Dumela! (to all you Precious Ramotswe fans!)

After unpacking an avalanche of dirty washing and what seems half the sand of Botswana, we are finally settled back into a routine after being away in Botswana for a few days’ camping in order to re-enter and seek to renew Katie’s tourist visa.

As you can see from the map, leaving the country to go anywhere but Angola is a trek. Angola would have been first prize but one needs to first be officially invited by someone inside Angola, then you need to apply to the consulate and wait (and wait) for a permit to be issued.

On our first day we drove as far as Rundu and stayed in a lodge David stays in when he is doing workshops over there. The owners are very supportive of NETS and sponsor people to do the course in return for their doing jobs around the lodge.

We enjoyed sleeping next to the river, after being so long away from the sight of water. Caris spotted a croc in the river and, to Katie’s delight as she had SO wanted to see one, a chameleon!

The next day we crossed over into Botswana and drove down to the Swamp Stop; our campsite for the next few days. It was a lovely place to stay, though very hot. We enjoyed a boat ride on the Delta. Katie and the children went twice, once with the parents of friends the children met there. They saw croc and hippo, fish eagle and kingfisher.

One day we drove to the nearby world heritage site of cave paintings, called Tsodila Hills. [See blue dot] David’s shortcut turned a 50 minute journey into a 3 hour trek along tracks deep in sand and often strewn with tree branches. There were no sign posts and, when coming to a fork, we had reply on which road seemed to be more used and seemed to be heading in the direction we presumed the elusive hills lay! Good old 4WD! We found out afterwards that this was the ‘old’ road and no longer used since the gravel graded road further to the North (the road we took home). However, we did get to see a buck, eagle and hornbills. And had an Adventure! The downside was that we arrived at the Hills near midday and it was simply too hot (particularly for the children) to walk the minimum 2 hour tour so we contented ourselves with looking at a few nearby rock paintings then heading back to camp!

Before long, we were back in the car along more (seemingly endless) dirt roads to reach the tiny border crossing near Tsumkwe. We stayed the night on the Botswana side with a lovely South African missionary family, the van Jaarsveldts, who have lived there for 6 years to share the Good News with the local San community. [See orange dot] They live in a house with no water (except hand-pumped from a bore), no electricity (except what can be got through solar power), and what used to be an 8 hour journey and is now a 4,5 hr journey along (no longer quite so) terrible dirt roads to get to a supermarket! Now THAT is suffering for the Gospel! David had met them once in Grootfontein on one of his NETS trips there. (They had come over the border to do shopping in a real supermarket!) It was a lovely time of Christian fellowship. The day had been cloudy so there was not much power in the solar batteries, but they turned on a generator in the evening and we watch ‘End of a spear’, which was extremely moving, especially in that sort of setting. I ‘showered’ in the morning under a bucket of water with a hose and nozzle that could be turned on and off. They told us about one of the San families who live 6 hours’ walk from the nearest water. To bathe the children they scoop out a little sand to make an impression then lay on an empty plastic meal sack. A cup or so of precious water is poured into the hollow. The child squats on the sacking and is wetted, then soaped down, and rinsed with that handful of water.

Then we skidded and ploughed our way along the sandy road to the Dobe border. As you can see on the photos, this remote border post is little more than a small room on both sides. This was the moment of truth … would Katie be issued with an additional 3 months? To cut a complicated story short, she was graciously granted 1 month and we are now applying for an extension for a further 2 months as she is due to fly home in December. Please continue to pray for her in this matter.

Now it is ‘business as usual’. Caris is enjoying the harp. Katie is learning about the harp even as she teaches Caris! They are assisted by fortnightly skype lessons with a harp teacher in South Africa. She has just read ‘The Ordinary Princess’ by MM Kaye. Étienne has read through 5 of my E Nesbit novels. He loves them as much as I do. The Treasure Seekers and Would-be-goods are my favourites!

People and places in Botswana

The road less travelled!

First night (Rundu) and border crossing

Hitting the ground running!

Katie, the children and I toil through the hot sand for 2 kms to get to Eluwa (boarding) school for the deaf and blind.

I had arranged last week with the principal to come and run a Bible study for some of the children today (Wednesday) at 3pm.

Seeing us, the principal asks, in typical Oshiwambo fashion, ‘You are here?’
‘Yes’, I replied. ‘We are here.’

She sends someone off to find Meme Aina, a teacher who would find us a classroom to use. Hordes of children crowd in and around the school reception area, signing ‘hello’ to us. And numbers continue to grow as we wait for Meme Aina to arrive.

Like Halley’s comet, we then have a trail of children following us to our destination. When there is usually nothing on after school, word soon spreads that things may be about to change!

The Theory …
Katie and I had planned an informal introductory Bible study with a few of the teenagers we have so far come to know. Maybe 5-10 people? We would do a presentation of the Gospel, using the wordless book, and then have a time of interaction.

The Reality!
Hot on our heels, about 80 children cram into the small room, which soon becomes stiflingly hot. Not quite sure what to do with such a crowd, I commence with a game that requires me to sign numbers to groups, which is good practice for me. And, unlike hearing children, these children keep their eyes on me lest they miss their number being ‘called’!

Then Katie and I take turns, with our limited vocabulary, to explain to the children the Good News of Jesus Christ. Meme Aina, herself deaf, helps us out when we get stuck or do not sign a word correctly, which is a great help.

We finish with prayer and another game outside, in the shade of some trees. Caris and Étienne enjoy playing with the other children and trying some of their limited signing, too. Étienne, in his inimitable way, remarks that going to a deaf school would be good for him as no one would tease him about breaking wind (to which he is prone). David, arriving back in Ongwediva at the perfect time to give us a lift home, replies that the school was not for ‘smelling’ impaired people!

And now?
Well, it seems there is now a kids’ Bible club to run!
But we still want to see if we can do something separately for the youth, as a smaller, interactive group.
As Katie puts it when we get home, “Can you believe it? We just told the Gospel in sign language!”
Thanks for your prayers, assisting us to do this.
And please continue to pray for the hearts of these young people to be turned to Christ and to grow in him.

Gospel and Games

Carpe Diem

Thursday was a long - but great - day.
David and I left the house at 7am, with Katie staying at home to teach and care for the children, thus enabling me to go.
We first went to Eluwa school for the Deaf and Blind, in order to drop off a poster advertising next week’s Bible study there.
Then we drove another 30 minutes to Ondangwa, to Oluno prison. It was my first time at the prison with David. It was a moving experience, being in the women’s section, where I was to run a Bible study-cum-workshop with the 6 women enrolled in the NETS course. There are 9 small children and babies with mothers, and I saw one older woman sitting on the floor weaving a basket – so incongruous. But I guess there is almost nothing to do there.
You can see the photo of the ladies standing in front of a Bible overview series of posters. They were fascinated by it. First of all, I introduced myself and shared how I had become a Christian. Then I encouraged the ladies to do the same so I could begin to get to know them. Then, to make this first meeting special, I asked permission from the Sergeant to be allowed to make Gospel bracelets with the women. In fact, one of the wardens came in and wanted one. I encouraged the ladies to use these bracelets to share the Gospel with their friends.
After 2 hours, I said goodbye and went through all the doors necessary to get into the ‘free’ air again. I then sat in the car for 2 hours, waiting for David to finish. He does a workshop with the NETS students and then goes on to have a session with Kambahu, who has finished his certificate and is doing his Diploma.
I used the time to mark the many exam papers that pile up for me when I am not looking!
We left at lunch-time and grabbed a snack along the way to visit Helena, a young woman David had met whilst giving her a lift one day. She was sick in hospital so we took her some food (as the food in hospitals is not nice and people rely on rellies to bring food in). She had had her operation and was allowed to go home so we set off to take her to her house. (her son is in the photo with green door and window frames in the background.)
Then we turned the car homewards. Passing Ongwediva, we drove into Oshakati to book the car in for a service before he leaves this Monday (14th) for 3 days in Outjo. The lady owning the place is actually our landlady, a Christian woman who wants one of us to start a weekly Bible study for her and her employees. She called us into her office and asked our advice about where to send her child to school!!
Then we went grocery shopping and finally got home just before 4, in time for David to leave again for his physio appointment for his very painful feet (due to plantar fasciitis).
I marked exam papers till quite late.

Saturday was a long - but great - day.
On Saturday, leaving just after 7, Katie and I drove for 2 hours to get to a small, rather isolated town near the Angolan border. Elevine (whom many of you will remember from our powerpoints as being an enthusiastic group leader of NETS students) had organized for me to come and run a workshop to train people in how and why to teach the Bible to children. Having Katie on board really enriched the day as she brought her gifts to bear in sharing the teaching.
I have put photos up of the day, where we enjoyed fellowship with 22 people who had fun discovering action songs, memorizing an action Bible verse, learning how to construct a lesson, competing against each other in a Bible quiz, etc. Come lunch-time we were both very hungry but no one else had brought food. The workshop was at the local hospital but, off the road, it was only sand and we had drive round the back through deep sand to get to the venue, so we had to engage 4WD to get back onto the road and then find an open market where we bought vetkoeks (dough balls fried in fat) to share with everyone.
We got home just after 6, feeling extremely privileged to have been there, and realizing how much we have both been given over the years in the way of resources and instruction, and now we had the opportunity to pass some of it on.
Elevine wants us back next term to train some more folk!

Sunday was a long - but great - day.
Caris had hurt her heel and was not up to walking 1.5 km to church so we did home church. Then I read through etc David’s assignment. Then the census people arrived as we have (unfortunately) been chosen to be a representative household which means I have to keep a record of expenditure every week for a month (NOT my strong point, with all those numbers!!!). And then Katie got back from church with Abraham, a teacher for the deaf students, who had agreed to come and teach us signing of Christian vocabulary for the Bible study on Wednesday. (It can be a bit hard at times as there is sometimes no consensus of opinion of certain signs.)
But we are excited at the prospect of the Bible study, and we shall surely be challenged to keep the Gospel presentation very simple.
Then I marked exams (but David brought more back with him on Sunday evening! However, exams are a good sign as it reflects the commitment of students to complete their modules and move on to the next one, so I don’t mind at all).
David was out at church and a workshop during the day quite far away, and got home in the evening.
We played ‘Spy Alley’ with the children and then fell into bed!
The high temperatures are already making sleeping difficult. It is lunch-time in early Spring as I write … and already 36o.

These great opportunities we have all had are also YOUR opportunities because, by the grace of God, your prayers and support make it possible for us to be here.
Thank you!

Ministry Opportunities

Oluno Bible School

NETS (Namibia Evangelical Theological Seminary) Coordinator is introduced to prospective students of the NETS 'Certificate in Biblical Studies and Christian Ministry', at Oluno Rehabilitation Centre, Northern Namibia!

Coordinator, David Greeff, asks Lukas, a prison inmate, “Why do you want to do the NETS course?”
“Well, I have been going to the Bible study and I want to learn more about God and the Bible.”
“Oh, really! That’s wonderful! What Bible study have you been going to? The one in your cell?”
“No, the ‘Oluno Bible Study’”
“What is the ‘Oluno Bible Study’”
“It is the one run by Kambahu.”
“Oh”, says coordinator, sounding impressed and indicating understanding … but actually doesn’t have a clue what Lukas is talking about.
Later he talks to Kambahu and asks him what the Oluno Bible Study actually is.

Kambahu:
It is our Bible school. It is a 2 year course which I designed. The focus is on helping people to be ready to do the NETS course. Many of the prisoners do not know their Bibles, have never even read a Bible and so, when they start the NETS course, they really struggle. So I designed this course to help them to become literate.

In the course we read through the Bible. Every book. We also talk about the background of the books, and the history of the Bible: how it came to be written. We have about 10 1st year students, and 10 2nd year students. We had our first graduation last year. When they finish this foundational course, they are ready to do the NETS leadership course.

Actually, there are many good people in the prison who would never be able to do the course because they cannot read and write. The course helps them to learn to read. Then NETS can get the best people enrolled in the course. I meet with them once a week. I set regular tests for them, as well as exams. The tests are not difficult. But some of them still fail (he laughs!).

Kavari is a case in point. He is a Himba man. They are a highly unurbanised, pastoral people, extremely unchurched, and mostly illiterate.
Kavari tells his story:
When I arrived in prison, Kambahu handed me a Bible (from the Library).
I said, ‘I don’t want the Bible!’.
He said I should take it and read it.
I said, ‘I have no use for the Bible. I cannot even read’.
Kambahu forced me to take the Bible.

So, I was approached by the spirit of reading. Later I asked my friend about my prison ID card. I ask him where my name was on the card. He showed me. I asked him how these marks made up my name. He explained what each letter meant. Slowly, I learned how to read my name, and also everything else on my prison card.

Then I went and sat on my bed. I put my blanket over my head because I was embarrassed. But I left a small space for light. I took the Bible Kambahu had given me. And I started comparing the letters on the prison card to the letters in the Bible. I found I could read most of it!

I want to thank Kambahu. Through him, God has put his Spirit in me to know him!
Now I can be a free man in prison serving God!

Kambahu later speaks about Kavari:
Even though he was illiterate when he came to prison, he is a gifted person. He could only speak Otjiherero. Now he fluently speaks Oshiwambo, Kwangali, Silozi, and is learning English and Afrikaans. He has been sentenced for 10 years, and has a further case against him. Usually, when people are sentenced for such a long period, they give up on life. They do not bother to come to church. But this is not so with Kavari. As you heard him say, he is motivated because he wants to serve God in prison. He has completed the Oluno Bible School, and now he is ready to do the NETS course!

Before he came to prison he was not at all a Christian. He was totally pagan – not even baptized. Now he has been baptized in prison. His life is utterly changed.

****
Kambahu is a long term prisoner at Oluno rehabilitation centre. He is a Roman Catholic, thoroughly Evanglical, a NETS graduate in the 'Certificate in Biblical Studies and Christian Ministry', and currently studying his Diploma in Theology through NETS.

Katie at Owambo wedding, a slice of cow for us, my timetable!