Ark Okahandja
The Children and Staff are back! Summer holidays are OVER and it is back to school and back to work! It seems that ALL of the children had a wonderful time with extended family and friends! They are happy to be back and settling in very well! Jannis and Stephanus were accepted in a special class at Okahandja Primary (this is a BIG answer to prayer). We are still searching for a place for Selma, as she needs extra help! Francina passed with good points and is in grade 11 this year! Andreas is in his final year.
During the holiday time, Auntie Victoria and Auntie Sophia came to the Ark every day and made sure that everything was ok. What a blessing to see the dedication of these 2 women on their holiday time! One evening the geyser sprung a leak and was flooding the yard, thankfully Auntie Victoria came to switch on the lights in the evening and found the FLOOD! The next morning we arrived to clean up the mess in the kitchen but found that it had already been done. Auntie Victoria also spent a whole day helping us sort through clothing at The Rock (MPMC).
We have 3 new volunteers at the Ark as well as Anna from Germany will be with us until August. Kerstin is from Germany, Bianca and Yvonne are from Holland (these 3 will stay one month).
Auntie Leila is due with her 3rd child in April, she spent a few days in hospital with high blood sugar levels.
The Ark is in desperate need of a NEW vehicle, please pray with us!
GOD is at Work
Sometimes I think that we get so bogged down with life that we forget that GOD is at WORK! There are many practical ways in which we can join Him in what He is doing! One to up and sell everything and move to Africa (if that option is not for you… keep reading). Two is to take time out of your busy day to sit and write a note of encouragement to someone you know in Africa! Three is to give back to God a portion of what He has so generously given to you and supporting financially someone who has gone off to Africa!
May God bless you as you partner with us in what GOD is doing!
Pete at Work
After a very quiet month in December things have certainly picked up the pace in January. Pete and Meagan went up to Oshikuku with Berdian Beukes for New Years celebration with the team from the Netherlands. When the team was finished in the north they came to Okahandja for a night before they flew out. Pete cooked a fantastic spaghetti dinner for the team of 30 people, as well as our family and the Beukes family.
At the beginning of the New Year the container arrived from the Netherlands. It was a rented container so it had to be unloaded as quickly as possible, however the backhoe did not want to start so the unloading ended around 1 AM, by the light of car headlights! It was quickly packed into 2 containers and then sorted through later into 1 container to have sent north to Oshikuku!
Pete was able to join the Country Director’s at a farm 100 km’s from Okahandja for 5 days of prayer and fasting. Upon their return a 2 week training has been taking place at the International Center with a lot of very helpful information being shared!
The Ark is back in full swing and programs are beginning to get started again after summer holidays. Pete has been busy with the routine things like Staff Bible Study in the mornings and Care and Compassion.
It has been a busy and fruitful month!
Our Things In Angola
I just had to write something regarding our stuff that is still sitting up in Angola. We were thankful in October to receive the things that had been shipped out in a container from Canada in April 2006. What a blessing! Then we were saddened to hear that when they opened the other container that our household goods were being stored in, that it had been a haven for rats! BIG RATS. They must have been, they even ate through cans of food! They also peed on and chewed many other things! As you may remember our things were only to be stored for 1 or 2 months and have now been up there for 16 months. Now that our friends, the Goertzen’s, are there the situation has changed. They have taken an interest in the fact that we are without our things. Every vehicle that leaves Angola now seems to have a little of what is salvageable included in it!
Although it is only ‘things’ we appreciate having them. Things like pots, cookware, plates , our beds, etc are not easy to live without… we have borrowed some things, and purchased things like ‘plastic’ plates… the cheapest we could find, knowing that our decent things are still in Angola and might come some day. So although we have lived without things for 17 months, it hasn’t been fun or easy.. So we look forward to the return of the last of our earthly belongings. Not that we hang on to ‘things’ but sometimes it sure makes life easier!
Knightly Kids
Meagan is still waiting to be registered in a school here in Namibia! This has been a difficult challenge! However, she has been a big help to us with containers, hosting people, entertaining Dante Beukes, helping around the house, organizing beads, etc…!
Trevor has entered grade 8. High School! He actually ‘passed’ in Afrikaans last year, which made him very happy! He loves his new pogo stick a Christmas gift from friends of ours. He can jump over a 1000 times without stopping, I think he has worn it out already!
Tavis is in grade 7. He seems to be settling into school well after a nice long summer holiday! He and Trevor enjoyed the visit from Tia Janet, she spent hours chatting with them and helping them to understand the education that they are getting in Africa!
Charlene At Work
This month has been filled with many activities. Sorting through tons of clothing at The Rock (MPMC) was hard work and not good for the asthma!
I managed to have some time to sort through the beading and get the stock organized and a proper inventory of our jewellery. I managed to get the Beading/Sewing ministry report finished, as well as several other computer oriented chores done or started (Namibia’s Prayer and Praise report, Namibia’s Bi-monthly newsletter, proposal for embroidery machines, helped Jos with a PowerPoint for new logos, and some other graphic designing, as well as helping the directors to install Microsoft 2007).
Beading will resume at the end of the month with the 5 Rand C&C ladies. I am looking forward to that. We are going to change the time so that the C&C workers can get more involved in assisting me.
During the month I organized some holiday time for the Goertzen family (as Gary’s mom came to visit them in Angola). We had a visit from Jelson (from Namibe, Angola), Jonathan Holden, Janet Holden and the Goertzen’s. It has been a busy month of entertaining and enjoying the company ‘all at once’!
A friend of the Goertzen’s donated $200 toward the beading/sewing project and I was able to purchase more material to do placemats. Ndemufayo is very interested in the sewing!
Something to Think About
Over the summer holidays we spent some time discussing options with our director and his wife (Berdian and Juliet Beukes) concerning our ministry here in Namibia. This last couple of months has been an incredible time of discouragement (especially for Pete). He was placed in a position when we arrived here that he is not gifted for. He has struggled to do his best but it has been incredibly frustrating. It was suggested at one point that we take time for a furlough in Canada. Missionaries generally go home for a year after 3 to 5 years of service on the field. It will be 3 years in May (since leaving Kamloops). The other option is to send Pete home for Talitha’s graduation and give him a break for a couple of months to refocus and re-establish some connections as well as share face to face with people our calling to the ministry! It all seems complicated and overwhelming but if it is God’s will that we return for a year, HE will make it happen! We know one thing for sure, we need partners in this ministry, a support base that will surround us and encourage us when the going gets tough! Please pray with us concerning these uncertainties in our lives!
Christmas In Namibia
The whole holiday season was pretty quiet… and very hot! Most everyone either heads north to Owamboland to the coast (Swakopmund or Walvis Bay) or to South Africa! So the town was very quiet. We enjoyed a turkey dinner with stuffing, and cranberry sauce on Christmas Eve Eve (Sunday), on Christmas Eve we joined the folks at International Center for a Braai and an evening of wonderful fellowship, and got up early on Christmas morning (Pete woke everyone up at 5:30 AM) to share the Christmas Story and open gifts. Several people gave money for gifts this year and I was able to purchase several games and puzzles… great family gifts! A ladies fellowship in NB sent money for me, and Pete purchased a nice stereo for me… the ladies at beading will love it when I bring MUSIC for them to enjoy! What a blessing! We were thankful for a time of rest before the New Year rush!
Prayer and Praise
Praise:
We praise God that we made it through this last couple of months! It has been a very difficult time of discouragement and exhaustion.
We are very thankful for Berdian and Juliet Beukes (CHI Namibian Director). They have been a great source of support and love for our family! We have sat together and poured out our hearts, and they are recommending that we take a furlough (home assignment) perhaps this year… however they said that if we don’t come back they will fly over and drag us back!
We praise God for those who continue to faithfully support us!
Prayer:
We ask that you pray with us concerning the possibility of taking a one year furlough. It will take a lot of planning and finances… currently it seems overwhelming, but if it is God’s will HE will provide!
Please pray that we will figure out a new position within Christ’s Hope for Pete. Currently he feels inadequate and overwhelmed with the position of Ministry Coordinator (he’s not an administrator, he prefers ‘hands-on’ work!). Pray that GOD will make it clear where and how he should serve!
Pray that Meagan will get ‘welcomed’ into a school here in Namibia!!!
Pray for the renewal of our Work Permits!
Pray for dependable people to run the beading/sewing ministry if we happen to leave!
Pray that the CHI-Canada office will be up and running SOON and able to receipt! This is VERY important!
Pray that the remainder of our stuff in Angola will be shipped SOON!
Financial Information
We are in the transition phase with our finances and would appreciate your prayers during this time. Currently we are unable to receipt those who live in Canada (CHI has just been approved as a charitable organization in Canada… it will take some time to work things out… but we hope that things will be ironed out soon! We thank you for your patience.)
For those who desire to support our ministry financially you can do so by
DIRECT DEPOSIT (either through Internet Banking or at the Royal Bank) into our
account or sending cheques to Ron and Marge (Pete’s parents).
Ron and Marge Knightly
Box 4, Ft. Steele BC V0B 1N0
Phone:250 426 4782
If you live in the USA you can mail your donation to CH-USA and you will receive a receipt for tax purposes. The address is PO Box 52038, Longwood FL, 32752-0328, please include a ‘separate’ paper indicating that your donation is for the
“Knightly Family-Namibia”!
Thank you for your support! We are continually overwhelmed by God’s provision for not only our daily needs but for the ability to help meet the needs of others through the generosity of those who give financially to our ministry here in Namibia. May God richly bless you!
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