Mayolo Celebration

Mayolo means the passing of the name. Two of Elton's uncles have passed away in recent years and the family has been waiting for a time when he has been back in the village to carry it out.  The eldest member of the village (in this case, Elton's grandmother) will choose who should be the ones to carry on the names of these 2 men that have passed. It is both the literal passing/changing of their names and the inheritance of a large responsibility to fill their shoes. I had the privilege of experiencing this unique traditional ceremony yesterday.

Starting at 8pm, family begins pouring into the village. There is a very large bonfire where people start gathering. Then sometime in the night the two that have been chosen are informed. Those chosen can be younger or older, in this case they were both 18-19 years old; one was the eldest son and the other a nephew.

At sunrise they begin again--the two young men are placed in a makeshift straw tent while everyone gathers around the closed entrance singing and dancing. This goes on for about 2 hours. They wait patiently inside throughout the time of celebratory dancing and singing just outside.

They are then covered in sheets and escorted out by two other young men to a straw mat in the center of the singing. The sheets are removed but they remain head down. A bowl is placed in front of each as the celebration continues and one by one each person comes up and greets them with their new names and gives a monetary gift. Some showed extra greeting with spitting, a form of respect here.

Next they are each presented with an axe and they walk around the village with other younger men searching for a tree to cut down as a part of their tradition. Meanwhile some of the women have been preparing some sandwiches and they all eat upon their return. It ends with the remaining elders giving them advice on this big responsibility that was just placed on them.

Meetings, Meetings

Our present kindergarten in Mukisa Village

As many of you may know, one of the primary purposes of my trip here with Sinanzi Sepo Project, Inc is as part of it's executive team.  We have been working out alot of logistical things locally here both because project is relatively new and as we begin to host mission teams more regularly. We came with a long list of places and people to visit including government ministries, meetings with local leadership here casting vision on future areas of expansion, and fostering relationships with those who are running the day to day operations here. We also have been gathering prices to create accurate team budgets and meeting with tourist based companies to arrange day excursion options for teams. 

Serving food in Mafuta Region

Considering we are operating on African time, we have gotten a surprising amount done but still have perhaps the most exciting meetings still left! Right now our 2 main projects are 1 kindergarten and running a vegetable farm which distributes food to the school kids and others in need in the community (as determined by the local church). Over the next few days we will be travelling to two new locations where they are alsoals need of a kindergarten, one with no schools at all. Please pray with me as we seek wisdom and begin fundraising specifically to help get these projects underway, that it can happen quickly! The need is very great here!

Katima Mulilo or Bust!!

The final leg of our "arrival" journey is complete...but had the most adventure. The traditional road we used to use between Zambia and Namibia is in such need of repair now that it is impassable. So we needed to take the route through Botswana that included taking a ferry over the Chobe River. Taxis are not too hard to come by but finding a pair who can haul all our bags for a fair price was a bit more of a task. Taxi's can't cross the border over the ferry...and there was almost a mile of dusty no-man's-land between the Zambia and Botswana border posts we had to traverse across to get to the next taxi area. So 6 adults, 3 young kids, 18 bags, and a guitar went from crammed taxis to waiting for the walk-on ferry to making friends with the flatbed trailer aboard to carry our heavy bags thru no-man's-land (which by the way was only a 5 minute ride to make the deal and hurry and load them all on before he had to drive off) then waiting in the hot sun on the other side for another set of taxis from Botswana to our final destination of Katima Mulilo, Namibia. Today's leg of the journey took about 6 hours travelling thru 3 countries by both land and ferry. We are on true African time now but many, many small details worked out in our favor that could have otherwise gone wrong--praise God they did not and we arrived safely.

Mosi-au-Tunya

We made it safe'n'sound thru the first leg of our journey! We are in Livingstone, Zambia where we met up with the other team who is on their way back to the US. Livingstone is home to one of the 7 natural wonders of the world, Victoria Falls! It is over 1 mile long and is the largest sheet of falling water in the world. Similar to Niagara Falls, it is situated between two countries and can be viewed from either side. In my previous journies I have only been able to view it's grandeur from the Zambian side however the unrest in Zimbabwe made it unsafe at the time--but new times bring new opportunities! Mosi-au-Tunya is what it is known as locally, "the smoke that thunders." Even though we are seeing it during the driest/lowest season, we still got a good soaker from the mist. My cell phone photos here don't do it justice, but it is absolutely magnificent!!

Illegally Full

The last time I travelled from Africa my passport was illegally full...opps. The zambian security was kindly informing me of the 2 page requirement of blank passport pages as they took copies of my identification. School of hard knocks and a little charm and they let me thru without a fine. It's a good thing because there's not much else I could have done alone in that little African airport with no means of communication. Now I have a new passport to fill with African stamps!

Back in Africa!

As many of you know, a large part of my heart has been in Africa for the better part of a decade now.  My first trip was in 2007 to an AIDs orphanage just months after my dad passed away.  I then ended up spending about a year and a half there over the next 3 years. As much as my ministry was intended to serve them, I definitely walked away feeling more blessed and healed from the relationships I built with the staff and children.  

During my time there I was blessed by meeting two amazing friends of mine.  Jessica was an American volunteer with me and Elton was a local Namibian who had been working at the orphanage since it started.  Since then, the love arrow has struck, they've gotten married, and now have the startings of a small girl's soccer team.  Jessica and Elton are now stateside raising their family, but had a passionate vision to begin their own ministry in the same region.  They have now had the opportunity to bring that calling into fruition as executive directors of Sinanzi Sepo Project, Inc.

Sinanzi Sepo Project, Inc is a non-profit organization that serves the vulnerable people of the Musanga Area of Katima Mulilo through various agriculture and schooling projects.  More specifically, we have a large vegetable farm in which the food is distributed to orphans and the widows caring for them as well as a kindergarten provided free of charge to assist in preparing the kids for the government school system.  For the last 3 years my role has been working closely with Jessica & Elton to establish a Board of Directors, nonprofit status, and continue to serve as their Board Chair. 

We have now reached a size where mission teams are able to go and serve in various capacities.  In two short weeks, I will be joining a team comprised of Jessica, Elton, their girls, the vice-chair (Cassie), and representatives another church in vision for further involvement.  It will be a unique trip of small projects, assisting in logistical preparations for future mission teams, and furthering relationships with those who are the hands and feet of the ministry every day.  We will be there for 2 weeks from January 22^nd-February 5^th.

            To make all of this possible I first and foremost request your prayers for the ministry there and that I will be able to serve my role well in supporting the ministry.  By partnering with us in prayer you become a large part of all God does and will do there.  If you feel it on your heart to support me financially, you can mail your tax-deductible contribution made payable to ‘Sinanzi Sepo Project, Inc’ and my name in the memo line (message me for my address). Any extra funds raised will go directly into the ministry.

            I am very excited to have my mission travels lead me back to a place that still has a large piece of my heart.  You can find out more about the ministry at www.SinanziSepoProject.com.  I plan to be continuing this blog as best I can but will have very limited internet access in the village.  Thank you for praying & being a vital part of our team!!

Epidemic AIDS

Some facts and depictions of the AIDS epidemic in Africa narrowing down to the Caprivi Region of Namibia, where Children of Zion Village (COZV) was started. COZV now cares for 58 children physically, emotionally, medically, nutritionally, and most importantly, spiritually. All pictures were taken in the villages where the the COZV kids came from.