Moving to Namibia

Greetings from the Knightly Family,

In one week we will be on the road to Namibia, if the Lord is willing (this phrase we have learned to end our sentences with here in Angola). We have been accepted by Christ’s Hope International for work in Namibia. The town we will be moving to is called Okahandja, it is close to the capital city, Windhoek. At present we are expecting to move into a small house, and we will assist the house parents at the Ark Okahandja (the Ark is what they call the orphanage homes).

The job description for us will include administration, care for the children as well as maintenance in and around the Ark. They also have Care and Compassion teams who go into the community to assist those who have AIDS, and they have a Choose to Wait program that they teach in the community… these are both areas that Pete and I are interested in getting involved in. We are looking forward to seeing how God is going to use us in Namibia. We are excited about the road ahead, even knowing that there will be many trials and struggles to face.

We are very sad to say good-bye to Angola, we have made many friends in this past year and we are thankful that we had that opportunity. We cannot see the future, so we have no idea how God is going to use the relationships that have been formed. Angola was a great introduction to Africa! We have had a good share of struggles, and the adjustment to everyday life wasn’t always easy but God has shown himself faithful and we are grateful for his help day by day.

Answers to a few questions:
We have sold our truck (Praise the Lord), some were asking why we couldn’t take it to Namibia… it is because they drive on the left side of the road and the driver is in the right side of the vehicle, the government does not allow imports of vehicles which are the opposite (you can go to visit for a while, but you cannot import it).

The official language in Namibia is English, but many people speak Afrikaans and tribal languages.

Talitha is doing fine. She has been working at Bible Camp all summer and was baptised a couple of weeks ago. She keeps herself very busy with friends and family. I am sure she misses us a little, but we are glad that she has adjusted so well!

Meagan, Trevor and Tavis are doing fine also. All healthy, but sad to leave Angola! They all have learned a LOT of Portuguese, so we are hoping that they will find some Portuguese speaking people to connect with in Namibia!

Pete is keeping busy with trips to Lubango; with our things... we will store them in a container until we are settled into Okahandja. He is very excited at not having to learn more Portuguese! He celebrated his birthday on the 9th of July (all of the Knightly’s managed to celebrate a birthday IN Angola!).

Myself? I am tired from packing but feeling fine. I have been encouraged in my devotion time, and as I read through Hebrews 11 yesterday I realized that there are many marks of faith in our lives and there have been many great examples of faith in the great cloud of witnesses from the past.
Some of the things that struck me were:
Being Pleasing to God (living a life pleasing to God, drawing near to Him, believing Him)
Reverent Fear (obedience to God even when it looks foolish to everyone else)
Trust (GO… even when you don’t know where or for how long, and look forward to heaven, not the momentary pleasures of this earth)
Consider “who” God is (study His attributes)
Use your gifts (God has given gifts, we need to USE them for His glory)
When tested… OBEY!
Bless others (and do it for Christ’s sake and not your own)
Believe in the Promise (Life eternal in the presence of Christ)

We are here on this earth for such a short time, life is a breath and then we are gone. There are so many in our world who are suffering and in need of a Saviour. Those who have a faith and trust in Jesus Christ must show their faith by their works (James 2:18) because if someone is poorly clothed and lacking in food and you say “Go in peace, be warmed and filled,” without giving them the things needed for the body, what good is that? (James 2:15-16). So the challenge to me from the Bible is to Love the Lord my God with all my heart, soul, mind and strength, AND my neighbour as myself… ‘Actively’. Not easy to do, this is why I need a daily reminder to focus on Christ and not myself and my hardships!

I must get back to packing, just thought I would take the time to update you on where we are off to and to let you know that we are doing ok. If you have any questions feel free to ask! Hope you are all doing well. You are in our thoughts and prayers.

God Bless,
Charlene for the gang!