oneyellowbird.

Some exciting things have been happening aroud the planning for my trip to Africa this summer. The short story is that we were going to Kenya and are now being reassigned to Namibia. I'm so excited about this change. Kenya was going to be an adventure, but we weren't really sure what we would be doing as ministry. The nationals in that area speak the hardest language in the world to learn, and the ministry didn't really need all five of us.

But now...

We're going to Namibia, a small country in southern Africa. Namibia is a vast dessert, almost completely barren, receiving less than .4 inches of rain annually. The country not only suffers from severe malnutrition due to the lack of crops, but also from HIV and AIDS, which afflicts one in seven Namibians. Though the government endorsed the Action Program towards the Elimination of Child Labor in January 2008, the act has not yet passed, leaving millions of children working in unsafe and abusive environments.

I chose to work with AIM specifically because of their reputable work in world missions to combat the previously stated issues that wreak havoc in countries like Namibia. I am often skeptical of mission’s organizations advertizing short-term mission’s trips that more resemble vacation. This “machine gun method” of presenting the Gospel, though it may impact those who participate in them, paralyzes the local church and leaves little lasting change. AIM, on the other hand, has a long-standing reputation of careful and strategic outreach among the African people in order to leave a self-sustaining, growing body of believers. That is why, when sending out missionaries, AIM uses two couples, one American and one native to the target tribe, provides them with Biblical training, and then sends them to plant a church. After about a year, the American couple slowly withdraws from the church, leaving it in the hands of the native missionaries and the nationals. This is a culturally-sensitive and highly effective method of church planting in Africa.

My team and I have been placed to work alongside a new church in an unreached tribe that provides counseling for impoverished families in the surrounding villages. Men, women and children are provided with meals, basic education, an economic trade, and Bible teaching – all of which are taught by their own people who have been trained by AIM missionaries. Our team will be working along side these nationals teaching math and reading skills, cooking and serving meals, and constructing a place for women to sell the materials they are taught to make.

And now, get this....
I will get to lead the “International Women’s Conference”. This is a summer-long conference for 150-200 women’s ministry leaders from various African countries. I will be teaching them daily from the Word of God on Biblical womanhood. I cannot tell you how much this excites me! I wish I you could see me fighting for the words to express myself. This is excellent training for what I want to do after graduation, and this opportunity appears to be a perfect fit for my summer ministry. Another positive aspect of this ministry is that many of the women who will be attending speak English, which gives opportunity for me to work with them one-on-one, looking at their specific ministry and addressing their specific needs.

I'm so thrilled, friends! I can't wait to see what God does! Please be praying for us as we continue to plan and prepare for this mission. I'll keep you posted!