Just a week after we took over leadership, we participated in the 3-day debrief of a departing AIM team, which was intense and exhausting.  From there, all of us drove 4 hours north to Grootfontein, the town we lived in 20 years ago, then 3 1/2 hours due east to “Bushmanland”.  There, we spent two days visiting the ministry site of this team and getting to know the local pastor.  This is the same people group that was in “The Gods Must Be Crazy” and the star of that movie is buried in the town we visited.  Their beautiful clicking language is like music.  Here is a photo of Ben with some of the local boys, who were friendly with him.  Many of these folks still go out to gather food in the bush, and the men go out to hunt.  There are a variety of small villages clustered around the town.  It is not an ideal existence, however, and the people struggle with issues which I can’t go into here.  Some of our personnel will return to work there and hope to come alongside in ways which will build up the quality of life both spiritual and physical.  Meanwhile, we were honored to receive names from some members of the group, and a warm welcome despite our short visit.  We plan to return in January, but it is going to be VERY hot up there in that desolate place!  It looks desolate to us, but of course not to the people who live there and know how to manage the environment.  We are looking for wisdom from above on how to move ahead there . . . it is complicated and we want to give God’s best for the people in that location. – C

Some of you remember that we sold our grey Toyota Hilux in Mozambique, and here is a photo of our new truck in Namibia – again, a Toyota Hilux.  This one is a few years newer but was still cheaper than the one in Moz.  Vehicles are expensive there.  It has a metal cap on the back which locks securely – not good for transporting people, but great for keeping things safe when we travel.  God truly provided this truck, from a trustworthy dealer for a good price.

Another big new purchase (not as big or as expensive) is Pepper, our new Great Dane puppy.  She was 8 weeks old in this photo but now, at 3 months old, is already over 40 pounds.  She is also referred to as “the intern” or “the pain in the behind”.  She chews poor Molly’s tail and just generally harasses her constantly.  She has a calm temperament for a puppy, though, and will be the gentle giant that Great Danes are.  Molly is getting elderly and needs a replacement who is well-trained. When Pepper is not tearing up the yard, she is adorable.  – C

Our Toby is attending classes at the boarding school.  The school is top-notch academically and in every other way and it is a great privilege for him to attend there.  The Algebra teacher actually helped him to LIKE Algebra, which is a feat for which she deserves a medal.  We have been so impressed with the staff there, who have leapt to help when asked, or whenever they see a need.  What a blessing.  There are also tons of activities for him there, and a lot of people who truly love the Lord and love MKs.

But, we miss him terribly.  At only 14 years old, to say goodbye is very hard.  We’ve had various people compare it to when they sent their 18 year old off to college, but it is hard to accept that this is the same.  It’s been a rough semester for all of us and we are thankful for the support on both sides, as well as the dorm parents’ willingness to include us in decisions and discussions.  All that being said, we are desperate to see him for December vacation and hear all about it!  Technology is a lifesaver, and we can communicate frequently on Facebook Messenger, WhatsApp and email. – C

This is what we do a lot of – as in sitting at a computer working, not goofing around with silly grins.  A great deal of our new job as Namibia Unit Leaders is emailing, correspondence, bill paying, reports and other exciting things like that.  The first week in the office (and this is not our office, by the way, but rather us working in the Joburg office) was a flurry of responding to some crises, getting caught up on situations and hurried conferences to discuss issues.  We feel like we are beginning to get a handle on the admin stuff though, and think it will take up less of our time as the months go by.  All of the bill paying is now done online, we know where to find the files and what the schedules are of when things are due.  Namibia field does not have a lot of personnel, so we will be able to spend more time connecting and supporting them rather than just trying to keep everybody legal, accountable and up-to-date on paperwork.  That is a big plus.  Meanwhile, this is the first time we’ve worked together in a long time!  Years ago in Namibia we worked together.  While we lived in New York State we both worked for the same nonprofit (in different jobs) off and on but since then we’ve had very different roles.  Thankfully we are enjoying it and it is so neat to see how each of our strengths holds up the other’s weakness, as well as how fun it is to brainstorm together, discuss problems and decide things.  There has been very little of wanting to shake the other by the neck, and more often high-fiving as we both come to the same conclusion at the same time.  Thanks, God!  He is blessing us as we try to bless others and I am sure learning a lot from my wise husband and hope he can say the same. – C

 

 

Looks pretty dry, doesn’t it?  It is.  Our new home is dry, dry, dry.  The first few weeks, we had to slather on lotion twice a day to keep from feeling itchy all the time.  There were some bloody noses, and we had to adjust to the over 5,000 foot altitude of Windhoek.  Our neighborhood is pretty hilly, and after we bought our standard shift truck, there was a lot of grinding of gears as we re-learned to drive a stick shift on steep hills.

We are so appreciative of all who prayed for a smooth entry into Namibia for us.  There were no problems at all.  This country has just over 2 million people, and is very protective (rightfully so) of the jobs of their population.  It can be difficult for foreigners to enter.  However, God provided the work permits we needed at just the right time so we could come for the handover from our colleagues.   Our house is in a middle-class suburb on a busy road, with taxis passing by constantly (a plus, since you can step outside the gate and hail one to take you downtown for about 80 cents US.  I took our puppy to the vet in one of those taxis and no one batted an eye.)  We can see the beautiful mountains surrounding the city from our hill, and we love to see the city lights from our windows at night.  Crime is about the same as in Moz, so we have burglar bars, big dogs and a secure gate, but an electronic security system instead of a guard who stands outside (or sleeps outside more usually).

There are a lot of wealthy people in this city and therefore there are 3 nice malls, and lots of “nice things” we can take advantage of.  We are enjoying those.  However, there is also a huge poor section of the city where, when we drove through recently, Ben exclaimed “This looks just like Mozambique!”.  The houses are rather different though, as you can see.   Those tin shacks must be incredibly hot in the Namibian sun.  We compare the climate here to New Mexico though we’ve never lived there.  You try to stay out of the sun between 10 and 3, though it cools down at night.

Here in Windhoek, we also enjoyed taking over ownership of the house dog (as in comes with the house, not lives in the house) Molly, a 10 year old Great Dane who is the sweetest thing.  Quite a crime deterrent too.

It’s funny, so many things are familiar to us, even after 20 years away (we lived in Namibia from 1994-1996).  And the biggest surprise?  Afrikaans is still the main language though almost everyone also speaks English.  We are brushing up on our Afrikaans skills, long forgotten, and enjoying getting settled into our new house, with plenty of room for visitors.  All of our trunks arrived safely from Moz, and it is nice to have a few familiar things though there hasn’t really been time to arrange those yet.  After the thorough training by our predecessors, it was time to jump feet first into personnel care and support, our main job here. – C

Someone told me recently that the missionary’s idea of heaven is no baggage.  Wow can we agree.  Travel we don’t mind so much, but the hauling around of belongings and worry over whether it will be accepted by the airline as well as wondering if it will arrive intact really wears you down.  When Toby and I left Mozambique, we had three more flights to get to Kenya.  From there, I had two more flights to get down to South Africa where Kevin and Ben had arrived two days later after two of their own flights to Johannesburg.  When we left the USA, we had a flight to Philly, then a flight to Qatar, then a flight to Nairobi, then a flight to Nampula (with a stop on the way where all the bags were taken off the plane and checked, then reloaded).

Every one of our bags arrived at every destination unbroken, unstolen, unrejected.  For those of you who haven’t traveled overseas to Africa before, you know that this is nigh on impossible.  🙂  We are so thankful!  Next week, we’ll fly to Namibia (after Kevin does another trip to Kenya this weekend) and hope that once again everything will arrive.  After that, we are relieved that our big suitcases will be put into storage for awhile.  There will be some small trips, but the wrestling of those big bags will be over for awhile.  What a relief.  – C

Well, the time we were dreading at the end of the time we were dreading finally arrived – after saying goodbye to our friends in Mozambique, to our dogs and to our house and possessions, and then to Mozambique itself, we said goodbye to Toby.  

There are many who don’t understand our decision to send our oldest away to boarding school in another country.   It can be hard to explain to those who are not walking in our shoes.  Suffice it to say, we believe it is for the best, and so does Toby.  In the months leading up to departure, we spent a lot of time preparing the things he would need, packing suitcases full of clothes, soccer shoes, sheets and school supplies.  We also talked a lot about what it might be like, though neither of us has ever been to boarding school.

Whenever we encountered people who know his school, we’d ask questions and listen to their stories, which were always positive.  We became more convinced that this was the place for him to have opportunities and grow in ways we could not provide for him.

But, in the end when we had to unpack his bags in his dorm room and walk away, it was really hard.  Our prayer is that his time at school will help him to grow spiritually as well as academically – we of course think he is already an amazing person, but there is more for him to learn before he’s ready to launch into the world.  He’ll be home at the end of November – to a new home! – for a month of school break.  Thanks for praying for him – C

Ok, this could easily deteriorate into a really negative post about Mozambique.  There are a lot of things about living there that are difficult, and as we arrived back into Nampula I often commented in my mind “well, I won’t miss THAT.”  The bumpy roads, the fleas and the mosquitoes that carry malaria, the pushy car guards downtown, the crazy drivers (who zip through red lights), the men urinating on the side of the road (and sometimes in the middle of the road!), the dust (which I am allergic to) and the gravel (which ruins leather shoes).  The dirty water from the tap which must be filtered, the vegetables which must all be bleached before eating.  And most of all, people staring at me!

All of these are things we won’t regret saying goodbye to.    But tied up in all of that is our life in Mozambique.  All of these things were a part of every day, a way of life that became normal for us and when I think of Nampula, I will remember those things, all tangled up with the smile of the pumpkin vendor at the market, and the man with no hands who often guarded my car.  When I bothered to look up from the dusty roads, I’d see so many palm trees against the blue sky.  The ladies in their bright capulana wrap skirts were a contrast to the broken-down buildings and the stink of the garbage pile was on the footpath to my friend’s house with the cute little girls.

We believe that the life ahead of us in Namibia will be a lot easier physically, and especially as regards the roads.  So, as we bumped to the airport to get on the plane, I looked out the window with mixed feelings.   When I think of that place, there is all of THAT mixed in with my life. – C

A houseful of stuff – it’s all gotta go!  When we left Moz last August, almost all of our belongings were packed up into the shipping container that sits right in front of the house.  When we returned in mid-July, every item had to be gone through and a decision made.  Sell?  Give away?  Throw Away?  Send to Kenya?  Send to Namibia?

Some things were easy to let go, but there were a great many items that I held in my hands and made me remember.  Little boys playing in the back yard, happy Christmas mornings, a precious find in a dingy shop, the big score at another missionary’s garage sale.   Here’s a photo of the boys going through all of our children’s books – four footlockers full!  Many of the book series belonged to Toby and were duly packed up to ship to Namibia.  However, the end I had to get strict with the kids – only 10 “little kid” books each could be chosen to ship.  It was hard to see a lot of those go but we were glad to be able to donate them to two libraries where we know they will be read often.

I spent hours in the container, opening boxes and pricing items as I stacked them against the far end.  It was surprisingly hard to let go of my kitchen things, which had been carefully collected over the years until I had a fully functioning kitchen.  I think it took me 5 years until I had what I needed – items had been purchased from others who were leaving, given to me by friends, bought on trips into South Africa or brought back from the USA, or arrived in packages sent by our parents.  There was a particular blue plastic bowl that was much admired by people who came over to the house for dinner, though it was only some cheap bowl from Walmart.  But in Nampula, it was really something special!  In the end, everything was ready for the big garage sale.

What a day – it was a madhouse.  Some particularly unattractive qualities were displayed by a number of folks, but most of our shoppers were pleased with their purchases and glad to go out with their treasures.  It was fun to see who bought what, and I was especially glad to see our furniture put to use in other people’s houses.  A family with young children bought our bunk bed and I saw it online recently – their two little cuties sitting in front of the bed where I had tucked up my cuties many a night.  I’m glad to see it is serving someone else.  I’ll still miss my things, I’m sorry to say.  One does get attached, especially when it is difficult to procure the items you really need.  I am grateful, however, that I was allowed to have those things for a season of time and that God continues to provide what we need even as we start fresh in Namibia. – C

 

 

When we arrived in Nampula, our first job was to set up the house temporarily so we could live in it for six weeks.  After that, the next task was to start contacting people to say our goodbyes.  We knew that with only this short period of time, we had to schedule people immediately or we wouldn’t fit them in before we left. In the USA, we often had people trying schedule a time to see us just a week or two before we left, and it became very stressful to fit them in while doing the final shopping, packing, time with family, etc. Luckily, almost all of the people we know in Nampula are very familiar with this strategy and also were eager to “make a plan”!

How strange it was, though to meet up and talk about the year we had not seen each other, catching up on details, just to move on to the “so what will you be doing” and “when might we see you again?” stage.  The kids found that many reunions were tinged with sadness as their time with friends was so limited.  Well, I guess Kevin and I found the same thing.  There were many regretful conversations with people we enjoy tremendously and whom we will miss.

We also said goodbye to our truck with sadness, though with tremendous relief.  It is a terrible time to sell a truck in Mozambique, because the local currency has dropped by more than half since we left last year.  The truck is actually worth a good amount, being in such good condition, but the buyers are few.  Kevin spent a LOT of time publicizing it during our first few weeks back, and we wondered what we would do if it didn’t sell.  We discussed exporting it and then importing it to Namibia, and other options.  We had people call us up and offer us “cash today!” if they could take it immediately for almost nothing.  Others called and said they’d bring a check right over if they could take the truck right away.  Scammers.  In the end, God put the right buyer into our lives and we were tremendously grateful that a happy deal was concluded.  A friend drove the truck south for us, through gunfire!  We were relieved that he arrived safely, and with no bullet holes in the truck.

What a blessing they have been to us, our friends in Nampula.  I remember the friend who brought us a homemade pizza when my 5 year old Toby was seriously ill with malaria.  I remember another friend who came with me to the clinic when I had a motorcycle accident and sat with me while my cuts were sewn up.  Another who sat through many, many local language lessons and laughed with me at our mistakes.  The friend who explained to me what was happening when I attended a funeral and wasn’t sure of etiquette.  The one who loved my children so beautifully that they always wanted to be at her house.  The one who made no pretense of “having it all together” when I was falling apart.  The one who blessed me with her uplifting words when all I could do was blame myself.  The friend whose calm kindness was a balm to my soul.

I have known many people who returned to their home country to say that they missed the friendships they had while living overseas.  I joked to a friend once, that it is because we had to help each other survive!  Life in the trenches creates relationships that are burned deep into our hearts.   -C