No Good, Very Bad Day Morning

As we wrapped up our time in Africa, I looked back over some of my old journal entries and found a few that I would like to share. Today's is from later on March 16, 2010:
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Today has been a bit of a challenge. I am badly sunburned and covered with huge mosquito bites (but I can't scratch because of the sunburn). I am sick with a runny nose (a roll of toilet paper that doubles as kleenex is my constant companion), sinus headache, and a cough. My lungs hurt quite badly- I am not sure if it is the cough, altitude, or adjustment to humidity. Maybe it's all three. I can't take my medication that requires electricity, because we don't have any power. I broke my white sunglasses 2 days ago, and my black ones fell off my head today under a waterfall, so no hope of recovery. As I opened our cabin door, something on the other side stung my finger. Then I walked into our slanted door frame while borrowing Josh's sunglasses and they shattered on my head. Who knew they were actually glass? This was all before lunch.

The caretaker suggested maybe I should just sit down and rest... so I did : S

The Bedbugs Are the Least of Our Worries

This post is much delayed (camp was at the beginning of December), but this is one story I've got to tell.
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Josh and I were blessed with the opportunity to share a tent at camp (the other option was to be in gender-separate cabins). We actually enjoy tent camping, so we were really excited. We had a few surprises, however.
First of all, we were located right next to the tabernacle, which was the main hall we met in. This meant that anytime people were in there meeting, talking, or doing sound checks, we heard it. There was very little quiet time. Additionally, we were between the tabernacle and the boys side of camp, and it seemed like every boy felt the need to touch or run into our tent at one time or another. Eventually, we were able to set up a perimeter of security tape. Then, there was the delightful little sewer backup that stopped about 18 inches from our temporary home.
One night, as we were falling asleep, we heard voices speaking Afrikaans, and realized there were a couple of flashlights pointed at our tent. We thought it was rather rude, but the moved on so we didn’t think anything of it.
The next morning I slept in a bit, in order to get rid of a migraine. Mid-morning conversation:

Josh: Oh, by the way, So-and-so told me there was a snake by our tent last night.
Me: Really? Where?
Josh: Right up next to the tent on the tabernacle side [where our heads had been].
Me: Wow, what kind was it?
Josh: A puff adder.
Me: A puff adder?! You’re kidding! That’s crazy! Why didn’t they come wake us up?

In case you don’t know, a puff adder is not exactly a by-the-way kind of snake. The only snake living around here that scares me more is the Black Mamba. When I see those, I see why satan took the form of a snake. Yuck. Anyhow, the guys talking were walking around the grounds for security purposes. After they saw the snake, they finished their rounds and came back, only to see him slithering off. I praised God for His protection in a new way when I heard that- He is good. Nonetheless, I spent the rest of the week sleeping with one eye open.

Namlish

Namlish= Namibian English. Because let's face it: English is pretty much different in every country it's spoken. A little primer for those of you new to this phenomenon:

Torch= flashlight
Flat= apartment
University= college
College=high school
Primary school= elementary school
Hostel= boarding school
Football=soccer
Robot= stoplight
Tekkies= tennis shoes
Pawpaw= papaya
Stay-awake= lock-in
Post= mail
[cell phone] text= sms
Spaghetti= pasta with tomato sauce BUT
Tomato sauce= ketchup
Chips= fries
Crisps= chips
Sweets= candy
Cool drink= cool-aid or pop
Petrol= gasoline/ fuel
Braai= barbeque
Toilet= bathroom
Take-away= take-out restaurant
Rocket= lettuce
Jersey= sweatshirt
Trousers= pants
Pants= underwear
Brother/ sister= make actually be a sibling, or a cousin, or anyone of similar age that lives in the same home
Mobile phone= cell phone
Combi= a sort of shuttle bus
Howzit= how are you?

Zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz...............

I am tired. No, like really, super exhausted. I know I have neglected Called to Love Africa, so I want to get back into it. I have all the common excuses: holiday season, camp, 110 degree weather…you know. I will try to keep my eyes open as I write this post, but I am afraid I will wake up with drool on my keyboard and 179 j’s across my computer screen.

This all started with a “brilliant” idea…

Internet is really expensive here, and it is something of a necessity for us. I use it for researching curricula for some Hope’s Promise stuff, AIM keeps in contact with us via email, and it’s our primary mode of communication with loved ones at home. So, you can see the dilemma: one dollar per megabyte on the one hand, and missionary budget on the other.

However, we recently heard that internet from our provider is free between the hours of 1am and 5am, which is great, because we can save a lot of money. The only problem is that this is in the middle of the night (and the connection is really s-l-o-w). But, since it’s so hot in the afternoons that productivity is only slightly higher than zero, we thought we could sleep for 4 hours in the afternoon to cancel that out. We just forgot that the only reason we can sleep at night is that the temperature drops when the sun goes down.

So…”brilliant” was really code for “insane.” No matter, I just figure I am training myself for future motherhood.

What I Did on My Thanksgiving Vacation, Part 3

While we were getting ready to come to Africa, we spent a lot of time in prayer- A LOT. We thought and prayed about our service, the meaning of sacrifice, our team, our families and friends we were temporarily leaving behind, our marriage…it would impact every facet of our lives. It was very intense, and very serious, and very necessary, as it prepared us for what we would need to do here. In addition, we took a bit of time to think of some fun goals we had for our time here, things we wanted to learn or experience in another culture. My three were to see a giraffe, try African drumming, and go sand surfing (called sand boarding here). Check, check, check. Sort of.

On Friday of our Swakop adventure, we went sand boarding on one of the dunes found outside town. It’s so amazing- you are standing on a mountain of tiny grains, and yet you don’t sink in (I just can’t comprehend that!) You can see the Atlantic ocean literally across the road from the dune.

As we got there, we saw some parachutes landing (look closely)

Although Josh, Kitty, and I knew we wanted to sandboard, we thought we would need to go with a tour company (which is a bit expensive). While in a store on Thursday, we saw they were selling kits for sand boarding for really cheap, which meant we could avoid tour fees. We bought one kit, and split it three ways, so that was perfect. The only problem is that you have to use these sitting down, because you have to lift the front of the board up as you go. That’s probably okay though, as sand boarding while standing up is a lot more dangerous than snowboarding (have you ever heard of snow burn?  I didn't think so).

Here is a picture of Josh’s first attempt…



…and the resulting battle wound:

In spite of the hazards, there was a line of people ready to give it a try. What can I say? We live in Africa; we have adventurous spirits : ) Love these people!

Since the hardest part of the whole undertaking was walking back up the dunes, Jessa and I decided to take rides together, 2 for the effort of 1. Oh yeah, and it was REALLY windy.


Making memories with my best friend.

Love this

Public Service Announcement

A while back, I wasn’t feeling right. I didn’t feel sick, per se, but just…off. I attributed it to the heat, and left it at that.

Then one night, I couldn’t sleep at all. Not a wink. I felt very dizzy, almost as if I had vertigo. We decided I must be really dehydrated. We looked it up and, sure enough, insomnia can be a symptom of dehydration. The fact that we live in the desert supported our conclusion.

I made a concerted effort to drink more. A lot more. I had my water bottle with me everywhere I went. It worked for a few days, and then I felt sick again.

Being that doctor’s visits are costly, Josh convinced me to get a scan that we had seen advertised. Although I was less than convinced of its accuracy (and still am), I agreed. We trekked to Windhoek, only to find it looked like there were no clear answers.

It wasn’t until we were almost ready to go that the technician asked why I had answered that I drink 15 or so glasses of water per day. (Umm, hello? This is Namibia). I told her it was to stay hydrated. She looked at my chart again, and said that was the problem. Apparently, you can be too hydrated (hyper-hydrated?), and all the minerals in food are washed right out of your system. I just needed to take a second multi-vitamin each day.

Easy answer? I am so not used to those! I got over that really fast though.

Consider yourself warned ;)

Random Thoughts That Float Around In My Brain

So I hope you take the descriptor “random” literally…just wait- these are the observations I have made so far. There are few people who think like this, and if you’re one of them, you should call me up. Maybe we can get a support group or group counseling going or something...

***You know how it’s a big deal in the U.S. to speak a second language? Here you’d be considered a slacker. Because of there being so many tribal languages in a close vicinity, it is not unusual for people to know 5 or 6 languages, and not unheard of to know 9 or 10.

***We have no heating or air conditioning.

***The other day, I was at a local store something like a very small Pamida, and I was looking at a pair of jeans. I realized the button said “Abercrombie.” Thinking this curious, I looked at the label, and sure enough, the store had just slapped their store sticker on the label, and there was an Abercrombie tag. Now, they were selling these for about the equivalent of four dollars (on sale). They were originally about eight. Even though they didn’t have my size, I was tempted…

***There are these obnoxious little thorns everywhere. Teeny-tiny. And everywhere. Walking home from the church one day, I started getting a pain in my lower back, and I didn’t know what it was. Somehow, and I have no idea how, one was lodged in the waistband of my underwear. Like I said, they’re everywhere.

***It is really common for families to be spread out age-wise. For example, the difference between the oldest and youngest child in a family may be such that an aunt and her niece are in the same class at school.

***If you want to stimulate motivation to read Scripture, buy a brand new Bible. It has given me a renewed fervor to examine passages, to highlight, to write notes. Not being able to rely on what I have highlighted or written before has challenged me in new ways.

***Jelly shoes and American music are ubiquitous here. Of course, the music is usually somewhere between 10 and 20 years behind. The other day, we went into a drug store and everyone and their brother was singing along to “Wind Beneath My Wings.”

***The phrase heard everywhere is “Ai Mon” (or something like that). It sounds like “eye mon” (rhyming with don or con). This is what people here say when they are frustrated, like when we would say “shoot” or something similar.

***Josh likes to keep several books going at once, so that he can choose his reading material based on his moods. He will mention how great a book is, and I might begin reading it simultaneously (which works fine since we usually read at different times of the day. Since I can’t stand bookmarks, and since he despises when I dog-ear the pages, I came up with a solution- paper clips- they don’t fall out, they don’t bend, and they don’t get in the way.

***When they write the date here, it’s day first, month second, year third. For example, October 4 is 4/10/09. This can be very confusing. Also, when quoting numbers, the period and comma are switched (ex. Four-thousand three-hundred four dollars and twenty-three cents looks like 4.304,23. Again, rather confusing.)

***The phones here are wonderful. Not that they are cheap, or their reception is any good, or any of the typical concerns. Rather, they have flashlights on them! And screensavers! And you can compose your own ringtones (my personal fave)! Josh is enamored.

***When we first got to London, we were walking the escalator to the Underground (yes, the double-high escalator was out of service), and I kept thinking how rude British people were! Here we are, trying to politely bear right in a crowded venue, when at least half the people don’t seem to care at all. Then it dawns on me: since they drive on the left side, they also bear left while passing each other. Oh my word, I felt like the biggest imbecile on the planet. Makes Matthew 7:3 all the more pertinent, huh? I am just glad I did this in London, because nobody there knows me.

***Interesting trend/habit/cultural tradition (I am not really sure which)- it is common to see women and girls in public with their hair in bright orange or green rollers. Like, really common. Not sure why.

***Another hair trend: braids (I know you’re shocked). Most people don’t go to a salon, they just braid each other’s hair (even little kids know how). The interesting part stems from the fact that people usually add extensions into the braids to give them length, and they sell them everywhere! No joke, I saw them at the grocery store!

***Namibia has year-round school. The school year follows the calendar year. Students are supposed to go until at least grade 10, and then if they meet certain qualifications they may complete grades 11 and 12. They call grade 12 “matriculation,” and have a big party (like prom) in the middle of the year. Although school is public, there is a yearly fee that must be paid for every child to attend school. Computer and physical education classes cost extra. There is no “kindergarten” school level.

***Women carry everything on their heads here. I’ve seen mothers with a basket on their head, a baby on their back, a child on one hip, and holding another child’s hand on the other side. That is talent. Josh and I watched a movie once in which a girl was learning to balance a book on her head. The next day, we saw a woman walking down the street carrying this very large, oddly-shaped vase on top of her head. No contest.

***In the U.S. (in spite of all the skin cancer research) most people enjoy having a tan. Many people pay big money to at least fake having one. In contrast, people here (who have much darker skin) tend to walk everywhere with an umbrella to protect them from the sun. I guess they had to find something to do with umbrellas, since it hardly ever rains…

***People go all-out for 21st birthday parties here (sort of like a quincinera in Latin culture). For those who can afford it, large parties are thrown, and all the attendees dress up and toast the honoree. Kids in the youth group keep asking what I did for my 21st birthday, and are often disappointed when they find out I ate dinner with my family and had French Silk pie.

***The other day, we were in Windhoek and I saw a vintage aqua-colored VW Bug. It made my day.

***The sun here is far more intense than at home. Even when it is not super hot out, you can still feel immense heat in direct sunlight. The sun is also far brighter; Josh and I can’t step outside without sunglasses. The ironic part? Locals NEVER wear sunglasses here!

Battle Cry

Spiritual battle is intense and relentless here. You have to constantly fight against lies and tricks from the enemy, and it can be incredibly draining. Don’t get me wrong; I know we have a spiritual battle at home, but it is an entirely different kind. Sometimes it seems satan is trying to block our communication with God; during those times, we rely on God’s word more than anything. We read about the armor of God, and rely on it often.

The other day, I saw Josh was doing something with craft sticks, so I asked him what it was. He explained that he was making a cross to display in order to remind satan he isn’t welcome here. We went back to our respective activities, and after a few seconds, he said, “If the devil doesn’t like it, he can sit on a tack.”

Just like that, I was back in Sunday school

Beat This...

We watched "The Lion King" in Africa. It was so sweet, I had to devote an entire post to the experience. If any of you come visit us, I promise you can watch it, too : ).

I have so many posts in progress right now, it's ridiculous. However, none are ready...not sure when that will happen.

Other random fact: Last night, a Preying Mantis fell on my arm while I sat in bed. Only in Africa...