Lon and Val Garber - Distributed in Namibia

PRAISE REPORTS

July 2006

• PRAISE for our 3-month work visas being approved so quickly

June 2006

• PRAISE the bead ladies are making progress managing their own cash flow
• PRAISE sales continue to go well at the craft center
• PRAISE for my assistant Cecilia. we finally started our long-awaited the sewing classes

May 2006

• PRAISE for more administrative assistance. It takes a big load off our shoulders.
• PRAISE for good sales in our new retail space (sales N$5000, rent is only N$300)
• PRAISE wonderful assistants (Alex, Cecilia and Anita)
• PRAISE Hank, Joyce and Anita’s safe arrival

April 2006

• PRAISE for Val’s complete recovery from African Tick Bite Fever
• PRAISE an extremely successful Pastor’s Training Conference
• PRAISE God for providing the W.O.O.H. retail outlet we have been praying for
• PRAISE God for sending us Cecilia, Alex and Anita for assist us in ministry

March 2006

• PRAISE God for Val’s assistant Cecilia!!!
• PRAISE God for the wonderful rains we have been receiving.
• PRAISE God for financial funding for HFABF.

February 2006

• PRAISE for safe travel and a wonderfully restful time in Capetown
• PRAISE for new orders from new clients for WOOH. God answered prayer in a big way.
• PRAISE God’s continued financial blessing on the HFABF project.
• PRAISE for Isabella’s safe return from Angola.
• PRAISE that the injured YFC volunteers are recovering nicely.
• PRAISE that we have met some new acquaintances. Pray friendships will develop.

January 2006

• PRAISE for the successful completion of our home purchase. We are now proud owners of some nice Namibian soil and the house that sits upon it.
• PRAISE for the successful completion of the property purchase for Hope for a Better Future Trust.
• PRAISE that the currency exchange rate peaked just before we transferred the money to buy our home. Immediately after the transfer, the rate then settled back to its low point for the year. God was indeed at work favoring us in this transaction. We praise him for it.
• PRAISE for all the American and German friends who visited us. It was great to see and spend time with them. We greatly miss our friends in America and Europe.
• PRAISE for God’s abundant provision for our ministry here in Namibia. He has provided for us and our ministry projects way beyond our hopes or expectations.

October 2005

• PRAISE for a successful move. We are settled in our new place without breaking or losing anything of significance.
• PRAISE that the currency exchange rate continues to rise as we wait to close on our house purchase.
• PRAISE for all the American friends (both old and new) that are crossing our paths this month and next.
• PRAISE for God’s abundant provision for our ministry here in Namibia
• PRAISE for the ministry assistance we both receive from Namibians. Alex is a tremendous help to us as is Isabella and several others who assist Val.
• PRAISE for my new connection with the CLS school at Imkerhof. I am very excited about continuing to grow that ministry connection.
• PRAISE God’s protection as we travel around the country.

September 2005

• 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.

August 2005

• 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.

February 2005

· 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.

OUR HOME: God sold our home on the day of our departure. Actually we received a verbal offer 1 hour after we left town. Praise God, the author of cliff-hanging, real-life stories. We would also like to Hazel Sun, our realtor, for her tireless efforts in making this happen. And also my brother, Gary, in Memphis for providing the FAX machine and support to help get the contract signed and accepted.

GOD'S AMAZING HAND: God continues to confirm our calling by answering prayers and removing obstacles sometimes even before we have a chance to ask Him. We were intending to rent a truck to transport our belongings to Colorado for storage. We were not looking forward to driving such a large rental truck for such a distance. On Saturday, a close friend provided a way to ship our belongings from Florida to Colorado without having to rent and drive a truck. Now we can drive to Colorado at a more leisurely pace and visit family and friends along the way. What a blessing.

Just this evening, we realized we did not have all of the boxes we needed to pack our computer for shipment to Namibia tomorrow. Before we could devise an alternative plan, the doorbell rang and a dear friend walked in with 5 computer boxes. Her explanation: "God told me to bring these to you." Each new day brings more examples of God's confirmation and blessing.

FRIENDS' AMAZING HANDS: We have been working since June to prepare to move to Africa. At times the work seemed endless. During those times, friends would magically appear to help us pack and clean and do yard work or whatever. It was such an encouragement. You know who you are. Your love and assistance mean much more to us than you can ever imagine.

PRAYER AND PRAISE POINTS

July 2006

• PRAY for the renewal of our 12-month work permits
• PRAY travel safety as we fly to Denver on 24-25 July (next Monday and Tuesday)
• PRAY that polio will be quickly contained and that no more people will die.
• PRAY that we will be able to find some rest and relaxation along the way.

June 2006

• PRAY for the quick renewal of our work permits
• PRAY for all the details that must be dealt with before leaving Namibia
• PRAY for the continuity of our projects for the time we will be gone
• PRAY for Zebra team’s preparation and travel safety (they arrive June 30)
• PRAY for Hank and Joyce’s Holiday Kids Clubs (first week in July)
• PRAY for strength for Lon and Val for busy schedules for the next 4 months
• PRAY the bead ladies will learn good business practice now that they have mastered their craft.
• PRAY for the sewing project (communication, relationship-building and practical product ideas)
• PRAY our ongoing efforts to connect Namibian churches with each other

May 2006

• PRAY for the quick renewal of our work permits.
• PRAY for quick renewal of Anita’s work permit
• PRAY for Zebra team’s preparation and travel safety (they arrive June 30)
• PRAY for Hank and Joyce’s Holiday Kids Clubs (first week in July)
• PRAY for strength for Lon and Val for busy schedules for the next 4 months

April 2006

• PRAY for safety for Hank, Joyce, Nan and Anita as they travel in the next few weeks
• PRAY for Zebra team preparations and strength, wisdom and blessing for Nan and Larry in organizing it
• PRAY for a nice, cozy flat for Anita to stay in when she arrives.
• PRAY for continued unity within the churches of Okahandja and throughout Namibia
• PRAY for Pastor Thomas and I as we listen to God’s plans for “The Red Plot”
• PRAY for our ongoing development of the L.I.O.N. training center
• PRAY for Hank and Joyce’s Holiday Kids’ Club preparations (thousands of details to arrange)

March 2006

• PRAY the restoration of strength to Val’s body with long-term affects to her health.
• PRAY for an affordable flat for Anita Lee.
• PRAY that the bore hole will be usable without needing major repairs.
• PRAY for wisdom for the opportunities opening for WOOH (booth at Namibian Craft Center) plus other decisions
• PRAY for wisdom in helping WOOH workers progress toward independent business women

February 2006

• PRAY for an ASSISTANT FOR VAL! THIS IS A CRITICAL NEED.
• PRAY that the WOOH ladies will be able to learn the designs and fill the orders quickly.
• PRAY that Namibia can safely contain God’s bounty of water with no further flooding.
• PRAY for Lon’s writing project (faithfulness and inspiration)
• PRAY that we will develop more close friendships.
• PRAY Pastor Thomas as he takes on much more responsibility in his new role.
• PRAY a pastor for Swakop River Community Church

January 2006

• PRAY for a business manager to oversee our Hope for a Better Future Trust projects. This person is critically important to the future growth of this ministry.
• PRAY for God’s protection as we travel to Capetown and back.
• PRAY for the expansion of Val’s ministry with new marketing outlets and the training that goes with it. She still needs much wisdom as she explores possibilities and begins to train the ladies in her various projects.
• PRAY for an assistant for Val, and other craft trainers, as she is maxed out at this point. The need is overwhelming so she is always tempted to take on one more student or project.
• PRAY that God will bless us with more close friends here. It can get pretty lonely for Americans in Africa. Differences in culture, ethnicity, language, education and economics makes it difficult to make close friends.
• PRAY that the copy machine we purchased at auction can be put in good running order for the copying of our Bible Correspondence School materials and for HFABF projects. We bought it at a bargain basement price, but so far it is making bargain basement copies to match. Please pray that it is fixable.
• PRAY for Isabella’s safe return. Over the holidays, she has been visiting family in northern Namibia and a close friend in Angola.
• PRAY for the injured YfC volunteers and their families as they recover physically and emotionally from this serious trauma.
• PRAY for Linkie’s family and friends as we grieve her passing.

October 2005

• PRAY for the expansion of Val’s ministry with new marketing outlets and the training that goes with it. She needs much wisdom as she explores possibilities and begins to train the ladies in her various projects.
• PRAY that the deed issues concerning our house will soon be cleared up so we can complete the purchase.
• PRAY that the copy machine we purchased at auction can be put in good running order for the copying of our Bible Correspondence School materials. We bought it at a bargain basement price, but so far it is making bargain basement copies to match. Please pray that it is fixable.
• PRAY that the purchase of the church property near Vyf Rand be completed without any problems surfacing. The deed transfer documents are being prepared now.
• PRAY that Isabella will be accepted into one of the teacher’s colleges to which she has applied or that God shows her a new direction. We are trusting God for her next step in her vocational preparation.

September 2005

• 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.

August 2005

• 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.

February 2005

• 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.

December 2003
• Our work permits are always at the top of the list. Please keep praying with us that God will lead us through this ongoing trial, that we will hear and obey Him at each step and that it all works for the praise of His glory.

• Pray that the leaders of Swakop River church (including Lon) will have wisdom in selecting the first elders. We hope to complete the process by the end of Feb.

• Pray for sales and marketing wisdom for the Vyf Rand products now that the Christmas season is over.

• Pray for wisdom in building relationships and ministry in the north (Oshakati and Rundu).

• Pray for wisdom for Val as she works (crafts) with another group of ladies in Nau Aib (another poor section of Okahandja). She is still searching for the right project that they can do well enough to create marketable products

• Pray for the successful completion of small group leader materials for the Panoramic Tour of the Bible training. This will open up further training opportunities throughout the country.

• Pray for a wholesale source of cotton fabric for new craft projects.

VISAS: We are still waiting to hear word about our visas and work permits. I re-applied as a management consultant (since they currently don't like pastors) and we should receive an answer sometime in February.

WISDOM: For Val to have much discernment in for finding the proper places for establishing her healing and art ministries.

MINISTRY RELATIONSHIPS: For Lon, that he would be able to build strong relationships with key pastors and ministry leaders that would lead to God-ordained ministry opportunities.

ATTITUDES: That both of us will have the same attitude as Christ toward our ministry -- servant hearts towards all whom and with whom we minister. Our desire is to be like rain for Namibians in a parched land. That we would be refreshing to them with our willingness to help where they feel they need help with humble hearts and able minds and willing hands.