Our New Address: Ndama Village!

Mark and I wanted to share with you all some exciting news! If you haven't checked out our blog lately, reading our last entry below will explain a lot, but we've decided to move into Ndama village into Zeka and Anita's mud home! Zeka and Anita are close friends of ours and our AIM leaders Rob and Alisa. They will be in Windhoek finishing their schooling from today until June, so Mark and I are moving into their community this week! (We could move in tomorrow... but we figured moving into a mud hut wouldn't be an awesome way to spend my 30^th birthday, so we are moving early in the week!)

Mark and I have really felt a desire to become more part of a community here on a daily basis, and we are growing some good relationships in Ndama. So the 2^nd half of our time here won't be as “cushy” as it has been in Tutengeni, but we look forward to the change. In Ndama, we won't have running water, plumbing for a toilet, sink or shower, refrigeration, or a stove/oven for cooking. Which means many changes for us and we ask for much prayer as we make the transition! I will still be working in the hospital most days of the week, and am also starting up some community health outreach in February... so things like cooking over a fire, taking outdoor bucket showers, going to fetch water, doing laundry by hand, and going to the bathroom in the bush will be added changes that I hope go well.

Mark has been super supportive and an awesome husband preparing me for the move which comes with added responsibilities for me especially since most tasks are traditionally done by women in the village. We know we can do it and know that being in this setting will be much more of a blessing than a burden, however, we do ask for some prayer over the next few weeks as we settle into a new normal. :)

Mark is also meeting with Dr. Yuri on Monday in regards to beginning the process for the hospital computer system. He is also going to see about possibly tutoring in a local school or helping with computer classes too... so keep him in your thoughts as well! February comes with many changes for us, and we can imagine for you all too! We aren't missing the snow :) but we are getting tired of this heat! Africa is awesome, but sometimes the abundance of sand and heat mess with your mind because you expect to see the ocean and there is none around! :)

We hope everything is going great for you all. Please keep sending emails... we love receiving them!! We hope to have the same amount of internet time while in the village... and will be keeping you all updated too.