Apex Missions: Namibia

Medical missions team arrives in Okahandja

2005-09-13T19:03:00.000+02:00

A medical missions team from Apex Community Church in Dayton, Ohio has arrived in Okahandja, Namibia. The team, made up of medical professionals, will make three stops on a tour around southern Africa to survey the current approaches to and opportunities available in treating illnesses in communities where HIV/AIDS is prevalent. The first stop is in Okahandja, Namibia, where the team will stay at the CHI International Training Center, visit the Ark, and minister to the local community. The second stop is Manzini, Swaziland, and the third stop is Nelspurit, South Arica. You can follow their day to day activities via their blog, and join in praying for them.

Team B: Live from Jo-Burg

2005-07-02T16:49:00.000+01:00

We are now safetly through the very first (and easiest) leg of our journey home. We are sitting in Jo-Burg, South Africa. Everyone is doing well and in good spirits. Travelling is stressful at times, but everyone seems to be in eager anticipation of returning to friends and family. From a few conversations it appears that closure and contentment are surrounding us as a team. We are excited about what the Lord has done, but are content with where He now has us.

As a quick update if no word has already been passed along, Mike, Kendall, & Josh are all doing well. Kendall has a bit of a sore throat and Josh has some sinus stuff but they were in great spirits when we left today. It was bittersweet saying "see you later" to them this morning, but we are so comforted knowing that there is someone to carry on for us as we come home. Please continue to pray for them as they will be staying long term and this coming week looks to be very busy with a lot of strategic planning. Mike has several meetings Monday and then on Tuesday he'll be meeting with the principal of Okahandja Secondary, where he'll discuss how we can continue to partner with them and see further students reached with the love of Christ.

That about does it from here...thank you all for your prayers, and we continue to ask for more as we travel.

See many of you tomororow (Sunday),
In Him,
Team B

Team B: Out Last Hooah!

2005-07-02T00:35:00.000+01:00

Hey Everyone,

Let me begin by stating, it is Christ's love that compels us and therefore makes us a bunch of people who are out of our minds doing what we have done these past two weeks. As I am writing this, I am staring at a piece of evidence that signifies how God has personally used me here in the last two weeks. The object holds no meaning to anyone who doesn't know the giver but to me it screams of a heart that now belongs to our loving Savior Jesus Christ. Today has been a day of seeing God move extraordinarily (as if He ever moved anything less than that). I don't know how much news has been pasted along the last few days, and I apologize for the lack of correspondence. This past week has been one of intense spiritual combat. We as a team have gone through a lot together. By God's grace I can honestly say we have prevailed, but not us rather Christ that lives in us. It has not been an easy week. We have experienced Satan attempting to do what he can to undermind both our team and effectiveness of our long termers as they begin their work here in Okahandja. But God is faithful. He does not give us more than what we are able to bear! Praise God for that!

We have completed all formalities for the trip, even going through some re-entry prep with both CHI folks and Jimmy D. Everyone is putting their final personal effects in their luggage and are getting ready for bed. Tomorrow we leave for Windhoek at 8am. We will fly out at 12:45pm. This will begin the long road home. We are still very tired and physically worn thin. Our spirits are high though and our hope is alive. Several people are still a little sick. Stephanie F. is coming around a little bit from the flu that she had, but she is still having "issues" so please continue to pray for her as the trip back could be very taxing. I also am still suffering from a cold that seems to be spreading down into my lungs, so not a whole lot of fun. I will say that God has kept me functional through all of it though! Andy M., who came down with a fever yesterday, is doing very well today. He rebounded well and serves as another example of God's provision for us.

This evening we had a Choose To Wait pledge ceremony where we invited students to come and commit before God, family, and friends that they will remain sexually pure until marriage. I must admit this was a very good way to end the trip. It was a lot of work, but well worth it to see the students responding. The totally number of students is still out, but I would guess it was more than 50. God receives all the glory for these decisions.

Today, though incredibly full and very busy, especially with all the "see you laters" and tears and hugs, was so wonderful. It was truly the way God intended for our team to end our time here in Namibia. I do believe a renewed sense of purpose, that being in the compelling love of Christ, has taken hold. This is a very big answer to prayer. Thank you all who where praying for us through this past week. Because of your prayers, God interceded on our behalf time and again.

I haven't written a letter using "first person" till this time, as I wanted to capture the voice of the entire team. Tonight I felt it was necessary to say that I have been given an wonderful and blessed opportunity to lead fourteen other people into a foreign land and see them minister to people whom they may never see again. Their passion for our Savior astounds me. Every person on this team has taught me something about what it means to love the Lord so much that it radiates with every word and every action. I will be walking away from this trip knowing that God has changed me probably more so through the lives of the team members, than possibly those in the community. With that, I want to give you an idea of how God has used each person to minister to me. May it encourage your hearts to know that your loved ones are serving the Lord in ways that you may never understand, yet our heavenly Father knows.

Neil R. - Neil has taught me what it means to be passionate about the presentation of the Word. His desire for worship through music, which is huge, is superceded on every account by his longing to see lives changed through hearing and understanding the Bible.

Amy R. - Amy has been a constant support, a point of encouragement, balance and sensitivity. She has been invaluable in leading the ladies on this trip through her strength and quiet diligence. She was truly an asset in helping to resolve problems in a caring way that only she can.

Dennis M. - His heart for serving without complaining and without request has been unmatched. Dennis has a heart of gold and yet he rarely demonstrates it through words. His actions speak much louder than words, and I am so blessed to have watched this man of God in action as he led his family to a foreign country based on the prompting of the Holy Spirit.

Lindsey P. - She loves kids! There's not much else that I can say. She has shown a love and compassion for kids whom the world has forgotten. She stepped up the plate time after time in Kid's Club, always with a smile and a heart of joy. She also talks a lot of trash about being good at UNO...I have yet to see proper evidence of this.

Buddy B. - This guy has is one of a kind. He is so passionate about everything he does, but when it's time to focus on a specific task or ministry, 120% is poured out with the nthusiasm of about 10 or more people. He has demonstrated Christ's compassion and yet been someone who I could lean on to take the initiative and run with it from start to finish.

Andy M. - Andy has been a ton of fun on this trip. It has been so wonderful to see a fourteen year old change before my very eyes into a young man desiring God's perfect plan. He ran hard and was run ragged, and yet even after having a fever and feeling ill, tonight he was back at it with all the energy that a typical teenager has. The exeception is that he is channelling that energy directly back to the Lord.

Rachel H. - Rachel has been a source of laughter. She brings joy to any room where she spends time. What Rachel has meant to this trip is unspeakable. Her testimony, her honesty, and her sincerity have gone far beyond what most people show their entire lives. Students connected with her in a real way, because she was real with them.

Jimmy D. - What can I say here? This guy is something else. He has been a vital asset to us but in ways which none of us could have expected. There's a side of Jim that most of you will never see that is absolutely hysterical. He has provided some of the funniest one liners we could ever hope to hear, that leave the team just laughing our heads off. Laughter was needed and he was a great source. Beyond that, Jim has taught me much about what it means to disciple others (even if he does talk about QUADS too much) and to get excited about the potential in young men, when they are presented with truth. He has been a blessing beyond words.

Stephanie F. - In the midst of a very rough week that knocked her out of normal day to day activities, Stephanie has always maintained a smile. She jokingly talks about how she's doing and somehow makes light of a situation that could easily be looked at in a negative way. This has been encouraging to me and to others as well.

Tammy M. - Tammy has demonstrated a quiet mother like persona this entire week. She doesn't say much, but when she does it has always been a comfort. There is just a peace that pours out of her that has been so relaxing to watch. She also has been such a blessing through her heart of service.

Jeff K. - Jeff is systematic. Systematic in everything from how he teaches, which was so needed in the environment where God placed him, but also in his lack of sleep -- he doesn't just not sleep one night, he was systematic the entire trip! Jeff has been a blessing to many of us also in his quiet and willing service to the team, but also in the wisdom, discernment and insight he has brought to the team. The team would not be the same without him.

Angie M. - Angie is a ball of excitement. She is always excited about what the Lord is doing and what she says, though she may not think it, has always been profound and ministering to my heart. Her love for the Lord is something that causes me to examine my heart and check to see that I too have that passion flowing out of me. Her involvement with C&C is also something that has left a mark on the hearts of those suffering from AIDS.

Kristi T. - Our teacher. She is a pillar (though short) to lean on. She was always ready with a lesson, no matter how scattered we were at CTW. She always has the energy necessary to convey our lessons to teenagers in a way that God gifts only certain people. It has been such an honor to return to Namibia with her on my team.

Brigid K. - Brigid is soft spoken, yet extremely compassionate. She has been an asset to Jeff in the classrooms, especially in the sense of showing the relationship of a husband and wife. Her support of Jeff throughout this trip has been exceptional and something that has caught the eye of many on the team. She always has a smile on her face, even when physical fatigue is present.

There you have it. These 14 people are living examples of Christ in action. I am truly blessed. These words do not begin describe the ministry they unknowingly had towards me.

My God receive all the glory; may His name be the renown of our hearts!
In Him & only because of Him,
Joel O.
Team B

Team B: Etosha Recap

2005-06-27T21:28:00.000+01:00

Greetings everyone,

We have safetly arrived back into Okahandja around 11:30am Monday morning, as planned. It is now around 6pm Monday. We are all doing very well and happy to no longer be confined to the four metal walls of the vans. Etosha was great. We were greeted by two lions upon entering the gate (within 2 minutes inside Etosha). That was a good way to kick off the trip. We arrived in Okakueijo (spelled wrong for sure), and there went to the watering hole just as a herd of 29 elephants marched to the watering hole in a perfect line. It was scene right out of jungle book, except in Africa, and not as cartoonish. It was so wonderful to see all these elephants in their natural habitat.

We spent all of Saturday pushing through to Halali where we stayed one night. At the Moringa watering hole (at Halali) we saw another heard of about 14 elephants (cows and babies). It was truly wonderful to see. Giraffes, springbok, wildebeast, red hartebeast, kudu, black-faced impala, and more elephants helped make our journey through Etosha a wonderful time. The first night in Halali everyone just rested. It was good. Sunday morning we kicked off the day with a time of devotion, similar to Refuge, and just worshipped together under open blue skies, nice cool breeze, and all in the midst of God's glorious creation. The second night in Numantoni was also good. There all the letters that people wrote for encouragement, where passed out. Lets just say that they were a big hit. Thank you all who contributed to that. It really seemed to go straight to the heart. For example, and this captures just about everyone's reaction, Lindsey P. made the comment as soon as you she received her letters, "That one on the top is from my Dad!!!"

We left Numantoni early this morning (around 6:45am) and headed back. Some of the team went to Kid's Club this afternoon, and others went to the wood carver's market. Those of us who were really smart, went to sleep!

The teams' highlights from this past weekend: 1) elephants at the waterhole, 2) sky full of stars at night where we could see part of the Milky Way (we think), 3) laughing uncontrolaby at the tower in Numantoni, 4) see God's beautiful creation in a way that only few ever see it, and 5) realzing how unimportant it makes the rests of life seem when you put things into perspective with the Almighty Lord of all Creation!

This week will go by entirely to fast for most of us. We are excited to get back to work, but at the same time we are indeed beginning the process of looking beyond this week. For some this will be very tough, others it is just becoming increasingly more exciting. Regardless of the person, we are in need of your prayers. We specifically ask that you would pray for discernment, clarity of heart and mind, and continued energy for each of the ministries where we are planted. There is so much to do, we would love prayer for how we can be the most effective in the few days remaining.

Please continue to lift of the hearts of the people of Okahandja. They are dear to our hearts and we long to see this town changed for His glory. May His true light penetrate the hearts and minds of this group of beautiful people. Also, please continue to lift up Mike, Kendal, and Josh, as they travel here to Namibia. They should arrive sometime tomorrow afternoon. We are looking forward to a very fun and very important reunion that kicks off another phase of what the Lord is doing here. Hein & Nadine are doing well but definitely continue to lift them up as life continues to change and they have many decisions to make. Hein & Jimmy D. are heading down to Kitmanshoop (again probably spelled wrong) tomorrow for Jim to conduct some discipleship training for 2 days. It's a 7-hr drive so pray for their travels.

Thank you all for your continued diligence in prayer.
Until we write again,
Team B

Team B: Weekend Review

2005-06-25T03:05:00.000+01:00

Hey Everyone,

"Rejoice in the Lord, and again I say rejoice!" If there's anything that can be said as we end a Friday night, our first week of ministry, is this exact phrase. The Lord has richly and specifically answered our's and your prayers. He has totally moved in our hearts and in the hearts of those whom He has prepared for a long time. We just finished our evening devotion time and it was such a wonderful time of sharing. We dedicated this evening to encouragement of one another by individuals sharing about other people on the team who have encouraged them through their service this week. Everyone jumped right in and began to share how others had ministered to their spirits. Everyone kept sharing and sharing. For an hour we edified each other (the body) as we talked how the Lord has used others to teach us new lessons. It was truly a blessed time of fellowship and team bonding.

Today sums up the entire week well. Teaching CTW, Kid's Club, after school Bible studies, laundry, packing for Etosha, and laughter all were included. God has brought our team through a lot this week that has really stretched us and allowed us to see the heaviness that Okahandja contains, but through it brought our lives close together and to Him through joyful praise and laughter. Jimmy D. and Amy continue to bring the humor, in very unique ways...as only Jimmy D. and Amy can do.

We have been truly blessed by the hearts of the people of Okahandja. They have taught us so much. We have been encouraged by the words and service of our team members. God has been the center of all we do, and He has shown Himself faithful by keeping us healthy and allowing us private time to journal and study His word. So our quiet times have been preserved for His glory, which is a huge answer to prayer. It is becoming very clear that our quiet times are directly proportional to how much we are able to pour out to the people to whom we speak.

Care & Compassion went really well today. Dennis, Angie, & Jimmy D went out and experienced just joy and fellowship with AIDS patients. Neil forgot the guitar in the van, when we arrived at the school, but this proved to be blessing for Angie who found it in the van later and used it at C&C to sing and play for the patients. What an awesome opportunity!

A huge answer to prayer came today! If you didn't hear about this in an earlier report, a boy named Williams from Okahandja Secondary, who has been a friend to many of us over all our trips, got into a fight at school. He was sent home and threatened with expulsion. Joel, who connected with him back in February, "happened" to be at the school grounds early on Wednesday for a Bible study, found him crying off to one side. Joel prayed with him and spent some time encouraging him to trust the Lord for His plan through all of this. The team spent time praying for him Wednesday night and spoke again with him on Thursday. He reported that the department head would make his decision after speaking with Williams mom on Friday. We prayed again last night (Thursday) for God to intervene on behalf of Williams. Today (Friday), Joel saw Williams prior to speaking with the dept. head and even met his mom. After they met with the dept. head, Williams came out to the "quad" and told Joel that he was not going to be expelled. He was so thankful for our prayers and for Jesus answering them. It was so great to see the change in his composure.

It is 11:24pm here and we are all getting ready to head off to Etosha tomorrow morning bright and early at 6:30am. The team is doing exceptionally well and everyone is so excited to be able to take a bit of a break and see some of God's wonderful creation. He is doing mighty things within us, and this weekend will definitely be a time of drawing closer together in the presence of our great and mighty Savior and Creator. Please continue to lift the hearts of those that we will talk to this coming week. Also, we selfishly ask that you be praying for safe travels up to Etosha tomorrow and for our times of bonding together as one body with Christ as our head! This has been a huge lesson for us this week as we have seen the body of Christ in motion. It has revealed much to our hearts and minds about our role in service before our Savior.

Thank you all for your prayers. We have been praying for you all in our times of devotions.

Till we return from Etosha on Monday...
Team B

Team B: Rocking and Rollin

2005-06-23T21:04:00.000+01:00

Hey Friends & Family,

We are having a blast here in Namibia. Jimmy D. has been making us roar. His sense of humor is ridiculous! Laughter has carried us through today. The CTW team woke up this morning laughing about the stories from the day before. We entered the schools laughing and enjoying each other companies. Today has truly been a day of rejoicing, fun, and of course laughter. Are you seeing a theme? One really funny story to tell is from CTW today at Okahandja Secondary. Jimmy D. came to observe the teaching and the students. After about five periods of hearing us discuss sex and God's plan, he said he needed a break. We asked him why, and his immediate reply was, "I'm tired of sex."

It was such a blessing to talk to some folks back home on the phone yesterday to give them an update. Hopefully someone was able to post yesterdays events, as they were good!

Okahandja Secondary is turning into a great field of ministry. Today we experienced three salvations (young students who Amy and Rachel prayed with), and Neil being able to play worship at Scripture Union, then being blown away by the voices of fifteen students singing their hearts out. He said that it blew the singing at Refuge out of the water. Kristi was able to take the day off from CTW to focus on the afternoon Youth Club teaching. This was good in that she has been our fearless leader for CTW and was experiencing a little fatigue from it all. So she has recovered well. Jeff & Brigid took Stephanie F. to JG today to teach CTW. They said it was a great time. Their after class Bible study has been growing and taking longer, but they are excited about the ownership God has given them there and how they are seeing hearts and minds opened up. Lindsay was able to go with us to Okahandja Secondary today. She expressed excitement about being involved and seeing the responsiveness from the students.

After talking with Buddy, he said that things are going so well with Kid's Clubs. Honestly, there is almost nothing negative to report, it has all be good news about the Good News! The Youth Club went very well and Kristi taught on "bitterness". This is often a big problem with the people of Okahandja. There is much hurt and pain and bitterness is easy to follow. Kristi had the students write something that had hurt them or someone who had caused them pain, and then tear the piece of paper up and throw it at the foot of a cross. This demonstration seemed to move many of the students and one girl came away with a burden lifted from her shoulders, as revealed in her eyes.

Joel went back to Okahandja Secondary today to continue the Bible study of Philippians that he and Neil began yesterday (Wednesday). There were four young men from the school that met with him today (Romeo, John, Tuley, & Ailene -- if that is spelled correctly). The study is going well and brings up a lot of questions. They are so hungry for truth, and to be honest Ailene is a powerhouse of the Word. A future leader for sure. So continue to pray for these young men, that God would continue to mature them in their faith and that their hunger for His word would continue to be met and exceeded.

Jimmy D. (as we affectionately call him now) met with Urbanus again today in a one on one time of discipleship. Urbanus is Jesse's, the head boy at Okahandja Secondary, brother. God is opening up huge doors for leadership development and truly bringing a sampling of what He is doing before us. It is so encouraging to everyone. Christiaan continues to grow and ask questions. Jimmy D. spent some time at the school today talking to him and to Mr. Manze (who is a Christian english teacher at the school). Other teachers are expressing openness to our presence in the schools and asking questions and genuinely welcoming to what we share. Friendships are being built that will hopefully lead to more salvations in the future.

Care & Compassion is rocking Buddy's, Angie's, and Jimmy D's worlds. Danny, who oversees C&C has touched their hearts like none other. They have all expressed that he is truly an example of how Christ would interact with the sick, disregarded, dying, and forgotten. They asked that you pray for Danny cause he does this ministry alone when there are not teams here to help. The burden, though he has joy, is obvious. From reports from both Jim and Buddy, Angie is fitting in right at home with these people. They can see God shaping her and molding her in this work and she is growing so quickly because of it.

As mentioned before, the team is doing so well. Everyone is growing through their various ministries, and even beginning to cross over to check out and experiencing the other ministries. This is being done, not because we are overloaded or under staffed, it is because everything has fallen into line so perfectly that we are able to breathe easy resting in the fact that it is not because of anything we can do, but because of what Christ is doing in and through us. If anything, the entire team would probably say that next Saturday's return will be entirely too soon. Continue to pray for the team as there will definitely be those who will be returning to Namibia very soon, as God is calling hearts even as this email is typed.

Thank you again for your prayers. Continue to pray for those whom we will reach, also for our trip to Etosha this coming weekend. We will be staying two nights there, but it will be an awesome opportunity to enjoy God's creation and to grow as a team in our service to our Lord!

All this is for HIM!
Team B

Team B: Fully Immersed

2005-06-21T22:23:00.000+01:00

Hey Everyone,

We are now just rounding out Day 2 of our ministries here in Okahandja, Namibia. It has been such a huge blessing to each one of us to experience the great things God is doing. When we last communicated, we mentioned that we would be having our devotion and debrief time. That evening turned into a wonderful and very special time of worship before God. Bardian, who is in charge of counseling for CHI, addressed us on how to handle the needs of counseling that we find in the community, from students, adults, etc. It was much more than a lecture on the proper procedures and methods. It became very clear to us all that our hearts must demonstrate Christ. Our actions must be as though Christ Himself was performing them. Living as Christ is how the hurt and dying (spiritually) of Namibia, will begin to open up, sharing those difficult things to us. Following this we had a time of sharing one word adjectives that described how each of us were feeling. There was excitement, brokenness, joy, hurt, sorrow, and freedom through this exercise. It was such a great way for the entire team to just briefly state how each of us was taking in and processing what we've experienced. After this time, we spent a few minutes in prayer, closing with a special time of praying over Rob, who as some may know, wasn't able to leave with the team due to passport issues. We just committed that complication to God, asking for His direction and peace through it all. It was so wonderful to be lifting our pastor before God in his own personal time of need. Truly what the body is about. One thing that Dennis M. mentioned is a huge need that has been waying on his heart is that for the men of Namibia. He said his heart has been breaking (and it was evident in how he spoke) every time he sees a man just walking along the road. He felt that there is an intense need for us to begin reaching them, meeting them where they are at and pouring into them.

Today was just another wonderful day of ministry in the schools, kids clubs and at the Ark (orphanage). At Okahandja Secondary we spent time talking to Grade 10 students about choices they make to be a virgin, celibate, or sexually active. We could tell that they were paying very close attention, and asking very good questions. Brigid & Jeff K. have been at JG and will probably be working closely there the next two weeks. They have been sharing the gospel and answering a lot of questions about being "born again" which has been a point of confusion because of all the mixed theology and messages these students have been exposed to. They've had several opportunities to answer some very deep and personal questions from kids who've had parents going through divorice. Jeff & Brigid have also begun an after school Bible study with a few of the students who are really hungry. At Okahandja Secondary, we are extremely happy to report that 11 students (7 boys, 4 girls) accepted Christ today. Probably even more encouraging to us is that the students are paying attention and walking away very introspective. They are truly beginning to think over these issues of premarital sex and salvation. It's been so wonderful. Two Bible studies are beginning at Okahandja Secondary as well. A girls study, being led by Kristi T., Amy R., & Rachel H. will be held just about every day right after classes. Joel & Neil are working closely with several students (Romeo, Armandu, & Jon + some others) to begin a Bible study of the book of James. These guys are serious about their walk and they need poured into.

Kid's Clubs are going extremely well. Stephanie F. reported today that it becomes increasingly more fun and even easy as they become familiar with the lessons and how the kids learn. The reports are all good. Dennis M. mentioned that they love taking photos of the kids and how it allows them to just reach out and hug them afterwards and create bonds with the kids. Dancing has been a huge topic of laughter among them as they realize how horrible they [the team] are at dancing [compared to the kids], and still they continue. The Kid's Club crew went over to the Ark today and spent time with the orphans and redecorating the Ark. Based on all reports this crew has it down and they are rolling with it. God is blessing their times and they are learning so much about the joy of the Lord. One funny story is that Jim D. made the comment (after going to Kid's Club for the experience) that, there were lots of kids, lots of noise, and lots of dust. All in all, he, in his typical Jimmy D. way, said it wasn't for him!

The team is doing exceptionally well. We've stuck with our original plan of keeping the teams seperate in and focused on their areas of ministry. This has worked really well and allowed each team to really take ownership of Kid's Club, CTW, C&C, etc. Everyone is healthy. Everyone is excited. We are all tired at times, but God is providing rest. The pace is good. God has really blessed us in that. We are moving at a pace that is seeing great things happening, and yet it is moving at a rate where we feel that burnout will be avoided. Please continue to pray for all of these areas, but more importantly, and the team has expressed this, please pray that the community of Okahandja would begin to experience God and His glory. That they would begin to awaken out of their sleep in darkness, and begin move towards His light. Pray especially for the men of Okahandja, both young men and the older ones. There is such a need to see them transformed by the renewing of their minds (Romans 12:2 has been a big theme verse for us lately). So basically, we covet your prayers for us, but we ask that you pray more specifically for the people of Namibia. We are willing, but God needs to begin opening their ears, eyes, hearts and minds.

Thank you so much for lifting us up. Hopefully we'll be able to update daily from here on out (except while at Etosha this weekend).

Blessings,
Team B

Team B Update (Finally!)

2005-06-20T22:14:00.000+01:00

Hey Everyone,

After a very busy weekend and some technical difficulties and lost emails, we are now updating you all. As you might suspect, we are safetly in Okahandja, Namibia. The team arrived on Saturday afternoon without any problems getting through customs. Everyone's luggage made it through customs without being searched. This is just a huge answer to prayer. God is continually answering prayer as we have seen so evidently.

The reunion with Team A on Saturday was wonderful. The evening was spent swapping stories and just sharing in the excitement of all being in Namibia at the same time. Later that evening we spent time in prayer as a team, dedicating this trip to the Lord. Sunday morning found us waking up bright and early for a time of trading info with Team A so that we could get off the ground effectively with the hand off. Sunday afternoon, after lunch, we all went out to the Multi-purpose Center property to see the building and have the dedication. The building currently consists of steam support beams, a metal roof and a concrete floor (half-way completed). Even though only rough in construction, it was so amazing to actually be worshipping with both teams, members of CHI and about a dozen people from the community. One of the greatest parts of the day happened when Joel was able to baptize Christiaan, the teacher from Okahandja Secondary School. This was a surprise to the entire team upon our arrival, and what a great way to start off our trip here in Namibia.

Sunday evening continued with Team A going into processing and "pre-re-entry" prep. Team B gathered together to have a time of prayer, devotion and refresher on talking about the gospel to others. It was a great time of team connecting and discussion, challenging many of us who have walked with the Lord for many years and those who have only recently made Christ their center. Preparation followed into the night. Followed by a good nights rest (except that Buddy snores like a machine!).

Today saw our first day of Choose to Wait, Kid's Club, Care & Compassion and a special assembly at a primary school north of town. Boy did we kick off with a bang! We will be having our evening debriefing and devotion time to discuss all that has happened. The early reports are that everyone experienced God is some very unique and special ways. He is truly amongst us and teaching us new things through everyone on this team.

Team A (for everyone wondering) got off the ground this morning on time and without hassle. Please continue to pray for them as they are on the hardest part of their journey in that they are going through withdraw and separation from this great town and its people.

Thank you all for your prayers and support. We are feeling them. Most of us are doing well with sleep and currently feeling a good pace setting in. We are in anticipation of what God is doing and preparing for us. He is good!

We'll update again when the time (and technology allows),
In Him alone!
Team B

Team B: Update from Frankfurt

2005-06-17T21:01:00.000+01:00

Hi Everyone,
We are safetly into frankfurt. Our flight was long but everyone seems to be adjusting well. Most people are just sleeping around the airport, and or trying out the fine international cuisine.

Jeff K. wanted me to report that there is good discipleship discussions taking place. stephanie f. also mentioned that some good conversations have taken place on the flight over. People are genuinely intrigued by what we are heading to do.

Please continue to pray for our travel together. We have the longet leg of the trip ahead of us. We definitely need our rest as the work which we are being called to do will be very intensive as soon as we arrive.

Thank you all!
In Him,
Joel (for the team)

Team B: So Far So Good

2005-06-16T22:53:00.000+01:00

Hi Everyone,
We have safetly arrived at the Dayton International Airport! No problems checking in, and smooth transition through security. It's great knowing God is going before us!

Our stomachs are full and we are just awaiting our flight to Chicago.This is obviously only the beginning, but we are excited and ready to go! Prayer over the team has come up in conversation several times. It was great to have many of you there to see us off!

So...here we go! We'll update from Frankfurt tomorrow, hopefully.

In Him!
Team B

update...

2005-06-16T00:04:00.000+01:00

…Another update from the team:

We just spoke with Chris M., Amanda Z. and Rob T. from Africa for our weekly update call. We were very excited to hear what is going on with them. As you might have seen from their last update they’ve returned from Etosha National Park and are now getting back into the groove for their final week.
Chris M. made the comment that they are experiencing increasing energy which can only be from God because they are worn out and exhausted from intense ministry. The pace is fast and very full, but they are taking it well and God continues to prove Himself strong through the ministries.

The Multi-Purpose Center (MPC) is coming along well, and Jos expects it to be completed by August! This is great news. The construction crew has been working around the clock (literally). Doug M. has been a valuable asset as some equipment has recently broken down and Doug has managed to get it up and running for the time being.

The common theme that keeps pouring out from the people they are coming in contact with is the need for discipleship. They are begging and pleading for truth. Christiaan (the teacher from Okahandja Secondary) has stated that the things he’s now being shown in scripture do not align with what he’s been being taught by the churches in the area. His plea was for a church that would preach the truth and teach others. Rob made the comment that things “are taking off” and the pace that the future of Apex in Namibia is happening much quicker than we could have ever imagined. Chris M. remarked that in the U.S. you have to beg people to join small groups, and in Namibia they are begging people to start one. Joan E. has been meeting with students after school for an impromptu Bible study that the kids asked her to start.

Chris did make the comment that it is overwhelming when you look at the entire picture. He said that it is a “God sized problem that requires a God sized solution.” They are indeed seeing God move in might ways though, so it is reassuring that their work is not in vane.

Rob has been going out on Care& Compassion and has been touched by the lives he’s had a chance to minister to. One girl named Monica is 12-years old. She was raped and now has AIDS. Rob has just been humbled and broken by these interactions with her.

Items to pray for include:
1) They are in desperate need of more time to spend with the Lord, individually. Quiet times are at a premium at the moment, and they can feel the weight of this.
2) They have several assemblies tomorrow (Thursday) for “African Children’s Day”. The schools have asked them to present at the assemblies, so they need prayer for creativity (especially for Melanie L. who will be presenting a skit) and just that God would receive glory and that lives would be changed
3) Continue to pray for the team’s perseverance through the remainder of their trip. They are definitely worn out but relying on God to supply all their needs.
4) Continue lifting up Hein, Nadine and family as they are still in transition and definitely need the support of their church family here in the U.S.
5) Rob & Hein will be traveling to Windhoek tomorrow morning to pick up a replacement passport for Rob. Please pray that all goes well
6) While in Windhoek, Rob & Hein will stop by the seminary where they will begin the unofficial scouting for potential candidates to lead and/or pastor the church. This is a huge step and will require much wisdom and discernment to God’s voice. They will also be looking for a sound system for the MPC.

All in all the team is doing really well. Everyone has jelled and is working very well together. They are extremely excited by what God continues to do…

Until next time….

Team A: Back in Okahandja

2005-06-14T21:54:00.000+01:00

hello again! it's about 6pm in Namibia now and the team is just returning from Kids Club at the Ark. everyone is glad to be back after a very good weekend in Etosha, where we were blown away with the beauty and diversity of God's creation. we saw zebra, springbok, gemsbok, kudu, elephants, rhinos, jackals, hyenas, ostrich, and the most amazing jet black sky filled with stars you can ever hope to see. the time away was a good time to rest and rejuvenate and sit in awe of God. it was filled with laughter and gave us such a joy looking forward to what God will do this week.

today we were back in the schools bright and early. both teams saw highs and lows today. for example, one young lady shared with lindsay that she is battling thoughts of suicide. her parents are going through a divorce and the thought of having to go to court and testify in her parents divorce case is tearing her up. lindsay began to pray for this girl and also spoke to juliet, who is in charge of counseling , here at CHI, so that someone can follow up with her. later in the day, the girl returned to lindsay to tell her that she found out she will not have to testify. what a praise to God, for bringing peace to her heart. pray that juliet will follow up with her and that God will continue to move and bring her peace.

another praise: on friday, lindsay spoke with a young man named jesse, who is the headboy at Okahandja secondary school. she shared the gospel with him and he expressed that he just needed time to think about it. the team prayed for him over the weekend while we were at etosha and jesse thought about the decision, today lindsay was able to reconnect with him and jesse said he has decided to follow Jesus! his heart was so genuine. he prayed to receive Jesus in the courtyard after school! as we drove home after school today, he waved his hands and called goodbye and you could see the joy on his face. this is a huge blessing to have witnessed. please pray for jesse; he is an older boy, involved in sports and prominent in the school. pray that he becomes a leader for the the other students.

update on the baptistism: Armandu is going to be baptised with week. due to the hard work that is going on at the building site through the week, and activities that Armandu is involved in at the hostel, we will be having the baptism instead on sunday afternoon. this is great because it allows for more kids to come witness this baptism, but also, we will be incorporating Armandu's baptism into the dedication service for the multi-purpose center. this future church is beginning so right! just think: we're building the walls of this church around the baptism of new believers! literally! and you are such a part of that. thank you for sending us ! and when we are baptising Armandu on sunday (with BOTH teams present) we will be meeting at the same time as you worship back home at Apex!!

other things God has done:
* joan and melanie stayed after school to have the first Bible club at J.G. school. there were 10 students that came to learn about the Bible and how to study to Word of God.

*in the kids club, our first lesson involved taking polaroid pictures of the kids that they could take home with them, to show how God made them each special. before our last kids club for this lesson, we were looking at the number of polaroid film and the number of kids we could have show up at club and we praying that there would be enough. and God mulitplied the film! we brought about 500 pictures worth of film total, and had used most the them. we figured that we probably had about 40 pictures left. the team went to pack the film in our bag for the day, and there were almost 400 pictures' worth! this is absolutely true. the team was blown away and praising God for His provision!

tonight we will be leading devotions at the Ark with the children. pray that our words and message are clear and that our love is the love of Jesus for these young kids.

thank you so much for your prayers. God is so big.

- the team

Team Pictures

2005-06-13T16:39:00.000+01:00

It was just brought up that we should post a picture of the teams for everyone to see.

Here is Team A on the day of departure. Hein, Nadine, Nikka and Mikala are also pictured.

This is Team B. We will be leaving this Thursday (June 16th)!

We humbly ask that you continue to pray for both teams. Team A is rounding up their final week of ministry in Okahandja and no doubt will begin to feel the fatigue, yet the joy of seeing lives changed. They will also begin the process of saying goodbyes to the friends that they've made. This is always a difficult thing to do.

Also, please continue to pray for Team B as we ramp up to head out. We are all eager to go, yet feeling a bit overwhelmed (this is good though!).

team A: surprise call!

2005-06-10T21:46:00.000+01:00

We were able to talk with the team once again today. It was not something that was planned but a fun surprise!

Many reasons to rejoice….

Today Rob went to visit people in the community through Christ’s Hope’s ministry Care & Compassion (C&C). He met with one lady named Olivia who is in her late 40’s/early 50’s. While he was there she pulled out her Bible and started flipping through the pages and they came across a picture of her and Kathy Clark, who was on the last trip. This was an encouraging connection for Rob and his involvement with C&C.

Before the team left they were split into 3 different teams…Choose to Wait, Kid’s Club & Care & Compassion. They prepared in their 3 individual teams for what they would be doing over there. With the needs that are arising in two different schools everyone has been serving in the Choose to Wait & Kid’s Club areas. So, with that said they have been extremely busy but all are doing well.

Yesterday in Kid’s Club Joan prayed with a girl who accepted Christ!

As some might remember from the February trip, Joel O. had the chance to speak to a teacher at Okahandja Secondary who was really receptive to the gospel, but who wasn’t quite ready to take the next step and receive the gift of salvation. Joel was able to give Chris information to work from regarding Christiaan, the teacher, and Chris jumped on this. Today, Christiaan had a chance to sit down and talk to Christiaan and in that conversation, Chris had the opportunity to introduce Christiaan to Christ’s family as a new believer. Christiaan is hungry for truth and the word, making several remarks regarding the need for a church that teaches the truth. Needless to say this is a huge answer to prayer and just one more confirmation of the work that God is doing in Namibia. God is raising up not only the young but also changing the hearts of the adults!

The team is continuing to see the great need for discipleship! Next week Joan, Blake & Chris are going to stay after school and lead a Bible study. The students are so thristy for God’s Word. In one of the Choose to Wait classes the team simply asked the students to write down any questions they had. One student said,”I am born again but I want to know about baptism.” So, Andy P. sat down with him to explain baptism and the student was so excited and expressed a great desire to get baptized. So, the plan is to buy a tub that will eventually be in the new church in Okahandja and next Tuesday they are going to baptize him on the new land! What a great celebration!

Amanda Z. said that they were in an 8th grade class and felt the Spirit moving. They presented the Gospel and asked if anyone wanted to respond someone would be sitting outside to pray with them. Amanda went outside and she looked up and there were about 17 students around her. She once again explained the Gospel and told them this would not necessarily be a popular decision & that persecution would occur. She was very upfront with the joy and reality of suffering that comes with living the Christian life. All the students who came out prayed to receive Christ!

Tomorrow they are traveling to Etosha where I am sure they will experience a new form of God’s creation which will usher them into a deeper worship of God!! Please pray that this will be a time of much needed rest, reflection & team bonding.

until next time….

Team A: "Broken but good"

2005-06-09T01:44:00.000+01:00

Greetings,

We here at the office called Team A this afternoon and spoke with Chris and Rob. It was wonderful to hear their voices and to know they are all experiencing Namibia in ways that only God can arrange. The team is physically well though beginning to feel what it means to pour themselves out completely. The way it was described is that “the team is experiencing complete brokenness but in a good way, and God has been chipping away at their hearts.” The team, as mentioned in their previous update is split into two separate secondary (high) schools. They are now teaching at Okahandja Secondary and another school which is simply known by the abbreviation JG. JG is a 1st-12th grade school, but they are only teaching Choose to Wait (CtW) to the older grades. Because of the two schools the team has had to adapt by merging everyone from the Kid’s Club and CtW teams into two CtW teams. This means that everyone is pulling double duty, going from 7 am till late in the evening with Kid’s Clubs. They are excited, enthusiastic and yet a little apprehensive. Doug Mills had the opportunity to go out with Care & Compassion today experiencing some of the more intense aspects of the trip. He is very grateful for this experience and is learning much. He has also had the opportunity to work with Jos doing construction at the multi-purpose center (MPC). Good news from Kid’s Clubs is that Melanie L. led one of the chaperones to the Lord while taking a moment out from working with the children. This is just one more confirmation of how the Lord is working to change not only the children and teenagers but also the adults of Okahandja, Namibia. Blake E. has been so full of energy and stamina and every time they turn around he’s talking to and or holding one of the kids. He also shared his testimony of how God has brought him through some incredible physical odds. This has basically turned him into a hometown hero for the students in the schools. It’s truly amazing how God is calling specific people at just the right time for His purpose.

Rob arrived on Tuesday after some “crazy” traveling experiences throughout the airports. He has done incredibly well and God has brought him through. He is a little sick with some sinus issues and still fatigued from the trip, but all in all in excellent spirits and is excited about how God is working in the team.

Their evening devotions Wednesday consisted of Brittany K. sharing her testimony and the trials and challenges God has brought her through. They described it as a very moving testimony and afterwards they said you could see her just glowing from feeling the freedom found only in Christ.

Chris and Amanda as the leaders are doing well and Rob says they are complimenting each other exceptionally well in the face of changes, challenges and seeing God rearrange their plans and more specifically their hearts.

Please be in prayer for Hein and Nadine. They are having to transition back to Namibia after being in the USA for 6 months. They have a lot of changes and decisions resting on them in the very near future, and they need God’s direction and wisdom as they make choices that impact their family.

All in all, Chris said it is so much more than what they expected. It is far beyond what they could have imagined, and God is doing even more. Those with gifts as teachers are stepping up and everyone to one degree or another is filling a very defined and specific role. Please continue to pray for them as they try to serve wholeheartedly while all the while ensuring that the team remains effective and doesn’t become stretched too thin.

Stay tuned for the next update…

Team A: In Okahandja

2005-06-07T21:45:00.000+01:00

Here's the latest news from Team A. They sent an update to us. Without further delay:

-------------------
9pm

Hello from Okahandja! Thanks so much for your prayers; they have been powerful and effective! In preparation to be sent out, it couldn't be stressed enough how important "flexibility" is when you step out and place yourself into God's hands. As soon as the team dismounted the bus at Dayton International Airport, we learned the meaning of the word. We arrived at the ticket counter and were greeted by the relieved faces of the United Airline workers who proclaimed, "We're so glad you're early! Your flight has been cancelled and we need to put you on another flight that leaves an hour earlier!" Thank God for these wonderful people at the airport. They worked so hard and were so polite and helpful to us. Even when we found out that the last minute changes put us on a much smaller plane, which proved difficult - putting the flight overweight if all of our team and luggage was to board. They made calculations and tried several different scenarios which finally allowed the last 6 of us to proceed through the security checkpoint (all 17 of us were specially chosen to have the additional search!) and we made it to the gate to await the final outcome. As the majority of the team boarded the plane, we prayed that God would provide what appeared to be impossible - that the last 6 of us and all our luggage would arrive in Frankfurt the next night by 9pm for our connecting flight. They worked looked our way and said, "hey do you want to go??"

We quickly gathered our things and handed over our boarding passes and began to walk down to the plane. But surprise! be flexible! The word came back from the plane that it was a no go, and we would not be able to board. Back down we sat and the workers immediately started into action again. We learned later that this is when the rest of the team began to pray that we would get another flight. And within 2 minutes they looked out their plane windows to see us waving as we boarded another flight! In a matter of hours, we were in Washington DC, they were in Chicago, but the next night there was great joy as we met again at the bottom of an escalator in Germany. It was so good to see them.

After a long layover, some time in prayer and sleeping in various areas that we kept getting evicted from, we talked about our expectations and feelings so far and talked about how good God has been. And how He was moving in so many big ways already. We read scripture and went before the Lord in prayer. in the middle of a chaotic airport in Frankfurt, we felt such peace and calm. Calm like Jesus sleeping in the middle of the storm! The next flights were good, and we arrived without a problem in Windhoek. Customs was so easy that they barely even glanced up at us as we walk through. Praise the Lord!

Today a few of us went to the schools (yes, that's plural) to talk about what they would like from us. After our time there we did some rearranging and combined the CTW team with the kid club team and our new teams are currently making preparations for our arrivals at the schools tomorrow morning. This afternoon we will all be able to participate in Kid's Club at the Ark. Thank you for your faithfulness in prayer. It has already been quite evident. Keep praying, as there have already been a lot of changes and there is also much brokenness in the team, as we understand how easy it is to operate in our own strength and take control back from our Lord. Pray that we surrender everything everyday.

Grace and peace,
Team A

Team A: Update 1

2005-06-05T03:26:00.000+01:00

Hi everyone. A quick update. I received word tonight that Team A has been receiving early lessons in flexibility. Today they left for the Dayton airport and were greeted by an annoucement that their flight was canceled. When all was said and done, the team was split up, half sent to Chicago bound for Frankfurt, and the other half sent to Washington D.C. bound for Frankfurt.

Please be praying that they would all arrive in Frankfurt and find each other upon arriving. Also, due to the switch luggage becomes more tricky, so please pray for a covering over all their luggage to arrive in Germany then on to their final destination in Windhoek, Namibia.

They are doing well and are in good spirits despite the switch. God is good!

Ramping up for the next round

2005-05-20T00:55:00.000+01:00

Hi everyone,

Just a quick update. This blog will once again be put to good use as the next two teams head out beginning the 4th of June. We will be updating this blog as often as we receive word from the teams. We look forward to seeing how God is going to use the teams as He has done with the previous teams.

The site has undergone a little bit of a facelift in the process, but this will remain the place where you can find out what's happening with the teams as they venture out to the ends of the earth.

Note: You can post comments, but team members will not be able to read them while in Namibia, unfortunately.

Back on American Soil

2005-02-16T17:34:00.000+02:00

Greetings everyone! First off I want to say thank you all for your prayers for us over the last two weeks. I know for sure that I speak for everyone on the team when I say that it is because of prayers offered up by you that we were able to go where we did and accomplish what God had in store. It was your prayers that provided strength and your words of encouragement that sustained us throughout.

For those who may continue to check this blog since our returning, please continue to pray for the team, as many of us are still in processing and digesting everything that took place. We are excited, overwhelmed, surprised, saddened, hopeful, and just about every other emotion you might imagine. We have experienced something great. We sincerely hope to be able to share even a glimpse of that in the near future.

Thank you so much for everything!

our last message from the team...

2005-02-11T23:36:00.000+02:00

Greetings one and all,

It is indeed Friday evening here in Namibia. We are all in very high spirits. Not because tomorrow we leave, on the contrary most want to stay, rather we are so excited about how God works. Talk about a grand finale of a day. We spent our last day at Okahandja Secondary School with CTW. Most of it was spent in review, but God still opened doors to see lives changed. Over a dozen students accepted Jesus today alone. We spent some time saying good bye, which involved a lot of pictures and an expected amount of tears from both students and team members alike. Afterwards we went and visited the hostiles for one last look around -- it was rather bittersweet.

We walked back from the school under a hot sun and beautiful blue sky and clouds. God's creation is so wonderful. After arriving back at the CHI center we spent some time packing and sorting out what we are leaving behind. Most of us don't have much left to bring back as we bartered it all off at the marketplace -- talk about a gold mine, or at least a shopping addiction for some people. We had to remind people not to barter off articles of clothing -- we must remain decent :)

Following packing, Sammy, who has been one of the coolest Africans a person could ever meet, took us over to the dump, or as it is called the "Victory Camp". Talk about a lack for words. There is not much that can be said. Those that have experienced it, know what we are talking about, those that have not will most likely never understand. It truly lacks the proper words to describe. We are truly blessed with everything that we have.

This evening we were blessed to have a cook out here at the CHI center for the school teachers and administration from the school. Hein set this up last week and it was so cool to just sit down and eat with the principal and about 19 other teachers, many of whom are unsaved. Well it turned into a giant witnessing fest for the whole team. Man, it is such a pleasure to be a part of this group. The teachers were open, the principal was so welcoming of us. Basically, Apex and CHI has created a long lasting relationship with Okahandja Secondary School. It is truly by God's grace. It is not by anything we have done in and of ourselves, but truly by our willingness to allow God to work His plan. I was so amazed at the support from the teachers. Many said that they wished this cook out was happening at the beginning instead of at the end, so that they could have had a chance to talk to us more and find out about us. They also asked that next time we include them in our lessons and class room time for CTW. They know that their students now know something that they don't and they are very curious. Many stated that they wish they'd know the material too so they could pick up where we left off! Praise the Lord!

As mentioned in a previous email, a teacher by the name of Christian (his last name is unpronouncable), whom Joel spoke with late last week, came to the cook out. Long story short, tomorrow morning at 8.30am (an hour before the team is scheduled to depart for the airport), Joel will be meeting Christian to pray with him to receive the Lord as his personal Savior. He was somewhat intimidated by the commotion from the cook out. But he has openly stated he is out of excuses and doesn't really have any fears. So please please please pray for Joel today/tonight and Christian. There's no doubt that Satan will try to hinder this from happening, but our God is so much stronger. If this is God's will, there will be one brand new born again teacher at Okahandja Secondary School on Monday morning!!!

Another teacher whom Jen witnessed to today (in front of her whole class) came and continued to ask many questions. She has had much confusion from people in the past. Liz, Jen and some others spent some private time with her this evening to answer those questions. No profession has yet occured, but please be lifting her [Natalie - she teaches technical drawing] up in prayer. So many other teachers were talked to and relationships were built. Seeds were definitely planted and not just a few were watered these last two weeks. There's some fertile ground being made ready for the June teams, so please continue to pray. We will be leaving tomorrow morning from CHI at 9:30am and will head to the Windhoek airport, where our plane departs at 1:45pm. Please lift up our travels as we are all excited but exhausted and will need some rest. Also continue to pray for Hein, Nadine, Nikka and Mikala, who will be travelling with us. They are rushing around like crazy people trying to finalize things for their trip to the USA, and definitely need prayer. Those of you who have not yet met them, from Apex, are in for a real treat.

Our arrival in Dayton is expected to be around 5:50pm on Sunday. We are looking forward to greeting our loved ones again, but this trip will indeed provide us with time to reflect on these last two weeks, and to be perfectly honest it is going to be hard to leave this beautiful country -- God is at work. The harvest is so much more than plentiful...

Only in Him,
The Team

2005-02-10T04:12:00.000+02:00

Here is another update!!!

Greetings,

We have finally managed an opportunity to sit down and write up an update for you all back home. We are so thankful for what God is doing here in Namibia and what He has begun in us. It is so amazing to see Him working on a day to day basis (many times minute by minute basis). He is truly faithful to those who put their trust in Him -- even when it hasn't been easy.This weekend we went to Etosha National Game Reserve arriving in the middle of the afternoon on Saturday. We went out for a few hours into the park but saw very few animals (just Springbok, Zebras, Ostrich, and Giraffes in the distance). It was sort of disappointing. We headed back to the lodge area where we spent the night. We actually had Air Conditioning in our hostiles. That was so nice! I think everyone actually got a good nights sleep (something we desperately needed). Saturday evening we all gathered to watch the sunset (which was one of the most beautiful sunsets many of us have ever seen) and then we went to the watering hole to see what wild life might come around. To our surprise, a mother rhino and her baby came down to the hole and created quite a bit of excitement for all those who were observing. At this point we were pretty content with our trip - if we saw nothing else, this would fine. A few hours later, a male rhino came to the pit. The bull was huge and he put on quite a show - even lying down to take a nap while everyone watched.Saturday evening, Kathy surprised the entire team with a "Mail call". She is such a sweetheart and it blessed us beyond measure to get all of your letters and read the encouraging words that you had for us. There were many tears from just about everyone, but something that was highly needed at just the right time. Thank you all.Sunday we were disappointed with the park and considered just leaving early and coming back to Okahandja, but decided that we'd give the park another try with the hopes of seeing more animals along a different route. After a few prayers that God would allow us to see some specific animals, we headed out. About 8 hrs later we exited the park seeing everything we wanted to see except lions. One lone bull elephant was specific answer to prayer. It's so cool to see how God works, even in things so simple.

We arrived back in Okahandja late Sunday night. We were all very worn out from the drive but enjoyed the company and the R&R. Monday brought the beginning of our final week in Okahandja and specifically in the schools. This week, as with every day last week, brought new joys and definitely new challenges. Complications arose with classes where some teachers began taking advantage of a large American team being there. They started pawning there classes off on us so that they could do "other things". The caused a bit of a stir but Jason handled the situation well after many discussions with the principal. God has blessed the team immensely in finding favor with the principal. He has stated over and over how much he appreciates us here and longs for us to continue teaching. Please be in prayer for the school. They are currently over their normal enrollment and are short five teachers, with many teachers doing double duty. The principal, who is not a believer, is even teaching many classes. We are unsure of the number of salvations as we have found it hard to keep up. At the end of last week we were up around 150+, and in just the first half of this week we have seen nearly another 75 salvations. Liz has been nothing short of amazing in this regards. She has led the charge with praying with people to receive Christ. It's been a challenge to keep up! The numbers are a bit sketchy because it seems like every time we turn another person prays to receive Christ. It is so cool to see God working, and even though we can't keep track of names and information, God is writing names in His book! Please keep Mindee and Lisa in prayer. Mindee has been sick almost the entire trip now and actually stayed back at the center today so that she could rest. Lisa has also found it very hard to sleep and has gone many days with only an hour or so a night. Since we'll be flying out of Windhoek on Saturday, we definitely need our rest because the trip back on the airplanes will probably be a challenge in the sleep department. So we ask that you pray for our rest. You may also pray for Brandon who has swelling in his ankles due to "pitting adema" (that's the term Lisa used - Spelling may not even be correct). It is more of a hassle than anything, and he is physically well in every other way, but the the flights home will likely not help it any. Everyone, with the exceptions mentioned, is doing well physically. We are all tired. This has definitely not been a vacation nor a relaxing "adventure" into Africa (we've been getting maybe 1 hr of free time a day), but each person on the team is a trooper and we love the work. They are really putting their heart and souls into everything they do, regardless of which area they are working. Lisa went to Care and Compassion today so that she could bring back valuable information for the Apex medical missions team. She said it was tough emotionally and will be able to provide more information upon our return. So please keep her in prayer as she digests everything. God continues to bless far more than what we can imagine. Nevertheless we still need your prayers. This week has already tested in ways which we couldn't have anticipated and will continue to be challenging.

On a lighter note, we celebrated Jennifer's (the Jennifer that runs Kid's Club) birthday this evening and were able to bless her with a fully funded "shopping spree". She has been an inspiration to us all and her energy and excitement are unmatched. She has truly become a kindred spirit with several of the gals on the team. Again, we want to thank you our church family at Apex and all the others that are praying for us. It has been nothing short of miraculous how God has been at work in such feeble and tired bodies. Somehow we keep going. As you continue to pray, please lift up a cookout we are having here at the CHI center for all the teachers, faculty and staff from Okahandja Secondary School. There are two or three born again believers among them, but for the most part there is a lot of traditional religious philosophies mixed with any and every modern religious method -- basically, this is a huge opportunity to lights for Jesus among the leadership and pace setters of the secondary school. We are told that approximately 20 of them faculty will be coming, including the teacher that Joel spoke with earlier last week, who has yet to receive Christ. What a blessed opportunity we are being given. Please pray that we don't hold back, we say what the Lord leads us to say, and that we shine like lights on a hill. We are unsure how many more email updates we'll be able to send, as our schedule is insanely busy, but we ask that you, especially those at Refuge, lift up our team concerning our last days here, may we be effective in spreading the Good News; our trip home, may we continue to be examples of Christ's love to one another and to all those with whom we interact; and that as we enter back into American culture, may we not come back unchanged or find it easy to get comfortable once again.

We'll update again if possible, but if not, we'll see you all soon!

- The Team

for His name sake...

2005-02-07T01:17:00.000+02:00

We just received this update today. It is from the end of last week before they went to Etosha…I truly stand amazed!!!

Just to give you some idea of what they are doing now. As I type this 5:13pm (US time) they are hopefully back from Etosha, (where I am sure they were able to stand in awe of God’s creation they saw there) and in bed getting ready for their 2nd week of ministry!

______________________________________________________________
Greetings,

We wanted to send out an email before we head off to Etosha for our weekend "retreat" and let you know about some of the great things that have been taking place the last few days.

As you might have seen in our last update God is doing so much more than we could have ever imagined -- it is humbling and directly points to God's magnificant glory and might.Yesterday (Thursday Feb 3) was a big day. We woke up wondering how God would surprise us with something that could surpass the seventy-five souls that were saved the day before. Well He did, and He likes to keep us guessing. We saw several salvations (I don't have an exact count from then). It was far less than the day before, but still: every soul counts! What impressed us more so was God putting us in touch with the people we had prayed with the day before. Not only have we've seen God actively save lives, we have now seen Him choose us to begin the process of discipleship! Praise the Lord! It has struck the team so vividly that discipleship is what is so desperately needed here in Okahandja. Lives are being changed for eternity through salvation, but our hearts are burning more and more for those who now have Christ but don't know where to go from here. It has caused more than concern; it has caused a heavy burden on our hearts. Please be in prayer regarding this -- as we see it so so necessary.

So Thursday at CTW was a time of connecting with the new babies, and boy did we connect. They had questions, and thankfully God gave us answers. So many of them are so hungry to know more. Joel has started a "discipleship" group with some of the young guys, under a tree during their break time. Stories like this are opening up everywhere with many of the team members. Liz and Marti have been leading the charge by going out on the school grounds sharing the gospel with groups of girls. Kristi T. has absolutely jumped into "school teacher" mode and lesson plan topics abound! Janet B. has been so helpful in one of the classes just sharing her experiences as a married lady - and boy do the girls (some classes are all girls) have some deep questions. Jeff L. has stepped up to the plate so many times and though he is capturing a great deal of video, he has by far taken on the challenge of spreading the gospel and coming up with great analogies that the students (or as they call them "learners") can relate to. Brandon and Joel, though not in the same classes, have met up many times on the school grounds where the students hang out in between class periods and have had so many opportunities to talk with the older male students who are a bit skeptical. Joel has found so much opportunity being an engineer to break into conversation with students who's only hope is to one day make it to the university to study something such as engineering. What an open door.
On a funny note, they keep calling Joel "Santiago" or "Santiago Ortega". Who this is, is still a mystery, but every time he announces his name and that he's an engineer, they all yell out "Santiago" (mostly girls). Even the kids at the squatter camp, called "5 Rand", started calling Joel "Santiago" and refuse to call him Joel; they have no idea that he's an engineer. The closest thing that we can figure out is that he looks like a TV star that is an engineer on a show called "3 Sisters" or something like that.

Thursday saw many of the female team members making some major break throughs with the female students. There is some serious bonding here. Many comments regarding "never being able to be able to leave" have been stated. One great opportunity that only could have happened came at the end of the day. As mentioned in the previous email, the school asked us to split up into three separate teams to fill the roles of teachers for classes that had no teachers. One of those is a "Life Sciences" class. Lisa, Kristi and Joel headed that one up. At the end of the day, Joel was talking to two young guys (8th grade) where one of them was asking how AIDS is transmitted -- talk about a tough question -- then he goes on to say that he has had diarrhea for 2 yrs and wondered if that was a sign of AIDS. Joel had a chance to share the gospel with them. They were close to praying when a teacher walked in. Thinking he had to take care of business or wanted the boys out of the classroom, Joel wrapped up the conversation. The teacher then simply asked, "Do you only talk with learners?" An hour and half later the conversation ended. The teacher didn't accept Christ that day, but He is very very close. God is drawing him near. Pray for Christian (his last name is too hard to pronounce). God's doing a work in even the teachers that we are meeting!

God has been so faithful to us in providing us with the words to say at the right times. Thursday evening we had our first "Youth Club" which is an off shoot of Sylvia's "Choose to Wait Clubs", but only held once a week. It went really well, Christy B. prayed with a student to receive Christ. Several students that had accepted Christ the day before also came with smiles on their faces and a new spirit living inside them! We even tried to teach them "Big Bootie" during game time. With 43 people in the circle it was rather difficult - we are working on our technique a little more.

Today (Friday Feb 4) arrived with a whole new plate great things. It started off with the CTW team attending an assembly for the school, where all 1000+ learners and all the teachers attended. Jason introduced the team and was able to tell the entire school that "Jesus is the Way, the Truth, and the Life". It was a brief message, but it was a spring board for all of us the rest of the day. What an opportunity. God was at work. Liz, Marti, Mindee and others had the chance to pray with over 50 people to accept Christ as their Savior! Relationships with those who were saved are continuing to abound. Joel followed up with Christian (the teacher) after classes. He said he is still thinking things over very much but hadn't had much free time in the last 24hrs. He has a whole weekend to think it over! Many of the CTW team discovered, after some inquiry, some of the students that accepted Christ from the last Apex team. What a great opportunity to share encouragement with students that are living a very difficult life. It again hit us how important discipleship is, and how urgent the need is for these students to have regular contact with people who can disciple them.

Lynthia and Cathy went out with our good friend Sammy (who has been driving us around - he's a medical student from S. Africa) to work with C&C.God opened more doors for them to share the gospel and even through discussions, one AIDS sufferer found out about another person that the C&C team visits that isn't a born again Christian and said that she would like to talk to her has her friend -- AIDS victim to AIDS victim! They are truly building friendships and finding it possible to look past the suffering of the physical and truly relate to the suffering of the spiritual and the needs that these people have.

Friday wrapped up with one gigantic grand finale. The team went with Jennifer to 5 Rand (the squatter camp) to hand out Operation Christmas Child (OCC) boxes to a planned 300 kids. Now imagine 300 kids that are anticipated to show then being greeted by probably 500 plus parents. Boxes were handed out by pre-registration only. So this proved to be a challenge. In fact, it was probably the most frustrating thing, in regards, and one of the most reward in another. The frustrating part was that the noise level was somewhere up around that of a rock concert and they wouldn't be quiet. The language barrier was difficult as they mostly speak Afrikaans (versus the schools where english is primary). There were several times when the team thought that a riot might break out over the boxes. It was very intense and required much patience. Order and organization was to be found no where. It got so bad by the end that we actually took boxes and left, fighting the crowds as they grabbed for boxes. But the experience was not without its joys. To stop in the midst of all the commotion and see a little child open their box and then the biggest smile come across their face. It brought so much joy to our team. Even as we were driving away, the kids where waving at us and smiling so big. To know that God provided those boxes for them, and we were just the diligent workers, was "so cool dude" (as Sammy says all the time).

We as a team have learned so much this week. We have been amazed at the hand of God on each and every one of us, on the students at Okhandja Secondary School and on the kids at the "Kid's Clubs". We are all very tired. We are all very worn out. Physically we are drained. Many haven't had a good night's rest since arriving (Lisa J. specifically - so please pray), but one thing is for certain -- God is so much stronger when we are weak and by His grace alone we are able to stand in the midst of all the things that could potentially hold us down. The team is doing well. There are some concerns by us leaders regarding the sense that some team members are on the front lines doing CTW and seeing very tangible and very real results, while others who are acting in support are not actively seeing things take place. This has not become a problem as of yet, but we would appreciate prayer in this regards. Every role is important and we are here to work in whatever job God chooses for us. It is so important that God gives Lisa, Jason and Joel the wisdom that we as leaders need to see God work through our team and that any problems are resolved long before they become troublesome.

As we take a little break for the weekend to travel to Etosha National Park, we would ask that you pray for our renewed strength for our final week in Namibia; that lives, in any environment, are changed for eternity; and that we remain a team that only seeks to honor the Father. This past week has seen a huge emphasis on the gospel, especially in our classroom sessions with CTW. God has opened huge doors. Now that we've laid the foundation, this coming week we'll begin to touch on more of the Choose to Wait curriculum involving abstinence and purity. Please pray that God gives us the words to speak, the ears to listen and the hearts and minds to comprehend. The weather is hot, but we'll take it over snow and freezing temperatures!
Only in Him,
The Team

Big news from the team...

2005-02-03T22:58:00.000+02:00

About an hour after I posted the update from our phone conversation the team sent an email. It is a lot of the same information but they share more details...enjoy!! It will be posted below.

Hello Apex Family,

We wanted to send you an update email to let you know what's going on. So far everything is spectacular. We have seen God move in some incredible ways. Today in particular was amazing, but let us save that for last.

Yesterday (Tues Feb 1) we began the "Choose to Wait" classes at Okahandja Secondary School. God amazed us right away in a morning staff meeting with all the school teachers and administrations, when they opened up their morning meeting with prayer, closing the prayer to Jesus Christ! Amazing. Shortly thereafter, we began our first day teaching the "Life Skills" class (yes, teaching the entire class, not just giving a few presentations). They don't currently have a teacher, so the class is our's for two weeks. We were a bit nervous but God showed us that it wasn't about us and all we had to do was rely upon Him. He's faithful to give us the words to communicate to the classes. After a very full day of classes (ending at 1pm) we spent some time with students interested in talking to us and learning more. Through that, Kristi Taylor had the opportunity to share the gospel and pray with a girl to accept Jesus. We were very excited and it was a good spiritual lift after a very long and tiring day.

Kids club in the afternoon has been going very well also. Jennifer is such a huge blessing to all of us, and we are sure Janet, Christi Burris and Jen Clark would confirm this. They have been going, going, going. I don't know where they find their energy. They have been working with groups of 40+ everyday so far. Janet has also learned how to drive on the opposite side of the road! We were a little scared of this at first, but riding with her today relaxed us just a little.

Lynthia has been able to participate in two Care & Compassion sessions. She has been touched by the chance to talk with and spend time with loving on people who are sick and hurting, physically, but also spiritually. She has been able to pray some of the people today (not specifically for Salvation, but doors are opening). They are only taking 4 people in per session, so we may not have as many opportunities to rotate members in. This is okay, because doors are opening up elsewhere.

Today (Wednesday, Feb 2) we saw something that we never believed would happen and totally showed us that God has been designing a special plan for each of us. The "CTW" team went this morning to teach "our" Life Skills class. There were nine of us that went, which is hard to pack in that small class room (those who went last time or have seen pictures know what we are talking about - same class room). Shortly after our first period, the teacher that has been overseeing us came to us and said they don't have teachers for two other classes and since there were nine of us, wanted us to teach those classes as well - whatever we wanted. Prior to going in this morning, we were determined that we hammer home the gospel and 'abstinence' second. With this approach we had multiple skits worked up and other plans. This new annoucement of two classes altered our plans significantly. Beginning third period we split up (Brandon, Liz, & Marti; Joel, Lisa, & Kristi; Jason, Jeff, & Mindee). We were a little frustrated to be honest, but God humbled us and gave us some incredible opportunities. Inspite of all the changes, and even not having a consistent group of students come to the class room, we found that God was working something much greater. It began this morning when Marti forgot her Bible in the original classroom and headed back to get it. She met up with a group of girls who were standing around and struck up a conversation, leading to that group of girls accepting Christ. From there it was all God. Joel spoke at Garrett Pieters Bible study group on Proverbs 2:1-11. The students were real receptive and seemed to be encouraged. Shortly thereafter, Joel, Lisa and Kristi met back up with Liz, Brandon and Marti and found out that Liz had prayed with another group of girls that were just standing around - more salvations. The six of us decided to forget about the classrooms (which weren't drawing in students), and to go find them ourselves. The students are required to wait by the assembly hall if their class is not in session. So we went there. To make a long story short, and after regrouping over lunch this afternoon. There were a sum total of 75 salvations this afternoon at the school!!! Blessed be His Name! Before the day began we were all sick feeling (physically) and just plain tired - after all of that...God renewed our strength, causing us to mount up on wings like eagles.

We had so much energy the rest of the day, especially for a Kid's Club involving well over 150 kids. Many of the team witnessed a miracle during Kid's Club today, and has been not uncommon based on past stories. Towards the end of the events, the kids receive a meal. Preparing food for 150 kids is a lot of work and hard to estimate. Lisa Jackson was serving food and she was worried that they were running out of food. She grabbed the last two plates, turned around fearing that she would have to tell kids it was all gone, to just see two kids standing in line. Not only that, later one they found more food in the pans!! To be honest, today has been overwhelming in the greatest of all senses, that being God just pouring Himself out in a way that is so clearly evident. When God shows up, and we are willing to be obedient, He truly does great things. We will be having our devotions time tonight, which will be so wonderful...and I'm sure so joyous - what an occasion to celebrate! 75 Namibians that we will someday see in Heaven!

Things that you can definitely be praying for us about: 1) We are indeed tired. This is only the third day. We definitely need rest and strength - but God is providing that when needed! 2) It struck home how important discipleship is and how needed it is with those that received Christ today. These students need to grow, and they need people that will help them along that path. Oh how necessary it is. 3) We will be rotating some people into some different roles, mainly Kid's Club folks that want to experience CTW. So please pray for a smooth transition - or maybe a transition that God chooses and not us! 4) Wisdom for Jason, Lisa, and Joel, who are working with Hein, Sammy and others to make arrangements for day to day events as well as our trip to Etosha this weekend. We definitely need HIM! 4) That God would continue to break us. There has been much humbling, but we always need more of Him, more of the kind of change that can only come through a broken and contrite spirit. 5) That we would indeed remain in the state of physical health that God can most effectively use us (sickness or in health - as hard as that is to say).That about sums up our adventures thus far. We are so excited about what God is doing in us and through us. May it continue for His glory alone.

Thank you for your continued prayers...
The Apex Namibia Team

God moves in mighty ways....

2005-02-03T20:55:00.000+02:00

I rejoice as I type!
We spoke with the team on the phone yesterday! What an exciting surprise!

They gave us a quick update on how the Lord is moving in the hearts of the Namibian people & how He is revealing His glory.

The Choose-to-Wait team went into the school on Tuesday. Their day began in a meeting with the staff & administration of the school. One of the teachers who is a Christian opened the meeting with prayer. They took over the “Life Skills” class on Tuesday and even though some felt unclear in their communication to the classes they said that God truly made things flow. Also, on Tuesday Kristi T. prayed with a student who accepted Christ! On Wed. they went back to the school and were told that two other classes did not have teachers so they wanted the CTW team to split up between three classes. They were a little reluctant but ended up taking over three classes and God did some amazing things. For some reason there were not many students in the extra two classes that some of the CTW team took over so they went out into the courtyard area and there were many groups of students hanging out. They approached the different groups and it sounds like they laid out the Gospel over and over in different ways, i.e. Joel used bleach and food coloring for an object lesson. We know that it is not about numbers, we would rejoice if just one came to know the Lord, but to give you an idea of how God is capturing the hearts of the students there, 76 people have come to know the Lord in three days! This again reinforces the need for laborers there to disciple these students. Jason said that it is blowing his mind that they have total freedom to share the Gospel in the classrooms. He says that students are asking direct theological questions and their focus right now is the Gospel. The abstinence message has taken the backseat to the Gospel, but we know that when lives are transformed and regenerated by the Holy Spirit obedience to God’s Word comes also and that includes living a life of purity.

They also shared about God’s provision in Kid’s Club. It was either on Tuesday or Wed. that many of the CTW team and Care & Compassion joined up with Janet B, Christy B. and Jen Clark (Kid’s Club Team) because they had between 120 & 150 kids in one afternoon. One thing they do each day is prepare food for the children because for many that is their only meal for the day. This day they made some sort of stew for the children and Lisa J. was helping pass out the food as the children stood in line. Lisa said that she turned around to get more plates and there were only two left probably wondering if they would have enough. When she turned back around there were just two more children left in line. God provided just enough!!!

Kathy & Lynthia are doing Care & Compassion on M, W, and Friday. Things went well on Monday and on Wednesday they felt more comfortable. So far, they have been able to pray with the people they have visited. I imagine that this is huge in the lives of the people infected and affected with AIDS whom they are visiting because I am sure for many of them they have not had someone reach out to them the way Kathy & Lynthia have been able to with the true love and acceptance that Christ calls us to.

Specific prayer requests::
Some of the team is still fighting illness but they continue to press on.

The team is so grateful for you and your prayers.
They are serving for His Name’s Sake!

they made it...

2005-02-01T16:37:00.000+02:00

Good morning! Here is an update we received from the team this morning!
________________________________________________________________________________________________

Greetings from Namibia!

We are here! Praise the LORD! He has carried us the world over and we are all safetly in Okahandja, Namibia. We are overjoyed to report that we made it through Customs without any problems, no searches and all luggage arrived safetly. We have even been amazed at the quantity of supplies we were able to bring. It has even crossed our minds that God multiplied what was in our luggage...

We have met so many great people in the last day. Hein, Nadene, Nikka and Mikala are all doing well, and it was such a pleasure for us to meet them. We were greeted at the airport by Sammy and Jos's daughter, Annie. We are amazed by the generosity of the people here at the Center. Traveling to Okahandja was beautiful and painless, except for Brandon who ended up a little car sick. All the police checkpoints showed how God was just carrying us all the way through. We were pleasantly surprised to hear that we didn't have to go to the schools first thing Monday morning, rather we are able to prepare a little more. We will once again be in Okahandja secondary school, starting tomorrow (Tuesday). Hein will be taking us over in the morning to introduce us to the administrators and we'll go from there. We may even be taking over the "Life Skills" class, as the previous teacher is no longer there (Cecille). So our task at hand may be bigger than anticipated, but we are looking forward to it. Kathy and Lynthia started Care & Compassion this morning, so they are getting the first real impact of the trip thus far. Please be praying for them, as they are probably seeing things which will challenge them. C&C will only be taking place on Mon, Wed, & Friday, so the team will have to rotate on those days. Also, it will allow for one of the married ladies to be in the classroom at various times.Today, Sammy will be taking some of us around to tour Okahandja, specifically the land which will soon be home to Apex Namibia. We are unsure if we'll dedicate it today. It depends on whether the whole team will be present or not. But this will be exciting nonetheless. Janet, Christy and Jen will be heading out with Jennifer today to participate in Kid's Club this afternoon around 3pm (8am EST). Kid's Clubs will meet everyday except Thursday, when we'll be conducting a Youth Club here at the Center. This is an off shoot of Sylvia's Choose to Wait Clubs, but only meeting once a week. Please pray that we'll be able to be an encouragement to the teenagers in this group, many of whom are people who accepted Christ during the last Apex trip, along with some others.I believe, this covers the majority of what's going on. Everyone is doing well physically. The weather is beautiful (though hot), and we are all just rejoicing over what God has done to get us here. It truly does overwhelm our hearts!

We'll send updates when we can, and blogging may be more difficult than we had thought. Still working out those details with Hein. So please feel free to update the blog accordingly. Thank you so much for your prayers. They are felt!
All for Him,
The Team

updates from airports...

2005-01-30T19:31:00.000+02:00

It warmed my heart this morning to come into the office with emails from the team. As I am typing they should be settling in Okahandja...hopefully getting some rest for their first big day tomorrow...

Below are the emails we received from the team...

Greetings from Germany. We are all well. the flight over was very tiring with little sleep for most. howeever, we all took naps in the frankfurt airport and now fairly rested. We definitely need sleep tonight on the flight to SA, so please lift that up in prayer. Travel has shown how awesome God is in paving the way for us, thus far, so we are excited to see how He provides for the next two legs. We will be having a devotional time together at 8pm tonight (2pm EST) on Saturday, and we are just energized by the togetherness found in this team. I wish I could write more, but just want to end by saying your prayers are being felt every step of the way, and we appreciate them so much. God is so Good!

We will be in touch.
Joel (and team)

Hi Everyone,

Just wanted to let you know that we are safetly into South Africa, arriving about an hour ago. We are in need of more sleep, as the flight didn't offer much, but overall we are all doing well. You can continue to pray for colds and some ailments among several members (Kathy C., Liz S., Lisa J., Jen C. & anyone else i forgot). So far we have seen some great opportunities on the airplanes, sharing with the folks sitting next to some of us. Marti met a girl named Sabrina on the flight to SA and has connected really well with her. Liz had the opportunity to talk to a gentleman name Alec from Germany. He was really open to the gospel,. and Liz was able to share and encourage him. Last but not least, we can use your continued prayer support as we venture into Namibia, primarily at customs. That is been a concern for a while, but we are trusting that God will open wide the doors as He has thus far for the team.

We will miss you all in church this morning, and want you to know that we are praying for you all and the souls that need Him this morning in Dayton, OH, USA (as oppossed to anywhere else). We'll make contact once we are in Namibia, and hopefully post to the blog as well.
Thanks so much for the prayers...we know they are carrying us through!

God Bless,
Joel (Liz, Lynthia & Jeff - who are sitting next to me)

We made it...

2005-01-29T01:48:00.000+02:00

... To the Dayton Airport!

We are all here waiting on our plane and eating Sbarro. Good times! The plane boards in about15 minutes. Security and ticketing were a breeze, and everyone is in excellent spirits. God is good!

We'll post more later, probably from a different airport!

and they're off...

2005-01-28T23:57:00.000+02:00

The Namibia team of 14 just departed on a 15 passenger van on their way to the Dayton airport…preparing for about 24 hours of travel. As we gathered to send them off there were tears of joy & sadness, prayerful attitudes, possibly some hearts searching for the unknown and a peace that God has called each individual to His work in Namibia, Africa. This is an exciting time…they will see God’s glory in a foreign land and be forever changed.

I will update as I receive news from the team!

“With all prayer & petition pray at all times in the Spirit, and with this in view, be on alert with all perseverance and petition for the saints, and pray on their behalf, that utterance may be given to them in the opening of their mouth, to make known with boldness the mystery of the Gospel…”
Ephesians 6:18-19.

Greetings & Welcome

2005-01-07T18:10:00.000+02:00

This post symbolizes the beginning of web journaling for the February Namibia Missions Team from Apex Community Church. As the trip unfolds, check back here for regular updates from the team as we venture into the unknown and strive to bring the comfort, love and care to the lost and dying (both physically and spiritually) of Namibia, Africa.