Where He leads...: October 2010

Here's a quick rundown of the weekend's festivities (with lots of photos of course!)...

Friday morning at FHS we had the Spring version of a Harvest Festival. We played the marshmallow game, bobbed for apples, a balloon popping relay, and more!

Linda also had them all make footprints. She wanted these for herself to take back to America. :)

This weekend also celebrates Shihepo's 10th birthday. His mom brought a cake which amazingly served all the morning and afternoon children. I know we're not supposed to have favorites, but most of us with AIM consider Shihepo one of our favorites. He is just a bright light that shines every single day.

I bought him some new shoes for soccer. The kids we play with typically either play barefoot, in their school shoes, or in some very impractical or pieced together type of shoe. Shihepo had been playing in his school shoes. School shoes here don't last long as children often walk very far to school. Certainly adding soccer playing to their job description will run them down even faster.

Friday was also Linda's last full day at the center. She heads back to the States November 15th. She will be missed dearly by everyone who knows her. Linda has brought so much fun and excitement to Namibia. Though some would call her a bit crazy, Linda would have it no other way. She's the first to admit that she's crazy, and crazy about kids and Jesus! Namibia will be a bit less colorful after she leaves, but hopefully all that she's taught will be remembered by the teachers at staff at FHS so they can continue her work long after she's gone. And hopefully by saying all these great things about her, she won't kill me for posting this photo of her in a dress! :) Ouma and the others arranged for this dress to be made for her. What an honor!

Saturday morning we met our friends for another game of soccer. We started with just a few, but by the end there were around 20 kids. Summer is nearly upon us and the days are certainly getting a lot hotter a lot more quickly these days. We didn't last as long as last time, but we had a great time nonetheless!

Some of the students from the Namibian Evangelical Theological Seminary (NETS) stopped by to kick around while they were in the area. They were so much fun and the kids enjoyed the extra big players on their team. I love the little ones like the guy in the right shirt who doesn't notice his own size (or the size of his opponents) and plays just as hard as everyone else on the field!

There's a "basketball goal" I hadn't noticed before just behind the soccer field.

After playing soccer two weeks ago, I realized that while soccer is a great and positive way for the kids to expend their energy, they may not have a lot of food to eat at home to fill themselves back up. I brought along peanut butter sandwiches and juice this time. I think they really enjoyed it.

Saturday afternoon, Candace and Heather invited the older remedial class to our house for cookie baking, movie watching, and dinner. This was totally their thing and I don't want to steal their thunder, but I wanted to mention it because it was a huge success and the kids had a great time!

The boys found and enjoyed the leftover birthday hats! :)

Even Sam and Frodo joined in on the fun. Well, Frodo was a bit timid and Sam was happy as long as he didn't have to wear that silly hat again.

After the cookie baking they watched "Step Up". If there is one commonality between all the tribes in Namibia... they all can dance! Linda had suggested that they watch this movie together. She even took two of the boys to see "Step Up 3" in the theaters a couple weeks ago.

And lastly, but something I don't have a photo of, I took Tudeski and his cousin "Man" to see "Despicable Me" at the movies. Neither of them had ever been to the movie theater before. They had a great time laughing and dancing their way through the movie. Not to mention eating all the movie theater goodies!

It was a great weekend and I look forward to having a few more like this before my time here comes to an end. I'm thankful for this opportunity to be able to share life together with these precious kids!

Most of you have already heard me mention a 2011 fundraiser calendar for Family of Hope Services. I had asked for sponsors to fund the project so that 100% of the calendar sales could go directly to FHS. My appeal for sponsors was a bit of a test to see if the project would even happen. Within a couple days I had enough sponsors to proceed. God is so good! And I felt that with God's quick provision, I had also received His blessing to proceed with the project.

I'm pleased to announce that 200 calendars are being printed as I type this! They will sell for $15 each, so that's a whooping $3,000 for FHS. AWESOME!

I think the calendar looks GREAT! Though I suppose I'm a bit biased since I designed it. ;) But I have had others agree that it turned out really well. I can't wait to get my hands on a copy and I am also anxious for all of you to see it!

Here's a sneak peek at the cover. All of the photos are of course children from FHS. They make the calendar. I could stare at their beautiful faces all day long, and that is what I will look forward to doing from my own FHS calendar throughout all of next year. :)

If you're interested in purchasing one (or more! -- think Christmas gifts!), you can go ahead and mention that to me by email or on Facebook. I'd like to get an idea of how many will need to be mailed* as my mom has volunteered for that assignment. I will be back to the States December 15th so I can help with any local deliveries and some mailings, but any that need to be mailed or delivered by Christmas for a gift, Mom will need to do that and I'd like to have an idea of that number for her sake.

Once the calendars have arrived in Maryville (hopefully within a week or so), I'll let everyone know and I'll get more serious about taking orders.

I hope you're as excited as I am about these calendars! They were truly a labor of love and the money raised will be a huge blessing to FHS and all the children they serve.

*We'll calculate the shipping cost so we can add that to the $15 price.

I want to share a story with you. This story was recorded by Mother Teresa in her book "In the Heart of the World".

Some of my sisters work in Australia. On a reservation, among the Aborigines, there was an elderly man. I can assure you that you have never seen a situation as difficult as that poor old man's. He was completely ignored by everyone. His home was disordered and dirty.

I told him, "Please, let me clean your house, wash your clothes, and make your bed." He answered, "I'm okay like this. Let it be."

I said again, "You will be still better if you allow me to do it."

He finally agreed. So I was able to clean his house and wash his clothes. I discovered a beautiful lamp, covered with dust. Only God knows how many years had passed since he last lit it.

I said to him, "Don't you light your lamp? Don't you ever use it?"

He answered, "No. No one comes to see me. I have no need to light it. Who would I light it for?"

I asked, "Would you light it every night if the sisters came?"

He replied, "Of course."

From that day on the sisters committed themselves to visiting him every evening. We cleaned the lamp, and the sisters would light it every evening.

Two years passed. I had completely forgotten that man. He sent this message: "Tell my friend that the light she lit in my life continues to shine still."

I thought it was a very small thing. We often neglect small things.

The story is titled "Remember the Small Things", but there is a much greater lesson to be learned. As I first heard this story, I was pierced with the significance of the message sent by the man. "Tell my friend that the light she lit in my life continues to shine still." I get emotional thinking about that line, reading it again and again. What an incredible impact she made on that man's life! What a testimony!

Have I lit a light in anyone's life that is still shining? Have I made such an impact?

As I close out my time here in Namibia (now 37 days), I pray with earnest that someone here--hopefully more than one someone--can send that same message to me in two, five, ten years time...

"Tell my friend Hannah that the light she lit in my life continues to shine still."

Oh, Father. That is my prayer. Let my light shine into the lives of others. And may you receive ALL the glory!

"Let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven." Matthew 5:16

Frodo and Sam turned a whopping 6 years old today! (That's 42 in dog years, right?) So of course I decided to throw a party for them! :) We invited Ellie and Linda and had a grand time.

I always feel like when I post stuff like this I need to add a disclaimer that says... No, I'm not one of those people who dresses up her dogs and takes Olan Mills portraits with them. (No offense if you do.) But these dogs are two special loves of my life here in Namibia. They have greatly enhanced my life, and I think that's what dogs, and pets in general, should do. They have been an added blessing on top of everything else, and I have always been one to appreciate every single blessing in my life... big and small, drooly and non-drooly. I will miss them terribly when I leave. I posted the first flyer today to find a new home for them. :( I pray that process goes well because knowing I've found them a good home will help in the already difficult transition I know it will be to leave Namibia. These are two dear friends I'll leave behind in addition to all the sweet kiddos and adults that I've come to call my family here.

Can't you just see the joy radiating on their faces?!

This makes me laugh.

Of course Ellie joined in on the festivities. (The collar is because she's an escape artist... it's the only way to keep her inside the fence.)

Birthday cake/mush.

If you know Frodo and Sam, you know how much willpower they are exerting at this moment.

I was really hoping for a good shot with the noise maker, but this photo says it all. "Party's over."

The period of 40 days has quite a bit of significance for anyone familiar with the Bible...

It rained for 40 days and 40 nights during the Great Flood.
Moses was twice on the mountain with God for 40 days.
Elijah was strengthened for 40 days and 40 nights from a heavenly meal.
Jesus fasted for 40 days in the wilderness.
...And there are other significant 40 days events in the Bible as well.

Why am I mentioning all of this? Well, I decided to count how many days I have left in Namibia. The answer... you guessed it... 40! My first thought was, "That is not very long at all!!" And my second thought led me to reflect on the significance of this exact time period throughout Biblical history. God has done quite a number of hugely transformational events during 40 days.

So as I wrap up my time here, I ask for your prayers that God would continue to use me to transform the lives of those around me. I ask for prayers for strength like Elijah's to finish strong. I ask for prayers for incredible moments alone with the Lord like Moses up on Mount Sinai and Jesus as He fasted and prayed in the wilderness. And I ask for your prayers that I would allow God's power and love to flow through me in such a way that only He gets the glory for all that He desires to accomplish in these remaining few weeks.

On Wednesday, I took my creative writing class on a stroll around the neighborhood to try out some of the photography skills they started learning the week before--see their practice paper cameras below. :)

Teaching creative writing and photography, either separately or together, can help build self-esteem and self-confidence in children. Even in the few months I have been working with these kids I have seen a change in them. Once a bit shy and timid, now they come up to me every week and excitedly ask what they are going to learn in my class. That's what every teacher wants to hear!

After they finished writing their personal stories, I wanted to shift mediums to photography for a while. I had them start with paper cameras so they could begin looking at the world from a different perspective, framing photos, and such. This week I entrusted them with real digital cameras. Teacher Elizabeth and I headed out with the kids to walk around the area of Katutura nearby the center. After a few minutes they were snapping away. They learned how to properly handle a camera, using the wrist strap, and to ask permission before photographing people.

I took the first four photos below from our outing, but the rest are theirs. It's a great look at Katutura. Enjoy!

Well, before you answer that question... remember that in Africa--and most parts of the world--soccer is referred to as football.

This morning we played some football, or soccer, or whatever you want to call it. And it was AWESOME! :)

I got the idea to get some pick up games going after talking to another missionary mom. She was saying how she wanted Ethan, her 9 year old, involved in a soccer league, but she wasn't too impressed with the ones here. They were a bit elite, and honestly, she'd love for him to just be kicking around and having fun with the locals--and not just the white ones. The problem is, unless you're in a league, there's no good place to play. Our conversation was many months ago, but it sparked the idea that I should get some kids together and just have some fun playing soccer. Ethan could come. Also my sweet neighbor Simon and Nova's son Tudeski. We'd have to play in Katutura, because that's the only place with fields anyone can freely use. Though "anyone" would generally mean the locals who actually live in Katutura. Not a couple white girls and Ethan... but I felt confident that we'd be fine. I'd find a local guy to join us, and with the kids who know us, it would all be ok. Zeka agreed to join us and he, Candace, and I headed out to Katutura this morning for some fun! We picked up Ethan and Tudeski on the way, but unfortunately Simon couldn't join us this time.

Yesterday I had told a few boys at the center that we'd be coming this morning to play soccer. They helped me figure out which pitch ("field") to play on, and 9am was the decided time to meet. I knew that if a few of them came, a few other kids might already be on the pitch, and then I was pretty certain it wouldn't take long for others to join us as well. I wasn't fully certain how it would all turnout, but I knew it was worth giving it a go!

We were running a little late and noticed four from our FHS crew heading to the center... probably looking for us. We called them back to the pitch where there were several others and we organized ourselves to begin. Zeka did a great job telling the boys that they must play nice and fair or they would have to sit down during the game. They all agreed. We picked teams... the four from FHS and the five of us who'd just arrived against everyone else.

We had such a great time! I couldn't have asked for a better turnout. And all of the boys behaved so well. There was quite a range in ages and sizes. And the little ones were so adorable as they played their hearts out and were not intimated at all to run up and defend against a boy at least twice their size!

I had a few oohs and ahhs and some laughter as the guys realized I could actually play. 16+ years of experience should get you some attention, right? :) Candace quickly gained some confidence and definitely held her own. And Zeka was great, though he scored a few too many goals! :)

My favorite moment of the whole morning was when I passed the ball to Shihepo--one of my special buddies at the center--and he turned around and nailed the ball into the goal. His smile was even bigger than usual (if that's possible... that kid is always smiling!). I ran over to him, picked him up and spun him around. I was so proud of him! He's 10 years old, but a head shorter than Ethan who's 9.

At the end of our time, almost two hours later, we finished up by gathering around and praying. Zeka thanked the boys for behaving so well and challenged them all to be at church in the morning. He then thanked God for bringing us all together and allowing us to play without any serious injuries. (I only fell once... unfortunately on top of a big rock! But for a gal who's played on grass her whole life--except in Mexico--dirt and rocks are not an easy adjustment!)

Check out the fun photos for yourself. Queen (manager of bike shop) and her son Junior (from previous blog entry about bike race) came as well. I think Junior, only 7, was a bit too intimated to jump into the game. I asked Queen to take some photos. And then I told her that if Junior wasn't going to play, he could at least take some photos too. That made his day! He got right into the middle of the action, snapping photos left and right, with a big grin on his face the entire time. So thanks to him and his mom, we have some really wonderful photos to capture all the fun we had!!

Our team... well, most of them.

Me with Junior, the photographer

He got some great action shots, including this funny shot of him. And yes, this is how he took it. I assume he just turned the camera over and upside down and snapped. He's so clever. Here are his action shots...