G.O. 2005: Namibia (pt. 9)
This is the latest in an ongoing series of postings that make up my G.O. 2005: Namibia report. Find earlier postings in the archive menu. This section entitled 'Hallelujahs' will recount many of the dance team's performances in Namibia. Due to length, I've broken it down into three sections, this being the first. In addition, a new video featuring more dance footage was completed this week. Click here to see the new video.
Hallelujahs
Your song goes out to all the earth…
In 2002 Christ’s Church sent a band to Namibia. Music performance turned out to be a tremendous vehicle thru which to communicate the message of sexual purity to Namibia teens and young adults. The band would play a set of music and then share materials about HIV/AIDS and encourage young people to practice sexual purity. I was certain that the dance performances would have the same crowd-pleasing effect and because of the age of our dancers, I anticipated the Namibian youth would really be engaged.
Our team’s first dance performance was scheduled for the new Primary School in Vyf Rand. Not knowing what to expect, the girls were nervous. We had planned on three or four numbers and then one of ladies with the Northland Team, Gracia, would do our ‘sex talk’. Electricity is always an unknown at these schools, so we were prepared with a gasoline generator. We set up in a hurry and before we had time to really think about it, the music was playing and the girls were dancing. This performance was outside the school, in the dirt. As the girls moved dust filled the air.
Midway thru the first song our generator started to sputter and smoke. I ran to see what the problem was and quickly realized there was nothing I could do mechanically to improve the situation – so I sat down in the dirt, laid my hands on the generator and began to pray. “Lord, will you keep this thing running? PLEASE!” The engine settled back into a steady hum. After a few minutes I decided to leave the generator, hoping for a better vantage point to see the end of the girls’ dance routine. But as I moved, the generator began to labor again. I returned my hands and renewed my prayers. Once again, the engine steadied. For whatever reason, it seemed that I needed to stay with that generator and pray. So, I prayed. The dust the girls kicked up mixed with the exhaust fumes to form quite a cloud. The cloud was causing my asthma fits, and I had to laugh imagining that my claim to fame would be choking to death in Namibia while I prayed over a Honda generator! Not exactly a Jim Elliott story.
The girls were all emotionally overwhelmed as they danced. Tears poured down each of their faces, a few visibly sobbed even as they continued their routines. As we talked about it later it seemed to be a combination of things – finally being here after months of preparing; seeing the children and their response; the weight of HIV/AIDS; and the very real trouble that the ‘coincidence’ of it all was bringing to many of our hearts. Just how is it that this experience came to be?
This was the first of three trips to Vyf Rand for our team this day. As we left the school we promised the children we would see them for some play-time at the soccer field in the afternoon. And, we had been scheduled to participate in a church service that evening at Pastor Thomas’ church. I knew that this evening engagement would challenge us. For a few of our team members who came in 2004 it meant returning to see people with whom they had very powerful connection last year. For Carli and Steph it meant returning to the scene of very frightening encounters a day earlier. I wondered if we’d see Clement again. For all of us it would mean many handshakes and personal greetings. In our cross-cultural training we had stressed the importance of our American team being the initiators in social greetings. I wondered how the team would respond. Once again, this team came through with flying colors.
The next day’s schedule took us to Windhoek. The girls began the day in front of a small Christian School student body. The stage was very small, so the girls’ went with a few numbers they could do in minimal space. This was our first chance to see the Berthiaume sisters perform their duet and also for a small group of the girls, Carli, Adria, Michelle and Stephanie, to perform a number that they had choreographed themselves for the trip. This opportunity also provided our team with a couple other ‘firsts’. Dieter called on one of our team members, Jason, to come forward and be interviewed. Jason handled what was certainly a stressful situation well. Next was my daughter Amanda. Dieter decided it would be good for the school children to ask Amanda questions. I could see the terror in her eyes. As a dad I was awkwardly torn between desires to rescue her and waiting it out. Amanda handled it like a seasoned veteran. Then, Dieter called upon Sandi to come and share a bit in closing. Sandi had given some thought to these kinds of impromptu speaking assignments. What she had not prepared for, however, was the very thing Dieter was going to ask her to do. Dieter put his arm around Sandi and said, “Sandi, would you pray for this school and these students before we leave?” Everyone on our team felt for Sandi. Very obviously moved and her voice shaky, Sandi began and delivered a most heart-felt and eloquent prayer. I was wiping away tears.
This second day of dancing was slated to end with the team participating in a youth worship service at Emmanuel Church in Windhoek. Emmanuel offers up a fantastic youth ministry. Pastor Johan asked us to come early so he could audition several of the girls’ dances and choose the ones that would best fit his program for the evening. The girls were troopers, putting up with his requests for the better part of an hour, barely catching their breath between routines as he would say, “Can you show me that one again?” The actual service was tremendous. The youth band, several of their youth sharing testimonies, Pastor Johan’s message intertwined with video clips, all built around several numbers from our dancers.
As the first of the girls’ dance routines ended I noticed Diandre was in a great day of pain. She had pulled a muscle in her neck and Sandi was working feverishly to help her relax. I offered to pray for Diandre and she said that she would like that. So, pray I did. As I prayed I found myself thinking, here was a great opportunity. I have been praying for months that God would show up powerfully for this team. I dropped back a few rows of seats away from everyone and prayed fervently. As the evening went on Diandre seemed only to have minimal relief, but she was able to gut it out and continue. The highlight of the evening came for me when I lifted my head from prayer to find Diandre standing in front of me, one hand gripping her sore neck, the other arm around Stephanie. She asked, “Darin, would you pray for Steph too? Her knee is giving her problems.” I prayed for them both.
This day’s lesson for me was captured in my journal. I had written early in the day that I was disappointed with the schedule. Why were we going to Windhoek? Why a Christian School? Why a church service? Our girls were so very touched the days before in Vyf Rand, why were we not there again today? By days end it hit me. Had we not gone to Windhoek many members of our team would not have been stretched as they were. Jason and Amanda would not have been called upon to share. Sandi would not have had the opportunity to pray out loud as she did. The great blessing it was to pray for the girls, and more, to have Diandre and Steph specifically ask me to pray for them, all of this would have been missed were it not for this schedule with which I was initially so disappointed. My last journal entry of the day simply reads, “Thank you, Lord. Will you continue to make the most of all this?”
Hallelujahs
Your song goes out to all the earth…
In 2002 Christ’s Church sent a band to Namibia. Music performance turned out to be a tremendous vehicle thru which to communicate the message of sexual purity to Namibia teens and young adults. The band would play a set of music and then share materials about HIV/AIDS and encourage young people to practice sexual purity. I was certain that the dance performances would have the same crowd-pleasing effect and because of the age of our dancers, I anticipated the Namibian youth would really be engaged.
Our team’s first dance performance was scheduled for the new Primary School in Vyf Rand. Not knowing what to expect, the girls were nervous. We had planned on three or four numbers and then one of ladies with the Northland Team, Gracia, would do our ‘sex talk’. Electricity is always an unknown at these schools, so we were prepared with a gasoline generator. We set up in a hurry and before we had time to really think about it, the music was playing and the girls were dancing. This performance was outside the school, in the dirt. As the girls moved dust filled the air.
Midway thru the first song our generator started to sputter and smoke. I ran to see what the problem was and quickly realized there was nothing I could do mechanically to improve the situation – so I sat down in the dirt, laid my hands on the generator and began to pray. “Lord, will you keep this thing running? PLEASE!” The engine settled back into a steady hum. After a few minutes I decided to leave the generator, hoping for a better vantage point to see the end of the girls’ dance routine. But as I moved, the generator began to labor again. I returned my hands and renewed my prayers. Once again, the engine steadied. For whatever reason, it seemed that I needed to stay with that generator and pray. So, I prayed. The dust the girls kicked up mixed with the exhaust fumes to form quite a cloud. The cloud was causing my asthma fits, and I had to laugh imagining that my claim to fame would be choking to death in Namibia while I prayed over a Honda generator! Not exactly a Jim Elliott story.
The girls were all emotionally overwhelmed as they danced. Tears poured down each of their faces, a few visibly sobbed even as they continued their routines. As we talked about it later it seemed to be a combination of things – finally being here after months of preparing; seeing the children and their response; the weight of HIV/AIDS; and the very real trouble that the ‘coincidence’ of it all was bringing to many of our hearts. Just how is it that this experience came to be?
This was the first of three trips to Vyf Rand for our team this day. As we left the school we promised the children we would see them for some play-time at the soccer field in the afternoon. And, we had been scheduled to participate in a church service that evening at Pastor Thomas’ church. I knew that this evening engagement would challenge us. For a few of our team members who came in 2004 it meant returning to see people with whom they had very powerful connection last year. For Carli and Steph it meant returning to the scene of very frightening encounters a day earlier. I wondered if we’d see Clement again. For all of us it would mean many handshakes and personal greetings. In our cross-cultural training we had stressed the importance of our American team being the initiators in social greetings. I wondered how the team would respond. Once again, this team came through with flying colors.
The next day’s schedule took us to Windhoek. The girls began the day in front of a small Christian School student body. The stage was very small, so the girls’ went with a few numbers they could do in minimal space. This was our first chance to see the Berthiaume sisters perform their duet and also for a small group of the girls, Carli, Adria, Michelle and Stephanie, to perform a number that they had choreographed themselves for the trip. This opportunity also provided our team with a couple other ‘firsts’. Dieter called on one of our team members, Jason, to come forward and be interviewed. Jason handled what was certainly a stressful situation well. Next was my daughter Amanda. Dieter decided it would be good for the school children to ask Amanda questions. I could see the terror in her eyes. As a dad I was awkwardly torn between desires to rescue her and waiting it out. Amanda handled it like a seasoned veteran. Then, Dieter called upon Sandi to come and share a bit in closing. Sandi had given some thought to these kinds of impromptu speaking assignments. What she had not prepared for, however, was the very thing Dieter was going to ask her to do. Dieter put his arm around Sandi and said, “Sandi, would you pray for this school and these students before we leave?” Everyone on our team felt for Sandi. Very obviously moved and her voice shaky, Sandi began and delivered a most heart-felt and eloquent prayer. I was wiping away tears.
This second day of dancing was slated to end with the team participating in a youth worship service at Emmanuel Church in Windhoek. Emmanuel offers up a fantastic youth ministry. Pastor Johan asked us to come early so he could audition several of the girls’ dances and choose the ones that would best fit his program for the evening. The girls were troopers, putting up with his requests for the better part of an hour, barely catching their breath between routines as he would say, “Can you show me that one again?” The actual service was tremendous. The youth band, several of their youth sharing testimonies, Pastor Johan’s message intertwined with video clips, all built around several numbers from our dancers.
As the first of the girls’ dance routines ended I noticed Diandre was in a great day of pain. She had pulled a muscle in her neck and Sandi was working feverishly to help her relax. I offered to pray for Diandre and she said that she would like that. So, pray I did. As I prayed I found myself thinking, here was a great opportunity. I have been praying for months that God would show up powerfully for this team. I dropped back a few rows of seats away from everyone and prayed fervently. As the evening went on Diandre seemed only to have minimal relief, but she was able to gut it out and continue. The highlight of the evening came for me when I lifted my head from prayer to find Diandre standing in front of me, one hand gripping her sore neck, the other arm around Stephanie. She asked, “Darin, would you pray for Steph too? Her knee is giving her problems.” I prayed for them both.
This day’s lesson for me was captured in my journal. I had written early in the day that I was disappointed with the schedule. Why were we going to Windhoek? Why a Christian School? Why a church service? Our girls were so very touched the days before in Vyf Rand, why were we not there again today? By days end it hit me. Had we not gone to Windhoek many members of our team would not have been stretched as they were. Jason and Amanda would not have been called upon to share. Sandi would not have had the opportunity to pray out loud as she did. The great blessing it was to pray for the girls, and more, to have Diandre and Steph specifically ask me to pray for them, all of this would have been missed were it not for this schedule with which I was initially so disappointed. My last journal entry of the day simply reads, “Thank you, Lord. Will you continue to make the most of all this?”
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