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
