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

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

 
 

“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.”

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
  

Where does the time go?

Wow!  

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

Amy

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!

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.

Training and Trekkies

Hi Everyone!

I pray that you are well!  God has been doing some amazing things this past week.  The last 7 days have been full of intense times of teaching and training along with the Africa Trek*.   Towards the 20^th or 21^st I along with the Trekkies will be doing a week long outreach somewhere in Namibia.  As of right now we don’t yet know where it will be.   Please pray that God will show us where the location is.

Right now are days typically look like a pact school day.  They are long days with lots of deep theology and teachings, but I’m loving it.

I did get confirmation that I will be attending Love Africa at the beginning of August in Zambia.  I am so excited to be a part of the amazing time with the Southern Part of OM Africa!!

This is a pretty short entry today.  I still have limited access.

 Look I now have roommates!!

Prayer request:  When I arrive in Pretoria, South Africa at the end of March I will need to purchase a vehicle.  So I would ask that you pray for me to be able to find an affordable and reliable car.  Also that my Blazer back in Lubbock would sell quickly. (My parents are working on it)

*Africa Trek – The Africa Trek is a 3 month mission trip throughout Southern Africa. For about 70% of their time they are in tents.   Namibia is their longest stop on the trek because of the training that they need to go on outreaches. 

Just a few pics.

Here are just a few pictures of where I am staying in Namibia until the end of March.

 This is a picture of my room for the next 2 months.  

Friday I will be joined by 5 other girls from the Africa Trek. 

 Our table and more importantly OUR FAN!

 The front door.

 Me!!  It's hot!

Balcony View!

Finally have wifi for a little while!!

Hello everyone!

Wow I can’t believe it’s been almost a months since I left Texas.  I was able to spend good time with friends and family before I left.  My last Sunday at WPC and Small Group were such a blessing to be able to say goodbye to everyone. 

I’ll give you a rundown of what I’ve been doing so far. ** Normally I will try to update more often and not cram so much into a posting.

Sunday the 12^th my parents and I drove to Granbury, TX and spent the night with some very close family friends.

Monday the 13^th we heading to DFW Airport but not without stopping at the Taco Villa in Benbrook along the way!  I was able to get security passes for my parents to come back to the gate with me. PG!  I don’t think 1 ½ hours at the gate alone would have been fun at all.  It was a very smooth flight to Frankfurt.  I had an aisle seat in the middle 5 section and another gentleman had the opposite aisle. We had no one in-between us!  I actually was able to lay down and sleep on the flight!

Tuesday the 14^th I arrived in FRA around 8am and after some terminal changing I was picked up by OM Germany.  At the pickup I met 3 Canadians guys, 2 US ladies, & 1 guy from Hong Kong.  Two hours of twisting and turning through the mountains we finally made it to Mosbach.

Tuesday was spent mostly at the MILL and was filled with meeting tons of people and seeing people that I had met in February at Outbound in Atlanta.  Some already in the field and some just going out like me.   

 The MILL is the location we had all of our meetings and events and then we had the Hostel which was  about a 20/25 minute walk and was filled with just OMers.

This GO conference was around 160 to 190 people going out into the field from over 130 nations and we had 13 different languages represented.   Of that number 15 came from the USA.  My roommates hailed from Costa Rica, Netherlands, Austria, Australia, & Denmark.

Oh how I wish I could show y’all my pictures!  I will have to go through them with a fine tooth comb and see what I am able to show for the safety of my friends. (I've added a few).  The 1st is the MILL and the 2nd is in front of the OM Germany complex and OM Ship Buildings.  The building over my left shoulder is where we spent most of our time. 

The conference was amazing!!  The 2^nd day it seemed like we had been there forever and as the last night came it was done too soon.  Some of the people I met I will never see again until we are in Glory and some I will see in just a week when the Africa Trek comes to Namibia, some I will see in April when I get to Pretoria, and some I will see again, I just don’t know when.  (I’m talking to you – Ship people).

It would take pages and pages for me to tell you what I learned about God and myself while at GO.  I’ll save that for later.  

Until All Have Heard, Amy

Ship?  What does she mean by ship?   Check it out!  www.omships.org

**Just a quick note on where I am now.  

I’m currently in Namibia doing discipleship training. Almost all fields have some type of training before you start.  I arrived here on Sunday the 25^th and will be here until the end of March.

No, I haven’t seen any wild animals yet.  I don’t count the one ostrich, one chicken, and goats since there are some living in Lynn County as well. 

I’ll be ending each post with PR Request for myself, family, OM, and others.  Sometimes the names will be changed but God knows. J

PR Request:

*During GO we had 2 OMers loose loved ones.  One lost a mother who was very sick and she went home to handle everything.  One lost a cousin very suddenly and his family told him to stay and do what God had called him to.   Pray for both of these people as they are dealing with their losses.

*The group in Namibia is small.  I mean small.  For those who know me well that isn’t what I thrive in.  Pray against feelings of loneliness, missing home, & missing people.  Pray that during the large amount of time I have where it is quite I spend that with God so I can hear what He has for me.  ** for those of you at GO I know you are thinking about what I said about SHH TIME during our night of Worship. J

*** Please let me know how I can pray for you as well.

Reply to this posting, email me @ angel grl 3217 @ hotmail.com (remove spaces, no “I” in grl) or Facebook message me.

^*^*^ For those English teachers, English majors, or Typo finding people…..I’m dyslexic and I’m doing this fast while I have internet.   You know who you are.  Extend me grace. J

Times to say goodbye

Just a quick reminder to stop by and say goodbye before I leaves for Africa! 

Saturday, January 4 from 2:00-4:00pm (come & go) in the Parlor at WPC.  3321 33rd
(the Parlor is on the East end of the church....you can enter there.)

I will also be formally commissioned at the 9am (contemporary) and 11am (traditional) services this Sunday, January 5. 

Westminster Presbyterian Church  3321 33rd

Support Update! 11/21/13

Hello All!! 

I have exciting news!   I'm at 93% of my monthly support!!!!!!  GOD IS GOOD!!

My start up cost that I currently have is $2,400.00.   So I'm about 25% of the way there but I know that God is faithful!

I still have about 20 days to get all my support in.   If you are interested in helping me fulfill the call God has placed on my heart for Africa....please message me on FB or call me if you have my #.   (since this is a public blog let's not place personal contact info on here)


Until All Have Heard,   Amy

New Total!!

I am now at 85% of my start up cost!  15% to go!!

My start up cost now with plane tickets is an estimated total of $10,000.   I'm at $1,500. of that.  Plane tickets are expensive.  This covers 3 plane tickets.  USA to Germany (missions conference we must attend before going out into the field) Germany to South Africa & Africa to USA in 2 years.

If you want to give and haven't had a chance to yet....please do so as soon as you can.  I must be at least 95% of my monthly and at least 1/2 of the start up by December 1st.  I will be leaving the country between January 10th & 12th (depending on flights)

Here is how to give:

Go to  http://www.omusa.org/give

Chose the HOW TO GIVE option

Then GIVE TO SUPPORT OM THROUGH A PERSON
Type in my last name 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 leave a comment and I will get back to you ASAP!


Until All Have Heard,

Amy

So blessed!!

When I meet with people I am consistently blessed by people's giving.  God has blessed me with the start of an amazing support team that will help the Gospel advance in Africa!!

I'm at 60% of my monthly commitments!!  Praise God from whom all blessings flow!

So I'm $596.00 short in monthly support.   I have been blessed by so many people giving $25, $40, $50, $75, $100, $150 a month.

I am looking for 3 more couples/families to come along side me at $100 and 6 more couples/families to come with $50.  

If you feel the Lord is calling you to get involved about what God is doing in Africa please team with me in making a difference.   If you are thinking "I can't do $50 or $100" that's ok.  All amounts help!


My monthly support that I must raise is $1,500.00 a month in commitments and I must be fully funded by DECEMBER 1ST!

If you would like to give monthly, quarterly, annually, or a one time gift here is how you can do that.

Go to  http://www.omusa.org/give

Chose the HOW TO GIVE option

Then GIVE TO SUPPORT OM THROUGH A PERSON

Type in my last name Kidwell and there I am!!

Easy as 1,2,3...umm...4 :)

If you are in the Lubbock area or are close (Amarillo, Midland/Odessa)  and you have more questions please call me and we can set a time to talk.   If you are farther away we can set a Skype or call time up!!   I would love to talk to you more about what God is doing in Africa!!!


Until All Have Heard, 
Amy

October 17th

One of the things that I have to do with OM besides raising monthly support is getting my start up cost covered.  This includes my plane tickets, admin cost, and GO conference in Germany. 

The GO conference is a week long and all OM missionaries from all over the world (100 different nations) that are going into the field meet for a week before they GO to the field countries.

My start up cost is approximately $9000.00

One of the ways I am working to get to this goal is by doing fundraisers.

On Thursday Oct 17th Raising Cane's on Slide & 57th will be holding an all day event.  If you go in (or drive through) and tell them when you place your order that you are there for Amy they will donate 15% of your order to OM for my start up cost! 

Please come by and see me and get some great chicken!!   SPREAD THE WORD!!!!!


https://www.facebook.com/events/582175258494982/?ref_dashboard_filter=calendar

How to Give

My monthly support that I must raise is $1,500.00 a month in commitments and I must be fully funded by DECEMBER 1ST!

If you would like to give monthly, quarterly, annually, or a one time gift here is how you can do that.

Go to  http://www.omusa.org/give

Chose the HOW TO GIVE option

Then GIVE TO SUPPORT OM THROUGH A PERSON

Type in my last name Kidwell and there I am!!

Easy as 1,2,3...umm...4 :)

If you are in the Lubbock area or are close (Amarillo, Midland/Odessa)  and you have more questions please call me and we can set a time to talk.   If you are farther away we can set a Skype or call time up!!   I would love to talk to you more about what God is doing in Africa!!!


Until All Have Heard, 
Amy

Support Update!

54%!!!
GOD IS GOOD!!!!

Support Update

I'm at 39% commitments for my funding!!!!  1/3 of the way there!

Post #1

Hello All! 

I just wanted to get a quick post out to let everyone know about my blog.  I doubt I'll be doing alot of posting until it gets closer to me leaving. Who knows I might blog more than I think I will.

I am so excited about this next stage in my life that God has for me!


Amy