Arandis, Namibia: Just Like Family

Saturday, February 23, 2008

Just Like Family

24 February 2:00 AM

Well, the technical difficulties appear to have been somewhat minimized and will hopefully not interfere with future postings for the rest of our time here. Despite the late hour, I thought I might attempt to summarize the events here thus far.

Today (yesterday - Saturday) was our first full day here in Arandis and so much has gone on. Last night I got to visit with three of the (now six in all) foster homes and Pastor Tresford Banda's family. Though I really shouldn't be surprised, I could not believe how much the children have grown over the last year. Greeted with big hugs from all of them, as well as from the "mommies", it truly felt welcoming to be back in this place. We didn't stay long at each home and found ourselves back at Nan's house around 10PM. Having gotten the Internet connection up and running, I ended up catching up on some emails and putting in a few hours of my regular work.

Saturday morning found me up at my usual early hour as my body's clock really hasn't seemed to have been affected by the travel. The older children (pre-teen and teenagers) were attending a workshop on "Worth Waiting" and though we could have visited with the younger children we decided to hang around Nan's house. After performing various maintenance and technical duties, we did get to visit with another of the foster families. We also spent some time chatting with Brenda, of Hope's Promise, about what has been happening and what the future holds for this little town.

Among the highlights of today was our visit with one of the new foster homes within the Hope's Promise family. It consists of Willem and Anna Charles, a grandmother and grandfather who are raising four of their own grandchildren and Geno - a Hope's Promise child. Geno used to live in Rehoboth but was brought here to Arandis towards the end of last year. It was incredible to be able to see the smile on their faces as we entered their home and introduced ourselves. We spent the better part of an hour chatting with Willem and Anna and getting to know the children. I am hoping to head back over there some time this week to help with homework with two of the older children. We will also be able to interact with the younger children when assisting at the Talitha Kumi primary school this coming week. One of our missions this weeks is to get new photos of the children and families. The arrangement of having Mike, Jackie and I worked out great as Mike was able to catch some great candids of the children as we engaged them in conversation.

We eventually found ourselves back at Nan's and preparing for dinner. During and after dinner we enjoyed more conversations with Nan Parker, our host and the one who is in charge of the curriculum for the Talitha Kumi school. She has been and continues to be involved with many short-term missions and we spent some time discussing how these missions can be detrimental and result in more harm than good. The conversation once again seemed to be centered the willingness to come here with no agenda other than to serve.

After the dinner conversation, we headed on down towards Quail Street, the location of three of the foster homes. Mike and Jackie stopped along the way to get some photographs of the soon-to-be-setting sun across the desert. I continued on down to Julianna and Richard's home, where Chandre, Ishmael, Smithley, Nadine, Jamie Lee and Richard Dean live. As many of you are well aware, Chandre is one of the two children that have a special place in my heart. My time there was not that long as Richard's brother and family had come to pay them a visit. This gave me a chance to go next door and spend some time with Elaine. Elaine lives with Kitty, her Ouma (grandmother). Like Chandre, Elaine is likely one of the two important reasons I keep coming back to Arandis. I was able to spend over an hour with her, talking about school and friends and what her she thought she might want to be later on in life. I am hoping to head on over there later today (Sunday) to help out with her homework as well.

After leaving Elaine's I new where Mike and Jackie would likely be and headed on over to Pastor Tresford's house. Sure enough, they were outside talking with Pearl, Tresford and Fabiola's oldest daughter. Pearl is 16 but has the maturity of someone in their later teens and quite possibly early twenties. Pearl was inspired by the 2005 dance team that came down and has since formed her own dance group; rehearsing two days a week. The group has grown considerably and Elaine, as well as a few other non-Hope's Promise girls have become group leaders and are responsible for some of the choreography for the younger dancers.

I am looking forward to what today will bring...

posted by Don @ 6:57 PM

3 Comments:

At 7:33 PM, amanda said…

Geno!!! oh my goodness! make sure you give that boy a hug for me before you leave, he won't remember me, but that little boy has held a special place in my heart. wow, that really means that there are barely any hope's promise kids left in Rehoboth.

Hearing all those familiar names makes me smile, and of course really makes me wish I was there. Please give Elaine and Chandre my love, and that I will see them this summer!

Keep writing about your adventures, it helps bring back the piece of my heart that always stays there.
At 4:28 PM, germaine said…

Darin, Mike & I first met Geno in Feb 2004... I could tell that he was a smart kid even when he was just 2 yrs old. If I would've known you were going to see him I would've sent some pics with you... but of course... they probably would still be sitting here with the things that I have for Mike... :) note to self... if I am planning a vacation with only a couple days in between Jackie's leaving... I need to be sure to see her before I leave... :) then there would only be one thing left to mail...

Love ~G
At 7:23 PM, amanda said…

I know, although I didn't see him in February of 04 like you G, I did that summer. That is when my heart fell for Rehoboth. Maderyna, Geno, all little pieces that have sown together my love for Namibia. And that's why these trips are so amazing, because it will have been five years ago the first time I met Geno, Chandre, Maderyna, and many of the current Hope's promise kids. How cool it is to spend time with kids who think they will never see you again and you keep coming back. It's just so neat to be a small part of their lives. He would probably be embarassed if I told him I helped change his diapers back then though. hehe