One Last View

For the Team Leifde crew, here is one last video that Katie has put together. I think this is a great 'final view' as it includes so many pictures of us with our Namibian friends. In a final analysis, this was what it was all about. Right? Enjoy the memories - and until we ride again...

It is finished...

not the blog... just the journey...

After 13 hours in the air of our final leg, we were informed that the weather in NY was rough and the wanted us to stay in a holding pattern for 45 minutes. We were low on fuel so we were diverted to Toronto... ugh... after 3 hours of sitting on the plane we were cleared to take off for JFK. We landed at 6:00pm made it through customs without a hitch and then took the next 5 hours driving back to NH. Thank you so much Nancy & Elizabeth for coming to get us!!!

So close, yet so far away...

We have landed in Dubai... Nate is eating a McArabia... I am afraid... very afraid... 15 1/2 hours & we land at JFK...

On the road again...

It's true... I still have lots more to share about our adventures. It's been such an amazing trip, but we have started the trekk back home. Currently Papa Nathan (pa-pa knot-en) and I are sitting in Johannesburg airport for another 2-hours. Travel from Namibia went quite smooth. No hitches at the airport, I handed the lady at the check-in desk our itinerary and she pulled my ticket right up. It was a beautiful thing. Another 27-hours until our arrival at JFK... Papa Nathan can not wait to hit the ground... soon enough Papa... soon enough!

Where to begin??

I guess the beginning... at least of our time in Ondangwa. We drove all day from Swakopmund and arrived in Ondangwa before nightfall. Which is a smart thing to do since cattle roam the "highway" and have the right of way. We pulled into the Fantasia Guest House where we were greeted by Simeon who recognized Nate, asked about Nancy, Jim & Paula and offered us a 30% discount. Yes, a sweet beginning. Our room was nice and cozy with all the ammenities we might need. It's definitely a quaint place. So we went off to forage for food. The only place that Nate said would be open in town is KFC... I had avoided having KFC in Namibia for the past 6 trips, but the time had come. It wasn't horrible and some things about it made me smile. Oh, and the most important news of the evening was that I won in Phase 10... yea! Beat Mike... another first...

We woke up to the "glorious" rooster crow and went to Boniface & Saara's. Boniface took us for a tour of the property, showed us how they cut the grass to make a thatched roof. Explained how no water seeps through even in the heaviest of rains and how the grass absorbs the sun's rays and keeps the place cool, unlike zinc which creates an oven. Then he took us inside he & Saara's home. I thought the place was beautiful. He also took us around and showed us their garden (this was inspired after Boniface took the Micro-MBA course at Dieter's place). He showed us where they are starting to build a shower and the hole for the new toilet that they are going to build. He also took us into the office to show us a bit about the solar power on the property and then into the dormitory (which is all part of the school building).

From there we went into the classroom and listened while Grace taught class. They were learning about Spiritual Warfare and the heart. They learned that they had a test on Friday and if they failed they had to write the book of Deuteronomy. The class freaked out a bit because they were focusing on the "what if they failed" instead of I better study so that I don't. If I were them I would've started studying instantly. Once class was dismissed we left for the afternoon since that is when everyone rests, we were asked to come back at 5:30pm. In the evening we met some more people, talked more in the office about Boniface's dreams and I was taught a little about how they cook by my new friend Elizabeth who is Boniface's in-law.

We were instantly immersed in their lives and they were excited to share it. It was such a blessing to learn about them and what God is doing there. Yet again... part of my heart is left in another part of Namibia...

I need words as wide as sky...

I have been trying to write a post for two days now and haven't known quite how to express it. This was my (and Mike's) first visit to Boniface & Saara. I met them once briefly in 2006 when Nate's team took them to Etosha with them for an evening. I have seen much improvement from the pics that I have seen from the 2006 team. The building for the school seems to be pretty much completed. They have solar power in the building and they have moved some homes on the plot around from what I've been told.

Boniface has so many dreams for the plot and it's such a joy to hear him express them. I am so glad to have had this opportunity to meet the people that are attending the college and to experience their lives. The three of us were talking about what a different experience it is to be in Ondangwa. We are actually coming into their lives in their community... experiencing what they experience. My eyes have been opened to a whole new world. I will share more with you later, I have much to share about the people, community, lunch, teaching... currently we are in the car driving south and my sweatshirt tent is getting a bit stuffy.

Boniface wanted us to tell Carey it's been too long. He sends greetings to Nancy, Jim, Paula & Richard & would love to know when you will visit again. He also asked about John & Dave Knight as well as Jeremiah Burrow.

It's not a problem...

Well... I think it is. See here's the brief story... There was a phone conversation one day where Germaine was not on the phone but another person was. Germaine expressed that she was unable to get a ride back from JFK if her and the person on the other end of the phone were to stay later than the rest of the team. The person in the room with her expressed this to the person on the phone. From what Germaine understood... the person on the phone said "No, problem... I can get us a ride." Germaine has since learned that said person does not recall the conversation and it appears we may be stranded in NYC... anyone up for a road trip on Sunday to JFK??? Gas $$ will be involved and Germaine won't need to beat someone (who's name is being withheld) up if they are stuck together in NYC...

'Dis is Afrika!!

We made it to Ondangwa by night fall... YAY!! I've always thought the north was so beautiful. This is where you experience Africa as people think of it. Cattle, goats & donkeys wandering the streets. Ladies carrying huge buckets of water back to their homes in the village. Homes made of mopane trees. I remember in 2002 the kids at the first school we went to showed me a mopane tree, told me that their homes were made of it, handed me a leaf and asked me to keep it to remember them by. And of course I remember... we were having a conversation about Mike not understanding why I remember some of the things that I do... useless information as he calls it. My response was "God wired me different". Nate said that would be the name of my book... I will keep that in mind in case I do write a book about me.

We are staying at the Fantasia Guest House for the next couple days. It's a nice place... Nancy, Jim & Paula... Simeon asked about you. Nate was excited that he remembered you all... I am excited too because he gave us a discount.

Tomorrow we will be up early and off to Saara & Boniface's. We have already been asked to teach... of course I am feeling under prepared, but I know what I want to teach so that is the biggest hurdle.

Do you love your neighbor??

Today we went into Arandis & visited Pastor Tresford's church. I was overwhelmed with the amount of people that I knew there. I saw Jasme, Jennifer & Rebekka from the Kolin School as well as quite a few more. I also got a Nan hug... a Rebecca hug and a Gracia hug all from Team Zebra. I was greated by Michael Dunne my facebook friend and was immediately given an assignment from Boniface upon his hearing that we would be attending youth group in the evening. It was just to prepare group games. Of course Mike got the leading worship music assignment and I made sure to let Boni know that Nate also needed an assignment. He thought about it for a moment and asked him to give a 5 minute testimony on why learning and schooling is important... little did Boni know that this was right up our Social Studies teacher's alley.

After church Brenda invited us over for lunch. Cameron, Brenda's adopted son's younger brother, was telling us many stories about the Lion King and Stuart Little. I also had to operate on a ginormous sliver that he had in the palm of his hand. That little boy is definitely hardened to pain. I also learned another communication barrier. After I removed the sliver I used an anti-bacterial handiwipe to clean the wound. I told him to tell me if it stings and I would stop. I asked him several times and the little man said "no". I asked him one final time and he said "no, but it's burning." I felt so bad and explained to him that is what I meant by "does it sting". All in all, he was quite relieved to get the stick out of his hand (as he put it).

After Brenda's we went to the Banda's and hung out with Pearl & Clara (& Tresford for a bit). Clara shared all about her coming in second place in the regionals of the science fair and how she gets to go into the nationals in September. Her project could even get picked up by mining companies because she found a way to create sodium carbonate and can use it to clean uranium instead of having to import acid. We will see what the future holds in that regard. She is one smart little lady.

Youth group was a lot of fun. We played "Do you love your neighbor" since there were lots of kids and the chairs were already set in a circle. Nate's talk on education was encouraging to the kids. Mike's guitar playing was great as usual and Steve Graham gave a great talk on how we know God's voice.




I was hoping to go into Kolin school tomorrow, but we have an extremely LONG drive and it looks like we won't get the opportunity. Our time table is too crunched and I keep thinking that it would be nice if we were scheduled out until the 31st like we thought that we were. And Elizabeth... I hear daily... sometimes multiple times how much Nate misses you. Thought that you might like to hear that. ;)

It's quiet... but not for long...

Yesterday was the first full day without the rest of the team. We used this day to rest a bit and figure out the next plan of action. After a couple of phone calls we decided that we would head to Arandis until Monday and then head up to Ondangwa to see Saara & Boniface. I am so excited to see Pearl tomorrow. Since she didn't know that I was staying an extra few days, she sent me a letter that stated coming all the way to Namibia and not coming to visit her was wicked... little does she know that "wicked" is a good thing to a New Englander. I am also excited to travel north and learn more about Saara & Boniface.

Toivo spent the day with us. It was great to spend some time with him. Currently he is looking into what he needs to do to get college scholarships. He still has two years left of school, so it is great to see his initiative. That boy is going to be a great doctor one day. In the evening we made hawaiian pizzas for dinner and then went to the coffee bar at the Multi Purpose Ministry Centre (MPMC).

I decided to play checkers with Assed. I told him that he was a checkers shark, he beat me the first 3 out of 5 games. I wish I wrote down the Afrikaans word for checkers... I was informed that the word is "like the squares on a shirt". That made me laugh. Funny how the game is called the same thing in both languages.


While I was playing checkers Nate was teaching two boys how to play chess. (fyi... my camera stopped working so my pictures are taken with a camera phone). Maybe they will start a local chess club. ;)

Not only is Mike the farmer's champion in foosball... he dominated Toivo in DDR.

This morning we took the drive out to Swakopmund. We decided to stay at the coast for a few reasons and think it was a nice decision. I am so excited to actually sleep in a bed tonight AND, AND I don't need my sleeping bag!! Nate took his first trekk up the sand dunes tonight to watch a gorgeous sunset. Then we walked the .7km from our bungalow to a great restaurant called the Tug. It is right on the ocean and actually made out of a tug boat and it's the second coolest restaurant in the world! Yes, I do admit we are feeling a bit spoiled these past couple days. Tomorrow we will spend the day with the Bandas and hopefully Pearl will be able to join us for the evening here at the coast. It will be a busy week of travelling but all in all should be a good and enlightening time. I have already been informed that we will need to teach in Ondangwa... man... wasn't expecting that... although I guess I should have. I will spend the next couple days discerning what to do.

Don't You Forget About Me

Yesterday Mike, Nate, Toivo, Richard & I dropped the team off at the airport. The 2 days leading up to that were a bit surreal and the last 24-hours of our time together were quite emotional for me. My team was made up of 9 people who didn't really know one another and quickly became family. I am not sure if you could find a group of 9 that are more different, yet if we had differences we worked them out, if we were annoyed with one another we all put it out on the table. I was reflecting on this team and compared it to the other 6 teams that I have been a part of and I really think that we were probably the closest group and no issues were left unresolved. I even thought about comparing us to the final scene in the "Breakfast Club" where everyone has a label, yet they discovered that they all possess some of the same characteristics.

The realization that I would not be travelling back with my team hit me hard. I think this is a bit of what Toivo feels like after the team leaves. Don't get me wrong, I am so excited for what is to come... but I almost feel like I let them down. I already miss Jan's laugh and additions to the Jan remix. I could really use a Matt & Melissa hug. I would love to see Steph's smile and experience her dry wit. I want to have an authentic talk with Ginger and sing some songs with Jesse. I even miss Grants 5,000 questions about what's for dinner & when it's going to be ready. I drove into town and just before I went over the river ditch I could still hear Grant say "GO FASTER!!"

But all in all... Nate & I are fine. Nate shared the movie game with Mike and they had me rolling at dinner this evening. So, yea... don't worry about us. We will keep you posted with the rest of the journey. Please pray for no more car trouble. It's been a rough trip in that regard. The car we have now is a VW Golf and since we are going to be travelling we really need this one to keep working nicely.

Just a few more videos to share...

Hey everyone! Since we're sitting in South Africa waiting for our next flight, we might as well share a few more videos with you all on certain highlights of our trip.

The first is of John playing guitar and singing, while Bonnie danced to the music at a worship service in Walvis Bay.



The second is a glimpse into the dance classes and final performance of all the kids in Arandis!



Hope everyone enjoys these, and I can't wait to see everyone tomorrow when we get home!
-Steph

Darin's Diary pt. 6

Greetings from Jo-burg. We made our departure from Namibia earlier this afternoon and all 25 of us managed to get on the plane despite South African Airline's best efforts to make some of us miss the flight. There were issues with our ticket numbers that required many delays in check-in, but alas we all made it. Notice I said 25 of us, that is because Nate and Germaine have stayed behind to finish some of our team business as well as to revisit a number of our Namibian friends that this team didn't have time to see. Our first flight was uneventful, and we are all in pretty good spirits as we make our way home.

I realize that I am woefully behind in my diary entries. Please forgive me. Living these experiences has just been so precious that stopping to write about them has been hard. I'll try to pick up where I last left off.

Our Thursday was marked with a little disappointment as Bonnie's ipod was stolen during the dance classes. It wasn't just the loss itself that hurt the most, but the realization that many of us were within mere feet of that ipod when it disappeared, and sadness that while we were there to do good, someone took advantage of us. We're satisfied it wasn't one of the dance students but some of the other teens that were hanging around. Thanks to Bonnie's mom Linda at home for getting the special cut versions of the dance songs emailed to us overnight so that we didn't miss a beat with Friday's classes. Thursday night we accompanied Pastor Tresford to a church in Walvis Bay where he has been building a good relationship with Pastor Benny. Pastor Benny had asked if the dancers could participate in his service. Because we had lost the ipod and our music, we were nervous about what the dancers could do. Bonnie stepped up. She offered to improv a dance to something John could play on guitar. What followed (and we'll post the video shortly) was a very moving version of David Crowder's "Come and Listen". After the service, Pastor Benny and his wife Karen invited all of us to their home for soup. We all were pretty touched to find ourselves on the other side of the world enjoying such warm hospitality and care.

Friday morning began rather early. We hosted 20 of Arandis' senior citizens (called pensioners in that setting). Most of them spoke only Afrikaans or tribal dialects, so communicating was a challenge - but a fun one. The breakfast was an effort by Arandis Christian Center to bridge the gap into the senior culture in Arandis, and afforded us a rich sense of Namibian culture. As the breakfast ended, these 20 seniors stood and united their voices in harmonies and sang us a song thanking us.

Of course, our school team and teachers continued working in the schools and getting to know the people they met. More later... as soon as time permits.

Team Liefde Finale

Even though we've been spending our time in Etosha the past few days, we've finished up one more video from Team Liefde's last weekend in Arandis. Enjoy!

We made it to Etosha!!

We all rolled into Halali (our rest camp) shortly before the gate closed at 5:30pm. My team has had more car issues... okay... maybe just me, but I wasn't driving this time. We arrived at the first rest camp with plenty of time to do a bit of "game hunting" but when Nate went to start the combie it wouldn't turn over. We were (and still are) able to push the combie and pop the clutch. We are a real life "Little Miss Sunshine" mobile.

Debrief has begun and people are still trying to process the events of this journey. We may never comprehend it all. After our meeting many of us went up to the Moringa watering hole and saw these three rhino. All I could do is marvel and think that these are probably the same ones that we see year after year. They always come at the same time and it's always the three. I've never really thought it through like that before and it put a smile on my face. Tomorrow some of us will head out early in search of lion and elephants. Some will just spend most of the day back here at camp. I am really excited to see what tomorrow brings!

Shout Outs From Okahandja Take II

MOLLY------ I miss you a lot and watch our video before bed often. I hope the drama bomb isn’t too much when we return. I’ve gotten you some African Spar presents I know you’ll enjoy. Etosha is next and then home. I can’t wait to see you again. MOM AND DAD thanks a lot for going to the lake house the entire time I was gone haha I love you and miss you. Oh and molly blacks and iced grande Starbucks must be there when I return, oh and we’re going to the pond. DUH. –matt

Mamma, Derky, Ryan & all of Bell Mountain—I miss you all so much. It sounds like you have had a pretty amazing time up at the mountain. I send my prayers for kate and please tell everyone I miss them and cant wait for a VT weekend. Tell Uncle Ricky I love him and best of luck in the rest of his time in Fort Hood. Tell my Ry-Ry I miss him and cant wait to hug him. 10 bucks he is still tanner than me. Haha. Well I am off to Etosha today (that’s where all the animals are) and then I will be returning home. Hey mom can you tell all my friends, if you see or talk to them that I miss them and cant wait to see them. Oh, and hey mom I would give my left leg to talk to you and call you mamma. BY THE WAY I called you from here to say hi and you kept picking up and hanging up…the service here is yucky. Well I love you. see you in a few days. –Melissa

From Nate: Elizabeth! Hello my dear, hope you are feeling well and not missing me too much; I know I am missing you terribly. Have you received any postcards yet?? We are off to Etosha and the half-way point for me. It feels like it’s been a month since I left… the time will go by quickly though. I am feeling great physically, and pretty good otherwise. We had a great dinner the other night- it was really extravagant and meaty yummy good… I felt spoiled and tried not to eat too quickly!!! Hope you had fun at Tom-Kats grill over there in Amhersty-way. I love you… CWTKU!!! 
Mom and Dad, Hello! I DO miss you guys…  Casey, be good! Wilson clan, Much love to all of you, it cheered me immensely to hear from you the other night around the fire! Take care of Elizabeth for me; don’t lose her down a portal!!! Everyone else, sorry for abandoning my blog… internet access is hard to come by right now; know you all understand. Much LOVE! -Nathan

Dad, if you haven’t taken my car for a test drive yet you should. The car goes straight but the steering wheel goes right. Sorry I didn’t tell you before I left. Mom, if City Year has not replied go on my Mac. I have their phone # on a stickie note (you can ask Christina for computer assistance). Not much to say. I love you guys and Africa but ginger beer can not take the place of ginger ale and I can not go on a walk without being covered in prick-ers. We should go to Denny’s right when I get to the church on Friday because you guys have a love for breakfast foods and that is the only place open late at night.
I love you to the moon and back, Love Stephanie

Hey dad,g,b, and m im having so much fun sometime the family should do this trip. We climbed a mountain it didn’t have a name but it was so awesome we saw a bunch of baboons and mom got some pictures it was awesome. We also when to Joe’s beer house and eat ostrige, crocodile, kudu, orix and zebra. Cam can wait to see you we have to go dirt biking or some thing when I get back. Cant wait till deer foot.
See you soon Grant ps.“theres no ketchup.”

Hi everyone,
I am doing well but ready to come home. I have tried 5 kinds of meat and yes, I ate the worm on purpose. Jen, I am praying for you and your family and it is breaking my heart not being able to be there for you. I have been praying for everyone. I love you Carey and cannot wait to see you. Thanks for the posts. Off to Etosha. Love Jan

Greeetings to all my family and friends,
My profound thanks for all the support (financial, prayer, encouragement, childcare) you have given and will continue to give until we return. Our departure from Okhandja, today, is bittersweet. I had a great week of working w/the soup kitchen folks and getting to now our Northern neighbors (Canadians) who were sharing the plot. As I write this, my eyes are welling a bit with equal tears of joy for having been here and sadness at how quickly the time passed. George: love you so much and miss you terribly - start clearing your calendar and making your packing list – summer 2009 will come quickly! Grace, Burdick and Margaret: can’t wait to get my arms around you and give you all a big squeeze. Pam: there are no words adequate enough for a friendship such as ours – I love you, dear. Other friends and family: can’t wait to get home and share stories and pics of this great adventure – including our hike through snake country (Black Mamba – that is). My love and God’s blessings for you all… Ginger

Thanks for the posts my love, now you’ve got me curious about these surprises. I love you and can’t wait to see you. Anyways, things have been going well here, the team has done whatever was asked of them and I’m very thankful for that. I got a chance to do some hard labor in the sun digging on Friday and I was so psyched to be able to be a part of that work on a garden that will provide for the soup kitchen ministry (they do an amazing job over there). Even though there were times where the days were long, it still seems like time has flown by and I cling to the hope that I will be able to continue making these trips for the rest of my life. And now…We’re going on a lion hunt! Pray I don’t get eaten when we take our picture around the “Do not get out of your vehicles sign.” Be blessed
-Jesse

Darin's Diary pt. 5

As I type this, thirteen of my team members are waking up in Swakopmund where we stayed last night in a guest cottage one block from the ocean, and four are waking up back in Arandis where they chose to spend the night with Pearl and the Banda family - one last evening to visit before we depart.

Thursday and Friday offered us more opportunities to continue in the endeavors we had been involved with our friends in all week. Another visit to Kolin Secondary School 11th graders for our school team; more work at Talitha Kumi Primary School and work in the library for our HPOM team; more afternoon dance classes with the kids of Arandis for our dance team. For me, it was the opportunity with two of my team mates to meet one very cool man named Jimmy.

Kerry, Steph and I drove Tresford and Fabiola into Swakop for the morning to purchase supplies for Friday morning's breakfast with the elderly residents of Arandis the church would host. On the way we stopped to see Jimmy Kearney, a South African man who resides in Namibia and who is simply "out to change the world". He shared much of his story with us. It started when he was telling some kids about Jesus and one of them said, "Uncle (many of the children refer to adults as Auntie and Uncle), that is good about Jesus, but can Jesus give me some food? Can Jesus give me a blanket?" Jimmy said, "Yes!" and has been doing it ever since. From one child to a whole community of kids, he offers healthy meals to kids every day after school. He's leased a huge complex in Swakop where he houses several need-meeting ministries. Most impressive was a business he launched there where dozens of locals now work, and the product they produce (similar to a Cheese Doodle), bag and ship all over southern Africa now sustains the ministry financially and more. They in turn are assisting dozens of other grass-roots programs all over Namibia. Kerry, Steph and I saw quite clearly, this guy is the genuine article!

From there we had another stop - at an Arandis sewing factory. Anne Marie was a lady who liked to sew. She had a dream. What if we made clothing here for the rest of the world. She saw tags in clothing that said "Made in Mexico" and so forth, why not "Made in Namibia"? She gave Kerry, Steph and I a tour of her quality control area (the smaller of two production lines). All together, she has 250 employees on her payroll and is shipping her products to Woolworths around the world. This is in Arandis! When I spoke to her she said, "the people needed employment so I came up with this" as she looked around the factory. No kidding - this is changing the world!

Finally, my day ended with a meeting with Pastor Reuben - the church that had initially sent Tresford and Fabiola to Arandis three and a half years ago. I asked Pastor Reuben to share the vision of his congregation with me. As he did, I realized that he had just articulated the Vision and Core Values of Christ's Church. My friends, we have found our true kin on the other side of the world. I cannot capture my excitement at meeting and sharing with these three people. This day will go down as a highlight for me for years to come. I'm certain that our future relationship with all three will be the stuff in which people catch glimpses of God's story.

Speaking of God's story, more is being written. As I began I mentioned that four of my group elected to stay at Pearl's last night. The entire team was invited but we were concerned that our numbers would be more of a burden than a blessing on the Banda household. Still, we didn't want to say no, as that might have been a cause of hurt. Kerry, Bonnie, Sallie and Steph decided to spend the night at the Banda's home. I'm on my way to pick them up within the hour. Pray for my team. This time when we load up and aim our combies north, it will be "goodbye". I've told my team that three things will make for the best separation experience (from my experience); (1) allow yourself to grieve over the separation; (2) say good goodbyes; (3) say thank you. I'm praying this morning that my team remembers that lesson from our training. They will benefit greatly if they do.

So now we begin the long journey home. We're on our way to Etosha to go and stalk the lion population of Africa and to "make friends" with a few elephants. Roadkill (my combie's annual nickname) knows the way to Etosha without me. So, we're almost home. Pray for my team now as all 27 of us will reunite for the first time since day 2. Pray for my team as these next three days of debrief and turn-around are actually some of the most important of our trip. Pray for my leaders, as they are helping your loved ones prepare for re-entry, which can be a traumatic shock to the system. Don't worry - we've got great and experienced leaders in place, and hosts who know what they're doing. Pray that we finish strong.

Lastly, I'm not sure what communication will look like from the north. Our new internet connection ability has been amazing thus far, but it relies on cell service. So, if we go silent for a couple of days, no worries. We're just messin' with the elephants. We'll be back. Of course, if it works, I'll have more for you. Sorry I've fallen a bit behind. I'll promise to "type when I get home". Love to you all, from us all!

Jesse, I'd like to go to the post office in the morning if I can...

Yea, I'd like to get the bat out of my room...


Bat extraction was a success... no bats were harmed in the creation of this post... although he did run into the screen many times, he was still able to fly out on his own accord.

Small axe = Big problem

As we were setting up the tables and chairs for the afternoon meal at the soup kitchen on Friday, the boys ran over to Jan & I soaking wet. I was then informed that one of the workers setting up the garden had hit the main water pipe onto the property & a geyser was coming up from the ground. Grant & Matt were helping to move the firewood from the sudden burst showering down. My first thought was how are they going to cook & the second was how are we going to clean up. It took approximately 15 minutes to find the main shut off valve. The kids had come outside for breakfast & were in awe of the sight, giggling... not realizing the complications that lay ahead.

I was so touched by how quickly Matt & Grant stepped up to help with the situation. They immediately understood the severity of the issue. Once the water main was turned off Grant immediately asked how he could help rectify the situation & grabbed a large tin can and began to bail the water out of the whole so that they could see how bad the damage was. When I spoke with Sigfreid he said that it will not be that difficult to fix, but it is still a huge inconvenience. In the afternoon I spoke with Kauna and she had to come up with an alternative plan for lunch, but by the looks of it... it was as good a meal as the kids had been served all week. They did need to walk into Vyf Rand and borrow water, which required multiple trips with a large bucket carried on a woman's head. These people are survivors, it's what they know how to do... I have learned more and more every day what community is all about.

Halfway Around the World

Hi Everyone... Here is our latest video from Arandis. Look out for another one coming in the near future as well!

Lot's of people helped video tape this one so I can't name everyone, but they all did an awesome job!

Ohole!

Let me start off by saying... last night was my turn... we came home at 10pm and I headed straight to the toilet the empty my stomach... this makes 5 people on our team that has been sick through out the week (yes, more than half... and then there are sick canadians too). On a more positive note, today I am feeling better. I decided to stay in this morning because I did not sleep at all last night and my back was aching so much that it hurt to breathe. Ibuprofen has set in and life is good. I figured it would be a great opportunity to blog and post some pics. I also posted some pics on Thursday night, but was so tired that I did not take the time to tell you, it has been a very draining (but exciting) week. And now back to our regularly scheduled programming...

Ohole is Oshiwambo for love... I have been so amazed by our team. We have been working overtime this past week. Jesse, Nate, Steph, Ginger, Melissa have completed painting the hall across from the kitchen area. Jan, Matt, Grant & I have been working at the soup kitchen every morning making peanut butter & butter or jam & butter sandwiches to feed 400 for breakfast and then set up the tables & chairs under the canopies. I can not believe that the people who work there do it all by themselves EVERYDAY!! The picture to the left is the "kitchen" where the afternoon meal is prepared.

We come back to the plot for a quick lunch then head straight back to the soup kitchen for lunch service. This time has been such a great opportunity to get to know the kids. There are a group of girls that I have become quite close with. Sylvia, Victoria, Debbie, Lydia & Ester. I remember seeing them from past years, but haven't had the opportunity to really talk with them. Sylvia asked me some questions for her health class all about HIV/AIDS contraction & prevention. She was in shock to hear some of the statistics and information that I told her. I also took that opportunity to ask the girls what they want to be when they grow up. This time they didn't preface the answer with "if I grow up", but it was a similar response with "if I finish school". These girls aspire to be doctors, lawyers, soldiers, embassy workers (not MBC workers which lead to my confusion :) ). Their hopes are so much bigger then the zinc shacks that they currently reside in.

I also spent time getting to know the people that work at the soup kitchen. Kauna is the administrator of Ileni Tulikwafeni - Center for Hope & Trust. She runs a tight ship and is extremely over worked. Sigfreid is the sandwich maker extrodinare... I love the smile on his face when I tell him he's got sandwich making skills. It's been such a blessing joking around with him this past week. There are so many more workers that make this place a success, but I will not get into all of their stories right now.

Friday was such a bittersweet day... it was the last day that we went into the soup kitchen as a team. Sigfreid kept telling us this is the last time... tomorrow we have to do this all by ourselves. The girls did not want us to leave in the afternoon, but with other obligations we needed to go. Although some days were quite overwhelming for the team... the crowds of kids pining for attention... the reality of the finality will soon hit them hard, although I heard many of our youth say "I will see you next year". I am so proud of our team that has worked their hearts out more than they may ever have.

Darin's Diary pt. 4

Where has the time gone? I last wrote to you of Monday's activities for the part of the team in Arandis - and as I type this our Friday evening meal is being prepared by Pam and Erica (and it smells so good!). Let me try to catch you up.

First, I had a very strange experience on Monday night. It will require a bit of explanation, so I'll save it for a later post, but suffice to say it was a very moving moment in the trip for me. It involved rain. No. I'm not kidding. How's that for whetting your appetite?

Tuesday morning brought with it a number of opportunities for our team. Pam and Erica continued their work, as they are planned to do the entire week, with Hope's Promise Orphan Ministry's primary school Talitha Kumi. For those of you wondering what Talitha Kumi means, take a quick read of Mark 5:41. In the afternoons Pam and others have been working to get the schools 900 volume library into a useful state. The opportunities for them to get to know the children, parents and teachers has been phenomenal. The children run to them for hugs everywhere they are spotted in the community.

A handful of us joined Pastor Tresford, Fabiola and Pearl on the site of their new church building. They have leased the plot and raised N$15000 of the necessary N$25000 so far. It was very exciting to see what God is providing for this dear congregation and to imagine the impact this body will have on the surrounding community in the years to come.

Our school team (Richard, John, Toivo, Amanda, Patrice and Casey) began afterschool discussions with the 11th graders at Kolin Foundation Secondary School. The first day the students were split into groups - Amanda felt like hers went great, the others not so sure, but all looked forward to pressing on to better results in the coming days.

The afternoon dance classes saw the number of participants between the two classes swell to 110! The girls are doing a marvelous job.

Immediately after the dance classes, the bravest of souls agreed to join Pastor Tresford's Choir - complete with a list of songs in Afrikaans. Jackie, Steph, Patrice, Amanda, Casey, Bonnie, Kerry and Courtney all lent their voices and enthusiasm to the project. The choir will perform as a part of this weekend's big concert/recital. I stopped into rehearsal long enough to see that the lyrics may actually be the least of the difficulties for our singers. Movements while singing all those Afrikaans tongue-twisters should make this a hoot. John is also involved, playing bass guitar for the choir's accompanying band.

Wednesday offered me the opportunity to spend some quality time with the guys. Richard, Toivo, John and I spent the morning preparing for a special evening with the ladies on our team. This was the day we had agreed to prepare supper for the team. We had a thing or two up our sleeves. We decided on an all out appreciation dinner. The menu for our special braai included Chicken and Beef Sosaties; Oryx steak and baked potatoes. We topped things off with a candlelight table, a red rose for each of our twelve girls, and each of us serving them in bowties. Just an aside... finding bowties in Namibia was a little tricky.

There was rhyme and reason to it all. Here in Namibia, for the most part, men don't treat women very well. The four of us have covenanted to serve "our girls". We also wanted to bless them. We wanted to remind them that they are each unique, and that God meant them to be just that - each of them the apple of His eye (thus, the roses). Of course the night became a total success when John, in bowtie, strolled around them singing sweet nothings as they ate.

And still more rhyme and reason - each year we try to plan a little break in the action to bless the team and boost our morale. This was this year's attempt. Ask the girls if it worked. For the four of us... steak was amazing!

The ladies gave us a little surprise of their own. They decided to dress up and put on make-up and really go all out for us. We were encouraged that they played along with us all night long. What a great team we have here in Arandis! Here's a picture of three of us with some of the ladies that weren't camera shy. Toivo isn't in the picture either - something about he had to take off his bowtie and run to Windhoek to get a cold drink (memories for the 2007 team). There's some video footage of our special night coming too.

More later. And sooner than later.

From Team Hoop

Wow! What an adventure we have been having. After over the river, it has been a whirlwind. Reorganizing and cleaning up Joan’s resource and supply room was the next thing on our agenda. Members of Team Zebra had started it and we helped to complete it. We emptied out the suitcases we brought and filled boxes with clothing, supplies and books we had brought. We continued to plan for our preschool workshop with Joan’s teachers on Monday and went to bed Sunday night tired, exhausted and satisfied that we had nearly completed that huge undertaking. The look on Joan’s face when she saw the room said it all!

Monday morning we were up bright and early for our trip to Windhoek to visit one of only two government special needs schools in the country. The Dagbreek School is located in the center of Windhoek. Principal Paul Duplessis, born and raised in Namibia, a dedicated educator for many years runs the school. There are 85 students who either commute or live at the school depending on where they live throughout the country. The students are generally between the ages of 8 to 18. When they reach the age of majority, they finish the school program and either, return home to supportive families or leave to survive on their own. When they leave the school, they receive a small disability income to help them. It is the hope of the school that they have learned enough skills to manage a job to sustain them. It is not always a positive outcome.

We found the teachers to be caring and were always keeping their children first and foremost. These children have severe disabilities like Downs Syndrome, Fetal Alcohol Syndrome, Autism, Cerebral Palsy and confinement to wheel chairs and other walking and mental impairments. We were amazed at the school grounds and what they offered their students. They had a trampoline and a pool and other occupational therapy tools, a huge area to garden, grazing sheep and a huge woodpile, where students bag wood to sell for a small profit. They make jams, jellies, and chutneys from the various fruits and vegetables they grow and then sell in their store.
They have a domestic classroom where they cook, bake, learn sewing and knitting. These skills will be useful to them later on in life.

In comparison, many of our schools in the US, due to budget cuts, no longer offer domestic classes and practical skills classes that benefit our students as well.
Janet, a Life Skills teacher, who is with us, was amazed at what the school offered their students and wanted to bring these opportunities back home to our students. The students also experience a daily music movement class that they really enjoy. Something we also observed was that the teachers had daily break together and have built in weekly time to plan for their school lessons, something US teachers don’t always get to experience.

In talking with the principal, he shared with us the countless hours he spends at the school, (he and his wife live there at the hostel) and how he manages to supplement his supplies from the business communities who are willing to donate items for the school. They have even started a supplementary fund to help pay for things like hospital/medical care for students who cannot afford to pay, clothing, toiletry items and other basic necessities that the government does not pay for. Most schools end at 12 or 12:30 depending on ages. We are also planning on attending the other special needs school later on.

Other trip endeavors have included a workshop with Joan’s preschool, where we shared some creative ideas on using recycled materials for teaching concepts and sharing school supplies and materials that can be used in their classrooms.
The looks on the faces of the teachers said it all, someone said this is like Christmas, it could not have been any better. Sharing is so important in the lives of teachers.

We did return to the Dagbreek school, spending time with the principal who could not be any more welcoming, to take the time out of his busy day to spend with us. We understood fully, as our own principal spends his life at school and never seems to have enough time in his day for everything that needs to be done.

We then visited the other special needs school and pretty much heard about the same issues plaguing most schools. Specialists like speech-language pathologists and physical therapists are in such high demand even in American schools, and so important to our special needs population and there is a real shortage and turnover in those fields so many children do not get the therapy they need for improvement.
All in all, we American teachers discovered that it does not matter where we are, what continent we are on, that teachers have heart, are caring, loving and give of their time and energy to support their students. We will do whatever it takes to meet their needs, adapt and do what is needed, even like one of the teachers said, “It makes my day when even one of my students can count to 5.” What a blessing God gives to us in caring for our students. Our hats off to our friends, our colleagues here in Namibia!

~Dennise

I didn't believe that there were 400 kids here...

until I started doing the dishes. This was said to me this afternoon as Jan & I were washing dishes at the soup kitchen. It is also one of my favorite quotes so far.

The past couple of days have been 100% go, go, go. Monday we spent time at the soup kitchen in Vyf Rand. Kuana is the woman who runs the place. They started a couple years ago feeding 70 kids & now they feed approximately 400 children breakfast & lunch.

Tuesday we split the team in the morning, half stayed back on the plot to paint and the other half went back to the soup kitchen to dig holes for 32 poles. They are building a garden so that they can supply their own vegetables. Those who stayed back are repainting the big room across from the kitchen area (for those who have been here). Jan's got some painting skills!! When we arrived to help dig out the poles we discovered that they did not need us, so we helped to make sandwiches for breakfast & helped to set up the tables for the kids to sit at for lunch. Nate & I were also about to talk with Ruth, a woman from Texas who is in the peace corps. It was nice for her to be able to express her frustrations. She is only 6 months into her 2 year commitment and needs prayer when it comes to the realtionships that she has with those she is working with.

In the afternoon half went to an informal bible study with Mike and half of us went back to the soup kitchen for the lunch crowd. This is where Jan & I washed dishes. During that time I was able to connect with Kuana and hear a bit more about her history. She also opened the door for me to ask questions about her relationship with Ruth (without making it seem like I had spoken to Ruth). Currently Vyf Rand has a population of approximately 5,000 people. Many children wander the streets all day long and do not attend school. Although outward appearances show that Vyf Rand is improving... I am still not sure that I can say it really is. I would love to expand with more details later, but right now I am off to the soup kitchen again this morning.

Just Another Glimpse...

Hey Everyone! Katie is great at getting videos done for us to share for you, so we hope you enjoy this one of some of us on Team Liefde in Arandis!



P.S. Make sure you also check out the photo album for new pictures in the Team Liefde section!

Greetings from Arandis

So for those of you who panicked when they didn't get a comment from their loved ones, just remember: They are probably a member of Team Leifde in Arandis! Here you go:

Courtney:
Hey everyone! I miss all of you so much! I have enjoyed all of your comments. We read them every night and I always look forward to hearing from you guys. The trip has been wonderful so far. I’ve met a lot of people and have already experienced many amazing things.
Grammy – Everyone enjoys hearing from the “Team Grammy” and they all want to meet you. I miss you and Papa a lot. I hope everything is well. Can’t wait to see you.
Mom – Things have been great, I’m glad camp was fun. I enjoy hearing from you and miss you. I can’t wait to see you. Did you get my phone in the mail? I love you! I miss all the kids, love you guys! Dad - I enjoyed hearing from you. I wish you were here too. I've experienced a lot of great things. Love you.
Love, Courtney (Co-Co)


John:
Thank you to those of you who’ve been praying for us and watching the blog. We’ve met so many wonderful people and seen far too many things to fit into such a small space. We’re also seeing a few of those “internal miracles.” I can’t wait to share stories and pictures with you. I loaned my iPod to one of my new Namibian friends today, and he quickly found his favorites – Led Zeppelin, Chris Tomlin, Stevie Wonder, and Maroon 5. At one point, he also said “who is this Marc Naugler and his ‘Born To Me’ song?” I’m glad to hear things are going well at home and that Dad has been keeping himself busy playing guitar. Mom and Jenna – be sure to tell everyone else I said hello and I look forward to seeing them soon.


Patrice:
Hey everybody! I just wanted to let you all know how much I loved all of your comments for me on the blog. It makes the other side of the world feel a little more like home. Mom and Dad, I miss you guys so much!! Michael…. I cry myself to sleep at night without you too…. The filming comments are unnecessary though. I have to admit that the rest of the team really enjoys your sarcasm every night when we read the blogs. Say hi to everyone in Stone Harbor for me! I wish I could be there too! Tim, thanks so much for keeping up with me and bon, miss you! To Vitt, if you are reading this, HAPPY EARLY BIRTHDAY!!! Things here in Arandis are going well. It was a little rough for me at the beginning of the week due to a lost suitcase. But two days later it rolled into town. I can’t wait to hear back from you all, and Pat we found someone else who knows which way it is to the beach.


Kerry:
Mom, Dad, Erin, Dom, and anyone else who has been reading up…hiii!! It’s been so nice to hear the posts and I am starting to miss everyone a lot. I’ve been finding myself stumbling over words to describe my experiences here, but everything has been incredible. Dancing for the schools has been fun and seeing and relating with the kids has been better. They are so enthusiastic and loving and have amazing attitudes despite the conditions here. All the people we’ve encountered are friendly and warm and everybody loves singing and dancing. The sky here at night takes my breath away every time and is definitely one of my favorite parts of being here. In our down time we’ve been making lots of friendship bracelets with string and enjoying the sun. The spiders here have not been as bad as I thought they would be but they still are everywhere. Tonight we start teaching classes and I am so excited! How’s erin liking camp, still sane from all the kids? Thanks Dom for the Sox updates, I heard the Yankees just won so I bet you’re happy. I hope you got my email from Dubai. Love you all very much and thinking about you all the time!


Erica:
Hey all! Thanks for all the posts, it means a lot! Namibia is such an amazing place. I feel so blessed that God has put me here. If you told me 15 years ago that I would be in Africa worshiping God, I would have said you were nuts. Jimmy, even though you aren't getting sappy like George, I really appreciate the shout outs and comments! Can't wait to share Africa with you next year! Nick, keep rockin! Mommy misses you. Joey, hope you are not playing too many video games. Emma, the kids in Africa are great, can't wait to tell you all about them. Sarah, thanks for the posts! Can't wait for our first Thursday night jam after Africa. So much to share. Christine, you rock! Thanks for helping Jimmy. Love and Blessings, Mom (McLovin)


Katie:
Thanks for the comments mom, Amanda and Emily. Becky - hi (haha) We're doing great, see you soon!


Amanda:
Hi All! We're doing great! I absolutely love it as usual. I'm teaching Toivo the geetar! :) It's so great to be with all of my friends again. I love you all! <3Amanda

Steph:
Kelsey, I think about you every day, and it's hard to be without you. I know you feel the same way and are dreading your time with Chris, longing that it was me you were with! Just kidding, but I do miss you, and maybe BAE a little, and I can't wait to hang out with you and see you every day again! I love the comments you've written, keep them coming! Chrissy, I am sorry that Jake is being a pain and Casey is too madly in love with me to hang out with you. I hope child sitting and ebay is keeping you busy.. wish you were here! Other than that, I'm doing pretty good.. Africa is amazing as usual. Toivo hasn't gotten me any cool drinks yet, I'm still waiting! Love, Steph


Toivo:
Hi Kevin, I want a hamburger from McDonalds! Also hi to Steph, Amanda, Christine, Molly & Jaime. Jaime I hope you are doing something active. Hi Kat, I'm doing great, my 6 pack got bigger. Miss you all! M.J. how are you?


Richard:
Hi NH family! Hi to all. Glad to hear everyone is doing well. Thanks for the prayers. The team in Aranbndis is doing well and God is moving in a mighty way. Lisa, thanks for your prayers. Love to all I know and all I don't.


Pam:
Love and miss you family, I'm praying for you guys. Hi Pat, Kelly, Cindy, Cathy T, Melissa. I love Namibia. I'm managing just fine in all areas. The kids at school are fun and cute. They like to play with my hair and give lots of hugs. I'm going to hate leaving them. The week is going by quickly. Miss you all!


Darin:
Hey Shari, miss you more than you can possibly know. Meeting people, seeing sights and having experiences that would only be better if you were here. Lots to share when I get home. Love Nan's house. Hate her dog. Haven't managed to make my team hate me... yet. Thanks for letting me be here, see you soon. Love you more! Hi Amanda, Becky and Emily, Love you all. Thanks for helping mom as you have been. Emily, don't get used to my side of the bed.


Casey:
Hope all is well. While Dennise is in Okahandja, I'm with the dancers and others in Arandis. I've seen many people from last year that I remember, which is so cool. Hey Dad, hopefully you have the whole house packed up. Ames I miss you so much. Laura stop doing homework. The rest of you guys, miss you and see you soon! <3Casey


Bonnie:
Hey Everyone! So thanks for all the comments. Hearing my childhood nicknames for the entire team to hear is really awesome. Fresh monkey, mom? Really? Not necessary. And Dad, your knowledge of the teen lingo is simply amazing. Well, I'm getting pretty well taken care of between John Mayer singing John Mayer, Richard carrying me to my room when I'm already asleep on the couch, and Patrice being my mom as usual. T- it was great to hear from you and I'm glad you're enjoying the videos. You better be enjoying the book just as muhc. Anyways, tell Vitt I sat happy birthday and dont worry we're coming home pretty soon. Erin- hope you're having fun at camp and being the only child. Everything here is great except that I keep getting exhausted at 6 and can barely stay awake. Sooo I miss everyone a lot, and I especially miss going to Wendy's. Hope you're all having fun and keep leaving messages. Love you!


Sallie:
Hi everyone, Just thought I'd check in and tell you all is going well here in Africa. We have had non-stop days filled with music and dancing and kids! The children are precious and thirsty to learn anything and everything. I think I have shocked a few in telling them that yes, my hair is real, I did in fact grow up in the United States, and I know some African Dance (but not Karate). Hope everything is well at home. I can't believe a week has passed since we headed out from NH. Mom & Dad, you'll be glad to hear that me and a few other girls are helping paint a backdrop for the concert we will be a part of next weekend with the theme "Revive Us". There are plenty of beautiful sights to be inspired by here. The enthusias, and hope in people here is equally inspirational. I've gotten so many hugs in the past few days, I have some to spare! Miss you! XOXOXOOOOOX Love, Sallie


Jackie:
Enjoying my time here in Namibia! Glad to be back in Arandis & reconnecting with all of my friends! Christine, missing you lots & wishing you were here to see everyone again. Friends are asking about you! Time is flying by - one week has passed already! Can't wait to chat! Much love, Mom

The Notorious Buddy & Julia

The first time I ever heard about Buddy & Julia was through another couple serving in Namibia that I have yet to meet, Todd & Erin (Maybe they are next). Todd had mentioned them in many email updates that he sends out. I first spotted them at the airport and knew right away who they were, so I went up and introduced myself. Buddy has been a missionary to Namibia since 2005 and his wife Julia is from Vyf Rand. It's been such a pleasure learning about them and how they met, what the circumstances were in their engagement and then to hear all about their four weddings... yes... four. Three a year ago and one on December 29th. I had the pleasure of sitting with them at lunch on our first day in country and it was really cool to learn about their ministry and how they got to be where they are today... at least the abridged version.

Sunday we went to church at Buddy's church and it was cool to hear him preach. Afterwards I spent some time with Julia and she told me a bit about their marriage and how the cultural differences were sometimes quite difficult. Sunday evening they joined us for dinner and a rousing game a Apples to Apples which was the special "Namibian Edition". After dinner and the game we sat and talked a little more in depth with Buddy and Julia about their lives and ministry and learned more about the culture and expectations.

The one thing I really notice is that God has really answered a prayer to bring along like-minded fun friends to encourage Mike... and that my friend... He has totally done!

Darin's Diary pt. 3

Greetings to all of our iNam friends and family! Thanks again for your faithfulness in prayer. I'm happy to report that all of our sickies are now at full strength again. Let's just say it's been flushed out of them and leave it at that. I'm also happy to report that my group within the team made our journey away from the others in Okahandja and settled into Arandis with much excitement and enthusiasm.

We are staying in our friend Nan Parker's home - a house that easily accommodates our group of 16 (our original 14 plus Toivo and Richard who have joined our team). Nan's home is very comfortable. Her dog Sammy... well, he's small. Exceptionally loud for his size. Taken fondly to the lower legs of several of my teammates (and we're here to talk about abstinence - the dog isn't listening!) and he peed on my guitar. Let's just say that the men are cooking Wednesday night, and I've assigned Richard the task of rigging a rotisserie. Sammy may presently be enjoying his last hours, pre pup-chops. "Sammy? Nope. Haven't seen him. Anyone seen Sammy?"

We enjoyed reconnecting with the Banda family upon our arrival Saturday night. Pastor Tresford and Fabiola have worked out a full week of ministry opportunities in which we can join them.

Sunday we worshipped with the congregation of Arandis Christian Center (Pastor Tresford's congregation). It was wonderful to see so many friends again. The service was a blessing to us all. In the evening we traveled to Swakopmund to take part in a youth service. Our dancers performed a couple of numbers, John and Tresford led a song, and Richard brought a marvelous message on the Prodigal Son. The service erupted at the end into a dance party - a huge conga line, a circle with many taking turns stepping into the middle to showcase a move or two. It was amazing to be a part of that. Reflecting on it later, it was thrilling for me to see so many of the youth from Arandis actively involved - young people that we are familiar with from prior trips.

Monday morning started very early with our annual return to Kolin Foundation Secondary School and our friend Dr. Erna Both. This is the dear lady who was so concerned the first time we visited there in 2005 that she literally held our power feed in her hand to unplug it if she needed to. Since then we've developed a relationship that includes much trust on both sides, leading in the 06 and 07 trips including our team members taking classrooms to dialogue with students. Today as we began Dr. Both introduced us saying, "God sends His messengers to us. Listen closely to these dear friends of Kolin from America. They are regulars here now." Those of you who have been here before know how blessed we are to hear her speak like that!

Dr. Both requested that our team send a few of the young people into the school the rest of the week for peer interaction with her 11th graders. She especially wants us to talk frankly with the students about sexual purity and hope for the future. She said to me, "These messages you bring are taking hold in many of the learners lives. We're making progress." So, we anticipate doing that beginning tomorrow.

We raced 100km from Kolin to a Primary School in Usakos. Pastor Tresford's congregation has been reaching out to this community and he was hopeful that our dancers and musicians could do an assembly to help build for the future there. We arrived to find an amazing school. We were sent into a first grade classroom that looked like one you'd see in America. The teachers we met seemed very capable and warm. The next thing we knew, more than 400 students were marched in - between 1st and 7th grade. There was not a free square foot of floor space for dances. So, the team modified their plans. We put on the Wiggles and led the kids in (gentle and space appropriate) movements. They loved it. Amanda was called upon to share a message with the children. She spoke about God's unchanging love for us. At the end she asked if she could pray for the kids and there was a rousing "YES!" reply from the whole room. As she began, "Let's pray", you could have heard a pin drip in that room.

Our Monday began to wind down with the first of the week's dance classes. The first group of younger children numbered 40. The second group of older children numbered 20. Those numbers will increase tomorrow, as we've learned. The first day went very well. The children loved the classes and didn't want them to end.

That brings you up to date. Parting thoughts from my heart to yours... emotions. These trips are very emotional for all participants. Many on our side of the team are having those emotional experiences this week. Please pray for us all as we comfort and encourage one another. These are the things we prepared ourselves for in advance. More soon...

Foreign Occupancy

Saturday morning Jesse and I were asked to travel just outside of Windhoek to pick up a team of Canadian Scouts since Joan & Dieter needed more combie drivers. I figured it would be a cool opportunity to begin to get to know the people that will be sharing the plot with us.

When we arrived my thoughts and expectations were far different from reality. Instead of picking up a bunch of little boys the team is full of high school and college age guys and girls. Everyone I have met so far is quite nice, aye. I prayed on the way back that we would see some cool wildlife to show them and we actually saw two heards of giraffe 10 minutes apart. I have only seen giraffe on B1 (the road from Windhoek to Okahandja) once before and that was August of 2004. They are here building toilets for 11 preschools in the area. The toilets are state of the art latrines that use no chemicals and are not affected by the hot sun. Of course there is a better way to discribe them, but that is the jist of it... so I've been told.

It's also been quite interesting to observe the scout culture and the things that they do. They are definitely a well oiled machine. We also came home to see that the land has been claimed for Canada. btw... mike earned his can opener merit badge on Saturday...

Never Alone (For Grammy)

Here's a glimpse into our Sunday evening:



Dancer: Courtney Diaz
Camera: Katie Shaw

We went to Swakopmund to participate in a youth service. John played and sang a song, the dancers (who tap) tapped, Courtney performed her solo, and Richard brought a message.

Shout Outs From Okahandja

Hi Everyone,
Arrived here safely. The flight wasn’t so bad. We got right to work on Friday morning at a preschool in Vyf Rand. We had a great jam session with the teachers in the afternoon. Many issues are not so different from US teacher issues. We grilled for the 4th and had fun at the fire. My mattress and Casey’s both deflated so we improvised. Yesterday we worked in the resource room and hope to prep for our workshop with teacher’s tomorrow. Today we finished up the resource room and had gone to church in the morning.Maegan our other teammate is arriving tomorrow. Can’t wait for her to join us. Doug don’t work too hard this week!!!!
Love Dennise

George –
“ Weather is here… I know you are beautiful – today, tomorrow and always! I miss you so much is hurts. Give the children a HUGE hug and kiss for me. I miss them more than they can know. All my love… Ginger

I love you Carey Bear, My family, Scott, Jen, Tim, and Amanda… I have so much to say but I am missing you all so! BIG HUG for Greta!!! Love Jan
BTW I ATE A WORM!!!

Mom & dad I love you to the moon & back. I look at the stars & know you are seeing the same sky. Kevin rock on in Amsterdam. Steph H. my flashy purple toe polish reminds me of you. Christina patches has been excellent company. Thanks for holding down the fort molly. Thompsons, you are my 2nd family I miss you all too! Hannah & Naomi, coffee date when I return. Love you all –Stephanie Messer

Hello All! Things here are beautiful, lots to see and do. You wouldn’t believe the sky here at night. Miss you all bunches and bunches. Hugs to David, scratches for Bear and don’t forget to tickle Susan and Andrew for me while I’m away. Love you all. Janet

Greetings to all!!! All is well. Spent a wonderful day on Friday in Katutura with a pre-school that had 60 students – all excitied about learning the oldest group consisted of children ranging in age from 7 to 17 – Imagining!!!- and they were all attentive and contributing to the lesson!!!! …What dedication on the part of students and teachers!!! Weather is a bit cooler than last year. Love to all - Dorothy

Hi Molly!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I miss you a lot but I am having an amazing time here. I get your note a lot more now. Having lots of fun and meeting lots of awesome kids. Drinkin FANTA. I’m fillin my suitcase full of it. Mom n Dad I love you much. I can’t find time to even realize that I’m actually in Africa, but I am loving it. and Toivo says lots a good things molly. I’ll go into detail when I return. Thanks to all who are thinking and praying for us. It’s working. – Love MATT

Hi Mom & Derk & Ryan. Africa is amazing, I have already learnt so much I also made two really great friends. Ryan, HAPPY [late] BIRTDAY and I will explain Donnie Darko and the scary pictures when I get home. :] Mom & Derk I miss you a lot and cant wait to come home and see you. Being here has been such a great experience and I am so happy I came. Thank you so much for all the comments…we read them around the campfire during debriefing…the other night I had atleast 5 comments in a row. Well I am off to hang out with Matt & Steph. I go to the pre-school and orphanage tomorrow. LOVE YOU.(tell all my friends I said hi and I miss them send a myspace comment to them mom.) thanks. –Melissa.

Dude cam you have to come next year. This is the most amazing place on earth.
Dad I miss you a lot can’t wait to hear from you.
“Pineapple Fanta” That is all.
-Grant

From Jesse: Hey my lovely wife, wish you were here, but things are going well our first few days so far, MWA! My love and greetings go out to my mom and dad and bros, and my other mom and dad. To everyone else, be blessed and keep following the blog and keep us in your prayers that God would show us how best to share Jesus with the kids we’ll be interacting with daily throughout this coming week. Tot seans (a form of goodbye).

From Nate: Elizabeth! Hi Hi Hi. I miss you so much! I’m feeling better, and eating better too. I hope you are feeling well, and having a good time with the monsters. I love you so much! Mom and Dad, Hey… love you guys too, take care of my cat! Casey, Meow!

Kat – The “motherland” has done me well. They tell me I’m darker, but then laugh and say it didn’t take much. ~mike

Go up the hill, down the hill & drive through the river

(I was unable to access blogger last night, so this is about Friday)

The title is part of the directions Mike gave me so that the teachers and I could find the Shalom Centre School. This is the school that my 2002 Namibian team member, Castrow, is working. The plan was for the teachers to go in and observe the class rooms in the morning and then do a workshop in the afternoon on identifying and teaching special needs kids. Mike asked me to go because I know Castrow and also know how to drive Namibian style. We had a 6am wake up call from Jesse & John standing in the common room playig & singing "The Star Spangled Banner". Since it was 6am & I was a bit tired, I was a little apprehensive as I read the directions (which of course were drawn ever so neatly with a nice map and landmarks). When I ever read the part about driving through the river I recalled Mike's Blog about his experience with visiting Castrow. I looked at him and said "I have to drive across a river in the jetta???". He assured me that we would be fine, but if I get stuck... back up, park & walk up the hill. Mike is always so, so very encouraging...

We drove through Katutura (on the first Friday of the month, which can be pretty scarey because people are roaming the steets and most are probably drunk). We stared down at that river pretty nervous to even think about crossing, but Dorothy scoped out the scene & said she thought we could make it... so we tried & plowed through with out a problem... cheering all the way. When we arrived Castrow was so excited to see me and had no idea that I was coming. In the morning we split up and each went into one of the four classrooms. I went into Castrow's room while Dorothy, Dennise & Janet went into the other three. It was amazing watching Castrow teach his class. He has really been gifted to teach and interact with these children. We swapped classrooms through the experience, and of course Castrow wanted me to play photographer so that he could document the visit in the school history.

In the afternoon we had been invited to lunch we were served antelope, noodles & tea. It was quite yummy and a great expeience for the first day on the field. After lunch the teachers had their work shop. In a lot of ways it was a brainstorming session talking about the observations learned in the classroom, teachers sharing experiences & discovering ways to work with the children that all learn so differently. The meeting had nothing to do with the Americans coming in and telling these teachers what to do or what they are doing is wrong. It was a meeting that informed us about culture, helped to grasp new ideas for teaching and motivating students and really encouraged the teachers that they are doing the right thing and kids will be kids. Each one is different, each one has their own learning style.

We left the meeting almost an hour later than we expected, but we were just so pumped about the day that we didn't think about much else. As we left the school yard we peered down at the river and it appeared less deep so we just plowed through as we had before. Half way up the big hill we stalled... and the car did not want to start again. So we prayed, the teachers came along, people tried to help out... still wouldn't start. Then by God's grace the car decided to start again & we headed out of Katutura before dark and as the streets were more and more filled with drunk people.

A couple things that struck me... I have been so cold this time around. Namibia is experiencing record cold temperatures. We woke up friday morning to 28F, that's -4C. That morning I went up and introduced myself to a little girl. When I shook her hand all I could think about was how much of an ice cube her hand was and I am sure still is at this very moment... I move forward thinking about Celia and the zinc shack that she lives in, the holes that must be all through the sides and the dirt floor she is probably sleeping on and realize that I need to just suck it up.

We were also told that in Namibian culture just knowing how to write your name is considered being well educated. Parents sometimes take their kids out of school as soon as they learn how to write their name. These teachers need to overcome some culture and tradition and discover how to teach these children without the cultural influence of their parents.

See What It's Like

Editing: Katie Shaw
Song Choice: Stephanie Livsey
Camera"men": Patrice Stay, Katie Shaw

Hey everyone, I hope you enjoy this video Katie put together last night. She tried her best to get footage of everyone, but if you see your loved one missing, don't worry... everyone got here safely! Near the end of the week, we are going to work on a second video starring Team Leifde so keep your eyes out for that!

Hope everyone in the States had a great 4th of July!
-Steph L

Darin's Diary pt. 2

Those of you who had been praying fervently for our travel to Namibia, thank you! Our journey over here was truly the easiest we've experienced over the years. You want a good chuckle? Those of you who have been before, and those of you who covenanted to pray specifically for our travels will remember that the most stressful point (and the most likely to cause us problems) is clearing customs in Namibia with the extra suitcases of donated items and sound equipment and so on. You've even heard me refer to the 'beefy chicks' that stand between us and our entry into the country of Namibia. Well, we were delayed briefly gathering our bags in the baggage claim area. By the time we began to roll our carts of luggage through the customs area - there were no officers in sight. Not one human being lined the customs gauntlet. We rolled through without a moment's delay! That, my friends, is an answer to prayer!

So, now I ask you to shift your attention to the health of our team. I'm hesitant to mention this because imaginations can run wild across the oceans. Do know that no one is sick in a dangerous way, but many on this team are dealing with upset tummies and sleep deprivation. Team members (and past team veterans) know that this is planned for and expected. This happens every year and is mostly attributed to the changes our body clocks go through and new climate, foods and water. We expect everyone will be back to normal in a day or so. Please don't worry - just pray. We gathered last night around the fire and shared all the blog comments you've been leaving. Thank you! It really encourages one and all. And, to know that the Red Sox blanked the Yankees 7-0 got a rousing cheer! The team decided to adopt Grammy Duncan as our official team grandmother... and her references to the Psalms have been a source of encouragement.

Yesterday (July 4th) saw the team in motion in the pre-dawn hours. That was a challenge enough due to how tired everyone is, but it was made all the more exciting by the fact that our first morning in Namibia we were greeted with 28 degree Fahrenheit cold!

The whole team accompanied the dancers who performed briefly for two secondary schools. Jesse and John shared a couple of songs, and Jan was able to share her testimony with one of the crowds. In the afternoon, my half of the team (Team Leifde) got to spend a couple of hours at the Ark children's home, visiting with Janus and Stephanus and the other children there. Patrice was chosen to be this year's queen... an honor that comes with a Stephanus hair-do.

We enjoyed our Independence Day celebration Namibian style, with traditional Namibian sausage, lamb and even a plate of grubs that Mike provided. Many of the girls took a turn with the grubs. Me? I'm smarter than all of that!

I know this has run long. I'll try to wrap it up. Today is difficult day for us. My half of the team is scheduled to pull out to Arandis later this morning. The remaining team members are preparing to welcome some 40 or so Boy Scouts who will be calling this their home for the next week or so. Ch ch ch changes! They are never welcome junctures in these journeys. So, you guessed it. I ask you to pray. And I thank you in advance. Lastly, Katie finished our first video last night. (Have I told you how proud I am of her on this trip? Wow!) We will try to get it posted here in the next few minutes. Blogger issues (and those who know me know how I love blogger, right?). Love to you all. More soon.