AFRICAN REFORMATION OVERLAND MISSION 2018 - NAMIBIA

​​South Africa - Frontline Fellowship
With Frontline’s vision to Glorify God and work for Reformation in Africa we were able to go on this mission; our main goals were:
- Working with the Church leaders, encouraging them to preach from the Bible in context and training them to do the Discovery Bible Study.
- Reaching out with love; teaching and encouraging women and children from the Word of God.
- Distributing  literature, including Bibles in African languages, the Biblical Preaching Handbook, Old Testament Survey and John’s Gospel from New Testament Survey
- Distributing love boxes.
The praying, planning and packing beforehand was already part of the mission and we could see God’s hand in it. We received wisdom in what to pack for distribution and teaching. Operation Mobilisation donated us Bibles in African languages and we received them just on time. Supplies were given to pack 40 love boxes. Fitting all the food in the kitchen was fun and we had enough food with to donate some. Especially in Zimbabwe, the people were in need for food. Even though we gave away a lot, the rusks lasted us over half of the mission!
It was good to pray for the border crossings, countries and people beforehand. Operation World was very useful to get to know more of the background, needs and statistics of the countries. Later we saw God heard our prayers when we unexpectedly met and got to encourage one specific woman we prayed for before going on the mission.

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​We left for Namibia on 14 August at 5 o’clock. On the road we had good conversations, learning from each other, especially from Abrie and Daniel who both have more experience and knowledge. About personal devotional time and Bible study we learned that we either read in: -breadth (like the way you would read a loveletter, taking in and enjoying the words) or -depth (digging further into the verses and any questions you could have, reading together with a commentary).
Namibia's Border
We had a difficult border official, while standing in the “customs” row. First Abrie, then Daniel got sent back because according to the border official “they can’t read or even properly fill in their forms!”  Next in row, I’m humming “bless the Lord oh my  soul“,  and was so stressed that I would also get sent back with a string of insults. To my great relief, the border official did not find any problem with my form, but to my great distress he commanded me to sing the hymn for him. I ended up just saying the songs’ words and he gave me a stamp saying “may it be blessed!” Finally we came through. If we knew Namibia’s border official would be so rude we would’ve prayed much more for this crossing! 

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​​We sat up camp at a site next to the Orange River. I forgot the braaitang so we had to improvise. While Talita and I built a fire and prepared food the men went to find more firewood. Tobie climbed trees to get dry branches. Many times on the mission when Tobie was now where to be found, we would know he was somewhere climbing very high up in a tree.
“O Lord, our Lord, How excellent is Your Name in all the earth, Who have set Your glory above the heavens! When I consider Your heavens, the work of Your fingers, The moon and the stars, which You have ordained, What is man that You are mindful of him, And the son of man that You visit him?” Psalm 8:1 & 3-4 
Underneath a beautiful starry sky we sang a few hymns and read from Psalm 8. We did the Discovery Bible Study which is such a helpful study method. 

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Early morning we packed up and left for Windhoek. At the fuel station, I talked with a Roman Catholic who told me “I serve the Lord and believe that Jesus died for my sins”. Hearing that made me unsure about what I believed about Roman Catholics in general. We talked about the two men who went to the temple to pray, concluding that we can’t be saved by any works, which confused him a bit. He received the “Two men went to the temple to pray” tract to read more about the subject.

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The Lord Will Provide
Late afternoon we arrived at our hosts in a city of Namibia. We had a fun time playing games with our hosts’ daughter; her energy exhausted us all.  Tobie and Talita had the opportunity to meet up with friends. After dinner we did the Discovery Bible Study on Jonah together with our hosts. The oom said their churches are inactive and very compromising. The only youth reaching out from their church and school is his and the pastor’s son. His other son attends school in Clan Williams town, SA. Earlier this year, all the school boys there had to wear the girls uniform and all the girls the boys uniform for a gay parade.
The next morning our host took us to Kanaal 7, a Christian radio station. They broadcast all over Namibia in different home languages. Their vision is “to win souls for Christ through social media”.  “Hom verkondig ons” Kollossense 1:28. (“Him we preach…” Colossians 1:28) a very encouraging verse we saw against the wall as we entered. Abrie was interviewed and got to share the Gospel and about Frontline Fellowship’s work. The oom took us to Pupkewitz Toyota and said he will pay for anything that must be serviced or replaced on the mission bakkie. The mechanic eagerly told how he came to Faith and said “before I knew Christ my life was empty and I was searching, now it has meaning”, it was so encouraging to hear his story. We took tracts and went on a street outreach. On mainroad we walked over a street were Robert Mugabe Ave and Nelson Mandela Ave crossed...
After we picked up the vehicle we greeted our hosts, they gave us padkos, sandwiches and a big jar of honey from bees they kept in the garden. What a nice gift that was!
“Pleasant words are like a honeycomb, Sweetness to the soul and health to the bones.” Proverbs 16:24 

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​Our next stop was in a small mining town in the North of Namibia. On a walk, I talked with two girls, then their New Age neighbour came to join in for the conversation and tried to convince us that the Bible and prayer is not necessary. We should just listen to our conscience and meditate more. We talked for almost an hour and later the family (more of them joined at the gate) said that they rather read Bible since it’s the true Word of God.
We came together for our hosts’ lovely food. Then we had another awesome Bible study out of the passage were Jesus blesses the children. Our host said that it’s motivating her to teach her two young girls more from the Bible “it’s so easy to think they’re too young to understand, and we will teach them when they’re old enough to understand. Yet Jesus said we must believe like them.”
Our team practiced Lazarus for a play we did at El Shaddai School. The children enjoyed it very much and acted it out themselves. After Lazarus (played by a colored boy) was resurrected he hugged and eagerly thanked Jesus forresurrecting him.
We had tea with some of the teachers who told us that the school children are very closed and resistant to the Gospel. A white farmer’s son who grew up among the Bushmen Language showed us how he speaks their language perfectly. The San people, who is the earliest tribe of Namibia, are still quite unreached. Most of the farmers see the San as a threat to their animals and lands so they chase them away (from what used to be these nomadic peoples’ travelling grounds) instead of reaching out to them.

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​At the mall we searched for sunglasses for Abrie, it’s a need on Namibia’s bright roads. I had a long conversation with two Roman Catholics who said that they do believe in Jesus Christ and they do pray to Him but they also pray to Mary. When asked why also to Mary they said they don’t know. It was scary to realize how easily I labelled the Roman Catholics with what I think they believe.
Daniel, Tobie, Talita and I went to Tsumebs’ old age home were we talked with the old ladies. They told us their life stories and shared how God has been working in their lives, the testimonies they shared was encouraging. Daniel sang to them a song in Hebrew and we closed by singing a few Psalms and hymns with them.

The Saturday we joined the bicycle project were they keep underprivileged children busy by teaching them how to ride bicycles and have them racing on a course. Daniel opened with a short devotion about keeping our eyes fixed on Jesus during the race and then shared the Gospel.
We had alot of time to talk with the children while they were cheering their friends along the course. One asked me if it’s true that Heaven and hell will go in sequence, he said “I saw it on a movie, like it’s going to happen again and again and again”. It’s scary how these many isolated young children still gets indoctrinated with worldly movies and ideas. When the activities were over it was worrying to greet all these children, they have such a need to be taught the Truth. Praise the Lord for Tsumeb’s Children Evangelism Fellowship station who are working in this  area. With Talita’s delicious banana bread as padkos, we greeted our hosts who kindly asked us to come visit again. Their church is only a few families who come together, but are actively reaching out in their area, we think of them in our prayers.
“Then they brought little children to Him, that He might touch them; but the disciples rebuked those who brought them. But when Jesus saw it, He was greatly displeased and said to them, ‘Let the little children come to Me, and do not forbid them; for of such is the Kingdom of God. Assuredly, I say to you, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God as a little child will by no means enter it.’ And He took them up in His arms, laid His hands on them, and blessed them.” Mark 10:13-16

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