R & R

Rest & Relaxation - how refreshing does that sound? It seems as if the past month has been one continuous whirlwind. We were going full-speed in an effort to finish the church building in time for the National Church conference - mission accomplished!

As soon as we finished the building our good friends, Denny and Sandy Miller, arrived one week in advance of the church conference. We had a wonderful time showing them part of Namibia and preaching at one of our churches at the coast. We arrived home in time to wash clothes and get ready for the conference which began on a Tuesday and ended on Saturday - meetings during the day and service at night.

On Sunday morning we had our first regular service at Ombili and on Monday we crashed! It seems as if it took the entire week to recuperate from all the activities! Fredna is attending the CHE (community, health, and evangelism) training this week. I have begun to prepare for my November class at Bible school - Guidelines For Leadership.

We will probably begin to pack in a week or so in an effort to be ready to leave for the USA early December. We will be going home for a one year furlough. More on this later.

The First Sunday!

The first official service of Ombili Assembly of God was held today in Otjiwarongo, Namibia. There were over 170 in attendance for the service. The Lord really moved during the service and touched many lives. Two people came for first-time salvation and two were filled with the Holy Spirit. Many came forward for prayer to be delivered from fear.

The children were treated to a class of their own during the main service.

Holy Spirit Conference

The past week has been incredibly busy! Our national church held a Holy Spirit Conference here in Otjiwarongo. All national pastors, many church leaders, and members were present. The Acts In Africa Initiative team from Malawi conducted seminars during the day and each night there was a Holy Spirit rally. The attendance was good and the last night there were well over 200 present. The sweet presence of the Lord was felt in every meeting. The evening rallies were held at the newest PAOG church, Ombili Assembly of God.

The members of the Pentecostal Assemblies of God committed themselves to several aggressive goals over the next three year period. One goal will result in 30 new churches being planted in Namibia.

Growing Pains

The Ombili Location is experiencing growing pains. The Municipality of Otjiwarongo has established 96 new plots for people to build on just 4 blocks from Ombili Assembly of God Church.

It all started when the municipality cleared the land for 96 plots. Remember, this is a re-location area. That means that when the city finds "squatters," they try to move them to this area of the community. The Ombili Location already has 1,500 houses, and this will add another 96. The municipality says that there are an average of 7.5 people to every house. That means that with 1,500 houses there are 11,250 people. The 96 new plots means that another 720 people are moving close to the church. That's correct, a population of 11, 970 people within 3/4 kilometer of Ombili A/G!





In the pictures above you will notice the open ground after it was cleared. Then one of the first houses built and a lady carrying firewood on her head. The last picture is of a young man putting the finishing touches to his dwelling.
What does this all mean? Simply put, it means we have the potential of reaching well over 10,000 people with the Gospel of Christ! We are the only church within 4 kilometers - and that is a very long way to walk!

Please pray for us as we minister to this multitude of people. Please pray that God will draw each one of them to Himself! Remember, if Ombili Location is experiencing growing pains, then the Kingdom of God should be too.

Fannie's Story

I would like to introduce you to Fannie. Fannie lives in Ombili with her two young sons. She lives simply, like most people do in Ombili. She is in the process of building a new house. Before you conjure up images of a two-story house or a quaint little bungalow near the beach, you must realize that a new house in Ombili is not what you are thinking. Fannie's house is made from clay blocks that she and her two sons mix, then mold. She has been working on this house for sometime now, but it is only about one-third complete.

I met Fannie about two weeks ago. She had gauze wrapped around her leg and her hand. The bandages were blood-soaked. It seems that Fannie was heating water or oil in a large pot over an open fire. When she removed the pot, the liquid inside sloshed out, and Fannie was burned very badly. She received burns on her right leg and her left hand. She could hardly walk at all and could not close her hand or straighten her leg. I asked her if she was seeing a doctor, and she told me that she was supposed to go to the hospital every day to have her wounds dressed. I could tell that the dressing had not been changed in a few days, so I asked her if she was going to the hospital every day. Fannie said, "I can't. I do not have money for the taxi, and it is too far to walk." I gave Fannie some antibiotic ointment and Tylenol and tried to explain to her the importance of moving her hand and leg and keeping the skin flexible. When she tried to move her limbs, it was excruciating. Then I asked her if I could pray for her.

It was one week before we saw Fannie again because Fredna and I were out of town, but upon our return I was absolutely astounded! There were only two small places that were still weeping on her leg. The burns have almost completely healed! Her skin pigment has not returned completely yet, but she looks fantastic compared to what she did look like! I told her that God had heard our prayers, and He had given her a special touch. She immediately agreed!

There is another part to Fannie's story... While Fredna and I were away for the week, Fannie came to the Ombili church looking for me. She told one of my workers that she came to show me her leg and tell me that she now believed in prayer. Fannie told my worker that when I asked if I could pray for her, she said okay, but she didn't believe that prayer would help. Now she believes that there is a God and that He hears and answers prayer. Fannie says she can't wait for our first service at Ombili A/G - she and her two sons will be present!