What do I cling to?

What do we cling to?

It is an important question to ask ourselves, I think.

I cling to:

* The love and freedom I enjoy as an adopted daughter of the Living God. I don’t have to do or earn anything. I am lavishly loved. As a result of all God has done through Jesus, and continues to do through the Holy Spirit, I can live and not worry about much of anything. I am never alone or forsaken. He is not disappointed in me. He revels in my attempts to serve him as a response to our growing relationship. He’s got the big picture perfectly handled. My job is to love and be loved and use my life to honor my Dad.

* My family and dear friends. Being away and contemplating what changes could be in our future has confirmed for me that my family and friends are so dear to me. If called to do so, I would live apart from them but I don’t want to.  I think God has a different plan for me at this point. Whew!

* The freedoms and safety I enjoy because of where I live and the good things in place. Of course, either of those things could change quickly so I’d better not cling to those for my security or, if they were taken away, I would be lost.

* Our incomes. It’s true. Andy has earned a pension and saved like crazy for over 30 years. I worked very hard to earn my degrees, pay everything out of pocket, and to build a career that I love. I rest in the idea that we are ‘set’ for the future and that we should be in a place to bless many others along the way. The Bible is clear though; if we place our security in money and things, our security will rust away, just like the stuff will. This is a major challenge but, with God’s help, we can stay focused on what is really important…eternal riches.

*I cling to my rights as and American. That will end someday too.

I believe that a real problem for many of us is when we cling to the illusion of having control. Traveling shows a person’s character very quickly. You are out of control in a plane, while talking to a clerk at the counter, in a taxi, navigating a strange city with different…everything. I have to say, Andy has surprised me. He is relaxed and cheerful. He is speaking French with everyone and makes me laugh as he reads the street signs with his nasal accent. I am loving our time together.

The lady who owns and operates the B&B we just left told us her daughter is brilliant and in medical school, but is anorexic. She is hyper organized and tidy. My thoughts go instantly to how she is trying to gain a sense of control. Poor thing sounds tormented. The 12-Step Program of AA focuses on giving up control and I have personally experienced and witnessed what that can do.

Gratitude fills my chest right now as I remember back to very dark days when I felt depressed, hopeless, finished. As I sought help and healing, I learned to trust and relinquish control. Thankfully, I learned to trust the God who made me and who really has the answers, not myself or some fictional deity. My thoughts are not his thoughts. My ways are not his ways. What seems right to me is not NECESSARILY right to him. I NEED to seek his wisdom to have a great life; thankfully He provides!

He guides me quietly and where He has brought me…is more than I ever expected.

He came so we could have life, and have life abundantly. Eternal life starts the minute the heart chooses to trust Jesus. I am living my eternal, abundant life and am so so so thankful. Thank you Lord!

The Garden Cafe

The Garden Café

In Okajandja, Namibia, there is an Oasis from the stress of being in a country so different than what we are used to. It is owned and operated by a couple of people who heard the call several years ago. They went to Namibia to work with CHI but found their hearts pulled towards working with older young people who did not necessarily do well in school and needed training and mentorship to gain marketable skills. They also needed the Lord Jesus and guidance, or discipleship, in learning what it means to follow Jesus.

 

Uncle Christiaan, Heidi, Kim, and Tony who, with Kathryn,
blesses many young people with their ministry.

Familiar tasting food is a treat. Yum! 

Anyhow, the Garden Café is a true oasis. In fact, Okajandja has the training center for the Peace Corps for all of Namibia. The Peace Corps volunteers are very frequent customers. On our last visit to the café (I couldn’t get enough of their breakfast wrap and Andy loved the hamburgers and crepes/pancakes), there was a group of about 8 Peace Corps volunteers at the next table.

I found myself deeply saddened and even made a little queasy by the conversation. The group was a mixture of 6 young people who looked like college age, a man about our age, and a woman who looked about 60. The woman was busy buzzing around…on her computer, on her phone, isolating to get some privacy. When we said hello and found out she’d be in the south near Keetmans, she just said, “I hope the 2 years goes fast.” Huh? What is she doing here? Checking off a bucket list item? The man our age was talking with the young people and, to be honest, I felt like I wanted to invite him over “to give him a break.”

The language was sprinkled with ugly words and posturing for attention and position. You know, people taking over each other and the bad language is all-too-common. I’ve been known to throw in a spicy word all too much too. A young man was trying to get the group to go to a bar, now that their training was over. He wanted to ‘get wasted.’

So why did I have such a strong reaction to my eves dropping?  I think a part of it is because my connection as an American. That is self-explanatory. I think the real reason is that they were harsh and self-centered and in a country who doesn’t need people coming to it to make themselves feel good or, especially, to make themselves and their own county feel superior. Of course, I instantly wonder how much of that I have done or am doing. I also find myself so thankful for the difference between the norm and the young people we spend most of our time with. Our kids have something more on their mind that themselvess, as do most of their friends. The conversations are worlds apart.

Proverbs 12:18 CJB

Idle talk can pierce like a sword, but the tongue of the wise can heal.

A man we met in Germany, who’s job it is to help people like us successfully experience other cultures (Jochaim), called the goal in travel and especially trying to work with people in other countries, “Pearl Diving.” The people at the café that day aren’t in the process of pearl diving, which means actively looking for the gems in a different culture. In fact, they weren’t even near the beach, let alone in the water.

They were hidden in a familiar little café with familiar tasting food, wallowing in the worst of what our world has become…obsessed with self gratification, immediate comfort and pleasure seeking, and the total lack of any sensitivity to increasing what is pure and lovely and worthy to be spoken and shared. (verse about idle talk).

It reminded me personally to get back out there…away from the familiar and easy. It is important to rest and retreat when needed, but make sure to be thoughtful about what I say and do and why I do it.

The other day we met a man in an excruciatingly slow moving line, as we were leaving Johannesburg, South Africa. He had been there on a very deluxe hunting trip only 15 minutes from the airport. He told us about the need to cull the herd.  If there is food for 8 Oryx and 10 are there, all 10 will die so…let the hunters take out 2 and everyone is happy. I told him I was the typical hypocrite…hate the idea of hunting but eat the meat. He didn’t get my attempt to be funny.

He asked what we were doing in Africa. We easily rattled off, “working in a children’s home.” He asked if that was an orphanage. Andy said, “Yes, mission work.” The conversation stopped. Firstly, I thought it may have been the religious connotation of ‘mission work’ that stopped the conversation and made the man turn away. Maybe. But, this time I think it was the alienation one feels when they feel subtly condemned. That was not our intent, but I suspect that is how he felt.

I don’t want people to feel this way around us. And I don’t want to let the unique and enriching opportunity we have had to connect with the ministry of CHI, the Ark in Keetmans, the children and staff and missionaries, to feel like we are condemning people who don’t do the very same things we are doing.

In fact, nothing rubs me more wrong that a person in ministry who thinks that everyone should be part of that same effort. If the Holy Spirit is real in the believer who trusts in Jesus as their only way to the Father, than He (the Holy Spirit) directs the believer. And, if we are each made in the image of God with diverse and specialized and individualized gifts, than we are all going to be doing different things…for God and by God. Whew. I must be hanging around too many passionate French people lately (-:

So, how do Andy and I talk with people and share this experience without alienating (I’m talking about strangers mostly.) Well…I don’t really know any other way than to be honest. But, I also know that people “ don’t know how much you know until they know how much you care” …  about them. Our real job is to care and to show it and to be honest; I think I’m on track with that. We will see.

Oh Lord, please help us be the kind of people who make others feel accepted so that they can recognize how much you love and accept them. Thank you for the times you use us in some way … to bless someone or encourage him or her to move forward. Thank you for Andy’s talents and for any way you have used and will use us in the future… for Your Glory and for the benefit of all your beloved. Amen

Is it right to serve some and not all?

What do you do when you can’t help everyone equally?

I recently read a study done by UCSF on “Child Sponsorship Programs.” It looked at the difference between children in developing countries who have been sponsored by an individual, through an organization, in comparison to children in similar areas and living situations who were not sponsored. The findings were uncharacteristically strong…sponsored kids are healthier, better educated, and more likely to become cycle breakers (my wording).

On the other hand, the article mentioned that many programs are coming under fire for choosing some kids in a community and not others. In other words, help everyone or no one … or design only programs that help the community but not individuals.

As usual, I have more questions than answers.

The Ark at Keetmanshoop has been a children’s home for Christ’s Hope International for about 11 years. At one time, it had 50+ children living here, including babies with NO DISPOSABLE DIAPERS! I marvel at how they did it. Some of the original staff is still here and they just shake their heads when I ask about it.

Since that time, some of the kids have been here for a majority of their lives. Some have been here for a short ‘place of safety’ before returning home or moving to supported relatives/foster homes. Some have come here as other children’s homes have closed in other areas. As I think I have mentioned before, it is much preferred to have a child raised in some kind of a community/family than in a home, so there are not nearly as many children’s homes in the country as their used to be.

Our church, Mount of Olives in Mission Viejo, got involved with CHI when it was being formed. We’ve had people from our church coming to this place, falling in love with the kids, and doing projects of many different kids for the entire time it has been CHI’s children’s home. The 1^st big group came in 2004 but 3 wonderful young men from MOO heard the call even before that. They showed us the way. That is such a theme in my life…the youngers have shown us the way to serve Jesus.

There have been times that people felt we should get more involved with other children’s homes, other African countries where CHI has ministries, or on the international level. We have been very privileged to know and love much of the leadership of CHI and a member of our church serves on the international board. We love and respect CHI and would love to do more though them. A core group of us decided that, when you get involved with orphans, it needs to be a long term commitment, or you just become another hurt in their life. God kept us focused right here. 

There are champions who kept plugging along, being faithful to the Ark for all these years. People like Martin Herrmann and Andrea Karsh kept our connection strong to show the kids that they are treasures, individually, to God and to his people!  Dozens of people have sacrificed much time, money, and energy to send teams and/or go themselves to support, build, teach, repair, and love the kids here.

This week has been very different at the Ark. Three of the long-time aunties and the two young women who grew up here and now work here (5 out of the 7 staff) are all at training in Okajandja, (which is that 5 – 6 treacherous hour drive on the 2 lane highway I keep mentioning.) We wanted to offer some kind of camp for the community kids because they are all off school this month. Again, all but 4 of the kids who live at the Ark are visiting extended family all over Namibia and 1 is in South Africa with his senior class trip.

So, Auntie Christiana and I decided to have a camp anyhow, with the auntie’s kids, nieces and nephews, and grandkids as the basis. I thought they’d all know each other, but that don’t. This isn't as small of a town as I thought! Wonderful Auntie Vielma sent her neighborhood, I think. Gosh they are beautiful children! There are kids from 6 to 15 years old coming and it grows every day. We had 17 Monday, 24 yesterday, and 27 today.  One little 1^st grader speaks no English. Auntie Ursula makes porridge (Pop) for breakfast – although Andy and I got cornflakes for them as a treat today. She surprised me when she put hot water on the cornflakes and then whole milk with sugar. The things you learn from people in a children’s home. They LOVED it.

I did one thing right…I asked Auntie Christina to do the daily devotions. She’s a dynamic force with kids. It is in Afrikaans but I follow along in the scriptures in English. Again…I feel so humbled! No dumbing down with these kids. They get a chunk of scripture with meat to it. She’s got them looking up the passages, reading, answering questions, and today she brought out pencils and notebooks because they should be taking notes. I was thinking to keep it light because it is a holiday camp and the ages are so varied. Wrong! We believe the Bible and want others to know it, so she teaches it. So beautiful!

I wish I could bottle Christina. She is so great with her own kids and builds great relationships with all the other kids too. She is very busy learning to run the office but does just about anything needed. She is married to a really nice man and ‘runs a mini children’s home’ with several extra children at her own house. 

So, we have breakfast, devotion time, and then I break into my song and dance with activities based on the idea that Jesus is the Good Shepherd, we are his sheep, and we are safe in the sheepfold. I’ve learned lots in planning this about sheep and shepherds and sheepfolds, and why Jesus used this illustration. They respond beautifully to my ‘teacher’s bag of tricks’ with group learning, points for group behavior, and helping each other. I really enjoy it.

We have a snack mid morning and a hot lunch (huge plate of food) prepared by Auntie Ursula. Lots of pasta and rice, since those are donated and filling -- always delicious! We are putting on a show Friday that we plan on video taping and copying for the aunties who haven’t been here to see. I’m sure Auntie Ursula is really tired of the hip hop Christian music I’ve got going all the time.

So, what about all the other kids who need the love of Jesus, need the food, and need something constructive and safe to do over their break? Should we not do this limited camp with limited staffing, because we can’t serve everyone?

An interesting thing was mentioned in the study done at UCSF. Others in the community where kids were sponsored were likely to benefit, even though they weren’t sponsored.

We have a great example of this. There is a young man who grew up at the Ark. Thanks to Rita and Christian, he found a college in the capital with a major he is perfect for: travel and tourism. They found him a room to rent, taught him how to use the taxis, and got him registered and up there. Our Namibia Ministry at MOO had already sent some money to get him started but it is always difficult to really understand the situation long distance.

We got here and, after long talks with Rita and Christian and meeting up with him in the capital, we all came up with a budget of what it will take for him to stay in school for the 3 years to achieve what is equivalent to a bachelor’s degree. Andy and I asked the Namibia Ministry at MOO if we could commit to help him, tapering off support over the next 3 years to encourage independence and his search for other resources. We also want to make sure we can do the same for the other 6 or so in high school and the youngers. It was a go and we provide his entire budget for the 1^st year, 4/5 of it for next year, and 3/5 of it the following year, not accounting for any fee raises and such. That will be his problem, as will some other things like travel money for his practicum work. We also committed to bring him to the US as a graduation present.

We could not make this kind of a commitment with a kid we hadn’t known for years. We are in the process of making sure there is a fair, equitable, sustainable, and wise offer for the several other kids who have grown up at the Ark. Hopefully God will bring a trust fund to help many of the other children of CHI! 

My point here is that Alaska has shared with me how much it is helping others that MOO is helping him. People from my work gave me some funds before I left. Of course, being college people, they were excited to support education. We used that for a laptop computer that belongs to the Ark but is for his use, as long as he is using it for school. Rita and Christina are monitoring his success and keeping him accountable. Before this time, several college students were using one friend’s computer and memory sticks to get through their classes and projects. His grades suffered as a direct result. The problem was that they live so far apart from each other and expensive taxis are their form of transportation. The one computer added to the group is making a huge difference for everyone!

In other words, when one is helped, many are helped. I suspect this is especially true when resources are so tight. We see it everyone. When 1 person drives, the whole neighborhood benefits, for example. The stable families in the neighborhood end up blessing the kids from the other families. Clothes are shared. So many examples. 

So, is it right for this 1 kid to get this much help? There may be jealousy and resentment in some minds. I can tell you this, though. I have asked the other young people at the Ark what they think and more than one told me that it is extremely encouraging to know that the support really is there if they do the work.

For a young and developing country like Namibia, I hope that a few kids from the Karas Region in the south of Namibia having some doors opened will prove to be a positive thing. Just like working with foster youth at home, there are no guarantees and sometimes all the support in the world just doesn’t show the ‘results’ many are looking for.

That is where faith comes in. We are working for eternity, not for now. What we do in Jesus’ Name is about that. He promises a future and a hope for these kids as much as for anyone. Oh Lord, please lead our efforts and make our steps glorifying to You!

Amen. 

A new adventure in Africa - Damaraland

Anthill. The ants are such tiny little black ones. These are all over the place!

We look like we feel...young and skinny. 

We know we are so blessed. Sometimes I feel timid about sharing all the blessings we enjoy. Something God drilled into my head in my journey in getting to know Him and his character, is that he does bless and, if I can’t accept when He blesses, I can’t accept when hard times come, either. There is a song about this. I’ll try to remember the name.

Soon after we arrived in Namibia, my ‘planning’ and ‘possibilities’ mind took over. We needed to give the house parents a break and, while researching possibilities, I ‘met’ a travel agent here in the country who, after hearing what we are doing here, got permission to give us Namibian resident rates to take the kids to a lodge and game drive (mini safari) for Easter weekend, take 3 of the kids and a volunteer to another lodge for 2 nights and another game drive, and now Andy and I have the chance to drive off alone for a week. One of the teen boys at the children’s home was pretty put out that he couldn’t come with us. I thought it was cute … he feels like he is ours, just as we do.

We explained and laughed, with the common understanding that he HAD to try to get what he wanted. The kids are very smart and will try to manipulate us into what they want sometimes. They are great about it when we tease them. They love it when they realize that we know and they know that they GOTTA try. The kids know how to tease and laugh about themselves. It’s so endearing and makes me feel close to them. We have our share of laughs at us as volunteers too!

So yesterday we had a beautiful breakfast made for us by Anneke and Wessel in Okajandja. The dynamic, intelligent couple live in the CarePoint. Wessel has written a book I will read this week and is the new “Volunteer" Volunteer Coordinator for Christ’s Hope Namibia. He is part of another ministry in the country as well. Anneke has just taken over leadership of all CH Namibia. It is a daunting job; she is also newly pregnant with their first child.

They dropped off Jerry, the accountant, in the capital about 1 hour away and then they graciously took us to the car rental place to drop us off. We reluctantly said goodbye to Kim from Belgium. She has been here as a volunteer for 3 months, graduates with a degree in Occupational Therapy soon (having designed a game about emotions she has used as a study with 4 of the kids at the Ark), and was one of the easiest people in the world to be with. We sort of adopted her as our own. I told her that I hoped we didn’t change the flavor of her experience here too much. She assured us that all the opportunities we gave her to see more of the country and some of life away from the children’s home was a blessing. Her English is amazing and she became our translator. It is so weird that people who speak Flemmish from Belgium can pretty easily transfer their language to Afrikaans. People thought she was our daughter and would get so confused by us speaking English and her speaking Afrikaans.

We picked up our little blue VW hatchback, made sure Andy could fit and drive it comfortably, and set out for Damaraland in the Erongo region of Namibia. We got prepaid internet for the phone so we’d have some GPS or maps or something via satellite, a newer, yet crispy, map of Namibia, and set off for parts yet unseen.

This is effectively the first time we’ve been alone for about 11 weeks. I felt like a newlywed driving off into the sunset. We found out quickly that the yellow/orange line on the map means dirt road. Let’s just say Andy wasn’t ready to struggle for hours with a little car and rocks, dirt, and sand. We fishtailed pretty good sometimes. I LOVED it. We were finally outside of the paved over parts of this beautiful country of contrasts. It has just gotten better from there.

We drove quite awhile before Andy pulled over to make sure I wasn’t crazy with the directions. I made sure we had cell service because we weren’t seeing anyone but some springbok, a baby what looked like a deer with huge ears, lots of Pumbas (warthogs). It must be their time for babies cause we’ve seen lots of cute little babies and parents. We saw a flock of ostriches, 2 troupes of baboons, along with some babies hanging onto the mama’s bellies, and a beautiful thing Andy says is a cow but I don’t agree that was what it was. It had horns and beautiful markings.

We stopped to stretch and took these pics near an anthill. This one is tall but some of them look like cathedrals compared to this one. We laughed at how thin and young we looked in the shadows. It’s how we feel until we look into a normal mirror.

We drove thru a couple towns. I think I’d come to Omaruru for a weekend sometime. We saw one of the donkey driven carts that we see occasionally all over the country. Notice they have pretty good power and water coverage the places we’ve been around in the southern and now western part of the county.

We drove and drove and drove. And drove and drove and drove. We saw a turn off for Martin Luther High School … in the middle of NOWHERE! We laughed about how that would feel to a kid, like the parents really wanted to get rid of you to send you there. It is very common for children to go live in ‘hostels’ or dorms for even primary school. The farms are so spread out so going to a local school is limited; the children go home for holidays (1 month in Dec and 1 month in May) and weekends if possible. At least 1 of the kids from the Ark are in a hostel way up North. We picked him up in Okajandja the last time we were there and took him to Keetmans after a 2 night stop at the lodge. After a couple nights in Keetmans, he caught a minibus to where his extended family is another 5 - 6 hours away. We will pick him up along with 2 others in the area near the South African border, as well as take another boy to visit for an overnight, the 17^th, 18^th, or 19^th. Then we will bring them all come home to the Ark to start school about the 22^nd.  The boy who lives in the hostel and goes to school way north will then make the very very long journey by train, bus, and car. He goes ‘home’ to the CHI CarePoint in Oshikuku for weekends. Danny and Frieda are the CHI Ministry Coordinators there and, if Frieda has ½ the heart of Danny, who we were able to meet, the kids are well loved up there. What a neat man!

The high school turn off reminded me of the book and movie, Holes. Seriously isolated, sandy, desolate.

We drove and drove and drove and drove some more, hoping our map were right and the occasional glimpse at Google maps to see that our blue dot of a car was still in the right place. I thought of those “I survived” shows when you think, “Why were those dummies out there without enough food and water anyways!” We did have food and water but, if our car broke down…it wouldn’t have been very good!
 

We saw a sign that read, “Brandberg White Lady Lodge and Camping. 2 swimming pools, restaurant, chalets, tent camping.” Whew. Confirmation that we were nearby. Wrong! 15 kilometers is a very long ways on dirt roads! When we finally saw the sign for reception, it was still quite a ways until the thatched roofs finally showed up. A few donkeys greeted us as they trotted by, free as can be. We drive up to an oasis that, again, is in the middle of nowhere! The walls are cool, all red rock and concrete. A beautiful succulent and rock garden surrounds the place and caged birds, rabbits, ducks, a dog guarding the fruit orchard, water containers, solar panels. Looked cool. 

This place reminds me of the movie, “Out of Africa.” It is very luxurious for Africa’s standards, very rugged for American standards. Andy and I are in heaven. Our log and stone cabin is completely isolated with an amazing view of mountains that I can’t capture in pictures. The place is not crowded but has runners, mountain bikers, and other active people around and a large group of german tourists showed up too. 

Andy and I are so happy to sit and take it all in. We are right now under our own cabana by the pool. The wind is coming up which could send us inside. It’s hot but perfect in the shade. There are birds, donkeys, lizards, and rocks all around us. A couple families camping nearby were here swimming earlier but aren’t here now. It’s quiet.  Once in awhile we hear the parrot inside whistle or say goodbye. It sounds so human!

Yesterday afternoon we met the 2 Timones (meercats) who live in the garden. They run in and out of the lodge too. We had seen a few run across the roads but didn’t know they could hang out with humans.

At dinner last night Andy had Oryx steak and I had chicken schnitzel, which my kids would call chicken fried steak and would love. A woman was sitting alone so I asked her where she was from and if she’d like to join us. Now I felt like I was in the middle of The Great Gatsby, meeting interesting people on vacation. This woman is here TRACKING ELEPHANTS. This place has WILD ELEPHANTS! I saw the ‘stay at your own risk’ signs but THERE ARE WILD ELEPHANTS around here! The elephants are heading north because of the draught. We are not going north and it takes experienced trackers to find them so we won’t try but I am just tickled to hear that they exist and are really here. She showed me video on her phone of the groups they have found. They are bratty and the young bulls like to find water lines and such to pull up.

I asked her is she would tent camp like some are doing around here. She said no way. She has tent camped where the tent is mounted on the top of the vehicle, but not on the ground with the warthogs, scorpions, and the elephants that inhabit the area at different times.

She has been here 2 years in a row. She lives in Melbourne, Australia, but is from Germany and has also lived in Canada. She works for Seamans, managing power generation systems and components. She is a mechanical engineer and has very interesting insights as to how Germans, Australians, Canadians, and Americans engineer and manage components and systems. I hope to keep in touch with her and arrange for some international internships for the engineering majors at SAC. Very cool. She joined us for breakfast this morning too.

She is about 55, has no family of her own, and got involved with EHRA, Elephant Human Relations Aid. This organization volunteers to help humans and elephants get along. They build walls for farmers so the elephants can’t get to their windmills and generators and water tanks. This is grueling labor in the heat for about 10 people for a week at a time, to build 1 wall, living in tents. Then they patrol for 1 week with trackers and vets and other volunteers and document the elephants’ movements and such.

She is able to give us a glimpse into the complex problems and issues. She says that the animals are sometimes in danger. There is a cultural practice of wanting elephant meat for Christmas time. Sometimes there are unexplained shootings. I forgot to ask her about poachers but I will next time I see her. So fascinating. She is also giving us practical advice on how to best experience Australia someday.

She also reminds me of the challenges of serving others internationally. She said she probably won’t come back to this area because she sees the local populations not helping themselves. She is perturbed that “the locals don’t do so much as offer us a cup of tea when we are traveling all this way, spending all this money, doing everything for them, and they don’t chip in or do anything for themselves.”

Oh boy, is this an easy place to go. I don’t know the answers but it does make me question. What IS the local point of view of these volunteers? I am always pestering the staff and such where I go to try to understand. Fortunately, when I asked the waiter/bartender guy here where the staff lived, he was open. They live in the stick house we saw about 1 km away. Wow! It is so hard to fathom that the people we are encountering sometimes live in corrugated tin shanties, stick homes that you can see right through, cook only on a fire outside, live without running water or electricity, and spend much of their time hungry. I just can't wrap my head around it! 

The biggest frustration for me is when a different cultural mores prohibit open dialogue. I want to know and some cultures just don’t feel comfortable with this white woman asking or, they don’t feel it is their place to share or, they don’t even think about it so my questions don’t make sense to them. Or, most often I suspect….it is something that I don’t know I don’t know. Hmmmmmmm. I tell myself constantly to relax and take in what I get and try not to judge or make generalizations. It is challenging and sometimes exhausting to me, but mostly rewarding.

So we are here. The food is strange and breakfast was bothered by flies and strange tasting coffee, juice, and milk. We have no electricity for our use in our ‘Little House on the Prairie’ cabin. There are a couple lights but we so wish it had a ceiling fan…we were very hot last night. The hot water was great this morning. Check out the fire they keep going to heat the hot water behind our 'chalet.'

We’ve mentioned the dogs around Keetmanshoop and Okajandja that wake us up. There are also roosters that tend to jump the gun on sunrise. This morning is was a donkey who Andy said ‘sounded like his feelings were hurt.’

The pools are always really cold here. It is hard to understand because of the desert weather and not-so-cold nights but whew…cold! And we’d love a lounge chair versus a plastic chair by the pool under our cabana.

Having said all that, we feel like the most blessed people in the universe to be in Namibia, seeing life here from so many different perspectives and missing the kids at the Ark like we miss our own. We know that life goes on for all of us…regardless of where we are, and that the Living God is in charge and responsible for the big picture. We are part of his army and, for now, he has given us a time of rest and renewal and adventure together.

What more could we ask for?

See these occasionally...sometimes in very remote places! 

A 'tame' meercat at the lodge.

Beautifully landscaped. 

Sunset reflecting the son. 

The door to our cabin. 

Water heater heated by wood fire.

Ahhhhh. Relaxation. Wish we could capture how beautiful it is!