Christmas in Africa

Apparently Christmas isn’t quite as big a deal here as it is in America, so Toivo didn’t quite understand my enthusiasm and countdown until midnight on Christmas Eve. We had a lovely Christmas Eve service at Nan’s house. I was expecting to play guitar for the children to sing a few songs since that’s what we had practiced together on Saturday, but here you can’t hold too tightly to your expectations. Instead Tresford gave a lovely reading of the Christmas story interspersed with a few songs, then we all shared refreshments afterward.

The next morning all the Hope’s Promise families and friends were caravanned out to the pool at the old Rossing Country Club. We swam, played soccer, and had a brai (an African barbeque or cookout), then I joined Brenda and Co. back at her place to exchange gifts. It was cool getting to know some of the Hope’s Promise kids that I didn’t know really well.

With so many American volunteers coming and going I wonder how attached these kids really get, knowing that we’ll leave again in a week. Probably not nearly as attached as we get to them. That’s why I think consistency and long-term relationship are so important to ministry. That’s why we don’t just support missionaries at Christ’s Church, we support partners. That’s why we’ve been back to Namibia summer after summer with many team members returning multiple times. That’s why I’m hoping to stay for a whole year. And that’s why being in Arandis for this week almost makes me want to stay here rather than return to Okahandja next week.

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I’ve been thinking about career missions and ministry in the States. Listening to Ron Gardner, pastor at Emmanuel Church in Windhoek, Dieter and Joan’s sending church, he puts a major emphasis on being called to Namibia because that’s their home. And I recognize that the people I best understand and can relate to are New Englanders, especially those who have grown up in church, mostly because that’s who I am. There’s so many more cultural barriers I have to work through to minister elsewhere, whereas my environment has already shaped me perfectly to minister in a church in New England.

Then I watch a film about Mother Theresa who lived with and ministered to the poorest of the poor on the streets of Calcutta, India. No one will convince me that the poorest of the poor live in Amherst, NH, not after what I’ve seen here, and what Mother Theresa dealt with in India. I recognize that over 95% of the world’s youth leaders work with only 5% of the worlds youth population in the United States, leaving only 5% of the world’s youth leaders to work with 95% of the world’s youth. I know that 50% of the Namibian population is under 15 years old. The parents of this generation are dying off because of AIDS leaving thousands of orphans and grandparents or relatives that remain raise 10-12 kids at a time. And Namibia’s not the only place in such rough shape.

But I’m also fully aware that it was Mother Theresa who said, “Calcutta’s are everywhere. You just have to find yours.” There is suffering and spiritual poverty in the rich world as well; you just have to open your eyes to it. So I continue pondering career missions or ministry in the States. Penny for your thoughts?