Some of our students and church family from Tsumeb had the amazing opportunity to visit America - so of course we drove down south to spend a few days with them! These nine girls are part of DAT - Discipling African Teens - a hostel run by missionaries Elizabeth & Gary Wilkins, who also drill wells to provide clean water for villages in Namibia and Angola (see their website: www.byrovision.org). Some of the DAT girls were in Dylan's math classes and all attended our church in Tsumeb, where several of them sang with me on our worship team. We were so excited to get to see them again five months after leaving Namibia! Their trip to the States was organized and funded by Elizabeth & Gary's home church, Gracepoint, in Alabama, in order to inspire the girls and widen their horizons.
During their month-long stay in the States the girls are sharing their testimonies and music with many churches, businesses, and individuals. They're also learning about American history and culture through visiting local schools and museums, seeing Alabama's state capital, and living with local host families. I think their least favorite, although very beneficial, activity has been going to a proper dentist and getting their teeth taken care of while they're here! Fortunately that's balanced out by a lot of fun activities like horseback riding, baseball games (they actually sang the national anthem to open the game!), the zoo, Huntsville Space Center, and visits further afield to the Chattanooga Aquarium and Six Flags Over Georgia.
While we were in Atlanta, Pastor Rick found this friendly busker who improvised with one of the girls' songs. Several passers-by whipped out their cellphones to record the event. =)
We so enjoyed getting to spend time with the girls and with Elizabeth and Gary and their church family in Alabama. Thankful that God arranged this opportunity for us and them!
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