Every Friday the foster parents of the ministry get together to pray in song, discuss particular readings or scripture that may have helped get them through the previous week, or deal with a situation, discuss what might be on their hearts, or simply to discuss administrative details.
Last Friday morning, we attended our first meeting.
After our first week of having six children here, I now have a better understanding of how important this is for these parents. I now have a better understanding of how sometimes it is simply faith and hope that what ever issue they may be facing today, tomorrow will bring a better day. And if, by chance it doesn't, then maybe the next day will.
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These last four days seem to have simply flown by.
I am trying to get as much of my regular work done as I can. Although I had planned on getting a good jump on two websites needed by the ministry; one for the Namibia end and one for the U.S. operations, once again I find that planning for time here is all but impossible. I am also trying to spend as much time as I can with the six children we have here.
Homework has been a challenge on various fronts. Not having a sense of where each child is academically has required me to take a step or two back to try to figure out what it is they might not understand. We've decided that a multiplication-tables boot camp will be starting very soon for all of them.
The weekend itself seems a blur.
Saturday was spent doing some of my own work, working on a laptop for Sylvanus, hanging with the kids and visiting with Anna Lee and Daniel who had stopped by. They are two other ministry children who we had not seen yet since our return. Both are older [ninth grade] and my oh my have they grown and matured.
Sunday, Jackie and Brenda spent the afternoon in Swakopmund and meeting up with a foster mom and her two children. So, between all three families, there were thirteen children who spent the afternoon at the park. Me, I stayed back to try to get some stuff done and to make sure dinner was ready for when everyone came home. The quiet time was not bad either!
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A totally different view
I have been here for 10 days and have yet to see the sunrise or the sunset; something that I marvel at each time I come to Africa. Our living arrangements while here have us in the middle of the town, as opposed to Nan's house which is on the western and northern edge of town. From Nan's house you can see both the sunrise and sunset.
Similarly, there is more ambient light where we are, so the magnificence of the nighttime stars is also not the same from this vantage point. I did, however, get to view the stars on Sunday night when I walked over to Nan's to visit with Boniface.
Hopefully I am not sounding ungrateful for our living arrangements at Steve and Karrie's home. Certainly that is not the case and if it weren't for the availability of their home, at this time, this trip here may not have been possible for me. So, thank you again, Steve and Karrie.
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Taxi!
Later today I will be playing taxi driver and heading in to Swakopmund, which is about 30-40 miles west of Arandis and on the coast. There is one child, Revival, who every Tuesday is taken to into town for her speech therapy. Here is a link to the old site, if you have yet to meet Revival. The other stop will be to bring one of the children we have staying here with us, to an eye specialist. She has had an infection of sorts and the family practioners in Arandis (husband and wife) have treated it but are looking for a more specialized opinion to be on the safe side.
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Today is Jackie's birthday. Lekker verjaar!
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Our official Arandis breadmakers are featured below; Chandre and her sister Ross-Ann. As many of you may already know, Chandre captured my heart back in 2006 during my first trip here. It was fun to watch them, bake two batches of different types of bread without reading any recipes or really measuring.
I should be much more afraid of being mistaken and then finding out that Christianity is true than of being
mistaken in believing it to be true. (Pascal)
We all want to get to heaven but nobody wants to die. (Unknown...still looking)
God hasn't given you the events of your life to hold in your own hands. He is allowing you to watch them
unfold in His. (Shannon Kubiak, "God Called a Girl")
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it's a wild ride... GO TEAM JONAH!!! ;)