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Almost half of UK internet users are going online via mobile phone data connections, according to the Office for National Statistics.

This figure is taken from an article on the BBC published last year. It is also estimated that by 2016 there will be more connected mobile devices in the world than people! So if you’re one of the 50% of the UK (or anywhere else in the world!) that access the web from your mobile device check out http://m.lightoflife.org.uk for our mobile friendly website or scan our QR code over to the right.

Happy mobile browsing!

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Dear All,

29th September marks being here in Namibia for a month, and it has been a month of new experiences, making new friendships, seeing God at work and getting involved in various ministries, as well as coping with cultural frustrations and getting used to a new town, a new job and a new living situation. My prayer every day is that I will have my eyes opened to see people and situations as God does and that I will not miss anything that God is wanting to teach me through this experience.

I started the month in Windhoek doing orientation with Rob, our unit leader, and 6 other short-termers. It was a wonderful time, learning from each other and finding out what brought each of us here, and discovering more about Namibia, its history and its people. We had a talk from a lady who has HIV and has lost a child and husband to it. She has been through such difficult times but is living such a positive life, using her experiences to teach youth about abstinence before marriage, faithfulness in marriage and their value as individuals. She was such an example of the transforming power of God and of such a tragic story being used to help and enrich the lives of others. We learned about some of Namibia’s difficult history through colonialisation and apartheid and the man who spoke to us honestly and openly told us about his on-going struggle to forgive white people for the dreadful treatment the blacks received. Despite being a Christian for many years, it took a long time for him to be able to work though these issues with God and to forgive. It was such an emotional story but one full of hope; that God can bring healing and that He can bring forgiveness to even the most difficult and seemingly hopeless situations. All of this gave us a glimpse into some of the issues that affect Namibians today and a small snapshot into people’s lives and struggles.

After orientation I moved down to Rehoboth and have been teaching at Usib Primary for four weeks now, a small farm school about a 20 minute drive from town. I’m teaching Grade 5 maths and English and am enjoying the experience, although it can take time adapting to the way a new school runs and to adjust to the different ways the children respond and learn. Getting used to using a chalk board again rather than an interactive white board is not easy!

Usib Primary (pronounced Esip!)

Our House

On Fridays Heidi has the boys from Block E (the poorest block in Rehoboth) over to the house and we play games and they eat sandwiches and then go and play football or swim in the river on hot afternoons. Heidi has started to include a short Bible lesson and the boys for the most part are attentive. It can be difficult however to keep positive and hopeful as the boys will then go back to their home environments and get involved in smoking, drugs and drinking and it can feel like positive and permanent change will be so difficult to achieve.

On Monday I went to help out at the Rene Kids’ Centre in Block E, a centre run by Dutch missionaries. On Monday afternoons they do a kids club and when the kids arrive they get a drink and do some singing together and then split up into age appropriate groups for a Bible lesson and some food. They can sometimes have 600 children!! The centre is only partly finished and the ultimate aim is to have a centre with a pool table, games, beanbags, films showing, a library etc, and for it to be a safe place where the children can hang out, as in Rehoboth hanging out in Block E is often drinking in ‘shebeens’ (drinking spots), smoking, taking drugs and fighting. The centre is doing great work and I think their vision is just what the youth of Rehoboth need – a place where they are cared for and are safe and are surrounded by positive role models and the knowledge that they are loved, cared for and are of immense value.

So, that’s a short overview of life so far….

Praise God…

• That even though most people aren’t living out a Christ-centred life, Namibia is a country that is open to Christianity and the gospel can be freely preached.
• Namibia is a barren country but displays God’s beauty in amazing ways! At 6:45am, as we’re arriving at school, the glowing orange sun appears over the horizon in a perfect ball of light – a daily reminder of God’s faithfulness, glory and presence.

Please pray…

• For patience and compassion for the children in my class. They are often unresponsive and their ability level is poor. Pray that I would see the value in each and every child and be the support and encouragement they need to boost their low self-esteem.
• That I would find my place out here – that I will discover where God wants me. I believe teaching is a means to being here, but feel that God will use me elsewhere as well.

Thank you all so much for your support and I pray that you will be blessed in the coming week!

Hannah