Happy Africa Day and a Sad Farewell to Rundu...

Our last week in Rundu went so fast! It was fun being able to spend time with many of our friends, but it was difficult to say goodbye. Rundu has been a great place to call home these past 8 months, and it is hard to imagine us living somewhere else now!

Saturday was our final Bible study at Ndama Church. We decided to have a one-day study on what is true salvation. Mark and I spent much time preparing for it and were very happy with how the day went. Everyone seemed to enjoy it and asked so many questions that the discussion ended up being 4 hours long! We were able to have a great time talking about some confusing issues within our faith, and really share the Bible with them. We've really been surprised by how much the Bible study has helped our personal faith grow here, and have been really blessed by it. We have been able to discuss the Bible and life issues with many different youth from various villages within Rundu and through it have grown close relationships that we cherish. This past Saturday we even had two elders from the Church come who only spoke Lucazi. It was great being able to include them in our "youth" Bible study! :)

Saturday night we went to the Kavango River. It is a stunning place to watch the sunset over the River that separates Namibia from Angola. It was close to our home when we stayed in Tutengeni and since moving to Ndama village we haven't seen it as often as we once did. It was great going back for one last sunset...

 

Sunday was out last church service in Ndama. We had to say goodbye to some very kind people and we thought the best way to do that was in Lucazi! So our trusty dictionary Pepe :) helped us out to translate our farewell in advance so we could practice the words together. So, Mark and I stood up in front of the congregation to thank them and said goodbye in Lucazi and in response to us going the entire congregation waved to us to send their greetings along to our family and church when we return home. :)

Sunday afternoon we were able to have an awesome Tanzanian lunch at my friend Moza's home. Moza is a friend from the hospital and her and her daughter have lived in Rundu since October! We have both been learning the language together, and have become quite close. Mark and I had a great time at her home and ate absolutely amazing food! We ate so much food I felt like it was Thanksgiving dinner... just without a turkey!

Rebekka, myself, Aina, & Kawali

Monday was my last day working in Casualty and it was definitely a tearful goodbye. I've grown so close with the staff there... and actually can't imagine not working with them in the future. It really is a close knit group, and the mix of personalities make work almost not work with how well we all got along and how fun it was together.  At the end of my day I became overwhelmed with emotion when the Casualty staff threw me a surprise going away party! Of course, I cried. :) They gave speeches and made some yummy yummy food. Mark was able to bike down to share in the party and made it just in time for my farewell gift! Rebekka handmade me a traditional Kavango dress... a gift from the entire department. It fit me perfectly, and when I asked how she even knew my measurements she said "I've worked with you everyday my dear... I know you." I will miss everyone dearly, and hope that one day I will be blessed enough to see them again.

Our last two days in Rundu we spent in the village with our family. Mark and I wholeheartedly feel that the people we've spent the last 4 months with in Ndama are our family... forever. We feel extremely blessed to have met them and right now find it almost impossible to leave them. Two of those people very close to our hearts are our brothers Pepe and Kambinda. We have spent most of our days and nights together doing absolutely nothing and absolutely everything together! Pepe is 17 years old and finishing up his grade 12 this year, and Kambinda is 20 and finished his grade 12 this past year. Both are hoping to attend University together in 2012. They are truly amazing, intelligent, kind, loving, and fun guys and to say "they will be missed" is an understatement.

We love you guys!

Our last night...

 Wednesday was our last day in Rundu and turns out it was a continent-wide holiday... Africa Day! :) Being a holiday,  there was no school so it was a great day being able to just hang in the village with everyone. Mark and I got as many hugs and high-fives as we could squeeze in in a day and began the process of saying goodbye. That night after dinner, all of us gathered around the fire and talked about our time... sharing stories, laughing, and crying together. The most touching moment for me was when Pepe's mother Elizabeth said to me... "From the beginning, I never saw our differences... I only saw you as my sister."

The family who took us in under their wing: Paulus & Elizabeth, Pepe, Kina & Tani!

Mark with Kabumba & Paulus

Thursday morning Mark and I were up before the village and even the roosters to finish packing up. Mark even made a bike trip out to town to drop off our bedding and pillows to the mission home at 4:30 am to start his day! :) We said our final goodbyes to all the kids before they headed to school... each one showing up at our doorstep in their school uniforms to give us a hug. Kambinda, Elizabeth, Cecilia, Ana, Nsamba, and little Paulus, Kabumba, and Zeka came with us to the combi stop while we waited for our ride to Windhoek. We think winter finally arrived that morning! All of us were so cold we could barely stand still. :) While waiting we had a few more hours together joking around and playing with the kids... something we will miss terribly.

As the combi drove away Mark and I were both fighting back the tears. This experience has been much more than an "experience." It was been our life and home for 8 months. We will miss our Namibian family very much and will forever hold each one of them close to our hearts.  We hope that God will continue to bless them and we pray that we will be fortunate enough to be with them again in this life.

We want to thank each and every one of you who have supported and prayed for us along this journey. We are very sad to leave Rundu, but are happy to be reunited with you again soon! In three weeks we will be returning to American soil :) after a bit of travel here in Africa. We hope that during this time we can reflect on our experiences in Namibia and prepare for our return home.

Life as we know it.

Time sure flies when you're having fun!! Mark and I can't believe we haven't blogged in over a month. It is a May we aren't used to... the beginning of winter. :) The days here are still pretty warm, but the nights... are getting cold! It is becoming harder and harder to force ourselves outside at night to shower. "Tana time" isn't as relaxing as before... now it's more of a race to see who can finish first and get back inside! :)

Since the schools are now out for their winter break, Mark has finished teaching at Don Bosco. Mark was enjoying teaching and I really think he was getting the hang of it- even making lesson plans up on the spot. (A must here I think!) I was able to come and see him teach one of his last days and he was awesome at it! (It may sound silly but he was a natural writing with chalk on the chalkboard... something I've always envied being left-handed!) The kids truly seems to like him, and the main teacher Helen too. On Mark's last day Helen made him a card and even gave him a bouquet of artificial flowers :) Mark will continue to help out at Don Bosco over the kid's winter break by fixing some of the computers there. They are in the works of creating a library and computer lab for the children there, so Mark is excited to help out.

Mark's class

Since finishing up at Don Bosco, Mark has been able to spend some more time with the guys in the village. He's been trying to get the hang of playing soccer in deep sand, which I am sure he is doing great at... but when you are playing against guys that have been walking and playing in sand since birth, they will always be a few steps ahead (literally!) He's also had some time to watch a few of Pepe's games at one of the nearby fields and even watch a few European matches on TV! Soccer here is something you can talk about with anyone... and I mean anyone and Mark's been loving that. :)

Mark & Pepe playing soccer with a basketball :)

We've even had time on my day off to go with Pepe to his parent's field! The field was just a few kilometers away and had many things planted on it... maize, mahangu, mutete, peanuts, beans, and our favorite- ground nuts! Ground nuts grow in the ground like nuts, but to prepare them you boil them in water for a few hours, remove the shell and eat them like beans (they taste like beans too!) They are absolutely amazing. We cooked so much that night that Mark and I ate two heaping plate fulls for dinner. Wish we could smuggle some home! :) We had a fun time picking them together with Pepe and seeing one of his parent's two fields. We hope to go again sometime soon. It is harvesting season here, so I am sure a few extra hands would be welcomed.

Pepe with a handful of ground nuts!

In addition to our movie nights (which have been a huge hit!), we've begun having Uno night with some of the kids here. This has been so exciting for us... to be able to build some relationships with a really difficult age group to connect with... the early teens! The kids here are so smart, fun, hardworking, and creative but boy are they shy! :) It has taken Mark and I over two months for these kids to begin to trust us and want to spend time with us- and it really has paid off... thanks to the creators of Uno! :) We have really enjoyed spending time with these kids and hope to have a few more Uno nights soon.

 I've been able to continue going out into the bush for community outreach/public health. The days are long and interesting and sure test my knowledge of the language! The last time I was able to go I wish I was with someone who had seen the movie Dumb & Dumber. :) A child who was about to get a vaccination was crying, so I watched his mother walk over to a nearby field and pick something up. I couldn't tell what it was until she handed it to the child. It was a dead chick. The little kid stopped crying and was clutching onto it petting it over and over. In his mind I hope he was thinking, "Pretty bird...pretty bird." :) All joking aside, spending some days with the community outreach group is well worth it. You see things you wouldn't even imagine out in the bush. The people who live here are full of ingenuity. The last time I went I saw a man using a wheelbarrow to transport his wife who had injured her leg, squash & pumpkins growing on top of thatched roofs, and all sorts of objects used for shelter. But above all else, it is nice to be able to assist people that are unable to get to the hospital (mainly due to transportation) get the medical care they need.

Work in the hospital has been going well. There have been many cases of malaria along with everything else we see on a daily basis. I've really adapted to the environment there and will miss everyone I've been working with closely when we leave. Last week I decided to walk to the road and take a taxi to work because it was raining. Turns out there were no taxis going my direction! I eventually got one, but by the time I got to work I was soaked. Aina took one look at me and said, "You can't work like that. Let's go. We can iron your skirt at my house!" And off we went... I dried my skirt with an iron at Aina's house while on the clock. :) Things like that happen here, and no one sees it as a problem. It is just something that needs to be done!

Best package yet! ;-)

This past Saturday night while cooking dinner visitors from Ndama church came to see us. Mark and I didn't know exactly what was going on at first due to the language barrier, but we soon found out. One of the pastors and his wife stopped by to give us gifts! A bucket full of pounded mahangu and a live running chicken! Mark and I were overwhelmed by their generosity, since the gift of a running chicken is considered a honor in the village. Not every family can afford to raise chickens, so to get one as a gift was so wonderful. We were told to keep it in our home in a cardboard box and feed it until we decided to eat it. Unfortunately, the only box we had was too small and our chicken kept jumping out of it!  Thanks to Elizabeth we were able to keep it safe in her Cipiko (cooking hut).

Our Kasumbe Mark named Fred

 To be honest, I was overwhelmed with both the generosity of the gift and the obvious outcome of the gift... having to kill it. We kept "Fred" for 3 days until I got up enough courage to "prepare it." Thanks to Mark & Alysse's encouraging words... and the strong hands of Fernanda I was able to do it. Fernanda is one of my neighbors in the village, and she was kind enough to hold the chicken while I (there is no other way to say this) cut off it's head with a knife. We then plucked, gutted, and cleaned the chicken before I fried it. It was so yummy... a rewarding meal to say the least. I've never had to kill an animal before, and I must say I was conflicted about it. However, animals here live lives they unfortunately don't live anymore in America... they graze, run, eat grass and bugs, and are free. I know Fred had an enjoyable life. :) And here people eat every part of an animal that they can... including heads, feet, organs, etc. So, I was able to give others here the favored neck, head, liver, and feet :)

Myself, Fernanda, Alysse... and our plucked chicken!

We thought there couldn't be anymore excitement in one day. We were wrong. :) After dinner and watching a soccer game, I went to crawl into bed. Good thing I picked up my PJ's before climbing in, because underneath them was a scorpion!! Mark came to the rescue and killed it and boy did we tuck our mosquito net in tight last night! It seems the scorpions and mice are battling it out to see which can have the highest death toll in our home. :) So far it's scorpions 10, mice 9. It is crazy to think about, but in 3 weeks we will have our final tally...

Gross I know :)

Marco and Julia...

My "stove" under water!

March 21^st was Namibia's Independence Day! Namibia's Independence Day is celebrated differently than at home... mainly, no fireworks. :( Most people have the day off from work though... including Mark. I went to the hospital, and like most holidays in any casualty around the world, it was super busy! After work I biked home, did some laundry and before I could even hang it up to dry a huge rainstorm rolled in and it downpoured the rest of the day!

Mark and I did have a great afternoon the day prior as celebration for independence day. We were invited to a braii (BBQ) at Rundu Beach with the rest of our AIM crew and a mutual friend from the hospital. The river has raised up so much over the rainy season, and it looked like a completely different beach from our last visit on New Years. Mark and I watched as kids went swimming and boats were transporting people and materials to and from Rundu and Kali, Angola. Braiis are big in Namibia, and people were cooking up all sorts of meat! We cooked up a great BBQ pork... Mark and I gnawed on a huge piece and honestly, couldn't believe how awesome it was. It's funny, because just a few days before that I said how we were practically vegetarians since arriving here and I was commenting on how much I enjoyed it and thought it could become a lifestyle, and the next moment I'm eating pork. :) 

Rundu Beach at Sunset

Judith talking me through Civundu...

Our pace of life has slowed down a bunch over the past few weeks, and we realized some of it has to do with really settling in and making Rundu our home. It's becoming hard to even figure out what to blog about because everything we are doing just seems, well... normal. :) This month seems to have flown by. We've spent lots of time in the village... just living life. I've started branching out and cooking more traditional foods, mainly Civundu. (This is Namibia's staple maize meal food... in ZIM it was called Sadza.) This is difficult to make... you literally work up a sweat each time you make it! I've sustained a few burns in the process, but the other night one of the village women told me after sampling my Civundu that “I'm finally a Nyemba woman.” I took that as a huge compliment! 

Elizabeth and I preparing Mutete leaves

I've helped prepare Mutete (a leafy green plant dish), Sampo (a type of leaf from a tree), Vicasa (pumpkin and squash leaves), and Lipungu (maize corn on the cob). The other night we learned how to roast our Lipungu directly on the fire coals... man, was it yummy! Cooking has become more relaxing for me over time... especially in preparing fire. However, some things in the village you can't be prepared for... an example being the other night. I was cooking lentils and civundu over the fire, things were going smoothly... and I was in and out of the house preparing dinner. The next thing I know, donkeys are walking through our “yard” dragging their tire on a rope (it keeps them from wandering too far from home) and they walked straight through my fire knocking over my lentils which then snuffed out my fire. I had to start all over again, quite dumbfounded and upset. Now, I find the entire thing hysterical. ;)

Mr. Mark has continued to teach at the Don Bosco Youth Center during the week.  He is really enjoying teaching the children English and Math.  He tells me that the children are very respectful... in the mornings when he starts class all the children stand and say "Good Morning, Sir" and he then says "Good Morning Class, how are you?" with the response "We are fine and how are you?"  Also when any of the children are called on to answer a question they stand to say the answer.  Since there are not teacher's books, Mark gets to make up his own lessons each day.  This can sometimes prove to be a challenge.  The other day he taught about telling time however, not many children know this skill since Africa is a not a time oriented culture.

Marco holding Jeffy & Pepe holding Paulus

Mark and I have also been spending lots of time with the kids in the village. They have warmed up to us in such a natural way. We've gotten so used to them that I can even distinguish each child's cry from a distance. I love being one of the “village mommy's” :) The kids also love Mark and each morning when I walk outside I can hear some of the younger boys off in the distance immediately yell “Marco!”...not Julia, but I'll live. :) We've also been spending time in the afternoons reading books with the kids. The other night little Eliza was reading “The Little Red Hen” and a few of the girls came up to hear asking her to come to the bush with them. She literally gave them 'the hand' and said... “Me, I'm reading” with a big grin. It was priceless.

Movie Night!

We've continued having a movie night every once in the while which has been a big kick. The moment Mark and I bring out our laptop kids come out of the woodwork (even a few adults too!) and we spend the night watching a movie under the stars. So far we've watched Eight Below and The Lion King. Even with the language barrier they have loved it... and they all couldn't get over the Hakuna Matata scene in The Lion King. :)

Last night we had a braii for David and Mackenzie since they are going back to Montana this next week. It was a fun night and we will miss them tremendously. They are such a fun and creative couple that strive to live interesting and “unboxed” lives... Mark and I love them so much and have learned so much about life from them. It has been great being able to connect and hang with another couple here in Namibia... they will be missed for sure.

Mark & I with David and McKenzie

And now, surprisingly it is April. Mark and I only have 2 more months here in Rundu before we finish out our time here in Africa with a few weeks of travel. We have been so comforted by everyone's packages, letters, and support. We are beginning to really miss home so please keep the emails coming! We would love to hear from you guys...

Half Way...

 Okay, so our time in Namibia has passed the half way point. Julie and I were just talking the other day about all that we have done throughout our time here, and realized that maybe it would be a good thing to share. So here it goes...

I started out not really knowing what to expect here in Namibia. I was told there were computer opportunities at the hospital and sports opportunities. However, those opportunities haven't panned out to much in regards to a time commitment, so months back I began searching for things to do on my own.

I helped with the “Farming God's Way” workshop that hasn't really taken off at the project but it has influenced the church to help the project by planting maize in the field. This is an improvement over past years when the farm land was unplanted. Even if they are using their traditional methods and not “Farming God's Way” techniques it is great to see the community working together on the fields. Before rainy season hit, I helped many people with hauling mud with the project bakkie to either repair or build new homes. I also helped plow some fields with oxen. My farming family roots would be proud of that!

Ernst & Kahilu- our friends & volunteers at Project

Sadly, the OVC project itself has not started up again since Christmas. This has been hard to see happen, however, the team here is still trying to empower the local church and community to come together and run the project without “missionary or white peoples” assistance. We know that they can do it, they just need to believe that they can... and changing beliefs here is a hard but needed task. We've learned that some things in Africa don't function or remain sustainable when the “white people” step back, not because the nationals are incapable, but because it has been engrained in their culture that they are incapable. Changing history is something we cannot do, and we are saddened by how things have run their course in Namibia over the years, but we are encouraged by many here who do have the self-esteem, willpower, and passion to step out against the grain to try to make a difference. We are continuing to try to mentor those people here- because those are the people that will change Namibia's future.

I've had meetings with the hospital about the computer system and helped with layout of the system by measuring distances, planning closet locations, and discussing equipment. I've also completed a hospital wide survey on the staff's computer knowledge which will help build a foundation for the computer training courses that are to come. I'm not sure how much more of the computer system will be completed over the course of our time here, but I am happy that I've been able to give my assistance when it's needed.

I've also spend my spare time tutoring some kids from the village, playing soccer in the deepest sand you could imagine, and working on building relationships and mentoring a few really amazing guys here. I also love hanging out and playing with the littler kids in the village. Much of the beginning of January I was able to help our team leader and his family transition their lives and move from Rundu to the capital city of Namibia, Windhoek. One day, on an hours notice we were able to pack their entire home into the back of an empty grocery truck that was driving back down to the capital! Lots of behind the scene things happen when a family of 9 is moving 8 hours away, and I am happy that I was able to be available to help them sort some things out prior to their move.

Since the New Year my schedule has changed a bit. I've started teaching English and Math on Mondays and Fridays at a local privately funded school and youth center named Don Bosco. Kids that are accepted into this school are in grades 1-5 and are in some sort of poor social situation that has made them unable to attend other local schools. The idea of the school is to continue education with the students until they are able to get back into the school system. Once the students are enrolled at Don Bosco the staff works with the Namibian government to try to get grants for the students to attend regular schools. In Namibia the school system is advertised by the government to be free for everyone however each school has fees associated with them that keep children that are unable to pay out of school. At Don Bosco there is only one class for all the children so teaching is done at either a grade 1 or grade 3 level usually switching back and forth between days or subjects. The class has only one textbook for each subject so all the exercises are copied to the chalkboard and the students have notebooks to write down the questions. It has been a challenge to teach in a classroom setting, but I am enjoying it.

On Tuesdays, I meet with my friend Mashingo. Mashingo is someone I met through the hospital and have been getting to know for quite sometime now. We have been meeting every Tuesday to hang out. I have been able to fix a computer he has in his mud home and gave him some training on how to use it. Also since he is in a wheelchair and not really able to make it to the Saturday bible study I have been able to go over the bible study discussion each week with him. We usually talk for hours about questions he has about the bible and different stuff. He could use some prayer right now because he is currently on his way to the capital to see if he can get calipers to assist him in walking since he is paralyzed from the waist down from a gun shot wound and currently in a wheelchair.

On Wednesdays, Julie and I have a day off together. Since we are busy over the weekend with our bible study we decided to use Wednesdays as our day together.

On Thursdays, I have been meeting with Ben. Ben is a young adult leader at the Kaisosi Tar Road Church where we have our Bible study on Saturdays. I meet with him every Thursday to go over the Bible study together and get his input on what people are taught in this culture about certain verses. It is also a time for me to encourage him in what he is doing at the church and in his life.

Creating our own shade at Bible Study!

On Saturdays, Julie and I have the Bible study at Kaisosi Tar Road Church. The bible study starts at 10am. On average we have 12 people that attend sometimes more sometimes less. The Bible study has been a great outlet for the youth to be able to share what they don't understand about the things they read in the Bible or what they have been taught. Julie and I have learned a lot also by preparing the lessons and the discussion with the youth. It is funny to hear the stories they have been taught about creation and a mountain that reaches all the way to heaven or about how the rainbow is a dragon that eats water. We have been getting a lot of encouragement from the elders at the church and the youth that attend the study. We feel blessed that God has been able to work through us in this Bible study...thanks for the continued prayers.

Now onto Julie...

Like Mark said, we've passed our “half way point” and thought we should update you all on some things we've been doing more on a daily basis! My week starts Monday mornings in Casualty at Rundu State Hospital. I usually wake up around 6:30 and start my morning routine of washing my face & hair in a basin, eating some toast, and then biking to the hospital by 7:30. I change out of my bike clothes when I get to work, because I've found it super difficult to bike in a nursing skirt! (And since its culturally inappropriate to show your knees, long shorts work out a bit better!)

At work with my friends Justin & Aina!

I spend my days volunteering in Casualty from 8-1 on Mondays, Thursdays, and Fridays. Like home, anything can happen in Casualty. :) Some days are quite slow... and on those days I take “fat cake breaks” with Laura. (I love those days!) But also like home, some days are very busy... and I love those days too! Working in Casualty has gotten me more used to the Ru-kwangali language, but I still can only speak medically. People ask me often what type of patients I see. I rarely see any diseases related to obesity (unlike back home) such as strokes, heart attacks, diabetes, hypertension... but I still see them on occasion. More commonly, I assist in treating dehydration, dysentery, diarrhea, malnutrition, HIV/AIDS, Tuberculosis, snake bites, scorpion bites, poisonings, etc. There are many home deliveries here in Namibia, so I often get to do well baby check ups on 1 day old newborns... which I can't get enough of! I also get to assist in minor procedures on a frequent basis which has been quite fun! There are two “mini-theatre” rooms (operating rooms) off of casualty that are used daily to I & D abscesses, do biopsies, suture, remove foreign bodies, and do other minor procedures. There is also a POP (plaster of paris) room where I get to assist in placing and removing casts. The staff in Casualty is refreshingly fun and I enjoy working with them a lot. The working environment in Africa is much less stressful and laid back – even in Casualty – and I can say, I've adapted to that quite nicely! :)

Tuesdays I've started volunteering with the hospital's community health outreach in distant villages. This usually is a full day event where I go with a few other hospital staff by truck out in the “bush” to provide medical care to people that live too far away from the hospital. So far I've felt a bit out of my comfort zone because nurses are expected to act more like doctors in this role, but I'm catching on and am enjoying learning more about medical care in the bush. It's a different world in these villages from the town of Rundu, and I am enjoying getting out there and making little kids laugh after I give them a vaccine, or making an old man smile when I attempt to speak his native tongue while explaining his medications. I've also gotten a kick out of people's method of payment if they can't pay the $2N for treatment. By the time we return back to the hospital at night, the truck is full of maize, peanuts, mahangu, veggies, and beans! I've really been enjoying community health, but I do ask for your prayers as the community health staff, although kind, has been a bit difficult to get to know on a more personal level.

Wednesdays are my day off! YIPPEE for days off! I've only started taking a day off since recently beginning community health, and it has been great for r&r and also for some time away with Mark. We've discovered the only coffee shop in all of Rundu and have begun going Wednesday mornings to talk and spend time together. It's been a great find and much needed as our time in Africa, although amazing, can sometimes be a bit strenuous and stressful.

Saturday mornings into the afternoon are spent at our bible study at Kaisosi Tar Road Church. It takes us an hour to walk there from Ndama, and to be honest, most weeks Mark needs to cheer me on to keep walking! :) We've really enjoyed teaching a bible study together, and Mark has been doing an amazing job fostering the kids in asking questions and feeling comfortable with open discussion. Bible studies here are not common, and most people are only used to “preachers, not teachers” as one girl told us last week. So, we are encouraged to continue and teach foundational stories from the Bible while encouraging and fostering self-esteem among the youth here.

Ndama Church

Sundays are spent at church at Ndama EBC. Church is about a half-day event in Africa! The church service is in Luchazi, but luckily Mark and I have our friends and dictionaries (as we've nicknamed them) Pepe and Kambinda translate the service for us. Our favorite part of every African church service is the singing... and lucky for us its usually about an hour long :) Afternoons and evenings on Sundays are usually spent in the village with everyone... visiting, talking, and relaxing together. On weekends at some point I get to perform my favorite womanly duty in the village – laundry! I must say, a washing machine is an amazing invention because not only is washing all your laundry by hand exhausting and sometimes painful – it takes forever! I have picked up a bit of speed over the past month though, and have even found myself looking forward to laundry day... strange. :)

Mark and I usually meet up in the afternoons during weekdays back in the village for our PB&J lunch. Yes, we eat it every day! It is so enjoyable to be able to spend so much time with Mark throughout the day. It has been great for our marriage and something I am sure we will miss when we get home and back into the hustle and bustle of the American work day. Most afternoons I try to take a nap – some days I am successful, some days not. (The heat inside our mud home with its metal roof can make sleeping, well, not possible!) If naps are not possible, I'll clean or do the dishes... otherwise, I sit outside in the shade of our tree and play with the kids, read, help kids with their homework, or try to learn language and talk with the other women of the village.

Yup, that's a split fire with 2 pots! I was happy that day.

The village comes alive in the evenings. Usually around 7 pm the men will come home from their jobs, and the women will come home from the field or selling fish, bread, or tomatoes at the local market. This is when I start the fire for dinner and cook one of 3 things: rice and beans, rice and lentils, or pasta. I know- creative! I have promised some of the women in the village I will try to start cooking their traditional meals soon, but as of right now – they are a bit intimidating! It took me 27 days of living in the village to be able to start a fire on my own. With it being rainy season, some days are harder than others and when we first moved in, every night someone wanted to come over and help before I could even attempt it on my own! I must say, the loving help we've received here has been endearing to say the least. People give of their time, energy, and possessions so freely here. Most evenings Mark and I receive some traditional food from a family in our kiembo. We always return the favor with giving some of our “rice and macunde (beans)” which everyone seems to get a kick out of. Sharing food each evening is something that took some getting used to, but something we've learned to love. There is something about giving and receiving food from family and friends that warms the heart – and the belly!

After dinner Mark and I go outside and sit under the vast African sky and talk with everyone around the fire until bedtime. Some evenings the men and women sit separately, some evenings together. This is probably our favorite time of the day and when we feel most of our relationships grow the most. By the time the coals of the fire cool, Mark and I have fetched our water for our shower and for the next day. Then it is “tana” time (luchazi for shower). This is probably our 2^nd favorite time of the day! Mark and I take bucket showers outside which does take some skill... but we've got it down to an art and use such a small amount of water its amazing! Bedtime is usually around 10 or 11... when we tuck ourselves into our mosquito net and drift off to sleep. And when the alarm rings at 6:30 its time to start all over again...

Introducing our new home!

Mark with Kambinda, Pepe, & Mateo

As you may know from one of our previous blogs we moved to Ndama village to live in community with the people we have been getting to know.  The community that we are living in is awesome. There are 5 couples in our housing group, Paul and Elizabeth, Jaime and Veronica, Kativa and Secilia, Kawende and Fernanda, and Ferciano and Emilie. There are also a number of children: Tani, Kina, Pepe, Masela, Easy, Eliza, Paul, Zeka, Kado, Mateo, Jeferino, January, Shika, Fati, and Kambinda.  Each of the families have a home or group of homes.  Mainly the houses are for sleeping and cover from the rain. There is not to much activity done in the house during the day, mostly because it is always blazing hot inside the houses due to the metal roofing.  Everyone usually retreats to the coolness of the shade found under a nearby tree.  On most days there is some type of breeze that keeps us cool.

Our New Home! (You can also see our "stove" and shower!)

Pepe and Eliza

Since moving here we have really been expanding our Luchazi language knowledge. When we lived in Tutengeni we practiced language however, it is a lot different practicing the language and truly needing to learn the language to talk to people.  Only a fraction of people that we interact with on a daily basis in the village know English.  We do have a secret weapon that has been helping us a great deal, Pepe. Pepe is now in 12^th grade and knows English very well so he has been our translator when we want to talk to someone more then just greeting them.  We are learning a lot and will hopefully pick up more of the language soon.

The children are a lot of fun to be around. At first they only called us Chindale (Luchazi for white person). They would yell it whenever they saw us coming.  After telling them only a few times what our names were, they replaced chindale with Marco and Julia... I think that is a good compromise. The children love teaching us Luchazi and learning English. We spend a lot of time pointing at things and saying what it is in both languages, or writing words out in the sand. We found out that language learning can be a tricky thing sometimes and you need to be careful to pronounce words just like they do. Julie was learning the word for chicken the one day and just pronounced the ending a little off and ended up saying the female reproductive part, Oops!

Washing clothes by hand is a challenge and so far Julie is the only one that had the pleasure of washing our clothes.  One thing we didn't expect while hanging our laundry out to dry is that you must beware of the donkey cart that comes through daily. If your clothes are unfortunately hanging when the donkey cart comes through the donkeys will rub against your clothes making the clothes much dirtier. Lesson learned!

I must say that my favorite thing about getting around Africa is being able to ride a bicycle everywhere!  I got my bicycle soon after we got here from an orphans project that has bikes donated to them and fixes them up to sell.  The sales produce money for the orphans project to keep running.  As soon as I saw the bike I got I knew it was meant to be...a red Specialized (reminds me of home).  Sure the seat is falling apart, the tires are worn, and I recently blew out the rear hub but in African standards I have a sweet ride.  Julie's bike is nice also.  It is very rugged looking with red spray paint at spots.

Valentine's Day Dinner in the Making...

Who would have thought that they celebrate Valentine's day in Africa?  I didn't think they did.  Well, I was wrong.  They even have plastic flowers in the store to give to your loved ones.  My Valentine's day gift to Julie was to cook her a meal over the fire!  I knew it would get some strange looks since no man is supposed to cook when their wife is willing and able.  I must say I think I did a good job besides burning the rice and spilling the lentils into the fire not once but twice.  There was a small crowd to see what I would mess up next but all in all it was a Valentine's day gift I will not forget anytime soon...I hope Julie won't either!

Happy Valentine's Day!

 

At Least I Haven't “Fallen off the Calendar” Yet!

Turning 30 in Africa was something I've been thinking about since we celebrated Mark's 30^th the day before we left for Namibia. I learned while being here that people refer to being old as when you “fall off the calendar”... as in when you turn 32. If your birthday can be found on a day in a month on the calendar (1-31) you are still a young-en and don't need to worry about a thing. SO, in African standards, I've got another 2 years to be considered young... :)

Myself with Alysse, Laura, & McKenzie!

We started off the day with our weekly Bible study in a mud church in the village in the morning. Afterwards, we biked into town to splurge on an ice cream cone and Mark even bought me a new shirt! (My first frivolous purchase since getting here!) That night Mark and I got together with our friends Laura, Alysse, Mckenzie, & David to celebrate at a local lodge. I ordered an amazing “fillet” steak and ate looking out at the stunning Kavango River over sunset. It was so nice to have a relaxing night out with friends. I even got a few gifts... a head wrap, some chocolate, and 2 homegrown zucchini! Turning 30 in Africa was simple and fun... just the way I like it! :)

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.