Where He leads...

Below is the latest FHS Newsletter edited by fellow missionary Cindy McClamma. You will be blessed to read through it, especially the article about Ouma. Her life story is typical of many here. The tragedy of the losses she has faced is unimaginable and yet she still radiates with joy and hope. She makes me laugh at least once a day. Today, I taught her how to use a can opener. She was happy and quite proud of herself. :)

(Click to enlarge)

Living in a country that has the second highest HIV/AIDS prevalence rate in the world offers a lot of reality checks along the way. And not only that... but also serving in an area with so much poverty, sickness, and obstacles that nearly every family here faces. Maybe I will have more than one blog entry with a similar title as I am hit with these realities from time to time...

As I'm sitting here doing data entry for the new FHS database, I am constantly heartbroken by much of the information that has been gathered about the 450 children in the program. The average monthly income is less than most Americans make in one day, some homes generating income for one month less than some of us might make in one hour! We're talking as low as $6.50 per month. Over half of the children live in homes with no sanitation whatsoever. Around 85% of them live in shack-like houses made from whatever materials of any kind can be found--most of which have access to a communal tap only. Most are smaller than many master bathrooms in the States, and yet half of them have 6-10 people living in them! Nearly 40% of the children at FHS have lost at least one parent. These statistics are staggering, and they are more than just statistics... they are beautiful children whom I know and stare in the face on a regular basis.

The reality check that prompted this entry wasn't a collection of statistics... it was the name of one 9-year old boy with "HIV+" typed in the next column. This caught my attention for two reasons... (1) because I never knew until that moment that this boy whom I see every time I go to FHS is HIV+ and (2) because of a vivid series of thoughts I had this very morning. Those thoughts went something like this...

As I was coming into the driveway of FHS he was one of the first children I saw. I thought to myself, "He is one bright kid... one of the brightest! Given the opportunity he could really achieve greatness." As I looked at him, I wondered to myself what he might want to be when he grows up, and I made a mental note to ask him. Maybe in addition to my time right now in Namibia, I could have an impact in helping him achieve whatever goals he might have. And I truly believe that if he sets goals, he will achieve them.

The reality check came in the form of 3 letters followed by a + sign... H-I-V+. How will this affect his future? Will this disease even give him a full chance for his dreams to be realized?

I don't believe it is an accident that I had those thoughts today specifically about him, and then saw that diagnosis beside his name. Reality checks are a necessary part of ministry here. They remind me that my work at the center is not just skipping rope, helping with homework, and playing silly games. Some of these children are literally fighting for their lives, whether they realize it now or not. Because of their health or their circumstances or both and so much more, they have a journey ahead of them more difficult than what most of us could even imagine. Not to be a pessimist, but in my mind, the odds are stacked against them. But I have hope. And I have seen real joy on the faces of some who have overcome those odds. They may not be rich in the world's eyes, they may not have had the opportunity to even see beyond the borders of Namibia, but they have found peace and joy and they are living to tell the rest of their community (and the world--because you're reading this!) about the hope that is found in Christ Jesus. It is my prayer that my presence here will help spread that hope throughout this community even more. Because the ultimate reality is... the love and sacrifice of Jesus Christ IS our hope, our peace, and our strength.

I suppose I'm not quite old enough to be an empty nester... or at least I certainly don't meet the criteria. But I'm definitely feeling the effects after having a very busy home for the past month and a half, and now it's down to just me all by my lonesome. Dad and Kelly left yesterday after being here for two weeks. Before that, my mom and aunt Judy were here for two and a half. And before that, Falconer and Carolyn were here living with me--both of them have since returned to the States. Thankfully, Frodo and Sam have yet to desert me.

With all the busyness that has filled my time the past several weeks, I welcome the calm and quiet. But I wouldn't trade any of that time and traveling with my family for anything! I left home exactly 11 months ago yesterday, so seeing the faces of some of the dearest people in the world to me was such a wonderful blessing. They were able to love on and encourage me like no one else can. It was great getting to share stories with them face-to-face from my time here and to hear also of stories from home.

Now, it's back to the real world. Like I said, it was a true blessing to be able to travel like I have. The timing worked out well for me to get away from Windhoek for a bit as both of the family visits fell mostly during the FHS break. Schools here run for 4 terms, with at least a full month's break between them. Thankfully, my administrative load has also slowed a bit and my office duties are not as hectic as they were during the first few months of taking on that role. Those are my two primary duties that keep me grounded in Windhoek most of the time. Given the timely break, I could devote most of my attention to my family and just enjoy spending that time with them. And I love to travel and see new places, so it has been exciting to see and do all that I have so far. Despite all of my recent travel blog entries, I didn't come to Namibia for one big vacation. I see these opportunities to travel around Southern Africa as an added blessing during my time here. (And to convince all of you that you should come visit this beautiful country... and me!)

Yes, it's incredibly quiet (and quite chilly) in this house, but I think I will cope just fine. I've got plenty of blankets, plenty of books, and soon to have a full season of CSI courtesy of iTunes. I've got Frodo and Sam (so thankful for them!). And I've got plenty of work still left to do. The children at FHS have stolen my heart and I don't even want to think of the day I'll be leaving them. And so I suppose with so many sweet kiddos around me all the time, I cannot technically consider myself an empty nester, can I? Although I don't want to go so far as wishing all 450 of them would come live with me in this house...

Our last few days before Dad and Kelly headed back to the States were spent in Swakopmund and back in Windhoek. I took them quadbiking on the dunes, one of my favorite things to do in Swakopmund. We had a blast! Check out the video for a sample of the experience. Sorry the camera is so shaky... it was hard to drive smoothly and film at the same time!

Click play button to watch:

On our way back to Windhoek we stopped at Okapuka Game Lodge. Since we didn't get to see lions in Etosha, I wanted to take them to the lion feeding at Okapuka. You can't spend two weeks in Africa AND go on safari and NOT go home having seen some lions! I knew Okapuka would not disappoint. Aside from the tall grass obstructing a bit of the view, it was pretty awesome seeing lions that close. I had gone before, but I could probably go and watch them everyday and be happy. They are just incredible animals. I took a short video of the female lions getting their food. They have to wait until after the male lion is settled and eating or he will come and steal theirs away. The video shows his attempt.

Female kudu -- one of many hanging out near the lodge as we left.

Click play button to watch:

Our last stop on our journey o' fun was a visit to FHS. Dad and Kelly were looking forward to this day just as much as any other. Wednesday was actually the first day of the second term, so there weren't as many children at the center as usual. Many are still traveling back from the farms. But there were about 40 kids there, anxious for the new term to begin. There is obviously a huge contrast between children here and most children back in the States. One example... I asked the kids here if the break was too short (breaks here average a month each quarter) and they all gave an emphatic, "NO!" "No teacher, it was too long!" You would never hear a kid back home saying that a school break was too long! But most of the children here work on the farm during the break with little to no free time, while children back home are entertained with everything imaginable. Dad and Kelly both remarked about how much joy they see on the children's faces. How they dance and sing uninhibitedly, without even being prodded. Indeed, it is amazing to me that these children can suffer so much, and yet keep a huge smile on their face, arms open wide to give and receive love. Even still, I pray that each one of these precious little ones knows and experiences the love that comes from God, knowing that eventually they can find themselves in a place with no pain and no suffering. Listen to the video at the end to hear them sing about their own desire for Heaven one day.

Dad and Kelly bought some apples and goodies to hand out. The lip gloss was a huge hit with the girls!

Click play button to watch:

To say that the names of places in Namibia are difficult to pronounce is an understatement. Try these on for size... Otjiwarongo, Maltahohe, Okaukuejo, Nkurenkuru, Trekkapoje, and Ombalayamumbweng. I've learned that most w's are pronounced like v's as in Windhoek (VIND-hook), and some x's and some g's are pronounced like h's as in Khorixas (KOR-ee-has) and Gobabis (ho-BOB-is).

From Etosha we headed to Twyfelfontein (pronounced TWY-fill-fon-tane). Twyfelfontein means "doubtful fountain" and got its name from the first white farmer in the area who was unsure whether the fountain would be strong enough to provide enough water for his family and livestock. But we didn't drive all that way to see some water trickling under a rock...

Twyfelfontein has the one of the largest concentrations of rock art in Africa. There are around 2,000 rock engravings at the site, the majority of which are between 3,000-6,000 years old. It was very interesting walking among this important piece of history and learning a bit about the culture of the people who made these engravings.

Two other attractions in the Twyfelfontein area included Burnt Mountain and the Organ Pipes...

Aside from visiting the rock engravings, we stopped by the Damara Living Museum. This museum has been created to teach Namibians and others about the traditional culture of the Damara tribe. The Damaras were traditionally known as hunters-gatherers and shepherds. They of course lived off the land, knowing what trees, seeds, and plants were good for certain ailments and other uses in their villages. Our tour included learning how they made fire, how they used certain herbs for healing and perfumes, how they used goat hide for a variety of purposes, how they made jewelry out of ostrich egg shells, and more. They also demonstrated some traditional dances and songs. The children were precious as always. I wanted to bring the first little naked toddler I saw home with me. His name was Breddi and I could have stayed and played with him for hours!

Breddi

Maria and her water bottle

It is common to see baboons along the side of the road, especially in the mountainous areas. We happened upon this troop heading back from Sossusvlei. We slowed down to try and take some photos. If you keep driving past they will stay right where they are, but if you slow down they will immediately start running away (as with many of the animals here). This time, however, they were in a fight with each other or something and were more concerned with that than with us. The bigger ones, probably males, were quarreling with each other, running another one off, and the others were just sitting around watching. I was mostly busy taking pictures (which I accidentally deleted) but did pull out my video camera right at the end of it. You can hear them making all kinds of noises. It's short and nothing super special, but I thought it was still something unique to share.

Dad, Kelly, and I are still having a great time. It's been fun playing tour guide for my family this month! I've also been able to go to some places I've never been before, so that has been an extra treat. Etosha was a first for me...

Etosha is 13,840 square miles and home to nearly 150 mammal species. My only disappointment was that we didn't see any lions, but we still managed to see a lot even though this time of the year isn't really the best time for game viewing. It's better to visit Etosha during the hot and dry months, and we're now just ending the rainy season as we head into winter. We still had a great time and Kelly and I probably took 700 photos between the two of us! (What I am going to do with a thousand pictures of Namibian wildlife I do not know!)

I'll let the photos below speak for themselves. I know I've posted many of these animals before, but we were able to get really close to some that I hadn't been as close to before. Enjoy!