6.2.2014
Missionary Trip Through Namibia

What a trip! Brother Keith left the VGR office on Monday, May 5, and headed north, into one of the most remote places on earth. His destination was Namibia, not just one town in Namibia, but he would travel the entire length of the country. What was his mission? If you have ever met Keith Herne, then you know he is always about the Father’s business. That means his trip to Namibia was putting the Message of the hour into the hands of God’s people.

Namibia is one of the least populated countries on earth. There are a mere 2.1 million people in a country about 20% bigger than Texas. To put this in perspective, Texas, with its wide-open spaces, has more than 13 times the population of Namibia. Most of the country is desert and almost uninhabitable, with the largest population living north of the capital city of Windhoek. Yet with all the desert and barren land, Namibia is an oasis of the end-time Gospel.

Brother Keith snapped pictures to bring us along with him in the missionary pathway. We all wish we could go with him, but we hope these pictures give you an idea of the people who are receiving the Message because of your sacrifices.

Thanks for bringing us with you Brother Keith!

I left Cape Town on Monday morning early and set out on the route to Windhoek, which is 1500 kilometers away. I stayed at Brother Mouton’s daughter and son in law’s house because when they heard that I was coming they would not let me book into a lodge and said they wanted me at their home.

The next night I went to Brother David Smith’s church in Khomasdal which is a township in Windhoek. Brother Clint Nicholson also joined us with his group which made up about 200 people. Seeing that it was a weekday, only those who could make it did so.

I took the opportunity to emphasize to them the importance of the individual listening to the prophet and how the Voice of God has made so easily accessible and convenient that every one who has a cell phone with the capacity can have it. I then introduced the new tracts to them and some effective ways of using them. I concluded the meeting with the Quiet Time testimonies. I told them that it has gone global. I encouraged them to get their young people involved.

The next morning we left for a place towards the east called Drienopsis which is on the outskirts of Gobabis, which is 250 kilometers. We met with the pastor of a group of Koisan and bushman people. We had to leave the tarred road and follow a dirt trail to this village. It was a real humbling experience when the pastor who had on a broken pair of slip-slop slippers with Jesus written on in chalk showed us his church. It was a tent that was made up of plastic and bits of canvas patchwork that was held up by bits of branches that covered a dirt floor. The Halo picture with Brother Branham was proudly displayed next the makeshift pulpit.

After leaving the brother with some Afrikaans material, we headed further east to a place called Skoonheid. There we also met up with a group of bushman, Koisan and Nama believers. This group came recently to the Lord through the tent meetings that was held there by Pastor Clint Nicholson from Windhoek. Upon entering the village I was shown to the man that dug the hole for water so that the converts could be baptized in. They adorned themselves in their Sunday attire to welcome us. This humble group of believers, with faces lit up in appreciation, gladly accepted the material that we handed to them.

After spending some time with them, we had to head back to Windhoek while it was still light because of the danger of knocking the warthogs that were grazing along the road.

The next day being Thursday, we headed north to Otjiwarongo which to meet Pastor Routh who had a group of fifteen believers in a place called Tsumeb. From there we made our way to Octavi. From Octavi it was a perilous drive with cattle crossing at every for kilometers. We eventually reach Oshikato after a ten-hour drive.

When we arrived in Oshikato, I was very happy to see Brother Erastus whom I met four years ago. When I met him the first time his love for the Message and his burden for his people was just so evident and so propelling, that he converted an old rundown building to a little library just to help the people to have access to the Message. We went to their little tabernacle and offloaded the material that we brought for them.

From there he asked me to go with him to his home because he would like me to meet his family. I willing accompanied him. I had to change the bakkie into 4 x 4 just to go through the thick sand to his house. It was a cluster of huts in an enclosure. His grandmother who is an Ovambo, of about eighty years old has just received the Message and will be baptized very soon.

That evening I met with the Brother Heziel who is pastor of the group. He told me that they are a fervent tape listening group and they are thankful for the new material that we brought. He also said that the group has increased to 55 since I have been there four years ago. He is also busy with the prison ministry.

The next morning we left for Otjiwarongo and met with Pastor De Klerk who shepherds a group of believers. We had some time to spend with him some of his people. I took the opportunity to enlighten them of the micro sd card, and spoke to them of the experiences that the young people are benefitting of spending Quiet Time. They were also very excited about the tracts.

We departed for Grootfontein to meet with an elderly sister who has stood alone with the Message for many years. She was thrilled when she saw the Afrikaans material that we brought for her. Then she pointed out another old Damara sister who has come to accept the Lord. We went to visit her. When she saw us, she threw down her walking stick, raised her hands and started crying and praising the Lord. We called her son and he started to explain to her. She was overjoyed as we handed the Afrikaans mp3 set to her. Then we learned of another sister who has accepted the message recently and decided to pay her a visit. She was also very happy when we gave her some material. So the three sisters will be spending some regular tape and prayer time together in Grootfontein.

The next leg of the journey took us 400 kilometers towards the west coast to a place called Walvis Bay. This town is situated along the well-known Skeleton Coast. That stretch of treacherous coast was given that name of Skeleton Coast because of the many ships that were wrecked there. It is also the place were the Lutherans landed for the first time on African soil. It is a picturesque area as you see the desert meeting the ocean. The Namib Desert is also known for having the biggest sand dunes in the world.

The pastor of the group was not home, as he had to bring his ailing child to South Africa, but gave instructions to his deacon to get the people together and ask me to address them. I met some familiar faces and felt quite comfortable speaking to them. I shared some testimonies and then continued on to bring to their awareness of the micro cards and laid emphasis on the Quiet Time because there were a number of young people.

The next morning we left for Winhoek. We made a detour to Okahanja and met with a brother who is a deacon of one of the outlaying groups of Brother Smith. The group consists of fifty believers. We handed them the allotted material. That was our final stop before reaching Windhoek.

I made prior arrangements to meet with pastor Smith and pastor Clint for lunch. While having lunch I had ample time to speak to them one-on-one and stress to the importance of the tape services and to see what the needs were as they are the two that is doing most of the outreach work in Namibia. They asked me to thank Brother Joseph for sending me to Namibia and promised to stay in touch.

After a good night’s rest I left from Windhoek alone and headed for Mariental about 300 kilometers south. There I left some material with a brother who met me along the road. From there I went to Rehoboth to another pastor’s work place and left his material with him.

This left me with just two more stops. The one being the coastal town of Luderitz. Luderitz became famous because of the diamonds that are mined there. Diamonds are also mined along the coast as well as the land of Luderitz. Another famous feature of Luderitz, is its fishing.

Upon arrival I met with Pastor Victor who I know very well. He started a group there about four years ago, as there were no Message believers in Luderitz. Now he has a group of thirty. Before I could say anything he asked me to speak to his people that night and please to press upon them to listen to tapes because he was telling them about it and it would please him if they heard it from some one else.

That evening he had a group in his house because it was midweek and the regular school that they normally use for church was not available. I enjoyed telling them how they can have their cell phones sanctified by loading the Message on it. I also encouraged them to get onto the website of Voice of God and introduce their children to the YF site. After a blessed evening and a good night’s rest I headed for a town called Rosh Pinah.

I arrived there in the afternoon after covering a distance of almost 400 kilometers. A brother met me and took me to their church. He asked me if I would greet their church on video and he will show them when they would have their next service.

That was my final stop in Namibia, and all that laid between me and home was 1,300 kilometers. It was the first time that I was allowed to pass through the diamond mining area and I was thankful for that because it saved me a few hundred kilometers.

Namibia was formally part of South Africa and is a very beautiful country. It is a land of contrast with its deserts and oceans and then its jungles and towns. The northern areas where I was now has suffered during the war for independence. Not much liberation was enjoyed by the people of Namibia, but I am a witness that there is a Bride there and the Message has reached the people.