I finally made it back "home" to Windhoek. From the time I left Mom's house on Monday to the time I arrived in Windhoek was about 42 hours. Missing my flight in Johannesburg (though I was at the gate 20 minutes prior to its scheduled take-off) certainly didn't help shorten that time.

I had a great trip home, as I summed up a bit in my last blog entry. I gained 5 pounds eating from the list of meals I had been craving for 15 months... but it was all worth it! :) I had such a precious time with my granddaddy. I wish our time together could have been spent with things he enjoyed like eating breakfast at McDonald's, going to his favorite catfish restaurant near Reelfoot lake, or just passing the time swapping stories. Instead, he was mostly confined to his bed at the nursing home, trying to communicate as best as he could, while I freshened his mouth, fed him strawberry apple sauce, changed the TV channel for him, and tried to keep him company and comfortable. He tells us he wants to get better. I'm not sure how much he knows of his current state, but he does realize that he is in that place because he is not well and needs to get better in order to get out of there. He seems determined, even in his tired state. He probably will not regain use of his right side, but the therapist seems hopeful that he can make great strides towards a decent recovery. His roommate Michael seemed genuinely sad when I left. I know I was. I had enjoyed my talks with Michael, and I could tell that he enjoyed them too. Nursing homes aren't known for their existence of real companionship. And for some patients, there's little to none at all. I hope that I brought a ray of light to that room and that place, even for the short while I was there.

As for the rest of my family, we enjoyed sharing meals together, sharing stories of what's been going on in everyone's life these past several months, and just enjoyed spending time together doing anything and everything. I attended two birthday parties, caught the end of my church's fundraising rummage sale, canoed down the river with Mom and Melinda, went on a couple walks with Mom, Frank, and Hitch, and caught up with my brother's progress as he is trying to finish work on his house.

Time flies when you're having fun, and those 2+ weeks sure flew by. I brought 3 filled-to-the-brim suitcases back to Namibia with me. A handful of things were mine and the rest were goodies I brought back for all my friends here. I feel like Santa Claus! :) My trip home really refueled me for the remaining time I have here in Namibia. I was so refreshed by the sweet time back in Tennessee and I've got a renewed motivation to continue my mission and ministry here. I'm looking forward to getting plugged back in and sharing stories with you in the near future as God leads me to some new places on this journey.

While I was still home, a co-worker of my mom's asked her how long I would be in Tennessee. My mom responded, "She is going back home next Monday." The co-worker gave Mom a puzzled look. Mom tried to correct her confusing statement. I was home, but I was going back to my "other" home. And for now, Namibia is my home. These people are my family. Not that Namibia will ever replace my original home and not that these people will ever replace my original family, but it feels like home here too in a way. I don't think "home" can be strictly defined. I suppose home is the warm feeling you get when you realize that a place and a group of people have climbed up inside your heart and are there to stay, wherever the rest of your journey may take you.

Some photos from my trip...