There are so many things I am looking forward to during my week here in Namibia. It's been a year and a half since I left this beautiful country and these beautiful people. It's not easy to leave a country where so much of your heart has remained. I've been looking forward to visiting again since the day I left. It is surreal to realize that I'm finally here again!

I couldn't wait to get to Family of Hope Services! After I booked my trip I realized that I had booked it during a holiday week. Thankfully, even though the kids will be absent from the center most of this week, they had scheduled a Fun Day on Saturday so I was still able to see many of them. There were many new faces but many sweet ones I recognized and had grown to love so much! I also had joyous reunions with many of the FHS staff including Foibe, Teacher Elisabeth, and Teacher Adeline. Teacher Ana and Abigail were both under the weather and Esther was at home, but I hope to be able to see them before I leave. Queen is no longer in Windhoek, but I heard she had a baby girl last year.

Many of the kids remembered me. Several from my creative writing and photography class were there. Kaita was there and is getting so big!! And Teacher Elisabeth's adorable twins Nessy and Gift were two of the first to great me. And precious Shihepo too. It was a wonderful day playing games, catching up, and taking photos so I can show many of you who also know these kids so well! It is great to see how the work is continuing and how the staff has stayed faithful to their ministries there. It was definitely a short but sweet visit!





It was so good to see Adeline, Foibe, and Elisabeth!


No party in Namibia is complete without a jumping castle!


There's one of Elisabeth's girls, maybe Nessy, in the brown skirt. So cute! Love the baby doll flying around!


Kaita with his usual dirty face. They were playing some messy game when I arrived.


Ringo and his teeth! He makes me laugh! Guess he lost many of his baby teeth since the last time I saw him!


Foibe was playing a quiz game with them. Mostly she was asking who is the president of this or the minister of this... I had no idea!


Here are five of the students who were in my class. I missed seeing the rest of them, but maybe I'll have a chance if I can go back for the feeding program on Wednesday.


Precious Rauna was one of my favorites, though we probably weren't supposed to have favorites. :) I always did!


Look at this little man!! Kaita is getting big and was a bit camera shy but mostly the same ol' Kaita! I wasn't sure how much he'd remember. But later we were looking through a photobook I made and brought and I pointed to my photo and said, "Who's that?" He said, "Teacher Hannah!" :)


Penny, Kaita's teeange aunt (Esther's daughter), has had a baby since the last time I saw her. He is a cutie... and one more mouth to feed.


Gift and Nessy. LOVE THEM! They were so happy to see me. I was so glad they hadn't forgotten me! Apparently they've played "school" while I was gone, and someone was often "Teacher Hannah".


Martha is such a beautiful girl! I didn't know her before, but she was my sweet photographer that day.


Clean up time! This is Gift (I think) joyfully pitching in! Earlier Nessy had a huge bundle of trash she had gathered to throw away.

Party's over but bellies are full, hearts are happy, and hands are filled with goodies! :)