Tuesday, November 24, 2015

Here is how to give: 

Go to www.omusa.org

Choose the GIVE option

Then SEARCH AND SUPPORT

Type in my name, Amy Kidwell, and there I am!!

If you have any questions or want to get in contact with me and don't have my info please email me ASAP.

amy.kidwell@om.org

Until All Have Heard, 

Amy

Tuesday, September 29, 2015

I'm not a writer...

...but I have friends who are.

I know that I have not been the best at keeping up my blog.   I have had to just face it.   I'm not a writer. 

God has not gifted me in that way.  However I have many friends serving here with me in Southern Africa and their job is actually in communications.   So I want to start sharing their stories with you.  

This first story is from Rebecca.  Rebecca is one of my best friends in Africa and my favorite Canadian!  We both joined OM at the same time.  We did our GO conference in Germany together and have even lived together for short periods of time.   The reason for that is Rebecca has been located in Kabwe, Zambia and I in Pretoria, South Africa.  She works for the same Africa Area office as I do but she is a remote team member who does a lot of traveling.   Her travel takes her to many of our fields and ministries where she helps their comminucation department in stories, photography, and social media so their story can reach a wider global audiance.

Here you go!
 

The headman's story

by Rebecca Rempel
Photo to accompany story 
 
“Being a headman means you have to take care of everyone in the village,” explained Dimas. “First I just used my voice to make sure the village was at peace, but now God helps me rule this village (His way). I pray for the village, and there are no crimes, nothing. We never experience what we used to experience, like fights and things.”
Dimas is the headman of Mulima, a small village of about 50 adults and double that many children. Located along the Zambian side of Lake Tanganyika, Mulima's main industry is fishing.
Dimas was not born there. In fact, he did not live in the village until 2000 when his uncle died, leaving Dimas next in line as village headman.
With a wife and two children, Dimas moved to the village to take up his new role. Previously he had been a farmer, but the rocky ground along the lake was unsuitable for growing crops. Plus, without the proper fishing supplies, (boat, line, etc.), Dimas could not go out on the water. Instead he and his wife Evelyn cut grass to exchange for fish.
From an early age Dimas did not like going to witch doctors and tried attending different churches, but never felt that he got anything out of it.
Then Dimas met Aaron, an OM missionary living in Kapembwa, just over the hill from Mulima, on the local ferry. After hearing who Aaron was, Dimas invited him to his home to share and discuss the Word of God.
When the other villagers saw Dimas talking to Aaron, and later on Clement, another OM missionary, they went to warn Dimas saying that “those people are satanists, don't fellowship with them.”
While acknowledging their worries Dimas replied, “if they are satanists, I am going to see for myself.”
Immediately though Dimas knew what Aaron was saying about the Bible was true.
“When Aaron took me into the word of God I felt that that is what I needed,” said Dimas. “He explained it very well, it touched my heart.”
“In the past we believed in witch craft and witch doctors,” Evelyn added. “When Dimas was sick (with high blood pressure) we went from witch doctor to witch doctor to find help, but nothing changed. We went to the hospital, nothing changed. But after meeting the word of God, everything has changed. Our lives have changed.”
“People are able to see a difference in me from (before),” Dimas said. “A lot of people follow me, even to church. They are coming to fellowship because of (mine and Evelyn's) lives.”
Being a Christian and a headman has its difficulties though.
“In every village, the headman is entitled to discipline a person who is misbehaving,” explained Dimas. “So what they usually do is call everyone in the village and beat that person. But for me it is a challenge because I am not supposed to judge anyone as a Christian, and not beat someone because of the wrong they have done. I would rather sit that person down and take them through their mistakes so that they learn. But to the villagers and elders they think (that) is not being a good headman because I'm not doing what I am 'supposed' to do. It's a big challenge being a Christian and a headman because you can not abide in the village law and the law of God.”
Another example of this is when visitors arrive in the village. As headman, Dimas is expected to welcome them and let them stay in his yard.
“The villagers think I am not fulfilling my role as the leader of the village (when I turn witch doctors away),” said Dimas. “But the witch doctors have stopped coming to this village since they heard that I am a Christian.”

A testimony of forgiveness

One of the greatest moments of joy Dimas and Evelyn experienced was when their son, Bernard, became a Christian.
“The villagers used to call me a 'dead person' because what I did was so terrible,” said Bernard. “I used to sleep around with women. When one of these women got sick, the villagers believed it was because of what we were doing. They threatened to kill me.”
Dimas asked all the Christians he knew to pray for his son to know Jesus.
Aaron and Clement were committed to befriending the headman's son; walking over the hill sometimes twice a day to encourage him. Clement even offered to teach Bernard how to read and write.
Bernard moved to another village where he met his wife and returned to Mulima and started going to church. After two months Bernard accepted Christ into his heart.
“I have seen how God has brought back the relationship (between me and the villagers),” said Bernard. “For a long time everyone was scared of me, they hated me; when I was passing through they would even spit at me. Now they welcome me into their homes, they greet me like a normal person, and kids run towards me. For a long time they would run away.”
“When I pass by they say 'Bernard, God is great for your life to be like this. You should continue holding onto Him.”

Thursday, June 19, 2014

Need a laugh?!

Random Things I Have Learned While In South Africa

  • Just because the light is red doesn't men you have to stop
  • In the same way just because the light is green doesn't mean you go
  • When eating (unless you are with Americans) never ask for a napkin to wipe your face, it's called a serviette (don't ask)
  •  Real Afrikaans men wear shorts, even when it's 30 degrees fahrenheit outside
  • When driving on a One Way street all vehicles must be facing the same way but not necessarily moving the same way. 
  • Dill pickles here don't taste like dill pickles in the States
  • While standing in lines personal bubbles DO NOT exist, except for at the ATM's (which is nice)
  • Hanson's MMMBOP, Sixpence Non The Richer's KISS ME, & Tiffany's I THINK WE'RE ALONE NOW are popular songs on the radio


    I hope you had a nice laugh


    Amy

Monday, June 9, 2014

Where does the time go?

Wow!  

I promise to get an update and some more pictures soon!  

Amy

Friday, February 28, 2014

Just a few pictures

For those of you who haven't seen my facebook pics or don't 
have access to facebook here as some pictures for you!
 Sunrise at the Prayer Mountian in Okahanja, Namibia

Sunset

 The Trekkies
 @ Prayer Mountian
 See the double rainbow?!?!!!


 Our campsite the morning after we spent the night @ Etosha National Park

 Look at the babies!





 He's not impresssed!

Monday, February 24, 2014

Kid's Corner


Once I get the newsletters going I am going to have this Kid’s Corner.  With special prayer request for the kids to pray for.  

I decided to do this for many reasons but I wanted to share two with you.  On my last Sunday at WPC I was commissioned and Tyson had people come and lay hands on me as they prayed. Now I’m down on my knees and can only see the people who are right in front of me.  I open my eyes during the prayer and look slightly up and through the holes of people and arms I see Bella with her eyes shut so very tight and praying for me.  Well let me tell you I about lost it.  I mean I changed this girls diapers, I knew her when she had no siblings and here she is praying for me. 

Then I see an amazing report on FB from Leslie and Kristin about the children’s ministry and secret church and how kids are asking the Holy Spirit to come where they are and be with them and hear their prayers.  WOW!!!!!  Just WOW!!!!!  God is moving throughout our church (universal) and one of the ways He is doing it is through His precious small ones.
So, for this first kid’s corner I want to ask all the kids to pray for two things.
1   1. The couple from Zambia who’s names are Donald and Dyness have an almost 3 year old son named Blessed.  They will be in Namibia for 2 months for training and there is not stuff for Blessed to do while his mom and dad are in class.  Pray for him that he adjust during this time of being away from the only home he has ever known.

2  2. Pray that God shows me (Miss Amy) when it’s time for me to go from Namibia to South Africa. 

News from Namibia!

Greetings from Namibia!

 It’s coming up on one month here in Namibia.  It has been a time of highs and lows both spiritually and emotionally.  When I arrived in Okahandja I was the only one here for training.  There was another couple that was meant to be here with me for training from Zambia, but they were having Visa issues.  So for the first 15 days here I was basically alone besides the couple that runs OM Namibia, Japie and Ronel, who are amazing.  Still the time of stillness and being quiet was still very hard.  I did have a lot more time to be in God’s word and read other books as well.  There isn’t a blog long enough to tell you what He has been teaching me.   

Some of you read my blog and saw that the Africa Trek was coming through for training as well.  It was such a blessing to have them here for a little over two weeks.  My room of three bunk beds was overcrowded with six people instead of one and meals consisted of 16 people as well.   This group of 15 was made up of six people from South Africa, one Zambian, two Australians, one German, four Americans (one girl walked around saying Boomer Sooner all the time when she heard I was from Lubbock, I just responded with “O Who?), and one from the Neatherlands.  (I knew two of the guys, which was nice)

As their time was wrapping up they were planning on going to do an outreach towards the cost of Namibia.  From the beginning I was told that I would join them for this time (about 8 days) and then return to Okahandja.  The day before we left we received word that the couple from Zambia would be arriving that next morning.  So plans changed.  I was no longer going to be going with the Trek but now going with another couple from Namibia eight hours north from where we were and doing an outreach there. 

The next morning I left as the Trekkies were packing their vans and headed off on my two day journey.  In the 24 hour period that I was told about the change until the time I left we were still having times of intense study.  So I was asked to just put the changes in the back of my mind and to focus on the teachings.  Which I did.  However I had a un-peace about the change.  I just pushed it aside and thought “oh, that’s just me not liking last minute changes, I’ll be fine”.   As the 3 hour drive commenced I continued to feel the same un-peace that I did earlier.  I spent most of the drive in prayer and also slept a little.  I prayed that God would give me peace about this trip and that I would be ready to serve when I arrived.  That peace never came.  

The couple that I was with prayed with me and we all felt confirmation that I didn’t need to be going into such a dark spiritual place for an outreach if I wasn’t at peace with it.  Now without going into a ton of useless details I was able to return to Okahandja the next morning. 
Upon return I was worried that I had failed my task and that I had disappointed people.  I spent a lot of time in prayer with Ronel and through the Holy Spirit broke down the lie that was inside me that if I failed a task that would make me a failure and I would let people down.   This has been a stronghold in my life for many years. 

So, now that the couple from Zambia is here they are doing some of the training that I did with the Trekkies and then I’m not sure if I will rejoin them or if I will be going to Pretoria, South Africa earlier than planned.  This is all very up in the air right now.

Once in Pretoria and I have more than 30 minutes of internet per week I will be able to get out a proper newsletter.  I suspect that they will never be the same because God will always be doing new things in my life.  So, right now I am just wanted to give you an overview of the last month and ask so very much for your prayers as the next days/week will have a lot of decisions to be made in it.  In the future I don’t plan for them to be this long.  I know it’s a lot to read.

Love y’all
(I’ll never loose my y’all!)

Amy Kidwell


Prayer Request: 
Pray that God continues to break down lies that the enemy wants me to believe.
Pray that I continue to grow more dependent on God.
Pray that God reveals to me and the other leaders if I need to go to Pretoria sooner to start my ministry.