September, 2005

We’re Moving!

Next Saturday, we will move for the fourth time in less than 3 years. During that time, we have had dozens of ther “temporary” residences during our times of “exile.” After living in the same U.S. home for 21 years, the past three years of nomadic existence have been quite a challenge. So we are elated to report that this should be our last move in Namibia since we are buying this home rather than renting. In our spare time, we are busy packing and repairing damage done by our pets to our rental home.

LON’S MINISTRY NEWS
Each morning for the past few weeks, I have been teaching in the Short-Term Missionary Training program at Hodygos Training Center, the national headquarters of Youth for Christ Namibia. I have been leading them through of process of Understanding their Identity and Calling in Christ’s Kingdom. It is so exciting to see this group of young adults come to a better understanding of themselves and how God has equipped them for a unique ministry. I will continue teaching them throughout the Spring (Autumn for those of you on top of the world). We will next study a revised, expanded version of Panoramic Tour of the Bible. Following that, I want to teach a course on How to Study the Bible.

But the most exciting ministry news for me is that Pastor Thomas and I are finally ready to launch our Pastors Bible Correspondence School. The first two courses (24 Old Testament lessons) are completed. We currently have 52 students from 15 different churches enrolled and we have made the copies we need for the first two mailings. We will be mailing them the first lesson in just a few days. We expect our student enrollment to increase dramatically after our first mailing hits the streets. The lessons are available in two languages, but we hope to add a third language in the next few months. Send me an email if you are interested in seeing a sample lesson and make sure you indicate whether you want the English or Luchazi translation J.

We continue to travel to Swakopmund twice a month to preach and train leaders at Swakop River Community Church. It is very fulfilling to watch their Elder Board come together as a team and provide strong leadership for the church. The church is beginning to be a very powerful voice for Christ as church members spread Christ’s love in their community.

I wake up each morning with such excitement for the ministry God has been preparing for me while I slept. Who knows but that I have come to Africa for just such a time as this? Thanks to my Jewish forefather Mordecai for such eloquent phraseology. It expresses perfectly what my soul knows very well. It is such a privilege to serve God in this way at this time in this place.

VAL’S MINISTRY NEWS
Thanks to all of you who responded to our invitation for short-term help. We feel very loved and supported from your numerous offers of assistance.

God is getting ready to move our ministry in the Vyf Rand (pronounced Faif Rond) Camp forward by giant leaps. Thank you for reading and praying with us about our challenges there concerning property issues. Our plans for building a church, pre-school and expanded craft training center in the camp have been held in check by the municipality of Okahandja. We have petitioned the city several times to give us the land or at least dramatically lower the price. As part of God’s sovereign plan, they blessed us by denying all our requests. After much prayer, we decided that God was trying to lead us to a new and better future. So rather than buy land inside the camp, which has NO resale value after you buy it, we found a wonderful property within sight of the camp that was for sale. Previously, it was a tavern, so purchasing the land provides a double benefit.

It is 16 acres of land enclosed in a tall, electrified security fence and has a large building and 6 residential flats on it. The church can use the existing structures as a church building, school, parsonage, training areas and there is also a huge covered terrace that will serve as a community gathering place for classes and fellowship. God has been very good to us. We will use the land to grow vegetables and to train residents how to start their own gardens. A Christian farmer nearby has offered to plow the ground and provide expertise. We would also like to provide low-cost permanent homes for camp residents if we can get the land re-zoned as residential. To keep construction costs at a minimum, we will start a concrete brick/block factory, which will employ local residents and provide construction materials at wholesale prices.

The church is busy forming a Trust to own and administer the property. It will be known as “Building a Better Future Trust.” God has already supplied the funds for the purchase of the land, but we still need donations for capital improvements (digging a well) and equipment (brick making machines). If anyone would like to invest in this community transformation project, send us an email. There is a large billboard on the property proudly announcing “Sam’s Tavern.” We look forward to it’s new look announcing “Building a Better Future in Christ.”

PERSONAL NOTES
Bo is in the doghouse again. Awhile back he took a liking to the plastic ends of the landlord’s sprinkler system. Now that we are moving, it is one of the repairs to which we are attending. The day we got them working again, Bo promptly had another feast. He knows he is in trouble, but I don’t think he knows why and I’m sure he is not biblically repentant. Unfortunately, he has too much time on his hands and not enough sheep to herd. So he just slinks around and looks “sheepish.” Panda, the cat, just rolls his eyes and says, “Dogs are so uncivilized.”

We are very excited that our niece, Kate Losiewicz, is coming from London to stay with us for 6 weeks. She answered our call for a videographer and we get the added bonus of spending time with family. It will be a delight to have her with us for such an extended time. Afterwards, she’s off to college in America.

CHURCH DISTRIBUTED UPDATE
The best example of Distributed Ministry Partnership we can think of now is the excellent assistance we are receiving from Youth for Christ Namibia for our move. As with our prior moves, our good friends and partners at YfC will be lending us a large lorry (truck) with driver and lots of youthful, energetic helpers. They literally take the pain out of moving for us. We are so grateful for their assistance.

ON THE HOMEFRONT
Thanks again to all you Skype callers. It makes America seem a lot closer to receive so many calls from home. With Skype and a pair of headphones connected to your computer, you can call us for free. Check it out at http://www.skype.com.

Thank you, J.T. Almon, for being willing to lend us your business acumen by serving on the Board of Trustees for the Hope for a Better Future Trust.

Thank you, Carey Brown, for being faithful and obedient to God and such a blessing to Africa. May God richly reward you for your loving concern. You will be in our prayers of thanksgiving for all of eternity.

Thank you, Mike and Sandra Duda for your generosity and commitment to Africa shown before we started this segment of our newsletter. God has a way of connecting us together over time, doesn’t He?

Thank you, Dana Mitchell, for blessing your good friend Lon with the gift of your presence. I am so looking forward to spending personal time with you.

Slice of african life
The other day Pastor Thomas and I went to Windhoek to meet an accountant about setting up the Trust. We drove separately since Val and I were staying in Windhoek for the evening. At least that was the original plan. Thomas’ car was not running right and we were in danger of being late for the appointment, so he switched to our car and Joseph, a friend who was riding with him, continued driving his vehicle to Windhoek to do some of his own shopping. After our appointment, we called Joseph and arranged to meet him on the edge of town at an agreed spot. When we arrived, neither Joseph nor his vehicle was there. Through the magic of cell phonery, we discovered that his friend drove back to Okahandja (70km, 42 miles away) without him, leaving Thomas and his wife stranded in Windhoek.

Pastor Thomas owns a taxi and arranged for his driver to pick him up and take him home. His driver did come, but with an already full taxi. So Pastor Thomas had to pay another taxi to drive him and his wife home. So after paying for the petrol in his vehicle, he also had to wait for hours and pay for a taxi.

Here’s the point of the story: if that happened to an American, chances are we would be quite angry at our friend who left us stranded. But this is Africa and Africans have much more tolerance for things going wrong and friends who take advantage of you. Pastor Thomas just laughed it off and said, “It’s not that big of a deal.” I admire that. It seems like a less stressful way to live.

FINANCIAL SUMMARY
Through end of July, our support account is right at the break even point. God is good.

$ 35,186 YTD Giving (through August 2005)

32,500 YTD Budgeted Need
-----------
$ 2,686 Balance in Ministry Account

IMPORTANT NOTE: When giving through Northland, make sure you designate “Lon and Val Garber” on your envelope or attached note. Otherwise, your donation may not be credited properly to our account. Thanks so much.

PRAYER POINTS
PRAISE for our new home. We are so excited to own our little patch of Namibian dirt. It is such a blessing to us at the end of a long journey of faith. Well, actually the journey of faith never ends, but we are happy for this little oasis along our way.
PRAISE for God’s miraculous blessing concerning the land He has provided for the ministries of Vyf Rand Bible Baptist Church. We feel it is indeed Promised Land and it will give so much hope to this beleaguered community.
PRAISE for the “Grand Opening” of the Pastor’s Bible Correspondence School and for our first students. I have been preparing and dreaming of this day for several years and it has become a dream come true.
PRAISE that Val may have found her assistant. She is trying someone out now.
PRAISE for the ways God is finding markets and distribution channels for the craft products our ladies are producing.
PRAISE for Engelhart’s recovery from his serious burns. He is out of the hospital and healing nicely. His mother, Hildegard, thanks you for your prayers.
PRAY the children of Namibia. So many of them are orphaned by death or abandonment. We heard so many heartbreaking stories about these vulnerable children. We will spare you the details. Just pray for God’s protection. We have two partner ministries that are working the front lines of this need: Hope’s Promise Orphan Ministry and Christ’s Hope, International.
PRAY that we can maintain our sense of balance amidst growing ministry opportunities and such huge needs that we see every day.
PRAY that God would give us wisdom in developing this property for the glory of the Lord. He has been so gracious to us and we want to be good stewards of this opportunity. Yet this is a major undertaking and we have no experience in land development. So pray that the God who gave us the land will give us the knowledge and wisdom to maximize its use for the expansion of the Kingdom and to magnify His glorious name.