(This "thank you" is long overdue, but I knew I would finally write it out one day!)

As many of you know, prior to coming to Namibia I was working for an organization called MissionLab, a ministry of the New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary. My time there was one of the most special, challenging, and rewarding seasons of my life.

A few years ago, during our Summer Youth Camp, we started something called "Change for Change". The purpose of this was to use the opportunity of having so many teenagers and adults coming through our program (with change in their pockets) to make a worldwide impact raising money for a specific ministry. MissionLab's motto is: "Learn missions. Do missions. Be a missionary." Through a customized missions experience, groups can come to New Orleans and have an incredible time both in God's Word and in ministering throughout the city. The heart of MissionLab doesn't just stop at caring for those in New Orleans... it extends to having a passion for people in need of God's love throughout the entire world. An organization we've raised money for in the past is called Blood:Water Mission, which largely focuses on building wells in Africa in countries where clean water is desperately needed.

Before I left for Africa, I got a call from my good friend Adam. He informed me that the MissionLab team had decided that I would be their "Change for Change" project for Summer 2009! They really felt called to raise money for my upcoming ministry in Namibia. I was floored, humbled, flattered... New Orleans--which includes the city itself, my precious friends there, the people within the various organizations and streets that I was honored to meet and build relationships with--has left a mark on my heart that will be there forever. My heart broke for the city of New Orleans before I ever stepped foot on its soil, and that brokenness has never left me. It was a special gift to realize that God was blessing me, yet again, through my amazing experience with MissionLab.

Adam had one request. He asked me to make a video sharing my heart for missions and my call to Africa. This video would be shown each week to the MissionLabbers. (Summer MissionLab runs for a total of 8 weeks, a new set of groups arriving each week.) My preference is always to be on the other side of the camera, so it was a pretty frightening thought to have to come up with a creative and inspiring video that would be shown to a few thousand people. I decided to leave the creative aspect out of it altogether, and just recorded the facts, shared my heart, and left it at that. Evan, a video editing mastermind, took the pieces of my recordings and merged them with a video produced by Africa Inland Mission. I must say, the video is pretty fantastic... not because of my words or my face taking up the entire screen, but because of the incredible job Evan did putting the whole thing together. Thanks, Evan! :)

So let this blog be a HUGE thank you to the MissionLab staff and all of the participants of Summer MLab '09! Words cannot tell you how appreciative I am for all of the prayers, encouragement, and support each of you have shown me these last several months. (For the MissionLab staff, that thanks is extended to the last few years!) The incredible folks of Summer MLab '09 raised nearly $4300 towards my work here in Namibia! That money will go towards my monthly support and other special projects that I get involved with here. I am so grateful of all the ways God has blessed me with financial gifts towards my ministry. I couldn't serve here without that support, but know that your prayers and encouragement are just as important (and even more so!). As was said by John Wesley, “Prayer is where the action is."

Here's the video if you're interested in watching it.

Watch this on Vimeo

"And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the saints. Pray also for me, that whenever I open my mouth, words may be given me so that I will fearlessly make known the mystery of the gospel."(Ephesians 6:18-19)

This week God has been teaching me a lot about the power of touch. As I have been interacting with the children I have been praying that they would feel God’s love through my touch. There have been several children this week who have simply needed extra attention. As I shared before about Kaita and the lack of affectionate love towards him, I know that this is an issue with so many (if not all) of the children at FHS. I strongly believe that this is one of the reasons so many of them act out, especially through fighting with and disrespecting one another.

Monday morning on my way to the center, I prayed that God would use me to encourage and love those children who especially needed it that day. I noticed one little girl who had been keeping to herself all morning and who seemed especially tired. I had something else I was on my way to do, but as I passed by her, God reminded me of my prayer as if to say, “You told me to show you those who need extra love and attention today, so that I can use you to give them that blessing. Here is one. Are you going to keep up your end of the deal?” I definitely wasn’t going to say no to that.

About 9% of the children at FHS (that we know of) are HIV-positive. This little girl is one of them which is why I am not naming her. I sat with her for a while, let her lay her head on my lap and just rubbed her back. Again, praying that my touch would bring her comfort and rest, and that God’s love would flow through me to her. I then led her over to a table and brought books and paper and colored pencils. We spent the next half hour or so reading and drawing. A couple other kids joined us, including one boy from the kindergarten class named Ringo.

The best word to use in describing Ringo is “tough”. But to me, to be called tough at five years old is not a positive thing. I wonder about his home situation and what has caused him to have such a hardened attitude. He is a bully to the other kids and typically looks very sad or angry. During my first several weeks here, I never once saw him smile. I have been intentionally paying attention to him, giving him hugs, smiling at him from across the room, and he is responding. He will sit in my lap--lifeless--but I can tell he is content and it is obvious he also lacks affectionate love at home. He will often jerk away from anyone who tries to touch him, but he has slowly opened up to me and I can hug him, hold him, tickle him, and calm him down during the many times he is being a distraction. I do not take that relationship lightly.

When I look at these children and the issues we face at the center on a regular basis, it is easy to become completely overwhelmed with the work to be done. But when I focus on Ringo and others like him, I know that my deepest desire is to make a transforming difference in the lives of even a handful of these precious children. I can see the potential in these hardened children that is seemingly hidden to others. And I trust that as I pour myself out to each of them these next 20 months, I will see a change and my time here will be worth everything.

Jesus' ministry was filled with touching people. One of my favorite stories is not of Jesus touching someone, but of someone touching Him. It’s about a woman who recognized this power of touch, of transference of love and healing from the One who gives life to all. May we be bold in sharing God’s love with others through touch, and may we be challenged by this woman’s faith in trusting that God will shower His love and healing down on us if we simply reach out to Him.

That photo is an example of what I will be missing out on these next couple of months. There is little else as beautiful to me as the changing colors of an East Tennessee autumn. God in His blessings, however, never leaves me disappointed. I can thank Him for sight and giving me opportunities to behold the wonders of His creation wherever I go.

As Namibia is quickly moving from winter to summer, I am enjoying the springtime. I have heard few locals refer to this special season. They have already fast-forwarded to summer in their minds. I can't help but notice the magnificent coloring of this land right now. What is usually brown with a little green is spotted with vibrant pinks, reds, oranges, and purples.

My favorite aspect of the Namibian landscape so far is the mountain--in a way they remind me of home. Ranking a close second are the Jacaranda trees. If you have never seen a Jacaranda tree in person, you are missing out. They look like fireworks exploding all over this city. I only wish their purple flowers were in bloom all year long. Many are couple with the bright bougainvilleas. This city is absolutely gorgeous right now. I could drive around for hours just admiring the Windhoek spring. You'll have to come and see it for yourself, meanwhile here are some photos I took to give you an idea.

This afternoon at I was in charge of playing Hangman with a few of the girls at FHS. They had a lot of fun with it. Some of the students are still learning my name, so one of the puzzles was "My name is Teacher Hannah." After they solved it I asked them who Teacher Hannah is. They were quite convinced I had spelled it wrong for there is a Teacher Ana and they described her in the beautiful red shirt she is wearing today. Finally they realized that I was Teacher Hannah. I told them they better not forget it! :)

What really got me laughing was the puzzle word "Heaven".

They were one step away from hanging the poor little guy and they had the letters __ E A __ E __. I was trying to help them guess the word and said, "It's a place we all want to go one day."

"ETOSHA!!" One excited girl blurted out. (Etosha is the huge national park here in Namibia.)

I had to laugh at that.

Let me take you back to my time in Cape Town, because I had one more thing I wanted to blog about from my time there. Well, I shouldn't call her a thing. She is a person and her name is Bec Scales. Some of you are already blessed to know Bec. I met Bec is August 2007 while I was living in New Orleans. She is a good friend of Rob and Annabeth Wilton and had stopped by for a visit. I could tell instantly that she and I were kindred spirits and that she had a passionate drive to follow God wholeheartedly. My heart always connects with people like that, especially other single women. Bec is from Australia and God has taken her on an incredible journey of faith, loss, healing, and radical calling. She has followed His calling with joy, determination, and complete obedience.

Thank God for Facebook. :) Bec and I were able to stay in touch that way while she went for a year of Bible college and onto her next adventures in faithfully pursuing God's purpose for her life. She headed to Africa for a second time, with no agenda, just seeking God out in a place that her heart was so drawn toward. She traveled from place to place, especially focusing on her love for one particular organization that means a great deal to her. Watoto is a non-profit organization that cares for orphans in Uganda by building villages and raising up future leaders. In case you're not familiar with it, I am including a video of an interview with Marilyn Skinner. Her and her husband Gary founded Watoto and their story is simply incredible. If you haven't heard of this organization, get to know it!



Through a series of events while traveling around Africa, Bec was called to be a youth pastor for Life Church in Cape Town, South Africa. Thus, our paths were able to cross once more. I had told Bec I'd be in Cape Town and would love to get together with her. I figured it would take a couple days to set something up, but I was determined to make it happen. We arrived in Cape Town on a Friday. Late Satuday night Kitty and I were up and on the internet. I was busy talking with a friend and so she was doing research for us about where we should attend church that next morning. Originally our plan was to take the train to attend church with Cindy and Brandi, but the train system seemed unreliable on Sundays and we didn't want to risk getting up at 6am for nothing. Kitty found Life Church as a great option within walking distance. Two things I didn't realize at the time: 1) We had passed this church while driving into town and we all remarked that we were interested in checking it out and 2) this was Bec's church!

So we arrived at church Sunday morning, found our seats and enjoyed a great morning of fellowship with other believers. I was quite emotional as I looked around and saw God's children from all races worshiping together. Then came time for the children's special. A young woman took the mic and introduced the performance. As I looked more closely I thought, "That looks a lot like Bec." I asked Kitty if she thought the lady had an Australian accent. Then I asked the guy in front of me if the woman on stage was named Bec. Indeed she was! How cool is that? We had unknowingly walked into the very church that Bec serves in, and even got to see her in action. It was great! After the service we finally found her and she flipped when she realized it was me. (The last time she saw me I had shorter blonde hair.) It was the start of a great week and we were able to spend time with her two different days after that.

Words cannot describe what an encouragement Bec was to me during those times with her. And more than just an encouragement, her faith challenged me immensely. Spend two minutes with Bec and you'll know what I mean. Her joy is unmatched by most I have seen in other Christians. The Holy Spirit just radiates all throughout this woman. I can't say enough about her. I wish you could all just spend an hour with Bec, listening to her heart, her incredible God-sized stories and encounters, and her passion for loving the unlovable and the forgotten. And there's a good chance she'll be a bit embarrassed when she reads all of this that I'm writing about her. That's another quality I love about her... she is a great woman of God yet filled with humility even though she's already done more for Christ than most do in a lifetime.

I am grateful for the friendship God has given me in Bec. It's incredible to see how God can bring two people together like us, who have spent such little time together, but who's hearts connect and beat as one with the same passionate pursuit of God. To me that equals instant friendship. Lifelong friendship. And I look forward to keeping up with Bec, learning from her, and hopefully crossing paths with her again and again as God so blesses.

Here is a link to her blog (though she will be the first to admit that she doesn't keep up with it): http://becscales.blogspot.com

This past Saturday was Kaita’s “birthday”. I write it like that because no one is quite sure of his actual date of birth since he doesn’t have a birth certificate (an issue with many children here). His mother, who was HIV-positive, abandoned him as a baby. His father, also dying with AIDS, committed suicide. Kaita was left to be cared for by this grandmother Esther, the head of the kitchen at FHS. Her husband Daniel works in the bike shop. Although Kaita is the youngest child at the center, he keeps up fairly well with the rest of the kindergarteners (ranging from 5 to 7 years of age). He is definitely a fireball though, and not afraid to pick right back at the bigger kids who pick on him. He beats to his own drum and everyone seems to be okay with that. As a toddler his attention span is short, but for the most part he is no less well-behaved than the others.

Kaita and I have really bonded. I clean his constantly dirty face, care for his boo-boos, and pour out as much love on him as I possibly can! I am thankful that he is physically cared for by his family, but I believe there is a definite absence of affectionate love--something that every child needs. I take it as my personal mission to fill that gap with hugs, kindness, and special attention. He’ll often come looking for me if I’m working in the office. I let him sit by me and read a book or play with the blocks. No one has complained yet. Many afternoons I’ve observed his tired eyes from running himself ragged. I’ll pick him up and hold him in my arms. Almost instantly, he’s asleep. Some of my most treasured moments at FHS are simply those where I have sat and held this precious child. I pray that some of that affectionate love he needs is felt through my touch.

As his birthday was approaching, Queen--who runs the bike shop--mentioned a bike that Kaita has been wanting. I asked her how much it sells for and she said N$150, right at $20US. A sweet lady who works with my mom had just give a gift of $20 to toward my work here. I could think of no better way to spend that money than to purchase that bike for Kaita’s birthday.

On Tuesday I found Kaita sitting outside in front of the bike shop. You could tell it was naptime. He had his head in his hands and was completely out of it. I knelt down in front of him and asked if he had just had a birthday. He said “yes” in that cute little voice of his. I handed him his birthday money and told him to pay for his bike. He instantly perked up. They brought the bike out for him and off he went, beaming the whole time. He crashed at least three times but he didn’t even care. He just jumped back on the bike and kept on going.

Kaita is the epitome of resilience. I see a lot of promise in Him. I pray God continues to provide for Him and the he will grow in the kind of man this community desperately needs.

On Saturday, our day of departure, we had one more item on our agenda. We were told that a visit to Cape Town is not complete without seeing the whales at Hermanus, which populate the shallow waters around this time of year. We decided that since our drive to Springbok is only around six hours, we would have time to go to Hermanus and then head up country. Supposedly, Hermanus is an hour drive from Cape Town. With traffic and a couple wrong turns, it took us at least two hours. We finally made it to the spot where everyone gathers to see the whales. We looked out at the gorgeous blue water and waited. And waited. And waited. By this time, we were realizing that our mess of a morning was about to be a giant flop. Finally, way out in the distance, we saw some movement. A few minutes later a small tail surfaced. And that was it. A single tail. Not quite the satisfaction we were anticipating.

By now it was already after 1pm and we knew we couldn't stay any longer, whales or not. We quickly grabbed some lunch, had someone give us directions to get across the mountains and back on track, and we were off. Miraculously, we navigated the next hour and a half with few problems and finally made it to N7, our road to Springbok. God blessed us with an incredible sunset, filling the sky with hot pink clouds and coloring the mountains with rich shades of oranges and reds. A bright and full moon hung from the sky. Too bad I was driving or I would have gotten some great photos.

Night fell and we realized we were up against the clock to make it for the 10pm deadline for check-in. With about 150km to spare, we also realized that we were getting dangerously low on gas. If you can imagine a long, dark highway with towns hours apart from each other, in a country where most stores close at nightfall, you can understand our concern as to whether we would reach a town in time (and one that actually had an open service station). We were praying and trusting God to provide, knowing that He was our only hope in this situation. I tried not to let scenarios run through my head of what might happen if we got stranded at night on this dark highway. All the while God was asking me, "Do you trust me?" I answered yes and as we rounded the next bend I saw the lights of a small town. Although we saw no sign of a gas station we exited anyway, hoping someone could help us. As we approached the town we saw the dim sign of a service station. We got closer and closer until we could read "Open 24 Hours". Thank you, Lord! We filled up and headed for Springbok. It was 9:07pm, 107km to go!

The speed limit was 120km/hr, but unfortunately the steep mountains often kept us from maintaining that speed. Again we were praying, and I was stressing trying to drive fast but safe. At 9:56pm we finally pulled up at Sprinbok Lodge. I can do nothing but attribute the entire crazy, but safe journey to God's grace and provision. One detail I left out... Friday night I had only 3.5 hours of sleep. I was awake all day Saturday in the car either helping Cindy navigate or driving myself. If you have ever traveled with me you know how tired I get. I can easily sleep the whole of an 8-hour journey. I can say nothing other than God gave me a supernatural energy that day to stay awake and alert to arrive safely in Springbok.

Ok, well there was no plane involved, but today I traveled by train, taxi, boat, bus, and my friend’s car. That’s got to set some kind of record. If nothing else, it sets a record for how many various modes of transportation I have taken in one day..

Kitty and I woke up early to catch a train to Noordhoek, about 45 minutes south of Cape Town. We were running late so took the taxi to the station. (Not-so-fun fact: it costs three times as much to take a taxi five minutes down the road than it costs for a 1-hour train ride.) Nordhoek is where the Brentwood team is stationed for the various VBS and construction projects they are doing. Cindy and Brandi are serving with a VBS. They’ve had over 200 kids come for the morning session and around 30 older teens come each afternoon. The children this morning were absolutely adorable! Kitty and I had a great time just watching each of them come into the gym, one by one. Each one with such a unique personality. Each one a beautiful child of God. We mostly just helped with craft time. I had a couple of them come over and talk to me for a while. One girl was all in my hair, pulling it, braiding it, just having a grand ole time. I didn’t really mind, but it’s always interesting to see what my hair looks like after such special attention. I love the fact that this VBS is tied in with a ministry that is in Cape Town year-round called Living Hope. Check it out here.

At lunch time we grabbed our sandwiches and headed with Cindy back to Cape Town. We had booked a tour to Robben Island, where Nelson Mandela was imprisoned for 18 years. The full history of the island is quite incredible, from its time as a leper colony to its time as a maximum security prison for political prisoners and everything before and in between. After taking the ferry to the island, we went on a bus tour around the island followed by a tour of the maximum security prison conducted by an ex-political prisoner. Another fun fact: There are over 15,000 penguins on the island making it the second largest African penguin colony in the world.

After reading my blog, a lady asked me to share a link with you about a nonprofit organization she is involved in that brings former Robben Island inmates to America to share the lessons of their own struggle against Apartheid in disadvantaged high schools. I told her I would be happy to: http://robbenislandsingers.com.