And then, my time in Namibia began to wrap up(Parts 1 and 2 and 3 and 4). 5 months was almost over.
January 11, 2009
"When I got on the plane back in September(it feels like so long ago), I felt like I was setting out on a grand adventure, heading into the complete unknown. Now as I'm seeing myself at the end of this time here, I wonder if I've accomplished anything, and if I've changed. I hope so, but sometimes I just don't know."
February 7, 2009
"Wow, I can't believe it. The day after tomorrow I will be going home. It almost doesn't feel real. My last day in Rehoboth was good. I gave each of the kids a jar of peanut butter and a balloon and Amanda gave them coloring books, crayons, and gum. IT was fun but sad knowing that I will never see them again. It was also sad because you know that the kids don't understand that you won't be coming back. Stuff like that is just too hard for a 6 year old to fully comprehend. It was so weird to think as I was walking around town that it was the very last time. I had to say goodbye to Catherin and Heidi tonight and it seems like goodbyes just never get easy. I just can't believe my time here in Namibia is over. When I think back to those first days here and all that's happened since it feels like such a long time, but when I think of it as a whole, I just can't believe that it's already done--it feels as though it went so fast. For more than a year I had been looking forward to and working toward Africa, and now that it is over I'm like, 'Now what?'"
February 9, 2009
"Well, I am now sitting in the South African airport with Amanda. We have made it through one flight and all the scary checks and now we have and 18 hour flight in front of us. We met this cute old couple today from Texas of all places. She started talking and didn't stop. They were on their way home from visiting their son and grandkids in Windhoek. Apparently they are missionaries there. I tell you, you just never know who you will meet and where. I still can't get my mind around the fact that I'm going home."
I have been home 7 years now and know that God did use those Namibia adventures. He used them to set me on a new course. Because of my experiences working in a tiny school in Rehoboth, Namibia, I decided that I wanted to become a teacher. Because I wanted to be a teacher I needed to find a college, which lead me to Northern MN where I met My Love. So here I am.
“I may not have gone where I intended to go, but I think I have ended up where I needed to be.”
~Douglas Adams
Showing posts with label Africa. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Africa. Show all posts
Saturday, September 5, 2015
Friday, September 4, 2015
The Namibia Adventures Part 4
Namibia held a lot of adventures for me besides the school...(Part 1 and 2 and 3)
I crossed the Tropic of Capricorn
October 13, 2008
"Pastor Eugen took us to see some old rock paintings. That was cool, but the trip itself was the most fun. Everybody but Cathi went. We rode in the back of a pickup. There was so many rocks. Massive boulder scattered all over the place. It was like God had randomly dropped His bag of pebbles."
I had the opportunity to go to Swakopmund with Amanda and her host family. I got to climb a sand dune and play in the ocean.
November 14, 2008
"Well today we set out on our grand adventure. Destination: The OCEAN! Amanda and her family picked me up at 1 pm and we were on our way. It was a very long drive. We arrived in Swakopmund just as the sun was beginning to set. So, we got to stand on the beach and watch the sun set over the Atlantic Ocean as the tide surged in over our feet. It was breathtakingly beautiful. "
November 15, 2008
"Today was awesome! The first thing we did was head to the sand dunes. They were absolutely amazing. We got to climb Dune 7. I made it all the way to the top. It was a lot of work. And, it was the weirdest thing because the sand was constantly moving out from under your feet. It is kind of like what I imagine walking on water would be like. Then we ran down. The sand was so fine it stuck to your skin like golden glitter. It is cool because Swakopmund is a place where desert meets ocean. We were driving along and out one window you saw nothing but sand and dunes and out the other the waves were crashing in."
Dune 7
I got to go North to Bush Land.
December 16, 2008
"We got to ride on top of the combi(van), and that was so fun! The Bed and Breakfast were we stayed at had a pet lion. Apparently he had been a house pet for the first four years of his life. So, I got to run my fingers through a lion's mane. For the most part the whole weekend was a bunch of driving. But it was beautiful and I'm so glad to have gotten to see that part of the country. Throughout the weekend I saw: a lion, zebra, rhinos, giraffes, ostriches, cheetah, wildebeest, springbok, and a bunch of other antelope species. It was a grand adventure."
Dung beetle
On top of the combi.
I spent the new year in Cape Town, South Africa with Catherine and her host family. We got to go to the top of Table Mountain.
December 31, 2008-January 2, 2009
"New Year's day we went to Table Mountain. It is this huge mountain that is very flat on top. We got to ride the cable cars up. There was a big cloud covering the top so that you couldn't see much, but it felt like you were on top of the world. You would look over the side and just see clouds, and in the spots where it was clear the view was magnificent. We are now on our way back to Rehoboth. Woopie for 16 hour car rides.
The ride up.
Standing on the top.
I got stitches in my head...
January 5, 2009
"Kristen, Mackenzie, and I were walking home. We were talking, and I must have been really into the conversation because I ran smack dab into a road sign. So, there we were on the side of the road and my head is gushing blood--Who runs into signs? I went between laughing because it was so ridiculous, and crying. We managed to get a taxi back to Kristen and Mackenzie's house then their host family took us to the hospital. So now I have 3 stitches in my head."
I crossed the Tropic of Capricorn
October 13, 2008
"Pastor Eugen took us to see some old rock paintings. That was cool, but the trip itself was the most fun. Everybody but Cathi went. We rode in the back of a pickup. There was so many rocks. Massive boulder scattered all over the place. It was like God had randomly dropped His bag of pebbles."
I had the opportunity to go to Swakopmund with Amanda and her host family. I got to climb a sand dune and play in the ocean.
November 14, 2008
"Well today we set out on our grand adventure. Destination: The OCEAN! Amanda and her family picked me up at 1 pm and we were on our way. It was a very long drive. We arrived in Swakopmund just as the sun was beginning to set. So, we got to stand on the beach and watch the sun set over the Atlantic Ocean as the tide surged in over our feet. It was breathtakingly beautiful. "
November 15, 2008
"Today was awesome! The first thing we did was head to the sand dunes. They were absolutely amazing. We got to climb Dune 7. I made it all the way to the top. It was a lot of work. And, it was the weirdest thing because the sand was constantly moving out from under your feet. It is kind of like what I imagine walking on water would be like. Then we ran down. The sand was so fine it stuck to your skin like golden glitter. It is cool because Swakopmund is a place where desert meets ocean. We were driving along and out one window you saw nothing but sand and dunes and out the other the waves were crashing in."
December 16, 2008
"We got to ride on top of the combi(van), and that was so fun! The Bed and Breakfast were we stayed at had a pet lion. Apparently he had been a house pet for the first four years of his life. So, I got to run my fingers through a lion's mane. For the most part the whole weekend was a bunch of driving. But it was beautiful and I'm so glad to have gotten to see that part of the country. Throughout the weekend I saw: a lion, zebra, rhinos, giraffes, ostriches, cheetah, wildebeest, springbok, and a bunch of other antelope species. It was a grand adventure."
I spent the new year in Cape Town, South Africa with Catherine and her host family. We got to go to the top of Table Mountain.
December 31, 2008-January 2, 2009
"New Year's day we went to Table Mountain. It is this huge mountain that is very flat on top. We got to ride the cable cars up. There was a big cloud covering the top so that you couldn't see much, but it felt like you were on top of the world. You would look over the side and just see clouds, and in the spots where it was clear the view was magnificent. We are now on our way back to Rehoboth. Woopie for 16 hour car rides.
I got stitches in my head...
January 5, 2009
"Kristen, Mackenzie, and I were walking home. We were talking, and I must have been really into the conversation because I ran smack dab into a road sign. So, there we were on the side of the road and my head is gushing blood--Who runs into signs? I went between laughing because it was so ridiculous, and crying. We managed to get a taxi back to Kristen and Mackenzie's house then their host family took us to the hospital. So now I have 3 stitches in my head."
My trip introduced me to a lot of great people. My team and supervisors, our host families, the people at the Church I attended, and the ladies at the school.
This is Keziah, one of the girls I became friends with through the church's youth group.
"We live in a wonderful world that is full of beauty, charm and adventure. There is no end to the adventures that we can have if only we seek them with our eyes open." ~Jawaharlal Nehru
This is Keziah, one of the girls I became friends with through the church's youth group.
"We live in a wonderful world that is full of beauty, charm and adventure. There is no end to the adventures that we can have if only we seek them with our eyes open." ~Jawaharlal Nehru
Thursday, September 3, 2015
The Namibia Adventures Part 3
During my Namibia Adventures(Part 1 and 2) I got to work in a small preschool in Block E. The town of Rehoboth is divided into different blocks. Block A, B, C etc. Block E was the poorest section of town. The school was a one room metal building with a dirt floor. It was run by two woman named Selvia and Linda.
September 22, 2008
"Today was my first day of school and I loved it. The kids came stampeding out of the building when they saw us and globbed onto us. There are about 30 kids and only 2 women working full time. The school is just a one roomed shed. Selvia, the teacher, is very excited to have Cathi and me come on a regular basis. The kids love to rub my arms and mess with my hair. The kids bring a lunch to school, but some of them didn't. So the teacher stands in the front of the room and these 3, 4, 5, and 6 year olds split their own sandwich or slice of bread--or whatever they brought--in half and put part of it into the basket. So that way, everybody gets something, even if it is only a slice of bread."
September 24, 2008
"School was very good this morning, but very tiring. The kids are amazing but they kind of sap energy right out of you. They figured out how to say my name today so they kept me running. They all want to show you what they are working on....There is one little girl at school named Damas. Actually her real name is Vicky but she goes by Damas which means 'Dark skin". So she goes by Damas and there is another little girl who goes by Namas which means 'Light skin.'. Any way, Damas is a beautiful child with huge brown eyes that are pretty much always sad. Her and her brother Ricky Jr. have a very hard life. There is another little girl named Jenesly. She is 2 years old and a tiny little slip of a thing. She is like a little pixie. I got a puppet out and she started talking to her and she freaked out. It was rather humerus. Now she gets irritated at people when they get the puppets too close to her."
My time in Namibia was good but it was also very hard. I struggled a lot with my attitude and motivation for doing stuff, homesickness and knowing how I was supposed to handle some of the situations that I found myself dealing with.
October 12, 2008
"I'm really struggling because I don't feel like I'm doing anything here. School only takes about 3 hrs and even when I'm there I don't feel like I'm accomplishing anything, or even like I want to be there. Then I spend the rest of my day not doing much. I feel bad about it, but I don't want to get up and do anything about it. I'm just really feeling a lack of motivation. I want to be used by God, but I really need a boost of motivation and some creative ideas for school."
October 13, 2008
"I discovered that working on the alphabet in the sand is a lot more fun than sitting at tables! At lunch this morning, I was ticked. Even with kids sharing their food, there was not enough to go around. It makes me mad that these kids don't have enough to eat and I tend to get self-righteous and judgmental. And then I realized that I could be doing more to help the situation. So, I got some bread and peanut butter to take tomorrow. But I really want things like that to come from my love for God and His children. I don't want to do it simply as a conscience cleaner.
October 17, 2008
"Cathi had bought a bag of oranges for the kids. What a treat. The kids are so funny because they eat the orange peel as well as the orange. The other day Cathi had taken an orange for herself. She had the peelings on her lap and was letting the kids take pieces. Then Ricky came up and took them all in two little fists and sat on them so that the other kids couldn't get at them while he was eating them. It was hilarious. He is a smart little whip. He is only 5, but he can count better than many of the older kids. The other day we were working on counting. We had some of the kids in row on the floor and the other kids were counting them. A lot of them were really struggling and then Ricky got tired of watching. So he got up, marched over, and counted them up. 1,2,3,4,5! He then sat back down glad that things had finally been taken care of."
I truly believe that The One who wrote the adventure sent me to Namibia to spark something new in my heart.
October 20, 2008
"Ok, so here is an interesting scoop. I have always been adamantly against the idea of being a teacher. I never thought that I'd be good at it, and I never wanted to do it. So, it is odd that lately I have been having these little thoughts pop into my head that I could be a teacher and that I might actually like it. It is so odd and kind of neat. I don't think that I'm making it up either because this would be a 180 degree change. I have been praying and asking God to take this all away if it is not Him and to grow the desire in me if it is. Before coming here I prayed that through this trip God would give me direction for my life. I never in my wildest dreams thought that I'd start thinking like this."
Oh the Adventures!
September 22, 2008
"Today was my first day of school and I loved it. The kids came stampeding out of the building when they saw us and globbed onto us. There are about 30 kids and only 2 women working full time. The school is just a one roomed shed. Selvia, the teacher, is very excited to have Cathi and me come on a regular basis. The kids love to rub my arms and mess with my hair. The kids bring a lunch to school, but some of them didn't. So the teacher stands in the front of the room and these 3, 4, 5, and 6 year olds split their own sandwich or slice of bread--or whatever they brought--in half and put part of it into the basket. So that way, everybody gets something, even if it is only a slice of bread."
September 24, 2008
"School was very good this morning, but very tiring. The kids are amazing but they kind of sap energy right out of you. They figured out how to say my name today so they kept me running. They all want to show you what they are working on....There is one little girl at school named Damas. Actually her real name is Vicky but she goes by Damas which means 'Dark skin". So she goes by Damas and there is another little girl who goes by Namas which means 'Light skin.'. Any way, Damas is a beautiful child with huge brown eyes that are pretty much always sad. Her and her brother Ricky Jr. have a very hard life. There is another little girl named Jenesly. She is 2 years old and a tiny little slip of a thing. She is like a little pixie. I got a puppet out and she started talking to her and she freaked out. It was rather humerus. Now she gets irritated at people when they get the puppets too close to her."
My time in Namibia was good but it was also very hard. I struggled a lot with my attitude and motivation for doing stuff, homesickness and knowing how I was supposed to handle some of the situations that I found myself dealing with.
October 12, 2008
"I'm really struggling because I don't feel like I'm doing anything here. School only takes about 3 hrs and even when I'm there I don't feel like I'm accomplishing anything, or even like I want to be there. Then I spend the rest of my day not doing much. I feel bad about it, but I don't want to get up and do anything about it. I'm just really feeling a lack of motivation. I want to be used by God, but I really need a boost of motivation and some creative ideas for school."
October 13, 2008
"I discovered that working on the alphabet in the sand is a lot more fun than sitting at tables! At lunch this morning, I was ticked. Even with kids sharing their food, there was not enough to go around. It makes me mad that these kids don't have enough to eat and I tend to get self-righteous and judgmental. And then I realized that I could be doing more to help the situation. So, I got some bread and peanut butter to take tomorrow. But I really want things like that to come from my love for God and His children. I don't want to do it simply as a conscience cleaner.
October 17, 2008
"Cathi had bought a bag of oranges for the kids. What a treat. The kids are so funny because they eat the orange peel as well as the orange. The other day Cathi had taken an orange for herself. She had the peelings on her lap and was letting the kids take pieces. Then Ricky came up and took them all in two little fists and sat on them so that the other kids couldn't get at them while he was eating them. It was hilarious. He is a smart little whip. He is only 5, but he can count better than many of the older kids. The other day we were working on counting. We had some of the kids in row on the floor and the other kids were counting them. A lot of them were really struggling and then Ricky got tired of watching. So he got up, marched over, and counted them up. 1,2,3,4,5! He then sat back down glad that things had finally been taken care of."
I truly believe that The One who wrote the adventure sent me to Namibia to spark something new in my heart.
October 20, 2008
"Ok, so here is an interesting scoop. I have always been adamantly against the idea of being a teacher. I never thought that I'd be good at it, and I never wanted to do it. So, it is odd that lately I have been having these little thoughts pop into my head that I could be a teacher and that I might actually like it. It is so odd and kind of neat. I don't think that I'm making it up either because this would be a 180 degree change. I have been praying and asking God to take this all away if it is not Him and to grow the desire in me if it is. Before coming here I prayed that through this trip God would give me direction for my life. I never in my wildest dreams thought that I'd start thinking like this."
Oh the Adventures!
Wednesday, September 2, 2015
The Namibia Adventures Part 2
Recently I started writing about my adventures in Namibia, Africa. Here goes part 2.
Adjusting is always interesting.
September 20, 2008
"Well, I'm in Rehoboth. I got here yesterday. I am staying with a widow lady named Karla. Last night I went to the youth group of the church that I will be attending. Amanda and Alli will be going there as well. They had a welcome party for us. Everybody wanted to feed us...After youth group, Alli's family took her and I to the Rehboboth show, a.k.a. the fair. We were introduced to a Rehoboth specialty, grilled bread and sausage. It was quite good...When I got back to Karla's she fed me again. I went to bed feeling incredibly full!
Back to today. It is 3:15 pm and I feel very lonely. I just want to be with the girls. I wish I had been paired with someone. Cathi just sent me a text message. It said, 'I have chosen you and not rejected you. Do not be afraid for I am with you; do not anxiously look around you, for I am your God. I will strengthen you, surely I will help you. Surely I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.' Isaiah 41. Karla was nice enough to take me over to Cathi's. I gave Cathi a hug and sobbed on her shoulder before we even got inside. It was good to spend time with her. It is funny how 2 weeks ago I was in tears because I didn't know my team and I wanted to be around someone familiar. And now I was in tears because they were the only familiar people and I wanted to be with them. It is amazing how fast you can bond with people when they are all that you have."
Cathi became a truly dear friend over the months of the trip. She and I both worked in the same small school so we would walk together every morning. We laughed a lot and I truly enjoyed her company.
"A Friend is what the heart needs all the time." ~Henry Van Dyke
Adjusting is always interesting.
September 20, 2008
"Well, I'm in Rehoboth. I got here yesterday. I am staying with a widow lady named Karla. Last night I went to the youth group of the church that I will be attending. Amanda and Alli will be going there as well. They had a welcome party for us. Everybody wanted to feed us...After youth group, Alli's family took her and I to the Rehboboth show, a.k.a. the fair. We were introduced to a Rehoboth specialty, grilled bread and sausage. It was quite good...When I got back to Karla's she fed me again. I went to bed feeling incredibly full!
Back to today. It is 3:15 pm and I feel very lonely. I just want to be with the girls. I wish I had been paired with someone. Cathi just sent me a text message. It said, 'I have chosen you and not rejected you. Do not be afraid for I am with you; do not anxiously look around you, for I am your God. I will strengthen you, surely I will help you. Surely I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.' Isaiah 41. Karla was nice enough to take me over to Cathi's. I gave Cathi a hug and sobbed on her shoulder before we even got inside. It was good to spend time with her. It is funny how 2 weeks ago I was in tears because I didn't know my team and I wanted to be around someone familiar. And now I was in tears because they were the only familiar people and I wanted to be with them. It is amazing how fast you can bond with people when they are all that you have."
Cathi became a truly dear friend over the months of the trip. She and I both worked in the same small school so we would walk together every morning. We laughed a lot and I truly enjoyed her company.
"A Friend is what the heart needs all the time." ~Henry Van Dyke
Tuesday, September 1, 2015
The Namibia Adventures
This past week I re-read the book Christy by Catherine Marshall. It's a beautiful story about a young girl who heads to the mountains of Tennessee to work in a mission school. The last time I read this book I was 19(the same age as Christy in the story) about to head to Namibia, Africa on a 5 month mission trip. My assignment was a small pre-school in Block E, the poorest section of the small town of Rehoboth. I remember thinking about Christy and feeling like I could really relate to the story. I was young, away from home, working in a place that was foreign to me, not really knowing what I was doing.
I love that I had this experience, but it was hard at the time. I remember being frustrated and homesick, but I also remember learning. It was on that short trip that God started to work some changes in my heart. He planted in me a desire to teach, something I had always adamantly said I didn't want to do. But here I am, 7 years later, about ready to start my third year teaching in a wonderful little school that I love.
While I was in Namibia, I decided to keep a journal. I wrote down my experiences and stories.
September 8, 2008
"Well, I'm in NY, and I'm alive. It has been a long and interesting day. I woke up at 3:30 AM this morning and could not get back to sleep. It was very hard to say goodbye at the airport and it was kind of scary navigating the airport by myself. But, it all went without a glitch. So far this has been a stretching adventure."
The airport was just the beginning of the adventure. I met amazing people, ate new food, saw beautiful places, and glimpsed the beginnings of a new adventure. I also learned how fast you can make close friends when you all feel like fish out of water. The team of girls I went with: Amanda, Cathi, Kristen, Mackenzie, and Alli, were wonderful.
September 11, 2008
"Well I'm finally in Africa."
September 12, 2008
"We will be staying in the capital of Namibia--Windhoek-- for a week of orientation before we actually get to Rehoboth. The interesting thing is that the hostel lost our reservations. So, for tonight we will be staying in a co-ed dorm. AWKWARD!!! Oh well, it will make for a very interesting story to tell. It is rather warm here and this is the cool season. I don't want to think about when it decided to get really hot! But as they say, "It's a dry heat."
September 15, 2008
"Today has been a good day. A woman came over to talk with us about AIDS. She is a good friend of Suzanne's[Mick and Suzanne were the missionaries who oversaw us while we were there]. We all went to take her home. On the way back we drove through a very poor section of town. It was heart breaking to see. It is mind boggling how in 10 minutes, we can go from this big modern city, to such poverty. It really makes you feel guilty. 'LORD, my heart is wondering.'"
That short week in Windhoek was great. My team was not the only one going through orientation. There was also another family, the Rowells, and young single woman, Catherine, who were also going to Rehoboth as well as a couple of guys that were headed for another small town. After the week was over, we packed up and headed for Rehoboth.
I love that I had this experience, but it was hard at the time. I remember being frustrated and homesick, but I also remember learning. It was on that short trip that God started to work some changes in my heart. He planted in me a desire to teach, something I had always adamantly said I didn't want to do. But here I am, 7 years later, about ready to start my third year teaching in a wonderful little school that I love.
While I was in Namibia, I decided to keep a journal. I wrote down my experiences and stories.
September 8, 2008
"Well, I'm in NY, and I'm alive. It has been a long and interesting day. I woke up at 3:30 AM this morning and could not get back to sleep. It was very hard to say goodbye at the airport and it was kind of scary navigating the airport by myself. But, it all went without a glitch. So far this has been a stretching adventure."
The airport was just the beginning of the adventure. I met amazing people, ate new food, saw beautiful places, and glimpsed the beginnings of a new adventure. I also learned how fast you can make close friends when you all feel like fish out of water. The team of girls I went with: Amanda, Cathi, Kristen, Mackenzie, and Alli, were wonderful.
September 11, 2008
"Well I'm finally in Africa."
September 12, 2008
"We will be staying in the capital of Namibia--Windhoek-- for a week of orientation before we actually get to Rehoboth. The interesting thing is that the hostel lost our reservations. So, for tonight we will be staying in a co-ed dorm. AWKWARD!!! Oh well, it will make for a very interesting story to tell. It is rather warm here and this is the cool season. I don't want to think about when it decided to get really hot! But as they say, "It's a dry heat."
September 15, 2008
"Today has been a good day. A woman came over to talk with us about AIDS. She is a good friend of Suzanne's[Mick and Suzanne were the missionaries who oversaw us while we were there]. We all went to take her home. On the way back we drove through a very poor section of town. It was heart breaking to see. It is mind boggling how in 10 minutes, we can go from this big modern city, to such poverty. It really makes you feel guilty. 'LORD, my heart is wondering.'"
That short week in Windhoek was great. My team was not the only one going through orientation. There was also another family, the Rowells, and young single woman, Catherine, who were also going to Rehoboth as well as a couple of guys that were headed for another small town. After the week was over, we packed up and headed for Rehoboth.
"God's invitation to us isn't 'Shut up and listen,' but 'walk with Me and help me serve."
~Leonard Sweat
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