Flickr Site Updated
There were a couple of things we wanted to do before the baby comes and one of them was a local leopard and cheetah feeding... plus we were checking it out for future visitors who might enjoy such an event :)
Those photos and more, here:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/disposablechristianEnjoy,
Todd & Erin
Namibia - In Retrospect
[Erin was writing again last night. Here's her latest entry.]
Looking back at last year we've realized there were quite a few misconceptions we had of what missions is and even more so about what it means to “be” a missionary. It took a year of living in Namibia to realize some things that I wish someone would have been able to tell me in advance.
To begin with, I have realized that by nature, the Namibian people are evil, sinful and lost. I realize that might cause some to jump and at best feel slightly uncomfortable, but I can't tell you how much I wish I would have understood that when coming. Let me try to explain.
I had a major misconception that being a missionary in Namibia was going to be rather easy (at least in comparison to the reality that it is). From our two week experience back in June 2004, I had composed a very likable and good natured view of the people of Namibia. I believed, which is now almost embarrassing to admit, that Todd and I were going to come and have more people than we knew what to do with who were true believers and sincerely wanted to know about Jesus. We had all these ingenious ideas of ways to teach and disciple them. Although we never put a time period on it, we even thought that rather quickly there would be local people that we had trained that would be ready to be “missionaries” themselves, both to their own people and even in other countries.
Overall, although I would never have admitted it, and would even have shuttered at the thought of thinking it, I really think I believed that the Namibian people were just “good” people. Now, to some that might sound like an okay thought, but I really reaped the harvest of that belief and now am seeing things in a whole different light. After about 3-4 months of having a good “honeymoon” experience with the people here, reality set in, and it set in very hard. I could go on and on about these details, and many of you know a lot of them, but in coming back I've realized more than ever that Namibians are the same as all people and born separated from God with no hope of ever reaching Him on their own efforts, that his wrath is upon them, and that they will always choose the bad because that is their nature, just like the rest of mankind. The only hope there is for them is that of the saving grace of Jesus Christ. Unless He opens their eyes to see Him and treasure Him, they will never, and I mean never, no matter how they may appear, be good. (This is not to say that believers are above stumbling, but what I am referring to here is the “nature change” that only Christ himself can accomplish.)
The second thing I wish I would have realized is that, mainly because of the wrong belief system I already wrote of, that missionary work is going to be very hard. I found that I had in my mind things that would be in the category of “hard,” but in reality, nothing compared. All the scenarios I had in my mind were scenarios of those who we loved and trusted going through difficult times, or people we didn't know and trust treating us wrongly. Never in my mind, and this shows how naive I was, was the thought that it would those who claimed to be Christians and those that we had been pouring into for some time would be the ones who would continually deceive, betray, lie, steal, cheat, and the list could go on. I somehow believed that the same love that God had put in our hearts for the Namibian people, he had placed in their hearts for us, and this simply wasn't and isn't so.
So what's the point of this? The point is that I have a desire, like never before to earnestly pray for the Namibian people. They are lost. Not all, but I am becoming more and more convinced that there are fewer and fewer of those who truly know God and/or have a desire to know Him. I believe for many good reasons, God blinded my eyes to the depth of this truth last year. He allowed me to see what is probably only but a glimpse of their depravity so that I might fully and completely see the great need there is for God to take them from the kingdom of darkness, to the kingdom of His glorious light. If we had come to Namibia and all the things I once believed to be true were, I believe I would be very proud in thinking that I had accomplished something, and in being so, missed out on the joy that it is to see Christ change and transform lives into the likeness of himself.
We've only been back a little more than 2 weeks, and I find myself leaning completely on Jesus for the salvation of these people. Please pray with us that the God of the universe and Creator of life itself would truly reveal Himself to the Namibian people in a way that would cause them to run to the cross, filled with repentance, and love for the Saviour.
Please also pray that the Lord would lead us in very specific ways as to where to go now, what to do now, and whom to be with now. We are staying close to the cross and find that our hearts are ready and our hands are willing.
Missions is not possible without Jesus.
Namibia - Practical Ministry
[This special update to the blog was written by Erin this past week. Her own blogger account doesn't seem to be working.]
In many ways, this year is a bit of a starting over for us. We feel much more prepared culturally and are ready to dive back in. The only thing that seems to be holding us back is “the practical.” It's a very interesting tension to be in. On one hand we have the desire to jump in the deep end, and on the other hand, we have all the many things we need to do.
Every day consists of new practical decisions that need to be made. Practicalities of choosing furniture, a refrigerator, paint, lights, curtains and many more things for our not yet finished house, contacting the builder about the lacking progress on the house, or the pipes in the wrong place, or the kitchen not done right, meetings with home affairs about visas and passports for the baby, Namibian lamaze classes, Dr.'s appointments, packing the baby bag and my bag for when our new little one arrives, trying to find a bed, the first week of this schoolyear, and many more, just to name a few.
Last year, our primary location of ministry was in an area of Okahandja called Oshetu. (For those of you who don't know, Oshetu is a part of Okahandja that is made of metal shacks w/ no running water and w/ over 90% of the houses not having electricity.) Before we came back in country both Todd and I had the sense that we wouldn't be doing any programmatic ministries in Oshetu for a while. If you've been getting our update list, you've read of the recent falling out we had between Heinrich and Mouna. This confirmed a lot of what we had already been sensing from the Lord regarding scheduled ministry in Oshetu. We still of course keep in contact with others, and visit occasionally, while praying for Heinrich and Mouna's repentance and restoration, but as far as programmatic ministries there, we just simply feel that now is not the time.
We are so eager to begin pioneering once again. We have many ideas and find ourselves talking often about the how and where. We know from experience that it seems that for ministry to be effective, it must be continual. In other words, we will most likely do more harm than good to start a programmed ministry and then have to stop it for a few months due to the baby and the house.
(Speaking of which, at our last appointment with the Dr., he said that he would like to move the delivery date up to late February as the baby seems to be further along than we thought, and we couldn't be more excited. Our builder has also said that our house will most likely be finished at the end of February.)
I'm not sure why God has purposed this tension, but I find myself thankful for it. Thankful that although we must focus on very practical things right now, God is keeping the desire to make his name great in the lives of others alive in our hearts and minds. He is showing me that right now the practical is the ministry that He is calling me to, and I'm grateful that in the midst of these things, He is very near.
In The Womb - Hello World!
This is our baby girl's face on a sonar we had yesterday in Windhoek with the delivery doctor. Say "Hi"
Click the picture to see the full version :)
Namibia - Buddy's Wedding Support
Dear friends, family, etc,
This is an important and exciting request. Our teammate Buddy is getting married soon (probably in May) and needs extra support and one-time gifts to prepare for it. In Namibia, the blessed/lucky groom is expected to pay 100% of all wedding and honeymoon expenses. I hope Buddy doesn't mind me posting this. He probably won't :) If you would like to support Buddy and need more information, please email me or contact Apex. Also, Buddy needs a honeymoon fund. They aren't requiring much compared to an American standard. Please do what you can to help if so led by the Holy Spirit.
We'll all be grateful.
In Jesus,
Todd & Erin
Namibia - We're Back
Hi all. We're back.
I wrote a post a couple of months ago about being 'back' in America and how I wasn't sure I wanted to be there. It was so strange coming back here that it just felt like home. The weird thing is so many great people—family, friends, everyone are in America but home feels so much like here. I hope that's not too hard for anyone to hear. These are some praises and prayers we'd like to pass along:
Praises:
A great trip back, good delays, no problems, enough room, friendly people
Erin just had amazing energy which I thank God for at this stage in the pregnancy
Keano is doing real well, reconnection was quick
Everyone else we've seen so far seems to be doing well
Prayer:
For good reconnects with people we haven't seen yet and some that are looking at us like we're ghosts
We realize that we were accountability for a few people when we were here so pray for how it looks when we catch up
A group gathered at the MPMC on New Year's Eve and collected money as part of their program. It was the same group that Erin and I walked out on last year. Pray for wisdom and good meetings with some people involved.
Our new place should be done in February. The temporary place is fine but we're praying it's finished as soon as possible
Our gratefulness to the Lord to you