Greetings from Africa! 9 June 2004
It is VERY good to be back home after the trip to Namibia. I either preached or was busy teaching in a seminar – or both – every day from the Sunday after I arrived until Monday of the following week. I struggled with my voice every day from Wednesday of the first week, made worse by a cold (or something) with a lot of coughing that disturbed my sleep (and my hosts). God always gave me the necessary strength while I was actually preaching or teaching, but the rest of the time I was getting weaker. Then on Tuesday of the second week I just had to go to bed. On Wednesday I developed pretty severe fever and chills and went to the doctor, who gave me (literally GAVE, including the cost of his services) lots of medicine. I managed to give part 2 on leadership development on Thursday night, but I made everyone come to the house. I was staying in rather than go to the cold church. (Most houses – including the Mission House here in Rustenburg – and churches in South Africa and Namibia have no heat. Last night the temperature here in Rustenburg was below freezing – burrrr!). I spent my birthday (last Friday) mostly in bed, except for a celebration (again in the house) in the evening. The house was packed, and many very nice testimonies regarding my visit there were given. Everyone assured me that there would be good fruit, and that the fruit would last. Let it be so!
I felt considerably better on Saturday, partially in anticipation of going home I suppose. We had to stop on the way out of town to visit some people, including the doctor and the pastor’s wife and new baby, who was born on Tuesday evening (June 1st). Earlier that day the pastor told me that he thought the baby would be a boy, and intended to name him Immanuel. The older two children are named Revival and Shalom. I said that if the baby was a girl, one could make a case for naming her based on the idea that the church began in ‘revival’, is progressing to bring more and more people into ‘shalom’ (peace) with God, and will end in GLORY – suggesting the name ‘Gloria’ for a girl. Well, she is a girl, and her name is Gloria, and I just had to go see her.
Before going to the airport we went to visit the capital city, Windhoek, which was nice so that I could see that there actually is a city in Namibia – not very big, but an actual city. While driving everyone in the car took the opportunity to ask last-minute theological questions, and while waiting to board the plane I spent an hour continuing teaching on inner healing. They said that they intended to squeeze every drop out of me they could, and they did. It was very nice to be so thoroughly appreciated, and it was nice to get on the plane as well.
It is hard to believe that a week from now I’ll be in Kansas City. I told Erton this morning that the cold here has completely taken away any fear of Midwestern heat and humidity. Right now it is after 10:00am and the temperature in my room has not yet reached 60 degrees. Bring on the heat!
The first picture shows me with some women in traditional Namibian dresses and hats – very stunning.
The second shows two Namibian youths practicing their bow-hunting skills.
Namibia has very few people but LOTS of game, and hunting is very big as a
tourist attraction, as well as for sport and food. (I have received several
emails from people wondering if I have pictures or video of the motorcade or the
posters of me; I was much too embarrassed and wanted to forget – not immortalize
– such things).
Love from Africa
Lary