Last weekend celebrated the 20th Anniversary of Independence for Namibia. It's hard to fully grasp the significance of such an occasion coming from a country that has been free for nearly two and a half centuries. Leading up to last weekend, the children at FHS have been learning about pre- and post-Independence history. I sat in on some of the lessons. A lot of the issues faced here in the recent past sound very similar to stories I've heard about during the 50's and 60's in my own country before and during the Civil Rights Movement.

The National Art Gallery of Namibia hosted a free exhibition featuring pieces connected to the country's independence. Teacher Ana arranged for her class to take a field trip to the museum. I was "volunteered" as a driver, which is always a special blessing for an occasion like this. It was great watching the kids walk around, peering into the paint, asking questions about this or that piece. Several of them were copiously taking notes.

This is the second time I've been to the art museum with children from FHS. The time prior to this we saw an exhibit made from recycled materials. One of the kids walked by more than one piece and said, "I can make that." As they admire these pieces of art, I can see in these children a desire to create something unique and beautiful. It is my prayer that this world will give them that opportunity.

Pictured above: Oma and Esther preparing lunch for the children at FHS.

In the foreground: Eggs... made possible by some dear friends of mine...

During one of my last visits to New Orleans before leaving for Namibia, I met up with two dear friends of mine--Robert Claverie and his wife Ann. Robert is an incredible man whom I had the privilege of meeting in 2006. I was immediately impressed by his servant's heart. He is up every morning cutting up vegetables from his garden to give to the poor, or taking a senior citizen to the grocery, or helping with repairs on a neighbor's house. He is truly an inspiration. And in everything he does, he points to Jesus--desiring for Him to receive all the glory.

As I was saying goodbye, they gave me some money to "feed the children" in Namibia. Robert was always one to feed people. He's filled my belly with some incredible food over the years! And I have vivid memories serving food with him to the homeless living under the bridge downtown.

I've been in Namibia for some time now, but I haven't forgotten my promise to use that money to feed the children here. With advice given by my mom's dietitian friend, I am using the money to purchase eggs for FHS. It is no secret that children living in poverty do not eat a balanced diet. The dietitian suggested that eggs can be a great addition to their diet, providing essential vitamins, protein, iron, and amino acids. That information made my decision for how to best "feed the children" an easy one. Oma and Esther can easily add eggs to several of their dishes, especially the rice. I plan to provide them with several dozen eggs once a week until the money runs out.

I am so grateful for servants like Robert and Ann. It reminds me that everyone can make a difference whether in his own community or on another continent (or both!). Thank you Mr. and Mrs. Claverie for making a difference in the lives (and bellies) of the children at FHS!!

You can read about Robert being mentioned in two previous blog posts from 2006:
Coming Home from New Orleans and Lessons Learned.

Gift and Nessy turned 3 today. They are the adorable daughters of Elizabeth, one of the teachers at FHS. I've only recently bonded with these precious little ones. Tuesday morning we have prayer time with the FHS staff. Before we ended, Elizabeth asked for prayer for her two girls. She had left them at home--alone. Elizabeth is a faithful staff member at FHS. Dedication has meant sacrifice for her family. It is common in this culture for parents to leave young children at home, even with no one to look after them. This is something most of us could never even imagine! After her prayer request, even the other Namibian teachers told her she must go and bring them to the center. Elizabeth's main concern is that they are a burden on the center where our focus is on the older learners, but it was encouraging to see the other teachers and staff tell her that she must not leave them at home alone... that their safety is priority. I offered to go with her to pick up the girls. She gratefully accepted.

I had been to her neighborhood but not any further than Kaita's house. We passed his house and headed up a very bumpy hill. She told me that taxis don't like driving up to her house--I could see why. I can't imagine a regular car fairing up a hill of potholes. We found the girls playing outside with other children their age and older. No direct adult supervision. Someone may peep out a door from time to time, or maybe that was just to see who was driving up the hill.

Driving back to the center Elizabeth told me of their upcoming birthday. I told her I'd love to get a cake for them and we made plans for me to pick her up when she got off at the center so I could drive her and the birthday goodies to her house. I played with them for a while at the center. Nessy fell asleep in my arms two different times. Just months before, she would cry at the sight of a white person. She's come along way and she is the cutest thing ever! She learned my name and would run back and forth over to me, giving me a big hug while shouting, "Teacher Hannah!"

Falconer and I went out that afternoon to look for some new clothes for the girls. We bought two adorable outfits and two matching stuffed animals. We even got a toy car for their big brother Benedictus. I picked up a pink birthday cake today and headed back to the center. We drove Elizabeth and her family to her house and were greeted by some of the other kids in the area. Within a few minutes of our arrival, Elizabeth had sent for the other children in the neighborhood and by the time she served the cake there were about 15-20 kids and two other moms hanging out with us. They gobbled up the cake, icing all over their mouths. The girls loved their new outfits. Elizabeth put their skirts on immediately and Gift said something in Oshiwambo. Elizabeth looked up at me, "She said she will wear this tomorrow." :)

We had such a great time hanging out with them, admiring all the other kids, and laughing with all of them wanting to pose for pictures. Before we left the kids wanted to dance and sing for us. They were ridiculously cute! I hope we can hang out at their house again soon. I love being out in the community of Katutura, and you can tell that our friends really love having us in their homes as well. Days like this remind me of why I am here... and how blessed I am to be here.

The past week has been an incredible time of God lavishly pouring His blessings over me. I was able to attend a Women of the Harvest retreat in Ghana. The sole purpose of a WOTH retreat is to minister to missionary women… and wow! What an incredible job they did at that!