day.

Do you wish you had gone with me? Well, if you pray for us and financially support us through CMS, then you DID! We praise God for you, our Gospel partners!