Sunday, May 27, 2007
Sunday, May 6, 2007
Pictures!!
I said my goodbyes to namibia, and it was quite emotional... yet I am hopeful that I will be seeing Namibia again, one day.
These pictures are a bit random, but I wanted to show you a few of the things I've been seeing!
I am now in Cape Town for 10 days with my classmates. Here in Cape Town, one of the most beautiful cities in the world. Here are some African Penguins (formally called "Jackass Penguins because of the crazy noises they make") And it's crazy to think that there are penguins in southern Africa
I am sitting at the southern-most point in Africa. The Indian and Atlantic Ocean meet here... how BEAUTIFUL!!!
These pictures are a bit random, but I wanted to show you a few of the things I've been seeing!
I am now in Cape Town for 10 days with my classmates. Here in Cape Town, one of the most beautiful cities in the world. Here are some African Penguins (formally called "Jackass Penguins because of the crazy noises they make") And it's crazy to think that there are penguins in southern Africa
I am sitting at the southern-most point in Africa. The Indian and Atlantic Ocean meet here... how BEAUTIFUL!!!
We visited Robben Island, the famous prison where many political prison were sentenced during the struggle against apartheid. This is an incredible place, because the tours are given by former political prisoners. Our guide had incredible hope and forgiveness. He truly lived out hope and reconciliation, that he would be willing to put himself in the place where he experienced such humilation. Yet he is hopeful about the future for South Africans. This is Nelson Mandela's prison cell. Mandela spent 27 years in prison--23 in Robben Island, and many of those years were spent in solitary confinement. Yet he did not give up on the fight, and ultimately became the first black president of South Africa
Here is the beautiful Zambazi River, where I spent my spring break in Zambia. This is the river that I did a 2 day canoe trip on! And what a sunset!
Some buddies and I went to Sossesflei in Namibia, some of the biggest sand dunes in the world. We thought it would be fun to jump!
More to come!!!
Monday, April 30, 2007
Leaving
I leave Namibia in 3 days.
How is it that my time has gone so quickly here?
There are some things that I will never forget:
~hot weather in the middle of "winter"
~Getting almost run-over by taxis that do not yield to pedestrians
~Sunsets
~The Namibian Sky that stretches endlessly
~Children laughing and waving at me
~Aunty Clara
~Walking everywhere...
~Being surrounded by hope
Today we had group presentations (one of our last assignments), and one of the group did a hunger meal, which is a simulation that divided our class of 20 into three groups--the wealthy, middle-class, and poor. I was "lucky" enough to be wealthy. Because of my status, I was served a full course meal. The middle-class was served a meal of veggie, rice, and some meat, while the poor was left to eat out of one pot of porridge (corn-meal mixed with water... it's quite similar to cream of wheat and comprises the diet of many people in poverty-stricken homes).
As part of the simulation, we, as the wealthy, were not allowed to share with the lower classes. While I felt guilty because I was eating fine and elegant foods while some near me were eating merely porridge, I did find myself thinking about how similar this is to real life sometimes...
In all reality, as an American college student, I am wealthy in so many ways. Sure, I do not have a new car waiting for me when I return to the US or a wardrobe full of designer clothes, but I do have so much in comparison to so much of the world. (over 60% of the world is living in poverty). I have access to clean water, education, health care, food, clothes, and even some additional money for travel and entertainment. And with all of this I find myself wondering how often am I able but unwilling to "share my full course meal with those eating only porridge?
Sometimes it is easy to overlook those who are less fortunate, but here in Namibia, I've seen it first hand day-in and day-out (especially at my internship) This semester has been an eye-opening blessing as I've found so many opportunities to serve here in many different ways. Yet, it is often so easy to fall into our routine and forget about those around us (or an ocean away from us) who are struggling to get by.
At the end of the hunger meal I certainly had my expected feelings of guilt, but I do not desire to let guilt get the best of me. When I allow guilt to truly rule my life, I am paralyzed and unable to do anything helpful. I believe that guilt is one of the main feelings that completely prevents us from positively impacting the lives of those around us. When we are overcome by guilt, we become so burdened with such heavy stones, that we cannot even get up and move towards our neighbor to extend a hand of assistance.
Instead of being burdened by guilt, I desire to be moved radically to serve
it is my hope and desire to respond to the needs of those around me
to be moved to love radically and fully
to be moved to find the people around me who are lost, lonely, hungry, and naked.
and to be inspired by the beauty of the people I meet along the way.
If one thing is for sure, I have seen such incredible joy and beauty among Namibians here that I will never forget.
I truly believe that we are created to love and serve one another, and it is when we are doing this that we find the most contentment and joy. I experienced a profound joy the day that I assisted Aunty Clara with her feeding program that fed over 75 young orphans and vulnerable children. I experienced profound love and peace when I gave a 7 year old orphan a piggy-back ride.
I hope and pray that we may find ways of ridding ourselves of guilt so that we are moved to find love, joy, peace, and hope in the people of this world. And I am confident that we will find this in the moments when we are able to serve.
How is it that my time has gone so quickly here?
There are some things that I will never forget:
~hot weather in the middle of "winter"
~Getting almost run-over by taxis that do not yield to pedestrians
~Sunsets
~The Namibian Sky that stretches endlessly
~Children laughing and waving at me
~Aunty Clara
~Walking everywhere...
~Being surrounded by hope
Today we had group presentations (one of our last assignments), and one of the group did a hunger meal, which is a simulation that divided our class of 20 into three groups--the wealthy, middle-class, and poor. I was "lucky" enough to be wealthy. Because of my status, I was served a full course meal. The middle-class was served a meal of veggie, rice, and some meat, while the poor was left to eat out of one pot of porridge (corn-meal mixed with water... it's quite similar to cream of wheat and comprises the diet of many people in poverty-stricken homes).
As part of the simulation, we, as the wealthy, were not allowed to share with the lower classes. While I felt guilty because I was eating fine and elegant foods while some near me were eating merely porridge, I did find myself thinking about how similar this is to real life sometimes...
In all reality, as an American college student, I am wealthy in so many ways. Sure, I do not have a new car waiting for me when I return to the US or a wardrobe full of designer clothes, but I do have so much in comparison to so much of the world. (over 60% of the world is living in poverty). I have access to clean water, education, health care, food, clothes, and even some additional money for travel and entertainment. And with all of this I find myself wondering how often am I able but unwilling to "share my full course meal with those eating only porridge?
Sometimes it is easy to overlook those who are less fortunate, but here in Namibia, I've seen it first hand day-in and day-out (especially at my internship) This semester has been an eye-opening blessing as I've found so many opportunities to serve here in many different ways. Yet, it is often so easy to fall into our routine and forget about those around us (or an ocean away from us) who are struggling to get by.
At the end of the hunger meal I certainly had my expected feelings of guilt, but I do not desire to let guilt get the best of me. When I allow guilt to truly rule my life, I am paralyzed and unable to do anything helpful. I believe that guilt is one of the main feelings that completely prevents us from positively impacting the lives of those around us. When we are overcome by guilt, we become so burdened with such heavy stones, that we cannot even get up and move towards our neighbor to extend a hand of assistance.
Instead of being burdened by guilt, I desire to be moved radically to serve
it is my hope and desire to respond to the needs of those around me
to be moved to love radically and fully
to be moved to find the people around me who are lost, lonely, hungry, and naked.
and to be inspired by the beauty of the people I meet along the way.
If one thing is for sure, I have seen such incredible joy and beauty among Namibians here that I will never forget.
I truly believe that we are created to love and serve one another, and it is when we are doing this that we find the most contentment and joy. I experienced a profound joy the day that I assisted Aunty Clara with her feeding program that fed over 75 young orphans and vulnerable children. I experienced profound love and peace when I gave a 7 year old orphan a piggy-back ride.
I hope and pray that we may find ways of ridding ourselves of guilt so that we are moved to find love, joy, peace, and hope in the people of this world. And I am confident that we will find this in the moments when we are able to serve.
Saturday, April 28, 2007
Hope Really Does Abide
Sometimes here I am overwhelmed by all that is around me… HIV/AIDS is truly a horrifying epidemic that is tearing apart families, communities, and countries.
Orphans are all over and they are hungry, begging for food, without shoes and wearing dirty clothes
Men and women are without work as unemployment in Namibia is about 40%, so many people—especially women—turn to the sex industry which only further perpetuates the spread of HIV/AIDS and other diseases Families who are living below the poverty line are unable to send their children to school even though education is "free" (in actuality, there are school fees and uniform costs that prevent many children from attending). Without education, poverty perpetuates… …and the list goes on…
Yet—lately I have seen so much hope.
I’d like to share 3 ways that I’ve seen hope:
~A week ago we met a woman named Patricia, who single-handedly began one of the biggest community outreach programs in Windhoek called Hope Initiatives. Patricia first saw a huge need for children in the informal settlements (homes made of scrap metal/cardboard and communities without electricity or free access to clean water) to be educated as many of them had either failed out of a grade or been forced to quit school because they could not pay the school fees. Yet before Patricia could educate, she saw that a bigger need was hunger.
By earning money from odd jobs, Patricia saved up and began a feeding program out of her own pocket. While working her soup kitchen, Patricia more thoroughly assessed the needs of her community, and she and her husband began tutoring students out of her home. Little by little the organization grew, and now it serves through soup kitchens, bridging schools, after-school programs, and adult education/ empowerment programs. Yet it all began with Patricia seeing a need in her community and her working hard in order to meet that need.
Patricia did not wait around for someone else to "fix" everything; instead she proactively involved herself in the community and served some of the greatest needs…
~A friend whom I’ve grown quite close to is named Taura. Taura is a bit older than me, and her life has been filled with struggles and hard times. While I would think that her life experiences would make her hateful and calloused, Taura has become quite the opposite… She is one of the most loving people I have ever met, and her smile radiates a joy that transcends the pains of her past and looks forward in excitement of the future. Currently Taura’s main source of income is the small salary she receives from teaching 18 three-four year olds at a mission school in one of the poorest areas of Windhoek. Clara pours her heart and soul into her kids, and when she’s not at school or preparing her lessons, she’s volunteering at an after-school program in another part of town. Taura is passionate about children and the youth of this country, and her dedication in serving and educating them is incredible.
~My internship the last couple of weeks has definitely had its ups and downs. For a few weeks, I became quite frustrated, as I began to realize the hoops that one must jump through to register as an official non-governmental organization/ a welfare organization.
Additionally, to qualify for grants, there is so much paperwork, and even after all of that paperwork is filled out, it does not guarantee any money. Aunty Clara is doing so much for her community, yet without outside support, her personal income runs out quickly, and she is forced to quit the services she is providing. Two weeks ago, Clara shared with me how discouraged she was, and that week and the following week, I became frustrated as it seemed like my internship was merely comprised of me babysitting Clara’s grandchildren. Yet this past Wednesday, I had an incredible day with Clara. The school students here are on their winter break right now (yup, it’s approaching winter in the southern hemisphere!). Because many students in Clara’s neighborhood come from homes without much money, during school holidays, the school children are left to fend for themselves during the day. Clara recognized the needs for children to have fun things to do during breaks, and organized a dance team. On Wednesday 75 girls between the ages of 4 and 16 came over to Clara’s home for dance team lessons. After some really fun dancing, Clara proceeded to feed all of these girls in addition to other children from the neighborhood soup and bread.
Watching this procedure: lots and lots of children everywhere all requesting soup and buttered bread was INCREDIBLE! For a while it seemed like Jesus and the feeding of 5 thousand, yet instead of some fish and bread, we had 2 pots of soup and 11 loaves of bread. Clara’s heart is big enough to fuel her to do the incredible things that she does. I truly believe that my opportunity to work, talk, share, and grow with her has been the most beneficial and encouraging opportunity in Namibia.
As these people whom I’ve encountered have shown me, we can make meaningful differences in our communities! What I’ve learned is that we must first find what makes us passionate, and then serve in the ways that seem fit from there. As individuals, we can impact our communities, and as small communities of dedicated individuals, we can positively impact our cities, countries, and world.
A question to ponder: What is your greatest passion and how does that fit into the needs of this world?
Orphans are all over and they are hungry, begging for food, without shoes and wearing dirty clothes
Men and women are without work as unemployment in Namibia is about 40%, so many people—especially women—turn to the sex industry which only further perpetuates the spread of HIV/AIDS and other diseases Families who are living below the poverty line are unable to send their children to school even though education is "free" (in actuality, there are school fees and uniform costs that prevent many children from attending). Without education, poverty perpetuates… …and the list goes on…
Yet—lately I have seen so much hope.
I’d like to share 3 ways that I’ve seen hope:
~A week ago we met a woman named Patricia, who single-handedly began one of the biggest community outreach programs in Windhoek called Hope Initiatives. Patricia first saw a huge need for children in the informal settlements (homes made of scrap metal/cardboard and communities without electricity or free access to clean water) to be educated as many of them had either failed out of a grade or been forced to quit school because they could not pay the school fees. Yet before Patricia could educate, she saw that a bigger need was hunger.
By earning money from odd jobs, Patricia saved up and began a feeding program out of her own pocket. While working her soup kitchen, Patricia more thoroughly assessed the needs of her community, and she and her husband began tutoring students out of her home. Little by little the organization grew, and now it serves through soup kitchens, bridging schools, after-school programs, and adult education/ empowerment programs. Yet it all began with Patricia seeing a need in her community and her working hard in order to meet that need.
Patricia did not wait around for someone else to "fix" everything; instead she proactively involved herself in the community and served some of the greatest needs…
~A friend whom I’ve grown quite close to is named Taura. Taura is a bit older than me, and her life has been filled with struggles and hard times. While I would think that her life experiences would make her hateful and calloused, Taura has become quite the opposite… She is one of the most loving people I have ever met, and her smile radiates a joy that transcends the pains of her past and looks forward in excitement of the future. Currently Taura’s main source of income is the small salary she receives from teaching 18 three-four year olds at a mission school in one of the poorest areas of Windhoek. Clara pours her heart and soul into her kids, and when she’s not at school or preparing her lessons, she’s volunteering at an after-school program in another part of town. Taura is passionate about children and the youth of this country, and her dedication in serving and educating them is incredible.
~My internship the last couple of weeks has definitely had its ups and downs. For a few weeks, I became quite frustrated, as I began to realize the hoops that one must jump through to register as an official non-governmental organization/ a welfare organization.
Additionally, to qualify for grants, there is so much paperwork, and even after all of that paperwork is filled out, it does not guarantee any money. Aunty Clara is doing so much for her community, yet without outside support, her personal income runs out quickly, and she is forced to quit the services she is providing. Two weeks ago, Clara shared with me how discouraged she was, and that week and the following week, I became frustrated as it seemed like my internship was merely comprised of me babysitting Clara’s grandchildren. Yet this past Wednesday, I had an incredible day with Clara. The school students here are on their winter break right now (yup, it’s approaching winter in the southern hemisphere!). Because many students in Clara’s neighborhood come from homes without much money, during school holidays, the school children are left to fend for themselves during the day. Clara recognized the needs for children to have fun things to do during breaks, and organized a dance team. On Wednesday 75 girls between the ages of 4 and 16 came over to Clara’s home for dance team lessons. After some really fun dancing, Clara proceeded to feed all of these girls in addition to other children from the neighborhood soup and bread.
Watching this procedure: lots and lots of children everywhere all requesting soup and buttered bread was INCREDIBLE! For a while it seemed like Jesus and the feeding of 5 thousand, yet instead of some fish and bread, we had 2 pots of soup and 11 loaves of bread. Clara’s heart is big enough to fuel her to do the incredible things that she does. I truly believe that my opportunity to work, talk, share, and grow with her has been the most beneficial and encouraging opportunity in Namibia.
As these people whom I’ve encountered have shown me, we can make meaningful differences in our communities! What I’ve learned is that we must first find what makes us passionate, and then serve in the ways that seem fit from there. As individuals, we can impact our communities, and as small communities of dedicated individuals, we can positively impact our cities, countries, and world.
A question to ponder: What is your greatest passion and how does that fit into the needs of this world?
Monday, April 23, 2007
Life this past month!
We finally have internet access in this house that is consistent, so I hope to be able to post on my blog a few times during the next week and a half...
I cannot believe that I leave Namibia in 10 days, and then I get to spend 10 days in Cape Town with my classmates, and then an additional two weeks in Cape Town with Dan! It seems like so recently that I was overly nervous about getting on a plane to fly to Johannesburg, and now the end is in sight. Yet I am not allowing myself to dwell to much on that, or else I won't enjoy the time I still have!
Since it has been a while since my last post, I will write a few highlights, and some things that I have been thinking about lately.
~I just wrote a paper on how HIV/AIDS is deeply related to poverty in this country. While the disease does not discriminate based on economic status, it surely is affecting poverty-stricken communities the most. In talking with Namibians, especially Aunty Clara from my internship, I've come to realize that the most affective way to combat and prevent HIV/AIDS from spreading is by seeking to alleviate poverty. So often the government and international aid agencies seek to treat the symptoms of HIV/AIDS through education and campaigns about getting tested and knowing your status, but they fail to really fight HIV/AIDS at the source--and a major source--in my opinion--is poverty.
So often with problems in life we just like to fight the symptoms, and we do so much of this fighting from the top down. Yet, to really get to the root of the cause, we need to fight from the bottom up. Sure, that often takes more work, but in the long run it pays off. In regards to HIV/AIDS, poverty stricken areas are plagued by high unemployment, lack of social opportunities that do not revolve around alcohol and promiscuous behaviors, and lack of access to education. Also, as people are literally starving, they may be more willing to sell their bodies for money... and these problems all lead to the spreading of HIV/AIDS.
What if the government and other agencies really sought to alleviate poverty? Would that slow the spread of HIV/AIDS? I certainly hope so, and I believe that through programs that seek to create jobs and positive social opportunities for young people, to make education truly available for all people, and to improve sanitation, the spreading of HIV/AIDS will slow down.
While this process is not quick or easy, it is not impossiblem, yet it will not happen on its own...
~Today I went to a restaurant and a meal that included Zebra, Kudu, Crocodile, and Ostrich. Who would have thought that I'd be eating the animals that I got to see in the game reserve earlier this semester?
~I got to spend Easter weekend with Aunty Clara--from my internship--and her family at her parents' farm. I was blown away by the hospitality. Firstly, Aunty Clara and her husband serve so many people in the community that money is usually pretty tight for them. They also have not been back to the farm since 2003... When they invited me to go along, I was humbled that they would see me as part of their family enough to join them for an entire weekend! Aunty Clara, her husband Moeshe, me, and 11 children and teens--some of whom are her children and grandchildren, and some of whom she's adopted over the years, crammed into a pick-up truck and headed west to the farm. Talk about bonding times! I was blessed to be able to spend a weekend relaxing, climbing some beautiful neighboring rock mountains, swimming in the freezing cold Atlantic Ocean with Clara's entire family, and seeing some of the most beautiful stars in Namibia. Yet the highlight of this weekend was feeling adopted by a second family. While I have felt close at least in some level to all of my host families, this weekend I felt the most accepted. I was even offered to slaughter a sheep for dinner, but politely refused (while Namibia has shaped me a lot, I still can't cut an animal's throat open!)
I just hope to live out the warmth, love and hospitality that Aunty Clara and her family lived out to me... They are incredible people and I am so blessed to have known them.
~In classes we have been talking about the reconciliation process which has been exceptionally necessary in Namibia after the painful history filled with colonialism, apartheid, and a violent liberation struggle. One of the readings we had expressed how reconciliation seeks to face the problem square in the eyes, and then deeply cleanse it from there. We cannot merely sidestep the problems, for then they will continue to linger.
How incredible would it be if we sought to live reconciling lives? Lives where we sought to find healing and wholeness in the relationships around us instead of merely ignoring our problems and letting them fester...
I must go to bed! But more thoughts to come!!!
also, unfortunately our internet at the house does not allow me to upload pictures on this, so we'll have to wait til I'm back in the States for some pictures :)
peace and love from Namibia :)
I cannot believe that I leave Namibia in 10 days, and then I get to spend 10 days in Cape Town with my classmates, and then an additional two weeks in Cape Town with Dan! It seems like so recently that I was overly nervous about getting on a plane to fly to Johannesburg, and now the end is in sight. Yet I am not allowing myself to dwell to much on that, or else I won't enjoy the time I still have!
Since it has been a while since my last post, I will write a few highlights, and some things that I have been thinking about lately.
~I just wrote a paper on how HIV/AIDS is deeply related to poverty in this country. While the disease does not discriminate based on economic status, it surely is affecting poverty-stricken communities the most. In talking with Namibians, especially Aunty Clara from my internship, I've come to realize that the most affective way to combat and prevent HIV/AIDS from spreading is by seeking to alleviate poverty. So often the government and international aid agencies seek to treat the symptoms of HIV/AIDS through education and campaigns about getting tested and knowing your status, but they fail to really fight HIV/AIDS at the source--and a major source--in my opinion--is poverty.
So often with problems in life we just like to fight the symptoms, and we do so much of this fighting from the top down. Yet, to really get to the root of the cause, we need to fight from the bottom up. Sure, that often takes more work, but in the long run it pays off. In regards to HIV/AIDS, poverty stricken areas are plagued by high unemployment, lack of social opportunities that do not revolve around alcohol and promiscuous behaviors, and lack of access to education. Also, as people are literally starving, they may be more willing to sell their bodies for money... and these problems all lead to the spreading of HIV/AIDS.
What if the government and other agencies really sought to alleviate poverty? Would that slow the spread of HIV/AIDS? I certainly hope so, and I believe that through programs that seek to create jobs and positive social opportunities for young people, to make education truly available for all people, and to improve sanitation, the spreading of HIV/AIDS will slow down.
While this process is not quick or easy, it is not impossiblem, yet it will not happen on its own...
~Today I went to a restaurant and a meal that included Zebra, Kudu, Crocodile, and Ostrich. Who would have thought that I'd be eating the animals that I got to see in the game reserve earlier this semester?
~I got to spend Easter weekend with Aunty Clara--from my internship--and her family at her parents' farm. I was blown away by the hospitality. Firstly, Aunty Clara and her husband serve so many people in the community that money is usually pretty tight for them. They also have not been back to the farm since 2003... When they invited me to go along, I was humbled that they would see me as part of their family enough to join them for an entire weekend! Aunty Clara, her husband Moeshe, me, and 11 children and teens--some of whom are her children and grandchildren, and some of whom she's adopted over the years, crammed into a pick-up truck and headed west to the farm. Talk about bonding times! I was blessed to be able to spend a weekend relaxing, climbing some beautiful neighboring rock mountains, swimming in the freezing cold Atlantic Ocean with Clara's entire family, and seeing some of the most beautiful stars in Namibia. Yet the highlight of this weekend was feeling adopted by a second family. While I have felt close at least in some level to all of my host families, this weekend I felt the most accepted. I was even offered to slaughter a sheep for dinner, but politely refused (while Namibia has shaped me a lot, I still can't cut an animal's throat open!)
I just hope to live out the warmth, love and hospitality that Aunty Clara and her family lived out to me... They are incredible people and I am so blessed to have known them.
~In classes we have been talking about the reconciliation process which has been exceptionally necessary in Namibia after the painful history filled with colonialism, apartheid, and a violent liberation struggle. One of the readings we had expressed how reconciliation seeks to face the problem square in the eyes, and then deeply cleanse it from there. We cannot merely sidestep the problems, for then they will continue to linger.
How incredible would it be if we sought to live reconciling lives? Lives where we sought to find healing and wholeness in the relationships around us instead of merely ignoring our problems and letting them fester...
I must go to bed! But more thoughts to come!!!
also, unfortunately our internet at the house does not allow me to upload pictures on this, so we'll have to wait til I'm back in the States for some pictures :)
peace and love from Namibia :)
Tuesday, April 3, 2007
The last three weeks!
I returned from our trip to northern Namibia for our rural homestay, Etosha National Park, and southern Zambia to see Victoria Falls... and what an incredible three weeks it was!
I'm in a time crunch, but I wanted to share a couple highlights, and more (plus some pictures) is to come!!!
During my rural homestay I lived in a village that totally redefined simple living. We did not have electricity or running water, and all of our meals were cooked over a fire. I could only communicate with my 34 year old sister, as she was the only English speaker, yet I learned to communicate with my three and 5 year old newphews with lots of tickling and laughing. I also learned to appreciate sitting among Hereo (the particular Namibian trip) women as they wore their traditional dress and spoke in Otjiherero. I also learned to really appreciate going to bed with the sun and being blinded by the brillance of the stars at night. I will never forget these seven days that I spent in rural Namibia... nor will I forget the morning I was sitting by the fire writing in my journal when my host uncle brought over a goat and slaughtered it right before my eyes... and then 4 hours later we were eating grilled goat...
From there we went to Etosha and saw every African animal that I could imagine. I've decided that giraffes are my favorite because their necks are so long and awkward, but they are so cute nonetheless! At one point we saw 2 giraffes, an elephant, a hippo and some springbok, and it totally reminded me of scenes from the Lion King with all of the animals living in harmony.
Victoria Falls (except for the 17 hour bus ride to get there!) was incredible! It's high water season so the falls were big and powerful. SOme buddies and I went on an overnight canoe trip along the Zambazi river right along the Zimbabwe, Zamiba and Botswana borders. We ever saw hippos and elephants as we canoed!
Life is beautiful here and so are the people I am meeting. I look forward to sharing more, but I must go for now!
Peace and love
I'm in a time crunch, but I wanted to share a couple highlights, and more (plus some pictures) is to come!!!
During my rural homestay I lived in a village that totally redefined simple living. We did not have electricity or running water, and all of our meals were cooked over a fire. I could only communicate with my 34 year old sister, as she was the only English speaker, yet I learned to communicate with my three and 5 year old newphews with lots of tickling and laughing. I also learned to appreciate sitting among Hereo (the particular Namibian trip) women as they wore their traditional dress and spoke in Otjiherero. I also learned to really appreciate going to bed with the sun and being blinded by the brillance of the stars at night. I will never forget these seven days that I spent in rural Namibia... nor will I forget the morning I was sitting by the fire writing in my journal when my host uncle brought over a goat and slaughtered it right before my eyes... and then 4 hours later we were eating grilled goat...
From there we went to Etosha and saw every African animal that I could imagine. I've decided that giraffes are my favorite because their necks are so long and awkward, but they are so cute nonetheless! At one point we saw 2 giraffes, an elephant, a hippo and some springbok, and it totally reminded me of scenes from the Lion King with all of the animals living in harmony.
Victoria Falls (except for the 17 hour bus ride to get there!) was incredible! It's high water season so the falls were big and powerful. SOme buddies and I went on an overnight canoe trip along the Zambazi river right along the Zimbabwe, Zamiba and Botswana borders. We ever saw hippos and elephants as we canoed!
Life is beautiful here and so are the people I am meeting. I look forward to sharing more, but I must go for now!
Peace and love
Thursday, March 8, 2007
life!
So our internet is not working in the house these days, so it may be a while before I can post some pictures!
but here are a few announcements:
~last weekend (my final weekend with my Katatura host family) I made home made pizza with my brother and sister, and it was super fun... get excited for some of those pictures!
~Today we heard from the first Namibian prime minister!
~This weekend I'm going to a nearby game reserve, so hopefully I'll see some fun animals!!
The real announcement is that on Monday (March 12), I'm leaving for Northern Namibia for 3 weeks! As a group, we are going to the coast, then we are completing our third and final homestay in rural Namibia... get excited for some crazy stories from that experience! Our group is then spending a bit of time at Etosha National Park which is the biggest game reserve in Namibia! From there we have a week-long spring break. Over half of the group is going up to Zambia to see Victoria Falls!
I probably won't be updating until we get back, and that will be in early April! It's crazy that I've been away from home for about 6 weeks now, and when I get back from spring break, my time in Namibia will be over half over!
Thank you for reading, and thank you for your prayers.
More to come after I've seen a lot more of Southern Africa!!!
but here are a few announcements:
~last weekend (my final weekend with my Katatura host family) I made home made pizza with my brother and sister, and it was super fun... get excited for some of those pictures!
~Today we heard from the first Namibian prime minister!
~This weekend I'm going to a nearby game reserve, so hopefully I'll see some fun animals!!
The real announcement is that on Monday (March 12), I'm leaving for Northern Namibia for 3 weeks! As a group, we are going to the coast, then we are completing our third and final homestay in rural Namibia... get excited for some crazy stories from that experience! Our group is then spending a bit of time at Etosha National Park which is the biggest game reserve in Namibia! From there we have a week-long spring break. Over half of the group is going up to Zambia to see Victoria Falls!
I probably won't be updating until we get back, and that will be in early April! It's crazy that I've been away from home for about 6 weeks now, and when I get back from spring break, my time in Namibia will be over half over!
Thank you for reading, and thank you for your prayers.
More to come after I've seen a lot more of Southern Africa!!!
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