Visitors

There's nothing to help procrastination like getting visitors! My parents came to visit for a week with Dan, one of the pastors from their church back home. My parents have been here quite a few times over the years, but it was Dan's first time in Africa. Most of our time together was spent visiting different ministries to show Dan some of the different things God's doing in Namibia and to introduce him to some of the ministry leaders.

We spent the first weekend visiting Children of Promise Ministries and Eagle Christian Center in Arandis. We enjoyed spending time with the church youth group on Friday night. They ended the night sharing jokes using different accents, so Dad chimed in with a Swedish accent telling a Jan and Sven joke. On Saturday we hung out with some ministry families and visited the church plot where they've begun construction on a perimeter fence. The church is currently meeting at the outdoor amphitheater because the Town Hall, where they usually meet, is undergoing renovations. So Sunday morning Dad, Dan and I joined some of the church guys to set up a shade covering over some of the benches, however that morning was quite windy. After much effort and engineering we managed a makeshift tent that wouldn't blow away in the wind. Monday morning we helped lead the assembly at Talitha Kumi Christian Academy with a puppet rendition of the Noah's ark story. My job was the special effects including lightning, sound effects and real rain! :)

After Arandis, we spent some time visiting friends and ministries in Okahandja. We went to a community center located in a squatter's camp area where a missionary couple is helping train women in making beads and jewelry. From there we walked a few streets over until the joyful sound of children singing could be heard emerging from a large building made of wooden pallet slats. This was one of almost 30 preschools throughout the whole city started by local teachers who our friend Joan has helped train. Six of her teachers have since gone on to receive official certification and are now teaching in public schools.

We also spent a day in Windhoek visiting NETS. We sat in on morning chapel and a freshman class on Understanding the Bible. In class we played a few games, students-vs-visitors, in which we prevailed, but probably our collective over-100 yrs of church background gave us a bit of an edge. We also got to visit with my SIM leader and the director at Campus Crusade for Christ.

In addition to ministry visits, we made sure Dan got to experience a bit of Africa since it was his first time. He got to try the world-famous Walvis Bay oysters, see the dunes of the Namib desert, watch the sun set over the Atlantic, barter at the wood carvers markets, and even see some wildlife on a safari game drive. Overall it was a great time having them around. It's always nice to have visitors with whom you can share the new things and experiences you've grown to love. So who's coming next??