April Update

ARK OKAHANDJA

This month at Ark Okahandja the children wrote exams, collected report cards and were given a break from school for almost 4 weeks.
The staff has enjoyed some down time as many of the children have gone back to visit family. Currently there are only 5 left at the Ark.
Ndemufayo, the volunteers and the 5 children took a trip to the ocean (Swakopmund and Walvis Bay) last weekend. They had a fantastic time at the beach, and the children especially enjoyed playing in the ocean and on the dunes. However the trip ended with some bad news, as they were climbing a dune between Walvis and Swakopmund the Condor was broken into and Ndemufayo’s purse was stolen with her passport, keys to the Ark, bank card (which the people ended up taking most of her savings before she could cancel her card… a very discouraging moment for her) her cell phone as well as many other personal items. Please pray for her as she is feeling very discouraged (especially about the money she has worked so hard to save).
Lazarus and Leila went north for the holidays to spend time in their village with family. We joined them (but I will tell you more about that on page 3) for 4 days.
It is looking hopeful that 2 of the boys at the Ark will be placed in foster care. We are praying that this works out as one of the boys needs special help with education (which he is not receiving in Okahandja). Please pray for them during this time of adjustment.
Care and Compassion has continued throughout the holidays (thanks to the volunteers, Ndemufayo and Kapango).
Choose to Wait Discipleship club has continued!
Kids Club is taking a break for the holiday, as well as Choose to Wait in the schools.

Home Assignment Update

Preparations are going well for returning to Canada. The tickets have been purchased and almost 2 tickets have been paid for. We are currently at almost $2500 toward the 5 one way tickets, which means we have $4700 more to go.
We say THANK YOU to those of you who have given.
If the Lord wills, we will stay in NB for almost 2 months, and then travel across Canada to BC where we will take up residence for the school year, and then we will travel back across Canada to NB where we will make preparations to return to Namibia. Remember OUR plans are often not GOD’S plans… so we are of course flexible to his leading and guidance in our lives!
We are looking forward to a chance to refocus, refresh and rejuvenate and discover what God has planned for our second term on the field. We have learned SO much during our first 3 years and we are so thankful for the journey thus far, even though it has not always been easy!

Pete's Work

Pete continues to spend a lot of time at the Ark. He is trying to get things settled for him leaving. It will not be an easy day when it comes time to say goodbye. The kids love having him there, the staff really appreciates him and he enjoys spending time with them.
The ladies at C&C are sad that he is leaving and have enjoyed all that they have learned this past couple of years as he has spent time trying to disciple them and show them the truth in the Bible. It is not easy because they are lied to in their own churches. Most of the churches manipulate and twist things for power and money. It is very sad.
He has also enjoyed spending time with the Choose to Wait Discipleship group. They are now meeting in 5 Rand and they do a lesson and then kick the soccer ball around for a while.
Pete also manages the MPMC which has now been handed over to the Ark Okahandja (financially and for maintaining). It is pretty much a sitting duck at the moment and we get calls on a regular basis in the middle of the night from the security company, informing us that the place has been vandalized , broken into, and things stolen! The building really needs a wall around it to protect it, so please pray that the funds will come in and it can be built soon, as we don’t want to see this building as a burden, rather than a blessing!

Knightly Kids

Meagan went to Walvis Bay to spend time with her friend Mardi (the Strauss family). She had a great time kayaking in the ocean, swimming, and watching TV (wow… we don’t have one). She took the Intercape Bus there and back on her own. Her birthday is on the 7th of May… she will be 17!!!
Trevor and Tavis came to Owamboland with us. Tavis commented on the second day that THIS was the best holiday he has ever had! They had the time of their lives catching fish, turtles and chasing snakes. They ate Pap (maize meal porridge), tried Mopani worms, ate soup made from the juice from intestines of a goat, and many other things!!! They were made for village life! When we went to the Ruacana Falls they spent the time catching fish, swimming with the Himba boys and riding the donkey up the river bed! Some of the Himba boys spoke a little English, but who needs spoken language when you are BOYS? HA!
http://www.on-the-matrix.com/africa/himba.asp for more info on the Himba!

Incredible Journey

This last 3 years has been an Incredible Journey for the Knightly family! Selling almost everything we owned, shipping the little that was left, settling into life in Angola, having to move to Namibia, not getting our belongings for 2 years (and still not getting them all), adjusting, readjusting, building relationships, saying goodbye, and coming to learn more about ourselves and others… its has been a lot to learn in 3 short years! Some would say that we have not held to our vision for coming to the mission field or that it has been a waste of time, but I would say that God is in control and has used these 3 years to prepare and teach us for what is to come in the years ahead! This has been an amazing learning and growing period for our family and we have come to see more clearly what we feel called to do in Africa and we pray that those who have stood behind us will continue to do so and that more will join us in this Incredible Journey that God has called us to! We appreciate your thoughts and prayers! You have been an amazing group of people who have come behind us and shared in our struggles, trials and joys during our time away. We look forward to reconnecting with you while on Home Assignment! GOD’S BLESSING ON YOU ALL!!!

Charlene's Work

This month I have been busy with rounding things up! Packing, preparing and trying to find ways to enable the beading ministry to continue and doing LOTS of sewing!!!!
I have decided that the best way to do things with the C&C ladies who are beading is to have them purchase the beads, make the jewellery and have the option of selling it themselves or returning it to the Ark to have them sell to volunteers and mobilization nations. It is a struggle to explain to the ladies that we are leaving and that there is no one to replace me to continue with the ministry. Please pray that they will understand and be willing and able to continue to work with their hands to help support their families.
While in the north I taught one of Leila’s nieces and Lazarus’ sister how to do beading. I left them with a few supplies so that they could continue to learn with Leila while she is there on holidays. They were so excited about learning how to do something new and something so beautiful!
A large amount of boxes came down from Angola (thanks to Goertzen’s and Holden’s efforts) and so I took the time to clean things up and repack. Lord willing the rest will come this month.
There is a lot more to do to prepare for Home Assignment, it is giving me a headache (Literally)! I appreciate your prayers!

Our Trip North

On April 24 we packed up the car and hit the road for the North. It was time to go and visit Lazarus and Leila in the village that Lazarus grew up in. We stopped at Ndemufayo’s homestead on the way and at the Ark Oshikuku and arrived at the village late afternoon! Leila was shocked to see us, although she knew we ‘said’ we were coming, I don’t think she truly believed that we would. On the 25th we spent the day wandering around the land, checking out where Lazarus gets his water, watching the boys fish, meeting his family, and driving all over to find a goat to Braai (no luck). On the 26th we set out for Ruacana for the day. On the way we stopped at a banana plantation and then continued on to the falls, saw the Angolan border, and spent some time at Hippo park (didn’t see any Hippo’s though). Can’t get too close to the water as there are a lot of crocodiles in it. However, the boys found a safe place to swim with the Himba boys. Leila, her niece (Tuuliki) and I sat with the children and did beading while Pete and Lazarus took a hike up the river to the falls. When we returned home we had a Braai with a goat that the family rounded up while we were gone and had slaughtered. Leila also cooked up the innards and made Pap and rice. On the 27th we spent a relaxing day at the house again. The boys took off for a drive to a bigger puddle where they could fish for bigger fish! However they didn’t catch any BIG ones, but it was fun for them anyway! While the boys were gone Leila and I had a great chance to really talk. Although I would have considered her my friend before I didn’t realize how little we had a connection. In talking with her I found out just how hard it is for the black people to let the white people into their lives (to have a ‘relationship’). The separation during the time of apartheid caused a lot of damage to the country and the people! Although I was open to being her friend she was afraid to become my friend (not trusting that it was real). Having us going to the north to spend time with them made a HUGE difference in our relationship, and I am so thankful that we had the opportunity to go. It was a big milestone not only for us (learning and growing) but also for the Stephanus family! The evening of the 27th we sat around listening to how they had tried to prepare for our visit… we laughed until we cried! On the 28th we traveled back to Okahandja, stopping again for a quick visit at Ark Oshikuku and some time with Ndemufayo’s family. It was a GREAT trip!

Praise and Prayer

Praise:
We are thankful for a wonderful and enriching experience in the North! For true friendship in the body of Christ!
We praise God for the finances that have come in already for our plane tickets home, as well as the continued finances for our living expenses! God is good!
We praise God for safety in travels, and we are thankful for the provision to be able to travel!
We are thankful for those who have been praying for our family. The downhill slope on the rollercoaster has seemed to even out and we are coasting now! God has given peace in the storm!
Prayer:
Please continue to pray for those who we will leave behind, especially the staff, children at the Ark and Jenny. Pray for strength and wisdom to continue to press on in the ministry.
Pray for wisdom in the preparations to return, both on this end and in North America.
Pray for the finances to cover all the needs that we will have both on this end and in Canada. God has been amazing in supplying our every need and we are truly thankful for His provision in our lives and for those whom He uses to accomplish His work!
Pray that broken relationships would be mended and that we will have grace and mercy toward those who have hurt or offended us. May God’s love overcome our human desires and weaknesses.
Pray that things will work out soon concerning the house we are renting (we would like someone we know and trust to move in, and use our stuff so we don’t have to store it anywhere), also we would like to sell our car (upon return we would like to purchase a pickup truck as a car is not practical for the ministry we do).
Pray for the finances to purchase a vehicle upon our return. We have had an offer to purchase from dealership and he will buy it back when we leave, but we will need the money up front.
May God’s name be glorified in all that we do and may we find joy in the journey!

Financial Info

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 Christ’s Hope USA, Inc. Regional Office PO Box 2238 Traverse City, MI 49685… Phone Inquiries: Phone: (877) 544-0914 Fax: (877) 698-0692,
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!