“Oh, there’ll be joy when the work is done . . .” was the song on our lips as we departed from Windhoek, Namibia at the end of June. Kapitango gave a thought-provoking report to the Himba Project Steering Committee of the work he is doing. He did not hold back but shared from his heart the need for a partnership with the wider Church. The Church leadership accepted this with open arms and made a commitment to partner with Kapitango. And so we left that afternoon with a song on our lips and joy in our hearts—so different from when we had arrived at the beginning of June with fear and trepidation.

We are in weekly contact with Kapitango, but that is different from actually getting to see what is happening. We were homesick for Namibia and eager to experience the sights, sounds and smells of Opuwo again. Some years ago, a Peace Corps volunteer said to me, “I miss the smell of cow-dung dust in the Opuwo wind.” A nostalgic feeling overwhelmed us as we took that final bend about seven miles south of the town and got the first view of Opuwo in the distance. It was evening, so the city lights were visible.

In the morning, friends from far and near came to greet us, excited to see us again. We were happy to see them, too. We heard various news reports—some good, and others not so good. I so much wanted to visit some of my Himba friends, but as Kapitango shared about his concerns for the work, I realized that our two weeks together wouldn’t allow me time to travel far afield. We ended up limiting our visits to friends within about 10 miles from town.

One of our visits was to the home of our old friend, Mr. Muhonaovahimba Tjiposa. We first met him in 1995. He is an old man now. As I entered his homestead, his wife sat on the ground looking very sad. She refused to look up but gave me a kiss on my hand. Then she gave me her complaints: “I cannot go to Opuwo anymore because you are no longer there. Who will help me when I am in need? There is no one in Opuwo to help me. Why did you come visit?” On and on she went. Finally, she allowed us to enter her husband’s hut. Being old and almost blind, he seldom ventures out.

As we entered the hut, we gave him the usual greeting. After some conversation, I finally identified myself. When he heard my name, he perked up, excited that I had come to visit. We had a long conversation, and I promised to return in a year.

We walked to the homestead of another friend close by, Mr. Rehozu, who has been blind for many years. When I greeted him, I tried to disguise my voice. But he recognized my voice immediately and shouted, “Gideona! Gideona! Is it really you?” We had a wonderful time together.

In the mornings we went out to visit our Himba friends, and in the afternoons we discussed the work among the Himba. Kapitango described some of the challenges, and we talked through some significant points, primarily focused on the role of the evangelist. At the end of our discussions, Kapitango said; “I wish our pastors could hear this. It is what we need as leaders.” His wife, Kenoo, asked me to share the same material with the church members. How to condense six days of sharing into an hour? I had prepared to talk about something else, but the pastor and his wife thought the subject of understanding one’s worldview would have greater value for the members. I asked the congregation for a few extra minutes and took them through the value God places on them and why He values them so highly. It was a wonderful time of sharing and reconnecting, and I was reminded of the gift God has given us. In the afternoon, Kapitango asked me to share the same message with the church board to give him a jumpstart in sharing the fundamental beliefs from a worldview perspective. I gave Kapitango a template for studying Church doctrines with the members by first understanding their worldview and then leading them into a Christian worldview.

Our time was cut short as we needed to attend a meeting in Windhoek. The meeting included Church leadership, the Union mission director, Kapitango and myself. This group constitutes our Himba Project Steering Committee. Our Sabbath experience there was truly a high point as members saw their need to reconnect with God. Then to have the Himba Project Steering Committee make a commitment to actively support Kapitango was overwhelming. God is in control! It is His work, and He will see it to fruition. We left Namibia knowing that God is still at work among His people, and He longs for the eternal Himba homecoming.

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