This past week we had to leave South Africa because our 90 day tourist visas ran out. Because we don’t have our visas for Namibia yet we couldn’t go into Namibia. So we are in Rwanda visiting old and new friends. We arrived on Monday and had the pleasure of meeting ‘Commando’. He picked us up from the airport and took us to a ATM and MTN phone center, so I could get a Rwandan SIM Card for our phone. Cell phones operate under a different system here in Africa. Over lunch ‘Commando’ shared with us how God had redeemed him from a life of gang leader, drug dealer, drug user and alcoholic. He was well know and feared by many thus the nickname. ‘Commando’ now pours his life and financial resources back into street kids who could easily go down the same path he went down as a street kid. He also has a Children’s Home with over 100 street boys. With all the violence worldwide I hear this simple story of redemption and I am totally confident God is the answer and the Creator of Peace.
We have traveled south to Nyanza, a city near the Children’s Home that our church helps support. Yesterday, we had the opportunity to preach, pray and encourage a new church plant in a nearby village with Ernest, our local pastor friend. There were four people who made a decision to turn from their wicked ways and turn to God. The rest of our time here we will spend hanging out with the children at the home and preaching and teaching at the church all day Sunday. It is good to be back in Rwanda but our hearts are still focused on Namibia and the team visas.
The latest news this Friday morning is we still don’t have official word on the visas. The decision has been made to cancel flight arrangements for team members in the US without visas at Noon Eastern Standard Time today. However, Africa Inland Mission does have a contingency plan for our team and we have a few more options since we are already here in Africa. Since all airline flights to Namibia have to travel through the airport in Johannesburg, we can wait until the day our team travels to Namibia before canceling our flight which is next Thursday. Currently most of our luggage sits at the Southern Region Office in Johannesburg waiting to be shipped to Namibia, so that is also why we have a few extra days to wait for our visas. God’s timing is perfect!!! Our Team Leader Zeka has been in Windhoek this past week following up on our visa applications. Zeka feels pretty confident the visas will be approved but it may just take a little longer than our current deadline. This is a fluid situation and we will let you know as soon as we have more detailed information. Thank you for your prayers and continue to pray that paperwork that needs to processed will happen.
This is Africa and sometimes, if not all the time, things takes longer than what us Americans are accustomed to.
Ha3els in Africa 