Introducing Jenny...

Jenny & Queen

In December Jenny was referred to me to do braids (the small ones) for Meagan and myself before we went away on our holidays, Meagan to Angola and me to Canada. When she dropped in almost a month ago I realized that she could use the job of our house help. Here is her story.

Jenny came from Angola as a young child and lived up near Rundu (in the north of Namibia). She has 2 children, one child lives with her and the other lives in Rundu with her mother. Her husband passed away from TB in Angola about a year ago. Her son was also very sick with TB, but he has recovered and is doing well. She hasn’t visited with him in a while though, as he is living with her mom. Her baby, Queen is 7 months and cute as a button. She gave birth to Queen on the floor of her adobe house. The children in the neighbourhood helped her by getting some scissors to cut the cord, and water to clean up! The call Queen the little bushman (something to do with being born in the dirt and her hair… she hates to have it combed).

Jenny is a Christian and loves the Lord, she is trustworthy and a hard worker. I hired her for 3 hours a day but she stays for 6 to 8 hours, as the rate we are paying is the ‘day’ rate. I can’t get her to go home… she reminds me of Rosa (in Angola). She LOVES to iron (I tell her it is a sickness… and when my iron quit working last week she was going on withdrawals from lack of ironing). She brings the baby to work every day, and lately she has not been feeling well, lots of colds going around because of this change in weather… from warm to freezing! I have also taught Jenny some of the bead stitches I have learned and she has beaded a lot of necklaces. I am hoping to begin to sell them for Care and Compassion and an extra income for her.

Jenny helped to translate for me when I needed to talk to Josef about Rosaria (*The Funeral Blog Entry). She shared the Gospel with Josef and when he comes to work in the yard she encourages him to start going to church. He needs a change in his life, and she informed him that this was the ONLY way to make that change happen. She enjoys going to church at the MPMC now with the Apex group and also to Bible study with Amanda (Apex missionary). This week she went with Amanda to the Wood Carver Bible study.

She has informed me of some of the ways we have answered her prayers. The first is the job! She had been praying for work as she needs not only to feed herself and Queen, but send money for her mother to use to support her son and she also helps her siblings with school fees! She is a young lady with a great deal of responsibilities riding on her shoulders. When I paid her for her work in May, she thanked me for hiring her to work and expressed how thankful she was for the job, and how she had prayed so hard for a job and now God had supplied one… then she went on to tell me about how she has been sharing with the other ladies in the neighbourhood. She said she has told them how God answers prayer, and not only by giving her a job but a good one where the people let her “sit at the table with them when we eat”, “bring my baby to work”, “share food with me when I have been praying because I knew when I went home there was nothing to eat, and Auntie Charlene gave me food without me asking”, etc! I am not sure why she calls me Auntie (perhaps it is because I am twice her age! Well not quite but almost.).

Lately Queen has not been feeling very good, she had an ear infection a few weeks ago, she is teething, now she has some kind of stomach problems (constipated and pain in the stomach). It’s difficult to get anything diagnosed properly here, she took Queen to the clinic for her ear infection and they said just give her Tylenol (although they don’t call it that here… Paracetamol), she told them she had already been doing that and so they then gave her antibiotics. No tests just a recommendation. It is difficult to get the health care workers to put the ‘care’ into health care! Thankfully I have been able to help her with some of the health issues (like teething gel for her sore gums and Tylenol for the pain).

This week we purchased some warm clothing for the baby, a warm jacket for Jenny and a nice fluffy comforter for their bed. Jenny came the next day and informed me that the baby slept through the night without crying once. We are so thankful to all those who are supporting us financially… it enables us to bless others… we couldn’t do it without your love offerings! May GOD richly bless you for your kindness! Jenny hasn’t take this kindness and become selfish either… the other day she had a friend drop by and when she realized that her baby had nappies (diapers) that were made from rags she gave her some new ones that I had bought for Queen, along with some clothes that a friend had given me to give away. This lady was taking 2 of her 3 children to the north to live with extended family as they were eating out of dust bins (garbage bins) here in Okahandja to stay alive. She will return with the baby and try to get a job at a farm where her husband is working so they can send money north to help feed the other 2 children. There are so many stories like this in Namibia.

Well, I just thought I would quickly introduce you to my new house help and friend, Jenny, so that you will know who I am talking about when I mention the name. If you think of it please pray for her as she works hard to support her extended family along with her two children… all alone without a husband to help. Also pray for the health issues that seem to put a damper on Queen’s contentment. Currently she is out in the yard sobbing… poor little girl.

Until next time,
Charlene