There Are Living Gems in Namibia! — Watchtower ONLINE LIBRARY

There Are Living Gems in Namibia!

NAMIBIA stretches nearly 1,000 miles [about 1,500 km] along the southwest coast of Africa. The country’s entire coastline consists of sand dunes, rocky hills, and vast gravel plains. Mingled among the stones of Namibia’s pebble beaches are gemstones of every conceivable color. Even diamonds are occasionally found there. But the country has something much more precious than these stones. Namibia has living gems—the people of its many national groups.

The earliest inhabitants of Namibia spoke a family of languages called Khoisan. Their speech was known for its click sounds. Among the Khoisan speakers today are the dark-skinned Damara, the light-skinned people of small stature called the Nama, and the famous Bushman hunters. Many black tribes have also come into Namibia in more recent centuries. These fall under three main national groups: the Ovambo (the largest ethnic group in Namibia), the Herero, and the Kavango. Europeans started settling in Namibia during the 19th century. More immigrants arrived after diamonds were discovered on the desert sands.

Namibia’s inhabitants are precious because they are part of the world of mankind for which God gave his Son, thus opening the way to everlasting life. (John 3:16) Hundreds of Namibians from many tribes have already responded to the message of salvation. These can be likened to living gemstones because they are among “the desirable things of all the nations” now being gathered to Jehovah’s house of worship.—Haggai 2:7.

Spiritual Mining Gets Started

It was in 1928 that a start was made to mine the spiritual gems of Namibia. During that year the South Africa branch of the Watch Tower Society mailed 50,000 pieces of Bible literature to people scattered throughout the country. The following year an anointed Christian from South Africa named Lenie Theron followed up on the interest shown. In four months she traversed the vast country alone, placing over 6,000 Bible study aids in Afrikaans, English, and German. All this work certainly was not in vain.

For example, consider Bernhard Baade, a German miner. In 1929 he received a supply of eggs from a farmer who wrapped each egg in a page from a Watch Tower publication. Bernhard eagerly read every page, wondering who wrote the book. He eventually got to the last page, which gave a German address of the Watch Tower Society. Bernhard wrote for more literature and became the first Namibian to take a stand for the truth.

Full-Time Workers Arrive

In 1950, four missionaries trained at the Watchtower Bible School of Gilead arrived in Namibia. The number of missionaries rose to eight by 1953. They included Dick and Coralie Waldron, an Australian married couple who are still serving here faithfully. Many other full-time Kingdom proclaimers from South Africa and abroad have also shared in mining Namibia’s spiritual gems. Other missionaries, as well as graduates of the Ministerial Training School, have been sent to Namibia.

Another factor contributing to spiritual growth in Namibia has been the translating and publishing of Bible literature in major local languages, such as Herero, Kwangali, Kwanyama, Nama/Damara, and Ndonga. Since 1990, a fine translation office and home for full-time volunteer workers has been operating in the capital, Windhoek. Karen Deppisch, who has shared with her husband in the full-time evangelizing work in various parts of Namibia, says: “Many are amazed when we offer them literature in their own language, especially when very few books of any kind are available in that particular language.”

Polishing the Gemstones

Some of Namibia’s literal gems have been polished by the movement of waves and sand over millenniums of time. But, of course, such natural processes do not produce living gemstones. It takes effort for imperfect humans to “put away the old personality” and clothe themselves with a new Christlike personality. (Ephesians 4:20-24) For example, the veneration of dead ancestors is a strong tradition among many tribes of Namibia. Those who do not perform acts of ancestor worship are often persecuted by family members and neighbors. When individuals learn from the Bible that the dead “are conscious of nothing at all,” they face a test. (Ecclesiastes 9:5) In what way?

A Herero Witness explains: “It was a great challenge to be obedient to the truth. I accepted a Bible study with Jehovah’s Witnesses, but it took time for me to apply the things I was learning. First, I had to test whether it would be safe for me not to practice traditional beliefs. For example, I would drive past certain places in Namibia without stopping to put a stone on a grave or raising my hat in a greeting to the dead. Gradually, I became convinced that nothing would happen to me for not worshiping dead ancestors. How happy I am that Jehovah has blessed my efforts to help my family and other interested ones to learn the truth!”

The Need for Spiritual Miners

Before the arrival of the missionaries in 1950, there was only one publisher of the good news in Namibia. The number has steadily increased to a peak of 995. Yet, much work remains to be done. In fact, some regions have hardly been touched. Are you in a position to serve where the need for zealous Kingdom proclaimers is great? Then, please, step over into Namibia and help us find and polish more spiritual gemstones.—Compare Acts 16:9.

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AFRICA

NAMIBIA

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Namibia is a country of beautiful gemstones

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The good news is being preached to all of Namibia’s ethnic groups

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Can you serve where the need for Kingdom proclaimers is greater?