Tuesday, December 19, 2006

The average American watches 1,456 hours of television a year, but only reads 3 books.

I was thinking about this statistic and reminisced over the books I’ve read this year and thought about how I am a better person because of it. I’m glad I’m not average.

The books I have read this year:

books Simplicity by Mark Solomon

books Radical Reformission by Mark Driscoll

books Counterfeit Revival by Hank Hanegraaff

books Confessions of a Reformission Rev. by Mark Driscoll

books No Compromise by Melody Green

books Let Me Be A Woman by Elizabeth Elliot

books The Air I Breathe by Louie Giglio

books The Barbarian Way by Erwin Mc Manus

books Hard To Believe by John MacArthur

books To Own A Dragon by Donald Miller

I’m not one of those people who can read a book slowly over a long period of time. I operate on spurts of reading and reading. I usually finsh books in a few days. It rarely takes me more than a week to finish a book. I like to commit to it and finish without a lot of distraction in there. This also means that I can not read more than one book at a time. I like to fully immerse myself in a particular book, and reading more than one at a time splits my focus.

Currently reading:

books The Coffeehouse Gospel by Matthew Paul Turner

Friday, December 15, 2006

pretty pizza

pretty pizza

i made this the other night when Buddy, Maveja, and I had a "pizza and movie" night a few days ago. it just looked so pretty...but it tatsed even better.

Thursday, December 14, 2006

heat

i've decided that looking at the weather report for Windhoek really isn't all that helpful or accurate. Today's temperature, as reported for Windhoek - over 60km away, was 93F. however, the outside thermometer posted on my friend Barbara's door (which is in the shade, mind you) read 102F.

Wednesday, December 13, 2006

Christmas in Okahandja

Christmas in Okahandja

As you can see, Okahandja goes all out when decorating for Christmas.

Thursday, December 07, 2006

Solo

I took a solo trip to Swakop on Monday/Tuesday for a little R&R. I had been toying with the idea for a week or two, but finally on Sunday night I just decided to throw a few things together, pack up the Stream and head out the next morning. I threw my mattress in the back of the car, took my backpack with a change of clothes, bathing suit, sunscreen, bible, journal, and a few books. I grabbed a cantaloupe, bread, jam, and some Salticrax and headed out around 8:30am. It’s a little under 3 hrs to drive to Swakop, which for one who is accustomed to solo 8-hour drives between Ohio and Pennsylvania, felt like no time at all. Along the way I came upon a recent accident with an overturned car. There was a traffic policeman there already though, and both people were standing outside the vehicle and looked fine. I also got to see two huge ostriches standing right along the roadside. Closer to the coast, the more the terrain starts to appear like the surface of the moon, that’s when you know you’re nearly there. Then the next thing you know, you see the signature thick patch of clouds hanging around the coastline, and the palm trees lining the road up ahead. And you’re there. Swakopmund. The haven for Germans in Namibia. I parked the car by the beach and headed to Out of Africa for some coffee. The waitress was really sweet; got my order wrong; but the café au lait was fine. And the hot banana muffin was correct, and yummy. I hung out for a while enjoying the coffee and the people-watching time. An American guy came in the shop while I was there – the accent is a dead give away. The weather was really chilly and overcast (typical for Swakop) but I headed to back toward the beach and spread out my blanket where I would park myself for a few hours to read. The beach was pretty empty and therefore peaceful. I finished “The Barbarian Way” by Erwin McManus and started, “Hard to Believe” by John McArthur. I ate my cantaloupe and Salticrax (a tribute to Amber). By then it was about 4:00 and I decided to drive to Landstrand to find a camping spot. The place was virtually deserted and I picked my spot, then drove to town to buy some wood. Around 5:00 the sun had actually come out, just in time to start its decent into the water. I walked down to the beach at Landstrand and read for a while longer, then headed back to start my fire. The sunset was fiery and highlighted some ships in the haze along the horizon. After sunset I laid down next to the fire and looked up at the sky as the huge ball of a moon began its way up. What a beautiful time of reflection, solitude and serenity. I grabbed a shower then climbed in the back of the stream and hit the sack early. I woke up the next moring to a semi-stormy day, thick clouds and blustery wind whipping up the waves. I walked along the beach collecting shells for longer than anyone I know would have been able to put up with. It is nice to have no constraints or concerns sometimes. Then I headed back into town and decided to give the Village café a try this time. I’ve always wanted to check it out…it has a very Yellow Spring-ish feel to it. and the hours of operation sign has always intrigued me:

Open: whenever we get here
Closed: when we leave

I sat at a table by the window and enjoyed my mocha as it helped warm me from the chill coming in the partly open door. And I debated how long to remain enjoying this fall-type weather before heading back to the summery, pressure cooker of Okahandja. I strolled by a few shops and went in the cute little bead shop I like. I was in there at the same time as a Japanese couple with a video camera. The guy was video taping all the rows of beads and scanning the store, which I thought was a bit strange. And on my way out I head them start talking to the owner of the shop and say, “We’re from Japan and we heard that Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt were here, and she bought a bunch of things. We’re making a webpage because we love them…and we wondered if we can tape you saying that they were here and bought things from this shop” I made a quick exit, shaking my head.

I was thinking about this couple on my way home. And I was reminded; we are worshippers. What consumes my thoughts, what commands my adoration and love? For what, for whom, am I willing to look like a fool? For this couple, it was Brad and Angelina. I feel sad for them. Wasted worship.


“Has not God made the foolish the wisdom of this world? For since, in the wisdom of God, the world through wisdom did not know God, it pleased God through the foolishness of the message preached to save those who believe….But of Him you are in Christ Jesus, who became for us wisdom from God – and righteousness and sanctification and redemption – that, as it is written, ‘He who glories, let him glory in the Lord’.”
1 Corinthians 1:20-21, 30-31

Here are some pics from my time just to make all of you in cold countries feel a bit warmer…

Solo in Swakop

Solo in Swakop

Solo in Swakop

Solo in Swakop

Solo in Swakop

Solo in Swakop

Solo in Swakop

Friday, December 01, 2006

Entertaining

Once the sun goes down in Okahandja there's not a whole lot to do. So I read, play spider solitaire and watch movies. Some movies veiwed since being here...and my personal opinions:

Trauma (good psychological thriller, but the ending didn't live up to the rest of the movie)
Pirates of the Carribean: Dead Man's Chest (only movie I've seen in the theater here. liked it a lot)
Tsotsi (South African film. I would totally recommend it)
Inside Man (Chaiyya Chaiyya. enjoyed it. very Ocean's Eleven-esque)
Brother's Grimm (Really good. Better than I expected)
Lemmony Snicket's Series of Unfortunate Events (finally got around to seeing it. really liked it)
Over the Hedge (Funny)
Ultravoilet (NOT my pick!. 2 hours of my life I will never get back)
Failure to Launch (not bad, but predictable girl movie. there is a cool scene where they rock climb)
The Constant Gardener (set in Africa. pretty good story)
Mean Girls (totally surprised me...I laughed a lot)
The Fog (Buddy and Maveja's choice. pretty cheesy)
The League of Extraordinary Gentleman (Not really my style. too comic-book for me, and a bit long...or maybe it just seemed long)

Recently Read:
"Let Me Be a Woman" by Elizabeth Elliot
"The Air I Breathe" by Louie Giglio

Currently reading:
"The Barbarian Way" by Erwin McManus

In the Line-up:
"Life Together" by Deitrich Bonhoffer
"Uprising" by Erwin McManus
"Hard to Believe" by John McArthur

Currently Watching:
"Friends" Season 9
"Flightplan"
"The Wild"

Currently Listening to:
Paul Simon
Norah Jones
The Wild Dogs
Bullet
Damien Rice
Over the Rhine

Street Sweepers of Okahandja

Street Sweepin'

Wednesday, November 29, 2006

Plating


I got my hair plated. I sat for 6 hours...and it still was only half done. the omatako was paining. But here is the half-done, amanda-with-cap version.

Friday, November 24, 2006

Thanksgiving

12 people.
my house.
5 countries represented.
chicken.
game tenderloin.
mashed potatoes.
corn.
sweet potatoes.
baked pineapple.
broetchens.
greek salad.
cooldrink.
tang.
hot apple cider.
watermelon.
ice cream.
pumpkin pie.
sweet whipped cream.
prayer.
laughter.
spider stories.
more laughter.
hot inside.
cool outside.
more laughter.
a million stars.
mmm.
priceless.

Namibia Thanksgiving 2006

i hope your Thanksgiving was a great one!

Monday, November 20, 2006

Special

the latter half of this week was just that - special. starting with Thursday, when all of us who meet at the woodcarver's each week, met in the evening for special time together. 13 of us gathered (7 adults and 6 children) to worship the Lord together and remember Jesus. We met at the Christ's Hope International center in town at 7pm. we began by reading John 13 which describes Jesus taking on the role of a servant, and washing his disciple's feet. We learned from His example about the significance of servanthood and humility. Then we washed one another's feet. The oldest and the youngest all washed another's feet and were washed - an act of humilty and remembering that Jesus humbled himself to serve.

Innocenthia and Sylvia Maveja



Carina and her brother John Buddy and Manuel



Deborah

Then we gathered around the table to fellowship and feast. we broke bread together and shared the Lord's supper. for many this was the first time they had ever shared the Lord's supper or even broken bread with other believers this way. It was a very sweet time.

Gathered around the Table

Breaking Bread

After dinner we watched "The Passion of the Christ". Again, a first for several people there. Maveja was one of the those. It was beautiful to experience this with her. I was overwhelmed with such a sense of thankfulness, not only for what Christ did in redeeming me, but what he has done in redeeming my sister, Maveja. I asked her several days later what she experienced that night and it was evident that the whole night really impacted her. She related that she just felt something unexplainable that night, just being together - all of us - and rembering Jesus like that. He response to the film was summed up mainly by this sentiment,

"I kept thinking, why did I live so long just going on sinning like I did, when Jesus did that for me?"

I seriously love this girl. Her life in Christ means so much to me. I am so thankful to God for allowing me to see the change He has worked and continues to work in her.

On friday Maveja and Buddy came over to my house for dinner. We had spaghetti and salad. Buddy brought this bread called "Lambort" bread because it reminded him of Lambys bread in Lord of the Rings. Then we watched a movie - an absolutely awful movie - NOT my pick. i sent the other two to Funky Video (yes, that is the actual name of the video rental store) So we watched "Ultrviolet" starring Mila Jovovich. nearly two hours of my life I will never get back. Maveja spent the night at my place because we were all getting up early the next morning...

for our Saturday ride to Grossbarmen. Yes, we rode our bikes the 25k to GB, spent the day at the pool, then rode home 25k. A total of 50 k. (31 miles, for you Americans out there) It took about 2 hours each way. We hoped to leave right at 7am to avoid the heat, but Buddy had some bike issues, so we eneded up leaving at 7:40. Still ok though, because it ended up being fairly cool most of the way. Then we spent the day by the pool, had a swim, played Uno, ate ice cream, talked about Jesus, and then decided to head home around 3:00. It was good timing too, as there were storms on the horizon - following us the whole way. Which, I might add, ended up being a huge belssing, because it was overcast mostly which cooled the ride home a lot.

beating the storm

cloudy coolness

Back at my place we ate the remaining spaghetti leftovers and lounged around my livingroom for a bit while Buddy lamented "losing his omatako somewhere on the road". Then it was time for everyone to part ways and take a much needed SHOWER.

On Sunday we met at Buddy's and broke open the Word, worshiped God with our voices and prayer, and anjoyed each others company. Christaan, Buddy, Rena, Julia, Miriam, Bieata and myself were all there reading and discussing the second half of James chapter 2. Maveja couldn't make it and neither could Nelda and both were very missed.

Yes, indeed, this was a speacial week.

Sunday, November 19, 2006

Maveja Quote:

"Sorry, I don't date opas."

Saturday, November 18, 2006

The Sounds Of My Life

so i got this from Joel, who got it from his sister....fun.

IF YOUR LIFE WAS A MOVIE, WHAT WOULD THE SOUNDTRACK BE?


So, here's how it works:
1. Open your library (iTunes, Winamp, Media Player, iPod, etc)
2. Put it on shuffle
3. Press play
4. For every question, type the song that's playing
5. When you go to a new question, press the next button


Opening Credits: You Know How I Do –Taking Back Sunday

Waking Up: So Right – Dave Matthews Band

First Day At School: Mother Jupiter - Shrug

Falling In Love: Homecoming King - Guster

Fight Song:
You and I Both – Jason Mraz

Breaking Up: Storms in Africa - Enya

Prom: Days Were Golden – Sunny Day Real Estate

Life's Ok: Total Depravity – Havalina Rail Co.

Mental Breakdown: Grace Flood – O.C. Supertones


Driving: Return of the Antagonist -Grits

Flashback: Superman -Blindside

Getting Back Together: Find Your Way To Me – Vineyard Music

Birth of Child: Taking Your Leave – Learning Afrikaans

Wedding: Backyard - Guster

Final Battle: Turpentine Chaser – Dashboard Confessional

Death Scene: New Orleans Instrumental No.1 - REM

Funeral Song: Two Promises – Sunny Day Real Estate

End Credits: Light & Day – The Polyphonic Spree

Thursday, November 16, 2006

South African Parliament Approves Gay Marriages

By SHARON LaFRANIERE
Published: November 14, 2006
NYTIMES

JOHANNESBURG, Nov. 14 — South Africa’s Parliament overwhelmingly voted today to legalize same-sex marriages, making the nation the first in Africa and the fifth in the world to remove legal barriers to gay and lesbian unions, according to activists.The legislature voted after the nation’s highest court ruled that South Africa’s marriages statutes violated the constitution’s guarantee of equal rights. The court gave the government a year to amend the legal definition of marriage. That deadline expires in two weeks.Melanie Judge, program manager for OUT, a gay rights advocacy group, noted that the Netherlands, Belgium, Spain and Canada were the only other countries to allow same-sex marriages nationwide. In most African nations, she said, homosexuality is still treated as a crime. Some penalties are stiffer than those for rape or murder..Ms. Judge credited South Africa’s liberal constitution with forcing change.“This has been a litmus test of our constitutional values,” she said in a telephone interview. “What does equality really mean? What does it look like? Equality does not exist on a sliding scale.”Religious groups and traditional leaders strenuously opposed the measure, arguing that if necessary the constitution should be amended to outlaw same-sex unions. But the ruling African National Congress virtually demanded that lawmakers support the bill.Despite deep divisions within the party, the measure passed 230 to 41. It must now be approved by the Council of Provinces, a quasi-federal chamber, and be signed the president to become law.Vytjie Mentor, the party’s caucus chairman, told the South African newspaper The Sunday Independent earlier this month that he expected legislators belonging to the African National Congress to vote for the measure, regardless of their personal views.There is “no such thing as a free vote or a vote of conscience,” he said. “How do you give someone permission to discriminate in the name of the A.N.C.? How do you allow for someone to vote against the constitution and the policies of the A.N.C., which is antidiscrimination?”The new law allows both heterosexual and same-sex couples to register their unions either as marriages or civil partnerships. But in a concession to critics, it also allows civil officers to refuse to marry same-sex couples on the basis on conscience. Ms. Judge, the gay rights advocate, predicted that provision will be challenged in court.“We can’t be in the situation where civil officers can decide who they want to marry and who they don’t want to marry,” she said. “They aren’t able to refuse to marry a black person and a white person. This is unconstitutional.”


Thursday, November 16, 2006 - Web posted at 7:45:24 GMT
SA approves same-sex unions
SOUTH Africa's parliament has voted to legalise same-sex weddings - the first African country to approve such unions.


The controversial Civil Union bill was passed by 230 votes to 41.
The legislation was introduced after the Constitutional Court ruled last year that the existing laws discriminated against homosexuals.
The ruling African National Congress ordered all MPs to turn up and vote for the bill, despite the opposition of church and traditional leaders.
The bill provides for the "voluntary union of two persons, which is solemnised and registered by either a marriage or civil union".
The existing Marriage Act defines a marriage as a "union between a man and a woman".
During the debate before the vote, Home Affairs Minister Nosiviwe Mapisa-Nqakula told MPs: "In breaking with our past...
we need to fight and resist all forms of discrimination and prejudice, including homophobia."
But, Cardinal Wilfrid Napier, president of the South African Catholic Bishops' Conference, said the bill would be a blow against democracy.
"The impression we got is that there is overwhelming opposition to this bill from people throughout South Africa," he told South Africa's Daily News before the vote.
African Christian Democratic Party leader Reverend Kenneth Meshoe told MPs that those who voted for same-sex marriages would face divine wrath.
However, some gay rights activists have also criticised the bill, because it gives officials the right not to perform same-sex wedding ceremonies if this would conflict with their "conscience, religion and belief".
In the face of such strong feelings, the ANC had issued a three-line whip, instructing all MPs to vote in favour of the bill.
The ANC has a huge majority in parliament.
Last year, the Constitutional Court gave the government until December 1, 2006 to legalise same-sex weddings, after gay rights activists took the issue to court.
The ruling was based on the constitution, which was the first in the world specifically to outlaw discrimination on the grounds of sexual preference.
This is unusual in Africa where homosexuality is largely taboo - notably in its neighbour Zimbabwe.

Wednesday, November 15, 2006

Goliath: Postmortem

Goliath vs. Cell (Small)

I AM NOT GOING TO SLEEP…EVER!

Ok, so everyone has by now noticed my mini-obsession with Hairy Hairdressers. But believe me, if you were here right now, you would see that this is completely justified. Remember when I took a picture of what I considered to be the Big Daddy Hairy….NOT EVEN CLOSE!!! If that one was the Big Daddy, then tonight I met THE GOLIATH HAIRY. No, I do not have pictures. There was NO WAY I was taking my eyes off that thing; it probably would have eaten me if I turned my back on it. I walked into my bathroom to brush my teeth and out of the corner of my eye I saw movement, which I at first thought must have been a moth down near the baseboard. I turned my gaze, and that’s when I saw…IT. It was about 4 inches long and was cruising along the floor. It ran and hid in the corner beside my trash bin. I immediately took off my flip flop and tried to gather the courage to approach. All the while I’m thinking, what if my flip flop doesn’t have enough force to crush this monstrosity??? What if it jumps at me??? What if I simply anger it and it hides, and then comes to cut off all my hair in the middle of the night out of revenge??? But my fear of not killing it, and knowing that it was loose somewhere in my house was even worse. I smacked at it once, and missed. It ran farther back into the corner where I couldn’t see it anymore. But I knew his game…he was thinking, “I’ll hide in the corner out of her sight and she’ll have to move the trash bin, then when she moves it, I’ll attack!” So rather than move the bin out of the way, I just rattled it around a bit. And he jumped. My trash bin is a typical plastic bucket, which is I’m guessing approx. 1foot from rim to floor? And I saw this guy jump up and he popped up above the rim of the bucket. Twice. Then he made a dash for it and ran behind the toilet (very difficult to reach) and I began to pray that he would move again, otherwise I might have been forced to have an all-night vigil. And move he did. He started to scurry up the wall and I mustered up all my courage and as much velocity as possible with a flip flop, and…WHACK! He fell and PRAISE THE LORD didn’t move. That would have been the perfect time for a picture, because he didn’t even look injured, but I smacked him again for good measure, because I seriously think he was faking it. After I stopped shaking (major adrenaline rush) I called Buddy. We had previously had a conversation about how big these guys could get and Buddy had mentioned that he would kind of like to see a big one, even though he wasn’t so sure he really wanted to. I said “Buddy, I promise, you DON’T want to see one.” I put Goliath’s corpse into a jar to show B when he comes over next time (that is, if he even comes near my house again. After this, he may not) Perhaps I will get a photo – postmortem – although you totally can’t appreciate his immense girth now, because he’s kind of crumpled. Either way, suffice it to say that I’m a bit jumpy right now, and sleep…well…we’ll see...

Wednesday, November 08, 2006

Maveja's email

Maveja has an email address now. I helped her set up a gmail account. So if you are interested in writing her something to encourage her, or if you just want to say hello, email me and I'll give you the address! I'm sure she would love to get emails from people in the States who have been praying for her.

Ahhh, November in Namibia

Grossbarmen

Friday, November 03, 2006

I'm ready for my close-up Mr. DeVille...

This one I refer to as, "The Big Daddy Hairy". I'm sure you're dying for a close-up, (fodder for nightmares) but i didn't want to let him get away while i fiddled around to get a shot, so its too fuzzy to zoom in. i did kill him, by the way...this was his last big moment on my wall. by the way, Vincent told me that its called a Red Roman Spider, and I think he's right. Its a Solifugae.

http://www.museums.org.za/bio/arachnids/solifugae.htm

big daddy hairy

One of Buddy's little friends:

close up hariy (Small)

far away hairy (Small)

Tuesday, October 31, 2006

hairy scary

So, tis the season for BUGS here in Namibia. Specifically the “hairy hairdresser” for me at my house. Ok, let me explain. We don’t know what this spider-like thing is called, and somehow, (was it kendall??) it got the name – hairy hairdresser – because no one really knows what its called. It looks like a spider but it appears to have 10 legs – 2 of them, the ones in the middle, are really short, and two of them in the front are really longThey are super lightning-fast, and….they JUMP! They are what Buddy calls “his worst fears all rolled into one”. (Buddy is deathly afraid of spiders.) Yeah we don’t even know if it is technically a spider (because of the ten leg issue) but they look like spiders, so that’s enough for Buddy. There was one on my wall the other evening and I pointed it out to Buddy and we went to look at it and I was about to smack it with my shoe, but Buddy was in the way and I was like, “Buddy, back up so I can hit it”, (I think he was counting legs for some reason) and it totally jumped right at him!! He was freaking out. We looked everywhere for it after that but we couldn’t find it. So Buddy went home, and here’s the scary part…the next morning he found one the exact same size at his house, and he has never seen one before, or after at his place. He killed it with a broom. =) We think it must have stowed away in his pocket or something. Yeah, he was pretty much totally creeped out by that.

Saturday, October 28, 2006

Mini Update

Pray for Maveja because these last few weeks we have not been able to meet to do our Firm Foundations study together. It seems ever since we decided to increase our meeting times to do it more often, we actually are not being able to met even once a week. It usually ends up being because of some family things or because she has to go to Windhoek with her dad or because she gets chores she has to do that day. I don’t know, but it seems like its opposition…something is always getting in the way…whether it’s the enemy or family that doesn’t like her Christianity…I can’t say. But pray that we are able to make time, even if that means spontaneously meeting, so our plans can’t be thwarted. =)

The OSS Bible study will probably be on hold soon. The grade 10’s, will be finished with exams this week, and then their Holiday starts. (they have a 2 month holiday). Everyone else goes to school until their exams finish at the end of November. Grade 10 is the pass/fail year. If you pass, you can keep going to school. If you fail the exams, you have to drop out of school. Most of the learners in our OSS study are grade 10 this year.

Thursday, October 26, 2006

True

It's official. Wellington’s Sweet Chili Sauce IS good on everything.

Tuesday, October 10, 2006

the privilege of community

“So between the death of Christ and the Last day it is only by a gracious anticipation of the last things that Christians are privileged to live in visible fellowship with other Christians. It is by the grace of God that a congregation is permitted to gather visibly in this world to share God’s Word and sacrament. Not all Christians receive this blessing. The imprisoned, the sick, the scattered lonely, the proclaimers of the gospel in heathen lands stand alone…It is easily forgotten that the fellowship of Christian brethren is a gift of grace, a gift of the Kingdom of God that any day may be taken from us, that the time that still separates us from utter loneliness may be brief indeed. Therefore, let him who until now has had the privilege of living a common Christian life with other Christians praise God’s grace from the bottom of his heart. Let him thank God on his knees and declare: It is grace, nothing but grace that we are allowed to live in community with Christian brethren.”

Dietrich Bonhoeffer, “Life Together”

Monday, October 09, 2006

Dazzling

Rustic


Okanahandja Lodge Sunset

Check it out...

Introducing the Apex team Vehicle! Our Honda Stream. She blends right in on the roads of Namibia...seeing as she is the color of 99.9% of all vehicles on the roads.

Honda Stream

Ain't she cute?



the new ride

Wednesday, September 27, 2006

comfortable

Life is good. Very good. I like it here. I feel like its home now. I feel comfortable and accustomed. I like walking down the road and having people call out my name to say hello. I like walking the 30 min walk home at dusk feeling the warm air and looking at the huge fireball of a red sun drooping down on the horizon with a few wispy clouds floating around in the sky. I like looking at pictures from rainy season and getting excited for that time again – crazy thunderstorms and dark black skies. And I like being familiar with that. I like being familiar with two languages that aren’t my mother tongue and looking forward to the day when I’m fluent. Things are good. Come visit.

Monday, September 11, 2006

a much belated post about the Herero festival

A few weeks ago Okahandja was invaded by Hereros from all over Namibia. They all converged on Otjiserandu (which is the area around the Multi Purpose Center) camping, braaing, drinking, marching, dancing, celebrating the "holy fire", and consulting their ancestors. It began on friday with everyone coming into town and setting up camp ,then continued through Sunday afternoon. I went to watch the festivities on saturday with Maveja and Walter. Here are some of the shots I like from the weekend:

Herero ladies in tradional dress:

HPIM1976 (Small)

the Generals on horseback

HPIM2039 (Small)

marching

HPIM2016 (Small)

the "holy fire" ceremony

HPIM2032 (Small)

a little explaination: the Cheif takes a gulp of water, swishes it around inside his mouth, then spits it out in the face of the person kneeling in front of him for a blessing from the ancestors. the water is supposed to dry on its own, not be wiped off. The ancestors are consulted through "holy fire" anytime there is a big decision being made, or a large purchase (like a car) to seek the ancestors approval.


Maveja and I in traditional dress

HPIM2049 (Small)

(the little girl in the picture with us is Hitjiverwe, Maveja's little sister. what she is wearing is traditional dress for young Herero girls. It is made out of leather and has a flap in the front, but is open in the back. Girls may wear this outfit until they are 12 years old. Oh, and that is Maveja's house in the background.)

Namibian Advertising

such a deal

such a deal...

Tuesday, September 05, 2006

well, well, well

Sorry for not updating on this sooner, but last week was a BUSY week! where to begin? Well, for starters, I have moved. I don’t live in Nau-Aib anymore. I have known for some time now that I was going to have to move from the Christ’s Hope staffhouse, but there was never a specific date given, and with finding no other options in Location, I was remaining there. Well, on Wednesday the call came. Moving day would be Saturday. Add that to the fact that Sammy was leaving for Russia on Thursday, Friday consisted of Team Meeting, time with Maveja, and attempting to bake cookies for coffeebar…and packing up my house came as a footnote to all that. But surprisingly, by 8:30am Saturday after a late night of boxing things, I was on the stoop and ready to go. Praise God. Who knew that I would ever be able to pack up my entire house in just a few hours? It is a definite plus to have a simple lifestyle and comparatively few material possessions to a typical American house. By 5pm Saturday evening, I was moved, unpacked and organized, and was being invited by my new neighbor to a braai next door. Unfortunately for this time I had to decline, because I was headed off to the MPMC for the PTG. The new place is in town, (past Spar, for those of you who know Okahandja) which takes me far away from my ministry area, my beloved “Is-it-come kids”, and my little buddy Shaddy, but I am being challenged to see what God has in store for me here. I will be doing a lot of bike riding to Location to continue on in ministry there. I will have to actually schedule things much more now because of the distance, whereas before it was easy for things to just happen. It will take some adjustment, but I am more up for the challenge now, then I was a few days ago. It was a hard couple of days – saying goodbye to Sam and my home and neighborhood all in the span of 2 days, but God has never let me down and has taught me all the way through it.

The pluses of the new flat are:
the fact that Spar is only a 3 minute bike ride away
the plot is on a lot near the riverbed and is surrounded by tall grass and trees on two sides
its so quiet and is much less likely to have things stolen if left outside
new little friends who live next door – 4 and 5 yrs old, who only speak Afrikaans (a good chance to practice my language skills)
bigger house = more space
opportunity to build new relationships

the minuses (and therefore things you can pray about) are:
separated from the team and ministry area, previously built relationships
SNAKES!
Beginning all over again, now learning “town culture”
Getting all the taxi drivers used to the fact that I don’t live at my old house anymore!

My new place (picture to come later)

The other side (picture to come later)

Sitting room

HPIM2076 (Small)

HPIM2075 (Small)

HPIM2074 (Small)

The view from the sitting room

porch through screen door

yard

Kitchen

HPIM2078 (Small)

HPIM2079 (Small)

The view from the kitchen

kitchen veiw 1

Bathroom

HPIM2073 (Small)

Sleeping room

sleeping room

The Office picture didn't come out. not sure why.

Porch

porch

Yard

yard

yard

yard

I can post pics of the outside later. enjoy!