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Bethanien

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Bethanien lies on the C14 Pad, which turns off the B4, approx 110 kilometer west of Keetmanshoop and then goes to the north. The village has a strong spring and as early as 1804 - Orlam Nama settled in this area. In 1814, the missionary Johann Hinrich Schmelen was sent to Bethanien by the London Mission Society to try convert the Nama. Schmelen built the first stonehouse in Namibia, now known as the "Schmelen House". It is a National Monument and houses a mission history museum of Bethanien. Pastor Schmelen married a Nama called Zara, who helped him to learn the Nama language and translate parts of the New Testament. However, the mission work proved to be very difficult. Not only did the Nama continue their raids against the Herero, but some actually mistrusted the missionary. After he was blamed for a long drought and a terrible cricket plague, Schmelen gave up and left Bethanien in 1828 with his wife and four children. The mission of Bethanien was taken over by the Rhenish Mission Society who erected a new church. And so the little village of Bethanien - with around 2000 inhabitants - boasts a couple of impressive churches, all in immediate vicinity to the Schmelen House. The two oldest but most beautiful ones belong to the Lutheran parish. Visitors are welcome to attend the Sunday services. The language medium is usually Afrikaans. Particularly impressive is the singing of the Nama parishoners.

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