Arandis, Namibia: Until Next Time

Thursday, April 01, 2010

Until Next Time

Back in 2006, when leaving Arandis for the first time, not truly knowing if I would ever be back was truly hard for me to do. I mean, let's be real about this, how many times in one's life does one think they will visit Africa, let alone return? Yet here it is, my fifth trip now coming to an end. With every trip that I have returned, leaving seems to have been easier, or at least not as hard as the first time. I guess that's a good thing. Or maybe a God thing?

But leaving is not without its paining.

Paining is what people here seem to use in place of hurts, or hurting. Many times we heard the children say, my head is paining, my stomach is paining. Yes, leaving here is paining. Leaving behind someone you are trying to help is not easy to do. There are a couple of children here that I truly feel bad about leaving; that I cannot be here to continue to support them on a daily basis because that is what is needed. Yes, one of the children is Chandre. Please keep her and many of the older children in your prayers as they cope with the pressures of coming into their teenage years. Issues of acceptance with oneself, with peers, sexual pressures, and alchohol are no different here than at home, with one exception; I believe the children here have a higher chance of falling to these temptations and urges simply because of the culture here.

Many people may ask what I miss most when I am here for such a long time. My only answer is Karen, the girls, other family and friends. There is absolutely nothing else that I miss from my life / lifestyle in the U.S. Okay, well maybe Frankie [our dog]... but I guess I would be chastised if I did not include him as part of the family. [Our concept of pets, and particularly the money we spend on them, really blows the minds of Africans here. And rightly so. But that's another discussion for another day.]

I know that for one or two weeks, my body's clock will be messed up beyond what you can imagine. Yet, what bewilders me is that whenever I come here, I am not messed up at all. I can arrive one day and feel normal the following morning.

I know that after having lived a meager lifestyle while here, I will question why I have all that I have, that I really don't need, back home.

I know that I will likely gain back the 10+ pounds I have lost while being here; which is, in some respects, testimony to all of the 'extras' I am blessed with back home.

I know that after having been here for a month, and not done the things I might normally do, why I end up getting drawn back into life as it is in the U.S.

I know that even after having completed this, my fifth trip, that there will be a sixth trip. When? Who knows. But I know there is a promise that it will happen.

So here is it, well after 1AM, Friday. No longer is it the night before, but it is now the day we leave. It is the start of a a 4-day weekend. Music and voices can be heard throughout the town; most likely originating from one of the shabeens [bars] here in town. I think I can expect this for at least another couple of hours; or at least it was not until after 3 AM that the music and voices subsided last night.

Thanks for following along and while I would like to promise or suggest there will be more posts, I would hate to disappoint [again] and not have any. So, there will be no such promises.

Until next time, goodnight from Namibia.

posted by Don @ 7:26 PM

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