Meeting with the Himbas

After last week’s convention, we drove 120 miles with Pastor Festus to meet with a group of believers from the Himba tribe. They are a famous tribe in Namibia who have not been much reached with the gospel. Pastor Festus was raised among them along with the Herero people, who have adopted modern ways and responded to the gospel more openly.

The grandmother of this group told us of her eye ailment, and we gathered around to pray for her. We enjoyed playing with the children and giving them small gifts, and one of the boys responded by dancing for us as we left. Because they are nomadic and the school is located a good distance from them, the children remain illiterate. The Joshua Project says the Himba people are less than 2% evangelized.

"Repositioning Ourselves" in Ovambo-Land

Under the theme “Reposition Yourself,” Foursquare pastors and leaders from cities in Namibia met for five days of praise, preaching and fellowship. John and Xavier were a dynamic team, demonstrating the prophetic gift and leading the pastors in stirring up their gifts.

On a scorching Friday afternoon I shared my wisdom booklets with the women. In an interesting sensation, I felt the idea pass from me to become their own. I haven’t experienced anything like this before—an impartation of grace, John says. The concept of mothers teaching their children wisdom is powerful in itself, but I’m hopeful that leaving the booklets in their hands gave it endurance.

Tomorrow I’ll tell you about our trip to meet with a group of Himba believers last Monday.

From one indigenous world to another

Jan, who ministers with her husband to native Americans, wished to make a connection with a native African woman. She did this by sending her sunflower turquoise ring with me to give away. At the regional pastors conference I developed a friendship with Laina, a pastor’s wife in the country of Namibia. Let me tell you a little of Laina’s story, for she was the one to whom I gave this beautiful ring.

Laina met the Lord as a young woman, after having lived for herself for several years. Invited to a conference in Zimbabwe, she was attracted to the believers there who lived out their faith in the business world. She promised the Lord that if she could find such a church in her home country of Namibia she would serve Him. Shortly after this, Laina was invited to attend services at a church-plant begun by missionaries Gabriel and Gloria Francis from Nigeria. Laina became their first convert and the first person to be baptized in the Foursquare Church of Namibia. Later she married Festus, who in time became pastor of the church.

Faces in Africa

Conference in Johannesburg

Tomorrow we return to Africa, flying into Johannesburg, the capital of South Africa. There we'll attend a conference of Foursquare churches of Southern Africa. This meeting of churches from nine southern Africa countries provides an opportunity for two leaders from each country to gather for prayer, fellowship and planning.

This map shows most of the countries whose churches will be represented at the conference: Namibia, Botswana, Zimbabwe, Mozambique, South Africa, Swaziland, Lesotho, Zambia (not shown), and Malawi (not shown).

If you'd like to pray for this meeting, ask God for His love and unity to flow among all present.