Life back in the US

So, I have now been back from Namibia for over a month.  Everyone keeps asking how reverse culture shock is going.  Honestly, I did not notice anything significant.  I was able to go into Costco and Target without any meltdowns.  It was a little overwhelming and there were so many choices and so much stuff.  Do people really need all these things? The answer to the question is no.  I lived on a very limited budget and limited options in Africa and was truly happy.  The people I meet there live on so little and were some of the happiest people I ever meet.  They give and give even though they have nothing in comparison to me.  I want to continue to be generous and give back, not just with my money but also with my time.  I already knew this but I realized that relationships are really the most important thing of this life.  It is not how much I have, how much money I make, what car I drive or where I bought my clothes but who I am and how I serve others.  I was able to live in community without the pressure of a culture of consumerism.  I was able to have real relationships with people and they were my number one purpose for being in Africa.  Because I had relationships with people I could be myself and tell them about the gospel freely.  I had no limits.  I was not afraid.

I am back and I want to live simply.  What does this mean?  For me this means less spending on myself and giving more to others.  It means volunteering in a food pantry, giving away my clothing to an organization who gives to those who truly need it, volunteering in a friends classroom, limiting my shopping and babysitting my “nieces”.  I want to encourage you to think about your spending and how your time is being used.  Are you using it wisely? Or more simply, are you giving back?

My time in Africa was life changing.  I do not want to forget those changes.  I am a more patient, generous, trusting and kind soul because of it.

3 weeks left!!

      Wow only 3 weeks left in Rundu then 1 week in Cape Town then home! I can not believe it has already been 5 months. How time flies when you are having fun!  I wanted to give you a little insight into the ministries we have been involved in and how we have been working with the people.  

First, Anna and I have been leading two bible studies out in the location called Ndama.  The first study is with a group of girls from ages 10-15.  We understand that this is a pivotal time in their lives and we want to send them on the right path.  It has been hard at times because they do not always answer questions either due to fear or hesitation because of their english.  It has been fun to watch them slowly open up over the past few months.  They still do not always answer the questions but they look us in the eye and I think are a little less fearful of trying to answer.  They are sweet girls who I think truly want to walk the straight and narrow.  But life is hard and who knows what lies ahead for them.  I want to ask you to pray for them and to bring someone else along in their lives after we leave to teach and mentor them.  It is difficult to leave and not see anyone to take over but I know it is in Gods hands and he will look after these girls.  I also want to lift up the church here as they do not nurture their young.  There is nothing like the youth groups, young life or other organizations we have in America.  It appears they do not see the value of investing in their young.  Please pray for the church that maybe over time this can change. 

The second study is for disciplining a group of young men ages 16-19.  These young men are older brothers to many of the young girls we lead a bible study for, as described above.  We thought it was important also to invest in these young men so they can be leaders in their village.  We want them to be set apart from their peers because of how they live and act.  Many young men here struggle with their identity and try to find it anywhere but in Christ.  We want to build a generation of men who have only one wife and are faithful to her and love her as Christ loves the Church.  It is rare here for men to be faithful whether in marriage or in a relationship.  Anna and I want these men to be able to be an encouragement to one another as well as accountable.  We are hoping they continue to meet even after we leave.  

All three of us have been involved with campus crusade on the UNam campus here in Rundu.  We have meet some wonderful men and women who are truly born agains and trying to live for Christ.  They have a heart for reaching out to those on their campus.  It is a small group for now but I know God will continue to work there and raise up leaders.  It has been refreshing to find young adults who love Jesus and want to live their lives for him.  They have a desire to grow and learn about Christ and how to serve him.  Unfortunately, many people here do not understand the gospel.  All they see is religion and a set a rules to follow not a relationship.  I think if the people here truly understood the gospel then it would change them.  Because if you believe in the gospel and what Christ has done for you on the cross you cannot stand idle, you will be changed.  “ The gospel reawakens us to the beauty of God and overwhelms us with mercy. Our behavior changes because we change.” (JD Greear) 

Lastly, has been our ministry at the hospital.  Although this is considered our “work” we still are there as volunteers and servants of Christ.  It has taken time to build relationships and for people to learn trust us.  I think for myself it has been the hardest part of my ministry here.  It has been a combination of factors which have contributed to it being difficult.  But I do my best to go each day with a smile on my face and the love of God in my heart to serve my coworkers and patients.  I thank the Lord that his mercies are new every morning.  Please continue to pray for me to be Gods light there in these last few weeks.  I want to finish well!  My prayer is summed up in Hebrews 6:10-12 “God is not unjust; he will not forget your work and the love you have shown him as you have helped his people and continue to help them.  We want each of you to show this same diligence to the very end, in order to make your hope secure. We do not want you to become lazy, but to imitate those who through faith and patience inherit what has been promised.”  Thank you for your support and prayers. 

Christmas in July party with the kids from the locations

Just me and the boys (mycoworkers)

Our bible study girls in Ndama

I love this kid! (Zeka)

We had some of our coworkers over for dinner :)

Over the hump!

So I have made it over the hump of the 3 month mark.  Overall life is settled here in Rundu. We have our routines and our ministries we are involved in.  I can not believe we have a little over only two months left.  I am thankful for the time we have had and the people we have meet. I would like continued prayer that we finish out well.  We want to be an encouragement to these people and we want to make a difference.  May the Lord continue to use us and speak through us.  Give us guidance along the way.  

I had the opportunity to see some home based care here and I wanted to give you a glimpse into what we saw.  We walked from home to home in the village visiting people with special needs, disabilities, AIDS, vulnerable children and orphans. One of the homes we came to was a women in a wheelchair who appeared to be a paraplegic. She was filthy dirty and the clothes she was wearing were rags. There were dirty, old clothes surrounding her as well as dirty linens.  It appeared no one took care of her. But she had the most wonderful smile. It would brighten anyones day.  It broke my heart.  I know that people with disabilities get 500 namibian dollars a month but where was it going? What was her family using it for? Obviously, it was not for her or her well being. This unfortunately, is very common here in Namibia. The family “takes care” of the person but what does that mean or look like.  There are no places like rehab or extended care facilities for these people to go.  There is no place for the disabled to live.  It reminds me of how Christ said there is no place for him to lay his head. (Matthew 8:20) We later came to another family with a orphan boy who is a severe hunchback and has kyphosis.  He is 8 years old and is not going to school.  The people taking care of him stated that the school would not take him because he can not sit straight in a chair.  I was astonished.  It was not because he has learning disability but because he is unable to sit correctly.  What is this child supposed to do? How is he supposed to go to school?  There is one school in Rundu for disabled children but it is at least 7 km away.  Who is going to pay for his transport because he is an orphan?  What will he do when he gets older? These are just a few of the questions that ran through my mind that morning and continue.  I am sure there are many more stories like that.  These are just a few that I have seen for myself.  So what is my response? Pray and ask God to continue to break my heart for these people.  They are his children also.  He loves them and desires for them to be able to live life.   But what do I do with this information when I return to the states? Share it!  There are many needs here and few are being meet.  I do not know how the change will come but my desire is to look for it.  I want to be the change they are looking for.  Please join with me in prayer for these people and the others I have not seen but also for me and how God can use me while I am here.  Also, pray for how to use this information and things I have seen to make that change. 

Hey look I am on an elephant!

Petting a lion

The smoke that thunders!

Victoria Falls

Almost 3 months down!

Weather: It has been cooling down here in Rundu.  I think I am beginning to have African blood. ;)  I am cold walking to work when is only like 60 degrees.  It is interesting how your body adjusts to the climate and the weather.  I do not think I would be wearing a parka or anything anytime soon but a jacket for sure.  The mornings and evenings are cool and the days are warm enough to still wear shorts and flip flops.  We do not have any heat or air conditioning so I will be wrapping up in a blanket.  

Good times: We had the bible study girls over to make cookies and play some games.  It was a good time of fellowship and just hanging out.  I think its good to show them that we want to be a part of their lives and not just about teaching a bible study.  It was fun to do something together and teach them something.  It is about living life together and learning from each other.  The girls loveto sing the songs from church and do the dances.  It is fun to watch them worship the Lord in our backyard.  

        Melissa and I had a joint birthday party last night.  It was amazing how many people can show up when you only invite a few.  There were people from Kaisosi, Ndama, neighbors and peace corp girls.  Mostly they were teenagers and young adults.  I think at the peak of people we probably had about 50 people here.  We played games, ate cake, made s’mores by the fire and had some dancing.  We had made a playlist of songs we thought would be fun to dance to but it ended up the didn’t really want to dance to that.  Even when we played some Namibian dance music only a few people danced.  It was not until they started just singing acapella and dancing in a circle did people join in.  It is funny what we thought they would like was totally not.  All they wanted to do was sing their songs and do their kind of dancing.  It was fun to have bunch of Africans singing and dancing in a circle in my living room.  It was almost like church in our home.

Hospital: Work has been overall a better experience lately.  The first few months were really hard on me.  I did not feel like I was a help or even needed.  But I realized that I am working in a new place, new culture, new people and new hospital.  Things are not always going to be easy in the beginning. I think the people on my unit have finally accepted me and know how I can be useful to them.  It is nice to go to work and know I will be able to help in some way.  

Life: As I was sitting in church on Sunday I realized that this now feels like home.  I do not remember really what my life was like in Seattle. It was a weird realization but I think its a good one.  It means I am settled in and comfortable with my life here in Africa but then it also means will be hard to go.  The past three months have gone by quickly and I am sure the next three will go by quickly as well.  I am happy to have the opportunity to come here and serve and work with these people.  It has been an honor and I have meet some wonderful people.  

Birthday girls

Me and some of my coworkers at the May birthday party

Making cookies with the girls

Dancing in our living room

The girls singing in the backyard

High Care party people :)

Prayer Requests and Praises: I would like continued prayer that I am a light and example to my coworkers and patients.  Also for patience at work with language barriers and cultural differences.  Thank you for being able to serve with Peggy and Sarah for the past 3 months and prayer for safe travels back for them to their homes.  Lastly, prayer for the interactions in the village as we teach and disciple young men and women.  

Good times in Africa!

Choir conference: We went to Kasosi village to see the choir competition. There were many choirs who came from all over to perform.  They were from Angola, Windhoek and other parts of Namibia.  It was amazing to see this plot of land transformed into tent city.  There were changing rooms made out of sticks and tall grass,  large tents for multiple people to sleep, 2-4 man tents and bathing areas.  It was fun to see all the girls doing their hair and boys shining their shoes to get ready for the competition.  It reminded me of the days of show choir and our saturday competitions.  The girls changing and putting on makeup and fixing their hair in anticipation of what was to come.  

It was supposed to start around 2 but of course we are on Africa time so it did not start till almost 4.  It was narrowed down to five groups in the final competition.  They each did a number from a bible verse in Isaiah. They were all very serious. Each group sang acapella and did sign language to go with the words.  They all did a wonderful job.  

Teaching at the school: Melissa and I taught at the nursing school a few weeks ago.  We spoke on spinal cord injuries and traumatic brain injuries.  The students did a very good job answering questions and listening.  We each spoke for an hour and did some case studies.  Who knew I was going to be a nursing instructor while I was here?! I had no idea I could talk for an hour about something but I did. :)  It felt good to be able to pass on knowledge I have gained over the years. We are going to continue to help sister Jane and lecture next on coronary artery disease and myocardial infarctions. It is going to be fun!

Muhango Park: For my birthday weekend we decided to go camping and see African wildlife. Three of us got the joy of riding in the back of the buckee because there are only two seat belts in the front of the truck. We spent the next two hours being beaten by the wind in our face and the sun on our legs.  I got an awesome knee burn. :)  There are many campgrounds around the park but we decided to stay at Nunda Lodge.  It was a great location right on the river with a good pool and decent size camping spots.  We set up camp then went out the see the animals.  We were able to see zebras, warthogs, antelope and a giraffe the first night.  Plus we got the joy of watching the sunset as we drove out of the park.  I love african sunsets! They are wonderful.   The colors come alive in the sky. I know people always talk about them but there is nothing like experiencing it for yourself. 

The second day we got an early start and went into the park just after the sun rose.  The dew was still heavy in the air.  As we drove through the park I could feel God surrounding us.  It was chilly but it was so quiet.  It was a perfect morning.  We drove by the swamp lands and saw many birds getting their morning bath.  We kept driving and as we came around a corner to see a giraffe standing posing in a clearing.  It was almost as if he was waiting for us to come to take pictures of him.   As we drove on we saw buffalo and then another pack of zebras surrounding the watering hole.  The sun was now shining down on us and we were able to take off some layers of clothing.  Next , we headed to the buffalo park.  We still were eagerly awaiting to see some elephants and hippos. We had high hopes for seeing them as we drove along the river.  Melissa, Anna and I stood in the back of the truck keeping our eyes peeled for animals as we drove.  Eventually we came to the end of one of the roads and we stopped to turn around and in the distance we saw elephants along the rivers edge.  We got our wish!  We continued to drive along because we still needed to see hippos.  By this time we have been out for about 5 hours with minimal food and drink in our bellies.  We were not planning on being out all morning.  But we were determined to find the hippos.  Again we pull into a clearing to get closer to the river and across the river we saw hippos and water buffalo hanging out.  :)  We ended up staying out for almost 7 hours, but it was worth it.  

Prayer Requests: Anna and I have started two bible studies out in the village and would like prayer for wisdom and guidance as we teach these young adults.  In addition, I would still like prayer for courage and patience at work in the hospital.  It can be frustrating at times and I am doing my best to have a positive attitude. 

It's been a month!

       The weather: So its been pretty hot here in Rundu in comparison to Windhoek. Plus we get the pleasure of walking since we have no car. There is sand everywhere! It gets in your shoes, on your clothes and your skin. One of my favorite things is how the taxis pass you on the road going 100 km/hr and make a huge cloud of dust only to get more dust on your sweaty body. Love it!  We walk to and from work which means we are sweaty each way, fun times. But on the same token it does cool off a night which is a blessing. My favorite time of day is dusk.  It is cooling off and the sun is going down, its a great time for a walk. The sunsets are beautiful here. 

Conference:  All of the AIM missionaries from Namibia came together for a time of fellowship and learning along with some international guests as well.  We learned a great deal about personalities and behavior styles.  In our team from Rundu ,we learned that we are all a little different and deal with conflict in different ways.  It was good to talk about it and be up front and honest and hopefully not have too many conflicts. ;)  It was uplifting and good for us to hear about the mission fields in the other regions of Namibia as well as the southern region of AIM.  There are some amazing things happening all over Africa.  It encourages me to hear about how God is working in other places and drives me to want to serve here in Rundu.  I want to make a difference and watch God work through me.  I am still wondering how he will do it but I am a willing servant.  

Home stay: We had the opportunity to stay in one of the villages surrounding Rundu.  Anna and I had the privilege of staying in Ndama. We were lucky and we were honored to stay in one of the mud homes.  It is not a hut but a home with three rooms. There is the main room which is where we hang out and eat, the sleeping room and the storage room. We did get to experience going to the African “bathroom” and taking a African “shower.”  These people only eat once a day because it is all they can afford. They eat a large meal for dinner and that is all. I can tell that the children are hungry.  It breaks my heart. 

Living in the village is hard work. There is lots to be done and it takes time to do everything. There is no microwaves, refrigerators or ovens. All cooking is done over the fire. The women have to gather the wood, chop it, build the fire then cook the meal. For the traditional dish of pap the meal is gathered, ground up, sifted, laid out to dry then it could be cooked.  This is a process that is not easy.  In addition, all the clothing is washed by hand in large basins.  And of course all the dishes are washed by hand. :)  It was an adjustment when coming from a culture with some many amenities. 

Overall Africa is starting to feel like home but I am still feeling very overwhelmed. Everything takes a little more time and effort. It can be exhausting. I go to bed every night tired and emotionally drained.  They tell you that living in another culture is hard but until you completely experience it, there is no way to explain it.  Every conversation takes concentration, walking in the sun on sandy roads is physically hard in addition to carrying all your groceries, learning a language takes practice and trying to adjust to a different hospital environment are just a few of the things we are dealing with daily.  But God is greater than all of that! And I thank him for that. He has been faithful to me. Thank you for all of your prayers. 

Prayer Requests: Continued guidance in the hospital and learning my place there and how to be a help to them.  As we start our ministries, which include bible studies with the girls in the villages and campus crusade, give us wisdom and discernment. 

       Pictures: First of the pictures is me making some pap, a traditional African food.  The second is of the lion Mufasa at the place we stayed at conferance. The last is me with the children in the village for my home stay. 

Langauge learning, Rundu and the Hospital first impressions

We have been through a lot in the past week and a half. We have meet many more people and finally made it to Rundu. Last week we went to Otjiwarongo for a language learning course. We went to this area of town called “the location” every day to practice our newly learned phases. We would walk the streets and greet people. They were very welcoming. Most would let us practice and laugh at us but it didn’t matter because we laughed at ourselves. We learned that language learning is ministry. We can build a relationship with language learner as we attempt to learn their language and that is what it is all about, building relationships.

We got to Rundu on Thursday afternoon after driving for about four hours with 4 of us crammed tightly in the backseat of the “bakkie” or pickup truck. We traveled true african style! :) My first impressions of Rundu were that is was a lot more rural than Windhoek. We crossed the divide and suddenly there were people living in mud huts and in mini villages. We were told most of the villages are divided by family and usually surround a water hole. Thus the reason there can be miles we go without seeing any huts. This felt like Africa or at least my perception of it. As we got up to Rundu we saw a “city” surrounded by mud huts. There was such a contrast. You can walk just outside the city and walk into a village of mud huts. It seemed so bizarre going from one way of life to the other within steps. I was not sure how to handle it. But the people in the village we went to see were very friendly and welcoming. It felt safe. The people are genuine in their interest in you and your life.

The hospital is very different than in the states. They are lucky to have a good number of doctors who care about the patients and want to help them. They also have a good supply of medications which helps give good nursing care. Although, there is going to be a large learning curve with trying to do paper charting. I have never done it. It is going to take some time to learn but I am sure I can figure it out with the other nurses help. :) They do not have IV pumps so I am going have to go back to math and learning to count the drops. It is going to take some getting to used to. I will be working in High Care which is their version of ICU. I am going to have to do some studying up on pediatrics and neonatal because we take care of those patients as well as adults. I think it will be a good experience overall.

On Saturday night we went to choir practice. There are three choirs: the sunday school, youth and women's choir. We were a part of the youth choir. It is both men and women split up into sections. They are taught by first listening, then repeating and then adding the other sections. After, they add the dance moves. This was one of my favorite parts. I love to watch them move. It is so fluid and natural. It appears to take no effort on their part. All of the woman were very welcoming and kind as well to us. They opened up their arms to us without any hesitation. If only we were as kind and open to everyone we met back at home. It is a good lesson and something I want to take home with me. I want to be more trusting of people.

Prayer Requests: I would like guidance on where to serve and how to get involved outside the hospital. I also would like to lift up all the people we have meet in the past 2 weeks and their families. Lastly, I need prayer for peace while working at the hospital and finding my place there.

Enest and his home

Kasosi Village

Sunset from Kavango Lodge in Rundu