Update from Team Arandis/Rehoboth & By Faith
Live from Arandis, it's Saturday night
It's been a crazy couple of days here with all we are trying to do. Early mornings and late nights and not having an "instant" internet connection have made it difficult to keep up. Darin has updated our activities somewhat, I'll just briefly add to them here.
As I type this, both teams, ours and the band, are sitting around laughing and talking as we wait for dinner. Sonciary and Lisa manned kitchen duties earlier as our team held a debrief after another emotional day for many. Emotional with the realization that Monday is nearing and that is when we will be leaving Arandis. Emotional with the realization that tomorrow (Sunday) is the halfway point of our trip. Emotional with the realization that the relationships and friendships we have formed will be continued only in our memories...until next time.
Earlier tonight, the band played to a small but eventually jumping audience with Brian and Amanda leading the jumpers at the back of the hall for the 2nd encore. It also didn't seem to take Sonciary long to leave the stage and microphone behind and join in. It's interesting to watch the differences between the services; some subtle, some not.
For the most part, today was a day off for our team, though we all seemed to remain rather busy doing our own relationship building with various people - children, teens and adults - and at various places. Many sat and listened with Brenda discuss Hope's Promise and the challenges they are encountering daily. The band had a much needed spritual boost with last night's (Friday night) service in a small area of Walvis Bay. By far, it was the most spiritually charged worship that I've seen the band perform.
(Walvis Bay, as many of the world might remember is where Brad Pitt and Angelina Joli were at. I must say, that I am glad I experienced the true Africa before then. I was glad to return to Arandis.)
....Early Sunday morning
Roosters don't have a snooze button and you can't turn them off.
Dawn has broken here though I don't think the sun has risen. Mikes team arrived yesterday afternoon and had gone out to the coast to see the sunset. Unfortunately they were fogged in and could only imagine its beauty. All of us will be attending the church service at 9 AM (read Namabian time). The service will be all in the hands of CCA worship leaders with Darin doing the sermon and the band providing the worship music that they do so well. The services here typically go until 12 noon, but being in charge, Darin decided to simply do it CCA style and we should be out before that, which should give us all a chance to try to complete some of the projects we have going before we leave on Monday.
The teens arrival is a blessing. Both for me, to once again try to connect with them and see how their days were after we left Dieter's but also because the children here desparately need your sons and daughters to step into their lives and provide a message of hope and to share their love with them. To each parent out there, I've watched them in action while in Okahandja and each one of them is good at it! They really have been loving on these children here. I am anxious to watch them at work here during the brief time we are together. You would be proud.
For today, and as far as our team goes, it seems that after the service we will once again be heading out in different directions for 2-3 hours. Those who know me might be amused knowing that I have two computers to look at! We will regroup and all head out to the coast to Swakopmond to once again listen and watch as the band ministers to these genuine God-loving people of Namibia, to us and to themselves.
posted by Don @ 6:40 AM
