Arandis, Namibia: The last night before the last day

Wednesday, March 31, 2010

The last night before the last day

Well, the children are back at their home with their new temporary auntie. Candice is her name and she is 30 years old. She appears to have a heart for children and, as she takes on this awesome responsibility on her own, please keep her and Angela, Riaan, Ismael, Smithley, Queen and Memory, in your prayers during this [yet another] transition period.

Already it seems different knowing they are not here. As I begin to write this entry, it is well before their bedtime, yet it is quiet here. Normally at this time we are trying to settle them down for bed after having them bathe. It would have been their reading time now with lights out by 8PM.

But there's nothing. No sounds except for any activity outside.

Now, after being here for 26 days, try as I might, it's seems hard to imagine how this trip would have been WITHOUT having had the children to care for. No doubt I would have spent more time in the school, helping with the computer lab, teaching keyboarding perhaps. Maybe the two websites I had planned on completing, one new and one redesign, would actually have been completed.

It would have been different.

Jackie was telling me of the conversation she had with our next door neighbor, who is also a teacher at Talitha Kumi Christian Academy, where five of the children attend school. She has a heart for these children and often tears up when talking about them. However, yesterday, she said to Jackie that not only did we help the children, but we also were an inspiration to her - just by watching us simply get off a plane from America and take on the responsibility of six children and do all of the things we did - without having any prior knowledge of these plans.

One of the unexpected ripples.

So, what's on tap for tomorrow, our last day? We will most likely take advantage of our reduced responsibilities and begin our family visits to say our goodbyes. We still need to be available to make have the children for lunch since Candice will be heading in to Swakopmund with the other mommies to do their monthly grocery shopping. The children arrive home from school around 1:30 and these shopping trips typically take a bit longer. Yes, 7-8 mommies will pack into a mini van with a small trailer in tow to go shopping for the month. I've been on one of those shopping days during another visit here and it is interesting to see how it is all coordinated as not everyone shops at the same place.

I guess packing is also on tap, though I believe I will be able to condense two suitcases of 50 pounds each, one computer bag and one [20+ pound backpack] into one suitcase and a backpack that is more reasonable [much less than 20 pounds] in weight. Going home is always so much 'lighter' not having all of the supplies that we bring down. There will be a first, however, on this return trip for I will be bringing back a laptop that is not working, to see if I can get it fixed and then transported back by others who will be visiting later on this summer.

I think we will also get some time to talk with Brenda about how these past four weeks have gone and how we can continue to help out at the ministry here and prepare for our return trip. What could be next? How can being foster mom and dad to 6 children be topped? Well, some of the families here have 8-9 children and maybe one of those mommies needs some time off.

Wouldn't that be nice...

posted by Don @ 4:57 PM

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