Which of the following cannot be found in Namibia:

A) Lions
B) Tigers
C) Dinosaurs

If you answered (B), you are correct…

Ok, so there aren’t any dinosaurs still living in Africa, but they’ve left their mark.

Mom and Judy came at a great time. They were here for the last full week of FHS, and then with school closing on the 23rd Falconer and I were freed up to travel during the remainder of their time with us. We hit the ground running on the 24th and headed north to Omaruru. I didn’t really know anything about this town aside from the fact that dinosaur tracks are located nearby—an attraction on Falconer’s “must see” list. We arrived in Omaruru late afternoon and set out to find the tracks, barely reaching them before sundown. We quickly followed the owner of the farm to the tracks, took a few photos, and headed back to the car. It was practically dark by then, so we carefully headed back into town, eyes sharply on the lookout for wild animals—the biggest danger here when driving at night.

We had a lazy morning on Sunday and headed to Erindi, a private game ranch about 60km from Omaruru. Our time at Erindi was what I have been looking forward to the most. I’ve been on a couple smaller game drives since living in Africa, but this would be my first real safari! Erindi met and exceeded my expectations. We walked out onto the patio after we checked-in and the first thing I saw were several hippos sunbathing by the watering hole. Nearby, some giraffes were having their lunch. It was so surreal. We basically ate, slept, and went on game drives for the next two days. This is Africa!


Mom and Judy really wanted to see zebras. Our guide finally found them on the outskirts of the farm. This was a challenge considering the farm is 175,000+ acres! We were all--including the guide--very excited to finally find them. Erindi used to be a hunting farm, so zebras are one of the several animals who aren't yet accustomed to vehicles. If they hear one, they run--assuming that they are about to be killed. (That's why my photo isn't very great!)

Friday's to-do list was packed!

We began our day at FHS, the last day of the first term. At the end of each term FHS has a celebration. Although it got off to a late start, we enjoyed participating in the festivities for as long as we could. Falconer's class sang "Father Abraham"--with motions of course. Ana's class sang and danced... and then sang and danced some more. Oma and Ester (the ladies who run the kitchen) joined in. They are always a joy to watch!

Judy had brought bags of toys for each of the kids. Most of them were beanie babies and toys that her daughter Lindsay had collected before she died. Giving these as gifts to the children was extra special and something we all know Lindsay would have wanted. Seeing the big smiles on the children's faces as they opened them was priceless.

From FHS we went to meet Steve Brown at Katutura Hospital. Steve is a doctor there and gave us the tour of the pediatric and "prem" units. I have visited the hospital before and am always burdened to pray a special prayer for the tiny babies as I walk past their beds. Thankfully, the survival rate is quite good for these little ones but many in the hospital do not face such great odds. It is common for Steve to count 4 or 5 pediatric deaths a week. I especially wanted Mom to tour this hospital since she is a nurse. To add up the contrasts between her hospital and this one would be innumerable. And yet, this hospital is still a hundred times better than the one I visited in Kenya. Visiting places like this is quite sobering as I reflect on how much we take for granted in our home countries. I am thankful for people like Steve who can continue to minister to the needs of God's precious little ones in such a challenging and (I would think) often depressing environment.

After lunch, exchanging money at the bank (an adventure in itself!) and running our final errands, we met up with Petrus. Petrus is our "gardener". It is common for missionaries in many foreign countries to have house help. When I moved into this house, the Rineers already had Petrus coming regularly to clean both inside and out. They recommended that I continue having him work here 1) to help with the upkeep of the house and yard and 2) so that he can continue to receive a salary. I hate cleaning so it sounded like a great idea! :) But more than that, Petrus is one of the most kindhearted men I have ever met! You will never catch him without a huge smile on his face. He is a pastor at a church in Katutura. His church is connected to his home and can accomodate about 30 people. I had talked to Petrus before Mom and Judy arrived to see if there were any specific needs they could help with. People from their churches and other friends and family had donated some money for them to bring along to assist with any needs they might come across. Petrus suggested chairs for the church or blankets for those in his community as the winter months are approaching. I still need to investigate where to purchase chairs here (I will use money some of my friends and supporters have donated), but blankets were an easy option for Mom and Judy. When we were in Swakopmund, they bought over 30 blankets and some winter clothes. We gave them to Petrus and his family to hand out to those living nearby. It is quite cold in my house as I type this. Heat is a luxury most here can't afford (including us missionaries!). But at least I have concrete walls and proper windows to keep some of the chill out. I can't imagine what it is like to live in the corrugated metal houses with drafts constantly coming in between the thin metal sheets.

Our evening ended with a scrumptious meal at Joe's with some of the AIM gang. It was a big hit with Mom and Judy who tried ostrich, zebra, crocodile, kudu, springbok, and oryx for the first time. They had beignets on the special dessert menu. I ordered them in honor of my love of New Orleans. As is often here, things aren't always as we might expect. The "beignets" were actually fried mangoes. Quite a contrast, but delicious nonetheless! :)

Tuesday afternoon we headed to the coast. Swakopmund is a small, quiet town perfect for both relaxing and adventures. We checked into the Finnish Guesthouse on the beach. It was the perfect house for us with a beautiful view. All three of us love the beach, so this was a real treat. We ate a delicious dinner at the Lighthouse Restaurant and called it an early night. The next morning we headed out for a dolphin and seal cruise with Levo Tours. Unfortunately we didn’t see any dolphins but it was still quite an experience! It was very chilly, however, but we still managed to have a good time. A seal named Sally came swimming up to us and surfed behind our boat between our two motors. We also saw a couple seal colonies with hundreds of seals and tons of flamingos. The pelicans were pretty incredible as well. Our skipper would call them and they would follow our boat. Before heading back to shore, we enjoyed a yummy snack platter and tasted their fresh oysters. I am still not a fan! The rest of the day was spent browsing around some shops and ended with a great meal at Napolitana.

Which of the following cannot be found in Namibia:

A) Lions
B) Tigers
C) Dinosaurs

If you answered (B), you are correct….

Ok, so there aren’t any dinosaurs still living in Africa, but they’ve left their mark.

Mom and Judy came at a great time. They were here for the last full week of FHS, and then with school closing on the 23rd Falconer and I were freed up to travel during the remainder of their time with us. We hit the ground running on the 24th and headed north to Omaruru. I didn’t really know anything about this town aside from the fact that dinosaur tracks are located nearby—an attraction on Falconer’s “must see” list. We arrived in Omaruru late afternoon and set out to find the tracks, barely reaching them before sundown. We quickly followed the owner of the farm to the tracks, took a few photos, and headed back to the car. It was practically dark by then, so we carefully headed back into town, eyes sharply on the lookout for wild animals—the biggest danger here when driving at night.

We had a lazy morning on Sunday and headed to Erindi, a private game ranch about 60km from Omaruru. Our time at Erindi was what I have been looking forward to the most. I’ve been on a couple smaller game drives since living in Africa, but this would be my first real safari! Erindi met and exceeded my expectations. We walked out onto the patio after we checked-in and the first thing I saw were several hippos sunbathing by the watering hole. Nearby, some giraffes were having their lunch. It was so surreal. We basically ate, slept, and went on game drives for the next two days. This is Africa!

I have been anticipating the arrival of my mom and aunt Judy for months. On Saturday that day finally came! I met them at the airport with teary eyes after not having seen a familiar face from home in over ten months. “I can’t believe we’re in Africa” was the most common phrase heard for the next little while. On the drive into town, we saw some baboons playing on a sign by the side of the road. That was definitely a great “Welcome to Namibia” moment!

One of my friends was having a pottery exhibit at the craft center so that was our first stop after dropping off their luggage at the house. We had a Mexican brunch for N$100 that included one of his beautiful handcrafted bowls. Sunday morning we had a wonderful service at church that included a baptism and a baby dedication. The baby had been adopted by a sweet couple who had been unable to have their own children. She had been found by a dog on the day she was born. I don’t think there was a dry eye in the room as we all heard the testimony of God’s faithfulness to this family. After lunch we headed to Avis Dam for a hike with Cindy and Linda. It was the most beautiful day!

On Monday Mom and Judy were introduced to FHS. They bonded with the children instantly. We helped out with Falconer’s class, playing a game involving balloons, math problems and Namibian coins. Meanwhile, I was making balloon animals for each of the kids—a skill I learned in middle school and didn’t realize I still had! Afterwards, Mom told the story of Abraham trusting God and then gave them each an American penny, pointing out the words “In God We Trust”. I wonder how many of the kids will try to buy a sweetie with it at the shop! Hopefully most of them understood Mom’s message and will keep it as a reminder to trust in God. That night we stopped by Monica’s house to visit with her and her family. They recently rescued a puppy named Black and I believe he stole the show!

Tuesday morning we went back to FHS before heading to the coast. Falconer had wanted to make t-shirts with her kids. It is difficult to find a place here to buy plain white t-shirts, so Mom bought 22 shirts at Walmart and lugged them all the way here! So that morning we helped her class make the t-shirts. They were adorable! Falconer even made each of us one. ☺

I am really glad that we had the time to visit FHS so they could meet the staff and children. I know that they were blessed by the experiences as much as they were a blessing to the children. And I’m glad that they now know from their own experience a little more about what it has been like for me to live and serve here for these past several months. It’s nice to know that when I go home there are already a couple people who can relate to my stories after seeing so much of Namibia with their own eyes.

Saturday we had an end of the term party for FHS at our house. The last day of the term is April 23^rd, and Carolyn was heading back to the States April 13^th, so Saturday was the best day for it. Cindy and I picked up the staff and their kids and brought them back to the house. Two out of the three teachers, Ana and Elizabeth, were able to attend. Ana brought her daughter and new grandson, and Elizabeth brought her son Benedictus and twins Nessy and Grace. Queen, who runs the bike shop came with her little boy Charlie. And Judith, my friend and volunteer at FHS, joined us as well. Ester, the head cook, couldn’t make it, but she sent along her daughter Pennyambanko and her grandson Kaita.

We had a wonderful time! The kids enjoyed running around the house, playing with Frodo and Sam, and chasing bouncy balls I gave them. We also kept them busy with coloring books. We had an absolute feast for lunch. I fixed a huge thing of rice and Falconer made peanut butter/sweet chili sauce to put on top. Linda baked some chicken, and Carolyn made a quiche that was out of this world! For dessert we made chocolate cake with peanut butter icing (amazing!) and donuts. :)

It was great to hang out and chat with everyone outside the busy environment of FHS. The staff at FHS is truly one of the sweetest groups of women that I know! (We do have male volunteers from time to time, but 95% of the time, it’s just us ladies.) I think my favorite part of the whole day was having fun taking photos with the kids. Kids here, as in many countries throughout the world, are very curious about cameras. Now that digital cameras offer an instant preview of the photo, the first thing they want after the shutter clicks is to “see, see, see!” (This is when you need to have an especially tight grip on the camera so it doesn’t fall from your hands.) Some of the older boys were really interested in taking photos themselves. I loosened my grip on the camera and let them take it from me. Securing the shoulder strap around their tiny necks, I showed them a few buttons and they were off. Falconer was doing the same thing with hers. Our cameras are digital SLRs, so they are more complicated than the average point and shoot. The kids instantly knew how to press the button and snap a shot, but it took a little coaching to teach them that they actually have to look through the viewfinder, instead of seeing the image on the screen. It was adorable watching them teach each other how to use it. One of them, Charlie, was especially gifted with the camera. At only 6 years old, I noticed him handling the camera very well, and even adding a bit of artistic flair, tilting the camera this way and that, to get a shot that he was satisfied with. I realized that he was especially teachable, so I even was able to quickly show him how to use the zoom feature. Looking through the photos after the party, I was amazed at many of the shots he took. He got some incredible portraits, and I even heard him telling some of the kids to pose, moving over this way and that to get the best shot.

With all that said, Charlie inspired me. I would really like to teach him more about photography, and perhaps there are others at the center who would be interested to learn. I ordered some books about teaching photography to kids, and I’m excited to propose this as an idea of something I can do with my time and talents here. Amateur photography can actually do fairly well here as a source of income. People getting married are often trying to find a family member or friend with a camera to take photos, and they are typically not professionals. A local here who owned a camera and knew what to do with it, could be a hot commodity for weddings, graduations, and other special occasions.

But I digress from the party…

We truly did have a wonderful time. It’s such a blessing to be able to relax and enjoy time together with friends who have all been working so hard for a common goal. We all believe in what FHS is doing, and I think I can speak for everyone to say that the staff and children at FHS are like extended family. Those women are more than just my co-workers and friends, they are my sisters. And I try to love those sweet children as if they were my own!

This is one of my most favorite photos of all time! What a good sport Frodo is!

Sam loves gettin' attention too!

Ndjeri (pronounced similar to Jerry) is one of our new favorite buds. He's a cousin to Elizabeth's kids.

Here's Charlie and a couple of his photos...

Kolmanskop, once a booming diamond town, was abandoned in 1956. I've wanted to visit this ghost town ever since my friend Tiffany sent me a photo she found on the internet. I'm obviously not a professional photographer, but I know enough to realize that a place like this is a photographer's dream! You have to purchase a permit to visit this town, and Falconer and I splurged a bit to purchase the photographer's pass. This meant we could enter the area before 8am. We rose early, and beat the sun to Kolmanskop by a full hour. We'll both admit that it was pretty eerie being in the middle of the desert before the sun. The fog was so dense we could hardly see ten feet in front of us. We munched on Falconer's homemade granola bars waiting on the morning light. Finally, we stepped out into the cool desert air to begin our exploration. Other than a few springboks (and whatever hidden creatures we didn't see), we were the only ones around.

We went back to Kolmanskop later that morning for an official tour. In its prime, the town boasted a casino, theater, bowling alley, butchery, bakery, soda water and lemonade factory, swimming pool, schoolhouse, and a hospital with the first x-ray machine in the Southern Hemisphere. Over 700 families lived in the town and around 800 Ovambo contract workers. The room below is an example of the décor back then, with original furniture. Below that is the ice factory. Back when the town was thriving, each resident would be given a block of ice for their refrigerator (what the man is opening in the photo) and a jug of lemonade and cool drinks.

Learning about the history of the diamond industry in Kolmanskop was very interesting. This small town provided 20% of the world's diamonds in its first year of operation. For some reason, what fascinated me the most was hearing about all the crazy ways people used to try and smuggle diamonds out of the area. Some would stash them in secret compartments they carved into their boots, some tried flying them out with pigeons, some hid them in various body parts, and so on. I think my favorite idea is shooting them out with crossbows!