Dear prayer partners, greetings in the name of Jesus.
This short Prayer Letter and informational epistle is giving light on what is happening in and around Namibia. Especially on Monte Christo Baptist Church (MCBC) and her outreach ministries countrywide under her mission wing known as the Evangelical Baptist Mission (EBM) in Namibia.
• First, my family – starting with my wife Hilen Panduleni Ndona; our fourth child (daughter) Lamonamwene Hilenera; and our fifth child (son) Neleloleumbolakalunga Labanera, are all doing well by God’s grace. Our three older Children are out of the house, only two children are with us, that is Hilenera and Labanera who are still schooling as grade 12 students. The first grandchild (son) Ndiwakalunga Maxwell is with his parents, he visits us many times. Our first born (daughter) Ndemupombili Laamenange Ndinomwaami is married; our second born (son), Negalikano Mightypower is working at B2 Gold Mine; our third born (son), Nedulokokule Mightytower is working at Oshakati in a business venture. Pray for their lives, that younger age, money, and sin may not make them idiots or alien to God.
• Second, the membership at MCBC is increasing, seven were added to membership at the end of March this year after much discipleship, these have followed a number of recent converts who joined the Church last years. The first group were at the end of March; the second were at the end of June; the third were at the end of September; the forth were at the end of December, 2013. Seventy-five present (75%) of our members are younger people. Unfortunately, some of the members who joined the church have been members while they were studying at the Institutions of High Learning, so they left either for the North, or South, West, or East of the country. That means, our mission stations around the country have been blessed to have these dear souls as new members by transfer. Other graduates and church members have found jobs in the City of Windhoek and are still effective individuals at MCBC to this current time. The last three years, MCBC has been blessed with male members. We have committed younger men of reformed convection. We give God all the glory and honour.
• Third (and to us this is the most important information), we have a Bible School, named Monte Christo Baptist Institute (MCBI). We teach in two languages. One languague is Oshiwambo, taught by me, the other languague is English, taught by Spence Tuundjakuje Tjihenda – Elder Pastor at Grace Reformed Baptist Church, Spence is well versed in the Bible and well acquainted with English languague, unlike me. He is a former student and lecture at Namibia Evangelical Theological Semonary. As I said earlier, I must remind you again that, MCBI is a local Bible School, training the local God-called generation at grass-root level, on the following subjects: Bibliology (the study of the Bible); Theology Proper (the study of God); Anthropology and Hamartiology (the study of human nature and culture, and the study of sin); Christology (the study of Christ); Pneumatology (the study of the Holy Spirit); Soteriology (the study of salvation); Ecclesiology (the study of the Church); Missiology and Angelology (the studies of missions and angels); Eschatology (the study of the last things related to the issues surrounding the second coming of Christ), a three months per subject, and three subjects per year – three consecutive years.
We have observed four younger men among MCBI’s students who are jealous for preaching and pastoral ministries whom we have approved to study farther at Central Africa Baptist Collage next year God willing. After I have interviewed them, I referred them to Pastor Joachim Rieck – Elder Pastor at Eastside Baptist Church to re-interview them. He has spoken well about them and impressed with all of them. We are grateful for that, although due to our financial constraint, we may send only two students for now, and hold the other two for next time. Please pray for us in this regard, mention their names daily to God, their names are: 1. Immanuel Tuhafeni Nghidengwa 2. Kornelius Kaweendwa 3. Werner Hamukoto, and 4. Theophelus Anguku
• Fourth, our mission work in and around the country under the Evangelical Baptist Mission in Namibia is doing well. We have realized that Namibia is growing in population, more civilized than ever before, developing and reforming its education on annual basis. So we need competent men to be missionaries, not self called; self consecrated; and self commissioned missionaries, but specific kind of missionaries, more militant in the Focal Field Force (FFF). We need men who are well versed in the Bible; able to speak English – Namibia’s medium of communication; understand the context of African culture and brave enough to point man to God, does not matter how bitter the consequences may be. Due to this demands we initiated MCBI to do what we can, while we wait upon the Lord to raise up younger men of Reformed conviction to come up and reshape the Christian life and faith.
• Fifth and finally, my country wide ministries still influences people of all classes in-spite-of much adversaries within my own denomination and outside it. I find myself given grace to counsel people of high statures, who have been where I have not been; know what I do not know; believe what I do not believe. I find myself been given grace to share radio or television platforms, debating with government ministers, traditional leaders, and other people of different classes who enjoy my little knowledge of the Bible. While other debaters/educators educate the nation on subjects related to their filed of labour, I educate the nation on what God demands from all men, including the modern men. Dr. D.M Lloyd-Jonas is still my sharpener in this regard.
• Following are items to pray for: 1. My family and ministry in and around the country. 2. Monte Christo Baptist Church – Windhoek Namibia, and her ministries. 3. Evangelical Baptist Mission in Namibia and our missionaries (men and women) around the country. 4. Physical strengthening; moral outshining in the midst of challenges; mental and intellectual capabilities; spiritual aspirations; and financial resources to enable us to do what God has assigned us to do (as a local church in the context of modern time). 5. Effectiveness before activities; voice instead of echoes; quality rather than quantities.
Laban Mwashekele