Hope's Promise & Brenda Johnston
What a remarkable story and all I heard was a small portion of it.
I met Brenda Sunday at CCA's early service where she told part of her story and how she came to be involved with Hope's Promise and how God guided her to Namibia. I could have listened to her for hours (and yes Darin, I know.... it could be for at least two weeks!)
I'm thankful I had the chance to speak with her before and after the service.
It wasn't until this week that she actually saw, for the first time, the videos from Namibia. She said tears kept streaming down her face as she watched our girls with the children.
She said it means so much to those children to have someone pay attention to them, to hold them, hug them, bend down to talk with them, put them on their shoulders and dance with them.
To give them some sense of love.
She commented on how the children there are merely possessions; to be done with whatever the parent(s) pleased.
She wanted us to know that the time our daughters spent with these children will be forever remembered and does make a difference in their empty and loveless lives.
Sadly still, the reality of it is...things can and do change daily for these children.
Yes, even in the short time since our daughters were helping bring joy to their lives, some have had their lives turned upside down because of one turn of events or another.
What may have been a happy and smiling face is now a haunting reminder of innocence lost. The senselessness of how their precious lives are not so precious angers me.
Are they resilient enough to bounce back from these setbacks? Lord, help them...
Brenda thanked us for allowing our girls to come to Namibia. It was such a heartfelt thanks from a remarkable woman.
I am waiting for an email address or link for Hope's Promise and for Brenda that I would like to included in the links section here on this site.
It is my hope that if any of you out there have a spare dollar or two or five or ten, that you send it her way.
I know I will try...it's the least I can do to help.
Some Family and General news for Okahandja, Namibia : October 2005
Spring has come and gone ..... we go from winter yesterday to summer today - with one bang !! - not gentle introductions there ! - The veldt is - and remains - one of the greatest miracles in this desert .... There has been no rains yet ... no moisture ..... nothing visibly has changed .... YET... GOD ..... has created his thorn-trees and bushes in such harmony with the rest of creation that they somehow just know it's now the time to reflect their Creator's Glory and are suppose to announce to the world : "Hey, Look, ... it's spring !!!" ... and suddenly out of the seemingly-deadest harshest thorn bush comes the most delicate, gentle, beautiful, fragrant blossom - which then transforms the dry hot dead-looking desert into a paradise !! - Sometime you will all have to experience this time of the year ..... and the very first rains - which is another loooong story of it's own ......and then the 2nd and 3rd week after that ..... and .... and ...... You fellows just don't know what you're missing !!! - ...... BUT then again .... Please don't all rush here .... the last thing we want is have it all crowded....... We are really happy and enjoying the more than 1 square meter per person wide open s p a c e and peace ....... "far from the maddening crowd" I seem to remember from my english literature books !!
This morning Joan & I finally got to our time alone in a long time and left for the dam before 6 - and went rowing to where the water enters through the Swakopriver (the same one that forms the southern boundary of Mpampo - and the one that flows into the sea at Swakopmund ("mund" german for mouth - river mouth) - and had a really Glorious time. Not another soul in sight during the 45 min row to the top - with a huge variety and numbers of ducks & geese & waders & cormorants and even larger variety of seed eaters - Even saw the rare Osprey - raptor : uncommon & nonbreeding in Namibia, Palaearctic migrant - And wildlife galore : Large herds of Kudu, Zebra, Eland & Black-faced Impala (a very rare endemic Namibian antelope) - often within 20 - 30 M (30 - 90 feet) !! - and then the cherry-on-the-cake FIRST in my life !! - Adult Leopard stalking a herd of Eland within 30M of where we were walking !! - (Wish you could hear the exclamations of Richard who stayed behind studying for his final school exams !! - "I'm suppose to be the hunter and been waiting & looking for 19 years to see one in the wild and here you go stumbling over one, while I have to study ... Unfair !!!!"
Yes - what an awesome privilege it is to live in Africa - with our perfect weather - and wildlife on our doorstep - shouting out the Glory of our Creator - or as David so magnificently sings out :
"The heavens (" .... with all of creation") declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of his hands. Day after day they pour forth speech; night after night they display knowledge. There is no speech or language where their voice is not heard. Their voice goes out into all the earth, their words to the ends of the world." ...... and yes - how often we have to make a pronounced concentrated effort to
"Turn & set your eyes on Jesus the author and perfecter of our faith", ...... and how much more urgent this becomes in our deeply troubled times of nature's wrath and fury - and man's total lostness as he tries to keep sense and head above the muck and mire of this senseless and cruel world !! -
Ooops ..... sorry ..... there goes the preaching mode again !!! - Sorry !!
Our daughter Thelma returned from her two years working in Wales last month - and leaves next Wednesday, the 19th for Angola - where senses her next call from God is. She will be staying for one month with a South African missionary couple at Menongue and Lubango - where they have been ministering for the past 8 years in a very rough and pioneer mission field after the 40 + year of civil war in that beautiful nation with such tremendous potential. If she receives confirmation that this is indeed the next step of faith - she will return via home in mid November and join the training disciple- missions school of Operation Mobilization in South Africa for a few months before returning to Angola. Please pray ...... for God's perfect Will and His desire and plan for Thelma where-ever He desires to send and use her.
Richard is still studying hard for his final school exams - he completed the two language orals last month - with really miraculous intervention from God - and will finish his 5 subjects by mid November - As you teachers can truly appreciate fully - Both he and his mother / teacher / principle cannot wait for the home schooling career of 14 years to END ... sooner than soon !! -
He will then be joining the Emmanuel Church youth school-leavers group on a two week tour in South Africa - also in preparation for his "Year of discipleship" that he will be doing during 2006 at another "first-for-Namibia" branch of "Pneumatix" dynamic "Year-of-your-life" youth programme which has been very successful in South Africa ..... Then ? - Hunting, Shooting and Killing !!!!
(That was especially for Richard, Hu-Anna and co !!!). (Now just imagine what good contacts your husband will now have for hunting at his hearts content in Namibia, Meme !!!! - even led by a Christian hunting guide !!!) in training toward becoming a professional hunting guide - with a private pilot's license somewhere in between.Joan is really well, healthy and very blessed - God is continuing to use her in a very significant way with especially the marginilised women and children in Okahandja (and I know that this is just the beginning of a nation-wide - and then continent wide impact and influence for the Glory of God's Kingdom). The Pre-School group is going extremely well - they are now 19 ladies (started with 4 last year - and never invited anyone or advertised - in fact not even a newsletter !! - How true is God's Word "that which is of men will come to nothing, but that which of God will stand firm through all generations to eternity. (As the Pharisee Gamaliel said so magnificently in Acts 5 : 34 - 39). These ladies - and a few of their friends and family are also continuing to meet an additional day of the week just for Bible Study - and Joan is excited and astounded at the Spiritual growth, depth, insight and hunger that they have for the Truth - and what life change there are in them, their families and churches.
Joan will be taking a few of these ladies to the next "Women's Encounter Camp" this weekend - the last one for this year, where she will also present one of the sessions (Encounter God with the story of Jacob's life). Then next week Thursday she will be leaving for Port Elisabeth in South Africa where she will be attending the southern African meeting of the Pre-School group she works with.
** As I was typing this, I received a call from Joan who went cycling with Richard (he's practising for a 65km ride this coming Sunday in Windhoek) - that Richard had an accident and I must meet them at the Okahandja Police station !! .... Wow ..... in an instant your heart goes thumping in your throat and you pray like never before !! ..... - BUT .... G O D !!! - What a miraculous AWESOME God we serve .... Joan, who left a bit earlier than Richard said she had a sudden very strong urgency to pray for Richard and his protection - she received the impression of Richard in ICU and really interceeded for him ...... and on her way back - found Richard and the car who drove into him next on the main road just after Five Rand. The lady, a teacher at Okahandja Secondary School, was coming in from Windhoek to school and passed Richard too closely and bumped his handlebars with her windscreen ..... (Man that sure is close !!!) - He fell off the side of the road ...... It is just God's intervention and some overtime work by a number of angels that nothing more serious happened. Richard's got some fancy graze marks from butt to foot - got a BIG fright ... not too impressed with women drivers ..... BUT fine after the Dr's checkup - and determined to carry on with his 65km on Sunday !! - .... Boy these teenagers are sure tough !! ...
What an awesome God we serve !! - THANK YOU JESUS !!!!
Here at Mpampo Equip Centre, God's presence and Blessing is really day to day reality .. where we are tasting and seeing the Goodness & Grace of God with His plans for "equipping and sending" -
The boundary fence around the property is now 3/4 complete - and the final 300M along the Hodygos border should be completed by next week. What a pleasure to walk along the newly erected fence in the mornings and SEE God's provision through so many people in finally making a reality !! - Thank you to each and every one of you for your part and investment from time and hot sweat work through Larry & Pastor LeRoy in dismantling, Larry clearing it and so many we do not even know who contributed towards the expense of the fence.
Markus, the Mpampo manager, has been receiving training in Windhoek from the Catholic Aids Action head office in making the paper maché coffins for the past four weeks - and is enjoying it very much. There are a number of things we would like to work on improving - which Markus will start doing on his return this weekend, and when he will be continuing here on Mpampo.
The other really GREAT news - is that last week saw the presentation of the first Nambian Micro-MBA course here on Mpampo. A total of 17 people attended the week long course (Mon 3/10 - Frid 7/10). Two of them were observers (Japie van Vuuren, the Namibian director of Operation Mobilisation - and who has been travelling all over Namibia equipping church leaders to teach the "Firm Foundation" Bible studies from New Tribes Mission that we have been using in Five Rand for the past two years - and one of his students from South Africa, who just completed 6 months mission work in Angola) - both are now very keen to complete the Trainer / Mentor course in South Africa to be join in presenting this course.
"Fifteen graduates received their Micro-MBA diplomas from the Mayor of Okahandja during the graduation ceremony held on the 6th of October 2005 on the Mpampo Equip Centre. These graduates came from the following towns in the northeast and west regions of Namibia : Rundu, Divundu,Ondangwa, Ongwediva, Oshigambo, Otjiwarongo (Osire Refugee camp), Okahandja and Windoek. Eight of the team were sponsored by their church : Gospel Outreach Church of Namibia and were the pastors, Bible School leaders and leaders of their congregations, while the rest were all from different church denominations in Okahandja. These graduates successfully completed the following businesses : Producers x 6 ; Traders x 5 & Service Providers x 4.
During the week of the course, and this week, we received requests for 5 more courses this year - From as far as Opuwo in the North-West to Gobabis in the East. We will probably only be able to fit another 2 this year - trusting God for the student fees, as we have not yet established a "Micro-MBA Bursary Fund" as they have done so successfully in South Africa ..... BUT Knowing God WILL continue to turn the humanly impossible into HIMpossible miracles, as proof and shining testimony to His passion and heart's desire to see the people of Namibia receive, understand and LIVE the eternal Hope He has called them to ........ in ALL aspects of their daily living !!.
NOW - IF this Tate does not stop right here ........ No-one will ever want to receive another email from this part of the world !! - .... Sorry for the loooong babbling ...... GOD IS JUST SO GOOD .......and remember ...... That Yes, the world is really coming to it's final "birth-pains" of the end of all ........ B U T ...... HE has ... from Eternal past ..... to Eternal Future a Plan and Purpose and is and will continue to prepare HIS BRIDE for the Wedding feast of feasts !!!!! ...... and our role and place and expectancy in all this ?? :
"They overcame him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony ; they did not love their lives so much as to shrink from death. Rev 22:11 .......... so "just continue to take your stand and : "In the same way, let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven..Matt 5:16Love Ya - Praying for Ya ! - and KNOW He who as Creator of all we see and know and have is continuing to work out HIS purpose in you !!!
Dieter, Joan, Thelma & Richard
Greetings from Richard
Richard sends this message ... (thanks G!)
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I miss u all alot so Hi to all :)
i am just sitting here infront of our comp writing to some friends so i thought it was about time i write to all of u.
how goes fast moving life back in the States? how goes with school and everything that goes with it?
Sandi how is ur dance studio doing.
enough questions for now.
Here in Namibia it going ok just as hot as anything and there is still no sign of rain.
I'm doing fine just glad the year is coming to an end and School too... i finish school in 6 weeks time, but there is still alot of studing to be done before that.
but instead of letting stress get a grip on me i'm practesing for a cycling competition, my 2 friends have entered me in for a 65km (about 45 miles) ride so i have to get fit enough before the 16 Oct.
Today i rode to Gross-Barmen which is about 70km i did it in 2:15min, but now i am totaly wasted and dont know if i will manage the 65km...
Got to get going but will email again sometime
God Bless
Richard
Calling all memories - 2
In case I forgot to say it, thank you for coming down...
I often wonder what you're doing now.
