The following report is from Tim Maguire, GCI mission developer in Southern Africa.
My sincere thanks to GCI Canada for funding my recent visit to Namibia. GCI South Africa has been walking alongside a group of churches in Namibia since late 2010. This was my third trip to visit with their pastor Lascan Sikhosi.
A brief history
In 2006, a German missionary planted a small church in Katimo Mulilo in the Caprivi Strip in northeastern Namibia (see map at right). The missionary returned to Germany in 2008, leaving the new church without a support structure and suggesting that they find a mother church to associate with.
Unsure what to do, Lascan searched the internet and found the GCI South Africa website and started corresponding with me by email. I forwarded him a lot of our literature, which he read. He then asked for a visit. My first visit came in late February 2011.
On that first visit I found a group struggling with legalism and unable to understand the freedom we have in Christ. The Seventh-day Adventists are active in the area and had been trying to get the little group to follow them. Their leaders asked me if they should change their day of worship to Saturday. In reply, I explained the distinctions between the old and new covenants and the reality that Jesus is our Sabbath rest.
I returned to Johannesburg and sent them additional reading material as well as CDs dealing with Trinitarian theology. Also, I had hymn books made for them, with their songs in their language, which I delivered to them on my second visit in September 2011. Lascan then traveled to Zimbabwe towards the end of the year to spend some time being mentored by Zimbabwean National GCI Director, Joseph Mpophu. Lascan then attended a Southern African regional conference in Harare, Zimbabwe in February 2012, a week before my latest visit.
The trip
David Linker, a GCI member in Canada, had shown interest in a mission trip to Africa, and so it was arranged for him to accompany me on this trip. He flew in from Canada, and we left Johannesburg at 3:00 a.m. on Friday, February 24 in order to make our first destination (Kasane in Northern Botswana) by nightfall. We tented in a small camping ground at the confluence of the Zambezi and Chobe Rivers. This is a beautiful, remote part of Southern Africa, with wild elephants known to be found wandering through the streets.
After a 16-hour car journey, we slept well that night and awoke to a beautiful African morning. We then travelled through the Chobe Game Reserve, before entering Namibia on our final leg to Katima. The contrast in living standards as we entered Namibia was obvious. Small, basic rural homes with mud walls and grass roofs were scattered randomly along the main road into town.
We arrived after lunch and Lascan’s excitement was evident. We discussed the following day’s program and went to examine the church building where we were planning to make improvements, which would turn the little mud structure into a more weather-durable church building.
Sunday was a day of rejoicing. Fifty attended the morning church service. David’s musical talent was a hit – he was asked to keep on singing and playing his guitar. I spoke on Christ’s centrality to all things. As an aside, I mentioned that Christ fulfills the Sabbath-day, quoting Hebrews chapter four. Unknown to me, Lascan had invited four senior Seventh-day Adventist leaders to attend the service. One of them came to him after the service and said they had never seen the scriptures quoted in this context, and asked if they might continue attending with the group. Clearly, the Holy Spirit was giving the message that they needed to hear!
My sermon was followed by a joyful ceremony in which Lascan’s four congregations were welcomed into GCI fellowship: Cow Boy (the congregation with the building) with 58 attending, Makalabani with 64, Singalamwe with 18, and Musambo with 24.
Near the end of the worship service the group shared the Lord’s Supper – the first Communion service they had ever taken part in! Following the service we all enjoyed a meal together of boiled chicken and ground corn porridge.
We then traveled to share worship services with two outlying small churches pastored by Lascan – one in Katima Mulio town (about 18 attended), and one about 25 kilometers west of town (about 12 attended). Both congregations meet outdoors.
On Monday we went to work on the church building – arranging building materials and trying to arrange for contractors to make badly needed repairs to the building.
A couple days later we traveled about 150 kilometers west along the Caprivi Strip to a small San (Bakwena) community where we held church under the trees. The San (previously known as Bushmen), claim to be the original inhabitants of Southern Africa. The greatest problem we face in this community is that the Bible has never been translated into their language. Fortunately, one of the members speaks Afrikaans, a South African derivation of Dutch, and has an Afrikaans Bible, which he translates for them.
On Wednesday we held an evening service back at the church building. At the congregation’s request, we again shared Communion, so touched were they by the experience the previous Sunday. We then said our goodbyes and early Thursday morning headed home.
It is comforting to know that on trips like this, the Holy Spirit leads us to participate in what God is already doing in the region. The greatest comfort of all, however, is knowing that when we depart we do not leave them alone, but in continual communion with the Father, Son and Holy Spirit, who guides them into all truth. These GCI churches in Namibia will now be served by GCI South Africa. Lascan will participate in our Pastoral training programs, and our national office will send them our GCI South Africa magazine, Face to Face (www.face2face.org.za) as well as audio CDs and articles.
Lascan has big plans to spread the gospel in Namibia. He is extremely excited by the truth he sees in Trinitarian theology. I’m sure you will hear again from Lascan and GCI Namibia!
We are very grateful to be able to hear about the work going on there as well as with all of God’s family all over the world. We can share in the sadness as well as the joy of our brothers and sister together. I pray God will continue to bless you and your efforts. God truly is good!
Fantastic report Tim, Thanks for sharing and thanks for all you are doing. This report is not only informative, but inspires the rest of us to keep praying and praising God for the amazing work and growth taking place in Africa. May God continue to bless the work you are doing.
Wow Tim, It is truly Fantastic to see The Holy Spirit working there, and to hear of your effort! It was wonderful to see David go with you too, I am sure it will be a milestone of his life.
Knowing that God was working the area long before you arrived is humbling and gives us great Peace.
Thank you,
Bruce Edmunds/ Vancouver BC.
God’s ability to work miracles never ceases to amaze. May we continue to receive good reports from Africa and other areas around the world,from places where we are tempted to think no good will come. Thank God for the technological access we all have to each other these days.