Lon and Val Garber - Distributed in Namibia

PRODUCTS

Work of Our Hands is a not-for-profit organization. (see Mission Statement) Our goal is not to make money but to empower people to help themselves.

Uniqueness
In a world of mass production, chain stores and cloned widgets, it is a treat to find items both unique and finely crafted where the human heart and soul are evident.

Creating New Traditions
Our Artisans specialize in the contemporary interpretation of traditional African design elements. A nation only since 1990, Namibian’s are discovering their artistic identity through new and numerous creative outlets.

Enhancing Lives
With over 40% of the adult population unemployed, the selling of handcrafted items is virtually the only source of income available to these marginalized indigenous people. Their small businesses provide much more than an income. They provide hope and a sense of empowerment concerning their future.

October 13, 2006 in Work of Our Hands | Permalink | Comments (274)

October, 2005

LON’S MINISTRY NEWS

This month I had the privilege of teaching for the first time at Gospel Outreach’s Christian Leadership School at Imkerhof. The students are at the end of an 18-month course in Biblical Studies, Systematic Theology, Ecclesiology, Church Ministries, Christian Lifestyle and Leadership. There are 27 students in this class from all over Namibia and the DRC (Congo). Udo Wahl, the director, asked me to give a short (2-day) teaching about some of the realities of ministry they will face after they graduate (end of next month). I had a wonderful time teaching and learning with them and hope to make it a regular part of my ministry here in Namibia. Imkerhof is located in the bush 150 km (90 miles) northeast of Okahandja via mostly dirt roads. As my assistant Alex and I traveled to the school early Tuesday morning, we passed a kudu, 2 oryx, several steenbokand many ever-present warthogs along the way.

We have mailed the first correspondence lesson to 55 students. And we have received the first completed lesson this week from Edward Chitima, our Luchazi translator. Please pray that we can continue to expand this ministry.

VAL’S MINISTRY NEWS
Val senses that it is now time to incorporate her ladies into local marketing efforts. Until now, the ladies have mastered the crafts and Val has taken the responsibility for marketing their production. With the goal of making them financially independent entrepreneurs, it is necessary to take the next step of opening a local retail outlet as a means of teaching the ladies about marketing and retail displays.

This is a big step and it will be quite a challenge for most of the ladies who are just now beginning to speak a little English and up to this time have been dependent upon Val to do their marketing for them. Val would really appreciate your prayers for wisdom as she plans this next major step in the growth of her craft projects. This may turn into a bit of a challenge since to many Namibians, handmade does not mean fine craftsmanship, it means cheap merchandise and so people want to pay less and not more for handmade goods.

PERSONAL NOTES
We are busy settling into our new home. We do not own it yet because it seems the current owner never properly transferred the deed into his own name when he bought it from his brother. And now the brothers aren’t speaking to each other. As we wait for them to sort it out with the help of their mother, we are enjoying the house rent-free. We don’t feel too bad about our deed transfer challenges because it seems that President Pohamba is in the same situation. When Namibia won its independence, it failed to officially transfer the deeds of many government buildings, including State House, the presidential residence. Officially the Namibian State House (the Namibian version of The White House), is still owned by the Republic of South Africa. Oops, that paperwork will get you every time.

We are not the only residents of the property. There is a family of mice who reside (or maybe I should say “resided”) in the acacia tree in our front yard. So Panda, our cat, now spends a lot of time sitting in the tree. He loves the idea that the mice have greatly diminished their opportunities for escape. So the family has so far been reduced from 6 to 2. But does Panda eat them in the tree? No way! His preferred dining environment is our bedroom. Since Val loves to read in bed in the evening, she has an unwelcome ringside seat to the “crunch, crunch, crunch” of mouse skull when Panda decides to feast in the corner. Then, it’s “slurp, slurp, slurp” as the tail disappears. Needless to say, Val is not amused. The first time it happened, she screamed and I came running and evicted both cat and mouse carcass. Two minutes later, they both returned through the window. [EDITOR’S NOTE: Sorry ladies for the graphic portrayal. This is why men shouldn’t be allowed to write newsletters.]

But mice are not the only reason Panda likes our new home. When we awoke a few days ago, there were bird feathers all over the bedroom floor. It looked like someone had a pillow fight in the night. Sitting in the middle of it all, Panda was grinning from ear to ear, picking his teeth with the quill of a feather. In true African tradition, no one likes to dine alone.

Val and I attended a dance this evening at the town hall. It was an interesting cultural experience. We were the only white faces there. I guess we must dance “a little differently” because we were immediately asked where we were from. J We may have also been the only one’s drinking Coke. We just wish Bobby and Judi Chapman could have been with us. On our way home, we had to wait for a few cows to vacate the street just a block from our house. They must have been country cows who came to paint the town on a Saturday night.

CHURCH DISTRIBUTED UPDATE
Last weekend, we traveled home from Swakopmund on the InterCape Mainliner (that’s a bus, not a heroin addict). The bus was nearly full and there were only single seats still available. It did not take long to discover that both of our seatmates were American educators on a one-year assignment to help the Namibian educational system. Sharon Finley works at NIED (Namibian Institute for Educational Development) here in Okahandja and Muffin Kent is assigned to the Ongwediva Teacher’s College. It is always interesting to meet other Americans in Namibia, but especially so this time. Sharon lives close by (we have been invited to share Thanksgiving dinner) and Muffin is now trying to help Isabella, who wants to attend the teacher’s college next year. Muffin is from Mariner’s Church in California and took an instant liking to Isabella when we introduced them to each other. God is always connecting His People, even in the middle of the desert (which is where we got to know Sharon and Muffin. Please pray for Isabella as she seeks to further her teaching preparation. She has applied to three schools and we are trusting God to lead her to the right one.

ON THE HOMEFRONT
Later today, we pick up our close friend, Dana Mitchell, at Hosea Kutako Airport. He will be spending a few weeks with us. He will be the first visitor to enjoy the guest flat in our new home. We hope many of you will follow him. It is decorated in an African motif … imagine that. I’m sure you’ll like it. We’ll even supply hot water for your bath and we have kept the light on for you. Bo is really excited because Dana is bringing a replacement “Kong,” the doggy wonder toy. Bo’s first Kong has “gone missing” as we are fond of saying over here. Bo must have buried it for a rainy day, not realizing that we were going to move. Bo loves his Kong and is happy to be receiving a second chance to care for his toys. In the meantime, he has grown rather fond of a doggy-mouth sized football which wheezes when he chews on it.

Larry Sherman will also visit in another week on his 7th trip to his beloved Namibia. While he is here, we hope to visit Rundu together and speak at several churches in the area. Larry has a powerful testimony to share with the people of Namibia and we look forward to ministering with him.

Also in November, Alan and Janet Hoffberg, more friends and supporter of ours from Orlando, will be coming to Namibia to participate in a cheetah research project. Janet works with the Central Florida Zoo. Their project is being conducted near Okahandja and while they are here, we will take them to Etosha National Park to explore Namibia’s other wildlife.

Slice of african life
As in America, shops in Namibia pipe in background music to subtly enhance your shopping experience. What is very different is the choice of music. The other day I was sitting in Nando’s (a chicken restaurant) enjoying lunch listening to a song by the Backstreet Boys. Immediately following it was a stylized version of the old hymn “Nothing But the Blood of Jesus.” That certainly would never happen in America.

Here’s something else I doubt you’ll see in America. The Donkey Welfare of Namibia organization is handing out reflective ear tags to farmers for the same reason we put reflectors on bicycles. Recently someone hit a donkey in downtown Rehoboth. The mayor noted that donkey collisions are common in the area since many people travel to town in donkey carts. Animals in the road at night are a major concern here. For that reason, we try not to drive after dark. Now if someone will figure out how to tag the kudu and elephants.

FINANCIAL SUMMARY
Here is our financial summary through end of September:

$37,934 YTD Giving
36,563 YTD Budgeted Need
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$ 1,371 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.

ANOTHER IMPORTANT NOTE: The home we are buying is from the proceeds from the sale of our home in America. We are not using any ministry money for this purchase. We just wanted to make sure you knew that your financial support is being used to advance the ministry we are doing for God’s kingdom.

October 13, 2006 in Journal | Permalink | Comments (0)

NAMIBIA BACKGROUND

Woh3_1 Namibia is an emerging, nation in southwestern Africa. It achieved its independence from South Africa in 1990. It has an overall unemployment rate of 40% caused by both a lack of skilled labor and job opportunities. Its landmass is approximately twice the size of California, with a population of less than 2 million people. Almost 50% of the people live in the north central region of the country. Although the official language is English, many northern inhabitants only speak tribal dialects.

Since there are not enough jobs in the agricultural north, many families migrate south looking for work. Since many are unskilled, and illiterate, they end up in informal settlements (squatters’ camps) still unemployed. While the government is doing it’s best to help, the problem is just too massive. Some Namibian churches are beginning to realize that they have a key role to play in meeting the growing social concerns of Namibia. And yet the needs are overwhelming.

While overall Namibian unemployment is about 40%, in these informal settlements, unemployment is closer to 80%. Not many ministries or social assistance organizations are mobilized to help these people. What they are most deprived of is the hope that their lives will ever improve.

October 12, 2006 in Work of Our Hands | Permalink | Comments (0)

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
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$ 2,686 Balance in Ministry Account

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.

October 09, 2006 in Journal | Permalink | Comments (0)

August, 2005

Work Permits Approved!

Yes, you read correctly. Our work permits must be renewed yearly and our previous permits expired on August 15. So we were elated to see the coveted stamps in our passports that give us the right to minister here for at least another year. Namibia has a new president and he has cast a new vision for the country that has worked its way into the bureaucracy. The effect for us was a speedy approval without any of the delays and obstacles we previously encountered. We are so thankful that God has decided to bless us in this manner. Rejoice with us as we now make plans for expanding our ministry for the coming year.

LON’S MINISTRY NEWS
This past weekend, I experienced the culmination of two ministry goals that God has been leading me towards for some time now. On Friday afternoon, I traveled north with Pastor Thomas and his family to Tsumeb to speak at a church leadership conference. It was attended by approximately 200 church leaders from 14 Baptist churches in the northern regions of the country. Namibia’s population is concentrated in the north, but the center of business and government life is in the more prosperous central region. Thus, most leadership training is offered in Windhoek or Swakopmund, many hours away from the leaders in the north. Travel and accommodation are expensive and beyond the reach of many small congregations in the north. Providing training for these leaders closer to their homes has been a growing desire of mine for many months.

I spoke to them about how God’s Purposes for the church can be seen in His purposes for individuals, which are revealed at Creation: 1) REFLECT the image of God to the world around us, 2) RULE humbly over the earth as good stewards of God’s resources, and 3) RESPOND to His love by loving Him with our whole heart and by loving our neighbors as we love ourselves. From those 3 purposes, I challenged them to distribute their ministries into their communities, showing humility, love, works of service and unity according to Paul’s instructions in Ephesians. But most importantly, I established relationships with many pastors, from which will flow many more training opportunities.

On Friday evening after the teaching time, the youth choirs from the various churches gave a concert until midnight. Here is an excerpt from Lon’s journal: The singing, dancing, whooping and praising continues as I write this. God has given Africans a rhythm and harmonizing ability that is unparalleled elsewhere. The drums are pounding and the people are fully engaged. They all begin their performance outside the church and then enter singing and dancing. Something wonderful happens inside me during these traditional tribal experiences. I come alive and my soul is stirred in a way that says, “You were made for just such moments. This is you!” It is a truly wonderful feeling and one that I’ve only experienced in Africa.

A second goal of mine has been to offer a Pastor’s Bible Correspondence School to train pastors through distance learning. This weekend provided an excellent opportunity to launch this new ministry. The school has signed up its first 13 students and they will receive their first study in the mail shortly. The curriculum consists of 48 separate teachings (12 lessons per course). There are 2 Old Testament courses, a New Testament course and a basic Bible doctrines course. When they complete each lesson, they mail to us for review and we mail them the next lesson.

VAL’S MINISTRY NEWS
It’s never too early to think about summer missions, and if you have a skill, we can most likely make use of it. Also, you don’t have to wait for the group to come. We will have room for a small team ( 2 to 6) any time. Here are just a few of the ways people can help Val:

· Business skills: Val needs help systematizing the Work Of our Hands Craft Cooperative. ( Like the book The E-Myth) She also needs accounting help … setting things up so someone unskilled can do the data entry.

· Craft skills: I have lots of people who want to learn a skill or craft, but I’m out of time. What’s your skill? Crochet, quilting, decorative painting, sand blasting, screen printing welding, etc. The only limiting factor is the availability of supplies.

· Teaching skills Read to kids, tutor kids, assist in a class room. Teach ESL one on one, or with a small group.

· Graphic design create hang tags for merchandise with each artisan’s picture.

· video production I tried it, and I’m not good at it J. I need someone who can shoot footage and edit it, so we can better show our work when we return next time

· Web design Debbie Upp has it well in hand from her two weeks here, but we will need updates periodically.

· Building construction: not sure today of the exact project, but there is always something, so if interested let us know the time frame and we will talk about a possible project with you.

Anyone who enjoys teaching adults would be a welcome help for Lon.

PERSONAL NOTES
Now that our work permits have been renewed, we feel it is finally time to establish more permanent ties to our adopted country. Therefore we have decided to purchase a home here in Okahandja using the money we acquired selling our home in America 3 years ago. God led us to a home three blocks from the house we are currently renting and we immediately fell in love with it. We made an offer, which the owner has accepted. We hope to move in early October. We are very excited about this new chapter in our lives. After 25 years of owning a home, the last three years of renting have been faith- building but also unsettling. We are anxious to start sinking some new roots into Namibian soil.

CHURCH DISTRIBUTED UPDATE
As we continue our mission to build a strong church network here in Namibia and beyond, we are trying to introduce Crown Ministries financial study to Namibia. They are an established ministry in South Africa, but fairly unknown here. Khomas Community Church is ready to introduce the study in their home groups, but we are finding it a challenge to obtain materials. Please pray with us that we can quickly overcome this obstacle and acquire materials at a cost that is affordable to Namibian households.

ON THE HOMEFRONT
We are so thankful for those of you who have signed up with Skype and have begun calling us on the phone. It is difficult to convey how encouraging it is to us to hear your voices and be able to catch up on news from America. Skype is an internet based phone service that provides free international calls for existing Skype customers. At our end, we still have to pay by the minute for the internet connection when you call, but for American callers, it is absolutely free. Check it out at http://www.skype.com

We give a special thanks to Debbie Upp, Hank and Joyce Schauer and Tom and Nina Snyder for calling us this past month. It is a true blessing that you have given us.

Slice of African Life
We have added this section to our newsletter to give you a little taste of how life is different in Namibia. So we will occasionally chronicle some of our cross-cultural interactions and experiences in an attempt to heighten your sense of awe at the diversity of God’s Creation. It is so interesting to experience the traditions, habits and mindset of another culture. For some it is frustrating, but for us it is usually a fun adventure. This month, we would like to share the difference in the way Americans and Namibians give directions. For Americans, such tools as street names, right, left, north, south, east, and west are essential tools for giving directions. A simple map is even better. Namibians do not need any of those tools. Instead they use landmarks like “that shop on the corner just there.” Just there may be 50 feet or 50 miles away, you never know. Instead of left and right, they use “this side, that side” and both can mean either right or left and refer to this side of the street or the other side of the country or continent.

The other day, Isabella was trying to retrieve a letter from a friend in Angola, which had been privately transported by Angolan friends to Windhoek. We were given the intersection of two street names (a welcome treat) but the house was not at that intersection. It was a block away and around the corner. We were given a house number (but not the street to which it applied) and the house number was wrong. We called and received a second house number which was also wrong. Our third attempt yielded the correct house number, but the number was not posted anywhere on the house or on the street. We were given the correct house color, which helped immensely. The directions were given by a person who lived at the house but was not sure of his own house number. This is a very typical direction exchange in Namibia. Precision is not a high value for Namibians, and perseverance and patience are not valued by Americans. We can both learn from each other. Please come see us. I’ll give you directions. Smile!

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

$ 28,870 YTD Giving
$ 28,438 YTD Budgeted Need
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$ 432 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 work permits. It is such a relief to know our future in Namibia is secure for another year. Praise God.

PRAISE for God opening up new marketing opportunities for the crafts. It seems to be happening. Praise God for blessing the ladies in this way.

PRAY about shipping. It is always a challenge and now we have more marketing possibilities than our ability to get it all back to the States. Please pray now for affordable shipping.

PRAY that the exchange rate would climb favorably for us between now and the time we transfer the money for the house purchase. A slight shift in the rate either way means thousands of dollars on the purchase price of our home.

PRAY for peace that passes understanding as we try to rest in God’s arms as the purchase price moves daily with the exchange rate.

PRAY for Engelhart, nine years old, who walked through a smoldering fire and then ran when his pants caught on fire. His legs are seriously burned. He is the son of Hildegard, one of the bead ladies Val is training and mentoring.

October 07, 2006 in Journal | Permalink | Comments (0)

July, 2005

LON’S MINISTRY NEWS

We are in the midst of our busy season in Namibia. We arrived back home in early June and a few weeks later the Central Florida summer mission team arrived. So we have been busy re-connecting with our normal ministry assignments while at the same time spending time and ministering with the team. But the most important news I want to share with you is what God has been saying to me lately in terms of my ministry message. For the past year, I have been teaching churches what God has been teaching me about faith. We have built a solid foundation there and now God is building in me a challenge to now encourage churches to begin moving out into their communities: to put their faith in action as God leads them to demonstrate His love to their neighbors. Just as the children of Israel took possession of the Promised Land, so are we to take possession of the promises He has given us for healing and transformation of our communities. So my preaching, teaching and training sessions have taken on the note of challenge to move our confident beliefs into committed actions. These actions will vary as God speaks to the leaders of each congregation. It is rewarding to see the eagerness on the faces of people who are willing to take these important next steps.

We have an update on the property issue. To refresh your memory, the municipality of Okahandja owns the Vyf Rand (informal settlement) land on which we want to build a church/ pre-school building. They have set a price of $N 55,000 for the property (approximately 1 acre), more than three times its true market value. They have repeatedly denied Pastor Thomas’ requests to lower the price. When we were in the States, we met a man whose solution to the problem was, “Then why don’t we buy a nearby farm and move the camp off of municipal property.” That was a solution we had not even considered. Maybe God thinks bigger than we do. So we began praying about it and asked Pastor Thomas to start looking for land outside, but close to the camp.

We have been looking longingly for two years at a piece of property next to the camp. It is 19 times the size of the property the church currently occupies. Last year, someone else bought it and has been using it as a tavern. We hought: “Great, a tavern is the last thing this poor community needs.” So every time we’d drive by, we prayed that the tavern would close. While we were in America, our prayer was answered. It closed. And now the tavern owner wants to sell the property. We are praying for God’s guidance as to what we should do. It is 16 acres (6.3 hectares). It has a main building that could serve as both a church and a pre-school (4518 sq. ft.) and 4 residential living units. The entire property is surrounded by a tall security fence. It has access to electricity and water and also has a well. The owner is asking $US 88,000 for the land and buildings, but will probably take less. Bible Baptist Church could use the property to provide a wide array of social services to the community as well as offer low-cost permanent housing for dozens of families. The educational and skills training possibilities make our heads spin. Please pray with us that God will give us wisdom as to how to proceed. This property has the potential to be God’s tool for transforming an entire community of 3000 residents.

VAL’S MINISTRY NEWS
Since our return to Namibia, Val has made significant strides in the export portion of the Work of Our Hands project. This week we shipped our first shipment to Germany and our second shipment to the United States. These are very important steps in the growth of the project since the Namibian marketplace is much too small to sustain future growth. We want to give a special thanks to all of you who purchased merchandise while we were in the States. We will be sending additional shipments to the U.S. whenever we find visitors willing to transport it for us. Anyone who is willing to host a Work of Our Hands home party should contact either Judy Tillman (407) 682-8710 or Lynn Brumback (407) 767-5683.

We are extremely proud of Magdelena, who is the first Work of our Hands lady to open her own savings account. This tangible step demonstrates hope to others that their lives can change for the better. Hildegard, one of the bead ladies, told Val the other day: “We thought of you often while you were gone, especially when we were hungry.” Please pray that God would continue to provide marketing outlets and opportunities for their craftsmanship.

PERSONAL NOTES
As well as hosting several team members, we also have Val’s father and his wife visiting us for the month of July. It is exciting to show them our adopted land and introduce them to our new friends and ministries. They are also being a blessing to us in many practical ways. Having their assistance as well as their companionship has been very refreshing to us. Lon asked Val’s dad what he had seen in Namibia that made an impression on him and that our newsletter readers might want to know. His immediate reply: “I was most impressed by the smiles on the ladies’ faces whenever Val comes around and the smiles on the faces of the pastors and leaders when Lon shows up.”

Bo (dog) and Panda (cat) seem very happy that their chief servants (Val and Lon) have returned home and Bo loves the Kong toy we imported for him from the U.S (Golden, CO). It is his constant companion. He especially loves it when we fill the interior with peanut butter. But the best news is that his puppy exuberance is settling down a bit as he matures. Now he greets us calmly in the morning with a wagging tail rather than his previous all-out enthusiastic and slobbery assault on our bodies. He is growing into a delightful companion and watchdog.

Our work permits expire on 15 August. We submitted are applications for renewal in mid-June and are now awaiting a decision. Please pray once again with us that God will grant us favor with the Ministry of Home Affairs.

CHURCH DISTRIBUTED UPDATE
Lon is considering hosting a Pastor’s Conference for a group of 30 Baptist churches in either September or October. It is an excellent opportunity to expand the distributed church network here in Namibia. The conference will probably held in Rundu, along the northern border. Please pray for wisdom concerning the development of this key ministry opportunity.

Lon has also been invited to conduct another Pastor’s Conference in Kinshasa, (Democratic Republic of the Congo). This conference will be attended by over 500 pastors. We are praying for the funds needed to feed the pastors for the 5-day conference. Once the funds are secured, we will schedule the conference.

ON THE HOMEFRONT
One of our objectives for our recent trip to America was to develop an American market for Work of our Hands products. God graciously answered our prayers in two significant ways. First, we sold almost our entire stock while we were in the States. Praise God. But even more importantly, God has given us a wonderful business team to handle the marketing and business aspects of the American market. Bill and Judy Tillman and Larry and Lynn Brumback have volunteered to manage the stateside aspects of the business. Words cannot express how much of a blessing this is to the whole endeavor.

We are so grateful to Debbie Upp who worked diligently on Val’s Work of our Hands website for the two weeks she stayed with us recently. She will be installing the updates on Northland’s webserver in a few weeks. Once installed, you will be able to order Work of our Hands merchandise online. Visit our website at:

http://nacd.northlandcc.net/LonNVal/home1.asp

From the home page, click on the link for Work of our Hands.

FINANCIAL SUMMARY
Our ministry in Namibia is a walk of faith. God supplies our financial needs according to His riches and glory. He channels that blessing through our friends and faithful supporters. It takes approximately $US 48,750 in donations per year to supply our living and ministry expenses.

$ 26,602 YTD Love Offerings
$ 24,375 YTD Budgeted Need
-----------
$ 2,227 Balance of Ministry Account

Praise God for his provision

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 safe return as well as all the supplies that came with us and other team members

**Praise – for progress in our ministries while we were gone. We left our work in faithful hands and God blessed.

**Pray – for the renewal of our work permits for another year

**Pray – for guidance concerning the purchase of the church property

**Pray – Val needs a Namibian Assistant (as in yesterday); pray for the right person!

**Pray – for wisdom in the planning of both of the upcoming pastors’ conferences

October 03, 2006 in Journal | Permalink | Comments (1)

February, 2005

Chronicles of Namibia
Lon and Val Garber on Assignment
February 2005

LON’S MINISTRY NEWS

Lon’s teaching, preaching, training schedule continues to keep him busy. We would like to give you just one example of how ministry grows in Africa. The other day, an Owambo friend, Johannes, traveled with Lon to Windhoek for a full day of appointments, meetings and teaching times. We had an hour to spare between appointments so we spent it under a tree in Zoo Park. Lon used the time to review his notes for the class he was teaching in the evening. Meanwhile Johannes struck up a conversation with another Owambo man sitting nearby. Lon can recognize enough Oshiwambo to figure out that they were talking about him and about the Lord. Then Johannes introduced Lon to Sebedeus, a pastor of a small nameless church in Hakahana, a poor township on the outskirts of Windhoek. He immediately invited Lon to come and teach his congregation. That is how ministry happens over here. You just sit under a tree and it comes to you.

In December, Lon taught at YFC's annual summer camp. He asked YFC leadership if they would please provide a emerging young adult teacher to co-teach with him. That man was Alex Chongo and he is a Zambian. What a blessing he has turned out to be. Their relationship has continued after camp as Lon further mentors and teaches with this emerging young leader. Alex has a rather unique gift. No matter what biblical principle you are trying to teach, Alex will develop an illustration for it that involves cars. He loves cars.

VAL’S MINISTRY NEWS

Our neighbors for many years, Roy and Ginny Nelson and Bud Abt have been here helping us build a craft space in the squatter's camp for Val and her ladies. The ladies have been working in the church tent, but in the summer time it is just too hot to work there (105-115 degrees). So we have been busy building a better space. We have been working from 8 in the morning until 8 in the evening and then falling into bed dead tired. No time for emails or newsletters. January's newsletter disappeared into the exhaustion pit. Thanks for understanding and thanks too for all of you who wrote to let us know you missed hearing from us. It would be discouraging to miss a month and not have anyone notice.

But after much hard work, Roy, Bud and Ginny completed the "Namibian Craft Training Center" before they left, and it looks and more importantly feels wonderful. It forms a shaded breezeway along the eastern side of the old church building (away from the hot afternoon sun) with floor to ceiling lockable cabinets along one wall. And a sink, with water (a major luxury in the camp)! Skylights bathe the space with marvelous light. Artists crave light. It stays cool all day long. Everyone craves cool breezes. Well, cool as defined by Lon. Val says it is bearable. We have widely different internal thermometers. Can you spell H-O-T F-L-A-S-H-E-S? The ends of the new training area are wire mesh to keep the breeze blowing and on one end is a wire gate so Pastor Thomas can park his combi (van) inside at night, securing the gate with a big ole' honkin' padlock. He parked his last combi beside the house and it was stolen in the night even though it didn't run. They just pushed it off silently so as not to disturb the sleeping children.
Roy and Bud developed a very flexible and functional design for the structure. The wall that separates the church preschool area and the training area now has removable panels instead of a fixed wall, so the panels can be detached to make a really big work space or meeting space. Look closely and you can see the seams along the left wall in the photo to the right. It was quite a challenge finding supplies and tools. We bought stuff in Windhoek, Okahandja and Swakopmund and still had to do a lot of "make-do" when the appropriate construction materials were not available. Lon was reduced to begging when the only place to find materials was a wholesaler who did not normally sell to the public. His main job was keeping Roy and Bud supplied so they could remain productive. The building got built and Lon met a lot of new people around town. He spent the major part of most days hunting and foraging for tools, hardware, wood and zinc (tin) panels. He also learned a great deal about making 10-12 foot panels fit in a 6 foot loading space.

PERSONAL NOTES

The other night Bo (our puppy, isn't he cute?) wandered over to say hi to the bull terrier across the street and discovered that it did not have Bo's friendly, outgoing disposition. Bo just wanted to be friends. So he stuck his nose through the iron gate. Bad move. The bull terrier, who I have since named Mr. Nasty, has the disposition of a drill sergeant with hemorrhoids. Mr. Nasty considered Bo's offer of friendship an invasion of privacy and latched onto Bo's nose. And when a bull terrier latches onto something, it doesn't let go. And the harder you try to get away, the more he rips your lips off. Meanwhile, Bo was not enjoying this meet and greet a whole lot and couldn't figure out whether to growl or cry so he did quite a lot of both.

You basically have two "extraction" strategies open to you. Thankfully Mr. Nasty's owners knew both:
1. put your fingers over the terrier's nostrils so it can't breathe. Then it will let go. Easier said than done. When the owner tried it, she just got herself bit. How that happened I'm not sure since the terrier never let go of Bo's cheek. Maybe Bo bit her in desperation.
2. dump hot water over Mr. Nasty's head. The daughter tried that. It worked. He let go momentarily and I pulled Bo to safety. The iron gate was always between them so only Bo's nose (nice ring to that don't you think?) was ever in jeopardy.

Bo's face was amazingly still intact. I was afraid that I would be picking up pieces and rushing him to the vet for reconstructive surgery. He had pierce marks on his cheek but otherwise no damage, except to his pride. His cheek is still a little swollen but it doesn't look infected. I'd like to think he's learned a lesson about the cruel world and that not everyone wants to be his friend, but only time will tell. So far, he has steered clear of the neighbour's gate. I'm just glad Mr. Nasty didn't get ahold of Bo's throat. When I told our daughter Jenny about Bo's Big Adventure, she wrote and told us that there was a third option but Val says I'm not allowed to tell you what it was. Suffice it to say that if option three ever became necessary, I'd just buy Bo a really nice tombstone.

In a recent newsletter, I published our new phone number. Good move. But unfortunately I did not give you the correct number. Bad Move. Here is the correct address and phone number:

P.O. Box 1514
Okahandja, Namibia
011-264-62-504971 (from U.S.)
062-504971 (from Namibia)

If you decide to bless us with a phone call (and we hope you do; we miss you), bless yourself first by purchasing a pre-paid calling card with cheap rates for Namibia. Calling from your home phone is much more expensive. Don't do it; you won't like the results.

One more housekeeping item. Lon's email address has changed to Lon.Garber@northlandchurch.net
The only difference is that we changed the "cc" to "church." Val's remains the same; valgarber@iway.na

CHURCH DISTRIBUTED UPDATE

Once every three or four months, we have a meeting of all ministries that are part of Northland's distributed ministry network here in Namibia. The purpose of the meeting is to become more involved in each other's ministries, which further strengthens the network. This meeting was initiated by Nan Parker in July 2004. Thanks Nan, your loving efforts are still bearing fruit. With each new meeting, we are becoming more and more inter-connected. The format of the meeting is very loose. We just start talking about what we are doing in our various ministries and exciting things begin to happen. We share personal connections that may help us in our various ministry projects. We plan joint ministry activities. We pray with each other. We minister to one another. We begin to meet more and more after the meeting and the net result is that God's kingdom in Namibia becomes stronger and more connected. It is so encouraging to watch this happen. I wish everyone of you could witness it. We are building God's kingdom and realizing that it is one kingdom, rather than a bunch of feudal estates all positioning for territory.

The Bible Baptist Church in the Vyf Rand Camp has acquired enough funds to build a wonderful pre-school building in the camp, but they must purchase the land before building can begin. The municipality has set a price for the land that is many times in excess of the true market value of the land. They have set a price based on what they hope the land will become someday, without recognizing that today it is still a squatter's area. Many other municipalities in Namibia donate land for church use. We have petitioned the town council to pass a special resolution to donate the land based on the many community development projects currently hosted by the church. We are now awaiting their decision. We have met with the regional governor and he has promised to intercede with the municipality on our behalf. We now ask all of you to join the intercession effort with your prayers.

ON THE HOMEFRONT

Richard Hanna and Calvin Synder are currently developing a teaching series that they will use in Burma later this year and hopefully in Namibia as well. I have reviewed the material and it is excellent. Richard continues to be a source of personal inspiration to the teacher in me and we are both sounding boards for each other's teaching. Calvin and I taught together in the Life Training Center for many years. Thank you, Richard and Calvin, for all that you have added to my life over the past decades of teaching together.

Thanks Roy, Bud and Ginny for all your hard work and for your constant companionship over these last weeks. Thanks, Cecilia, for letting us borrow your blessed husband. It was so wonderful having close friends stay, play and work with us for the glory of God. And now our guest flat is awaiting the rest of you. Just don't all come at once.

Speaking of the homefront, we are planning our annual return trip to the States from mid-April until mid-May. We will be in Orlando during the third week in April and again during the second week in May. In between, we will be visiting churches and relatives in other places. We hope to spend time with many of you then, but it will be impossible to spend personal time with all of you. And yet, we really want to share with you from our heart things that just can't be shared in newsletters. We are therefore hoping that some of you will be willing to host a ministry gathering (at Northland or in your home) where we can share with you all that God is doing in, through and with us as we share our gifts with the Namibian people. If you are willing to help, just email us and we will help get you all together. And once again, we will need access to a vehicle for times when we are in Orlando. Let us know if you can help make us mobile during our visit.

FINANCIAL SUMMARY

We ended our year approximately $10,000 below our projected support level. The shortfall has been absorbed by a surplus in prior years, but our incoming support dollars need to increase in 2005. We are confident that if we remain faithful to our calling, God will lay it on the hearts of many of you to invest $25 a month in our ministry. You can contribute through Northland, A Church Distributed by designating your gift for the ministry of Lon and Val Garber. If that is not possible, let us know your desire and we will make other arrangements.

We have not yet received detailed accounting information for 2005 donors. We will keep you posted as soon as we receive the information. And in the meantime, thanks to all of you who faithfully support us each month. When we find out who you are, we will thank you personally.

PRAYER AND PRAISE POINTS

·PRAISE - for the beautiful Namibian Craft Training Centre. It has water and a sink, lots of lockable storage, cool breezes in the heat of the day and lots of light. Praise God, what a blessing.
·PRAISE - wonderful summer rains. Rain is never taken from granted in this hot, desert climate.
·PRAISE - for American friends who came and blessed us so much with their love.
·PRAISE - that God has given me another godly young man to mentor in ministry.
·PRAYER - marketing help for Val. We now have more products than places to sell them !
·PRAYER - for God to send the right ladies for the new project Val has in mind.
·PRAYER - for the exchange rate to start going up. The buying power of the American dollar has been cut in half in the few years since we decided to move to Namiba
·PRAYER - for favor with the municipality of Okahandja concerning the purchase of the land on which to build a pre-school, church, parsonage and a more permanent craft training centre.
·PRAYER - traveling safety when we return to the States in April
·PRAYER - for bargain airfares.
·PRAYER - it's not too soon to begin praying for the renewal of our work permits in August 2005.

October 01, 2006 in Journal | Permalink | Comments (4)