This has been a VERY busy week!

This has been a very busy week.

Monday I went to DEFA, because we had some hope that they could deal with our visa process! Well, they could not!

Tuesday, Pete went to Lubango for the farm, and I called on a couple of guys from the church to help with our visa renewal (another $300 US down the drain).

Wednesday, Strauss and Sanette came into town and Sanette took me out to a restaurant for a pop and a talk… she wanted to encourage me… what an encouragement she was. On the way out of the restaurant we happened upon a man from E. Germany, he was setting up tent next to the restaurant in a campground. We introduced ourselves as did he, and we told him a bit about the farm and told him that Pete would be going out on Thursday if he would like to go, he was interested!

Thursday, Pete picked up Andreas and took him out to work on a fence that they are building around the lake at the farm (to keep the local cattle from tramping all over the place, and hopefully to keep them out of the gardens). On the way home, Strauss followed them into to town to do some errands of his own, and before he could head home he had to go to Mwambo. While there; a girl ran out at the truck and hit the side, flew back and broke her neck and died instantly. She was an 11 year old girl who lived way out in the desert and apparently was not familiar with cars. Strauss then came into town and sat at the police station wanting to get in touch with us, but they would not bring him to our house, or allow him to drive up and let us know what was going on. Finally they went and contacted the pastor’s wife who lives just a few houses away from the station. We were then notified and Pete ran down right away. Pete came back home and we got ready and picked up a letter from Strauss for Sanette and we ran out to the farm. When we arrived Sanette was standing in front of the vehicle with it running and the headlights were not working! All the workers were standing there with her, and the boys! We let her read the letter and then we went in while she got some stuff ready for Strauss to stay at the police station for the night. Then we headed back into to town with 2 of the boys, so they could see their dad and spend the night at our house.

Friday, they moved him from the police station to a jail and the process began. What a process it is. Nothing moves quickly. The girls family had already buried her and so they were given some money to help with expenses and whatever else. Then they went back to Virei. Strauss waited all day for his process to get on with… finally at 3:30 (after the bank closed) they said he was not guilty but would have to pay a $1000 fine (which they call bail…). So he had to stay in the jail over the weekend!!! If you don’t bring the prisoners food they only get one meal a day and it is made by other prisoners! Mmmm! So we took meals to him, and Sanette came into town with meals for him. OH, during the day I took the boys to the beach to get their minds off of things, and I was hoping to catch Andreas (as they were supposed to go on a camping trip on Friday afternoon). He already had his stuff packed up when I arrived so I explained the situation and told him he could feel free to camp in our yard, which he did.

Saturday, first we went out to the farm and took out our generator because on Friday the farm generator had burst into flames and burned one of the workers. Then between visits to Strauss, we took Andreas to the beach, got stuck (oh I mean “delayed”) and just as we got out a fellow from a lodge down the beach that Andreas had met on the plane into Angola, came roaring around the corner. We talked for a bit and perhaps Andreas can get a ride from Benguela to Luanda with him on Friday.


Sunday, we took breakfast to Strauss and then went to the early service, both of the girls sang in the choir. After church Sanette informed us that our generator toasted also! Theirs is working now, but ours is fried! Afterward we took a group of young men to the jail to sing to Strauss but they would not let them sing, but they could go and visit. Sanette and the boys had a picnic lunch with him, and then we took supper to him. Andreas made us two wonderful meals while at our house (so we took Strauss leftovers on Sunday night). Took Andreas out to the airport and he flew to Benguela.

Monday, the process started for Strauss’ release, and what a process. WAITING… more WAITING… and more WAITING… and guess what they didn’t get the papers finished until just before the bank closed. So now he has been moved to a prison, and there he waits until the process is finished. We are praying that it will be tomorrow. We’ll try to keep you posted! We have been without power for 4 or 5 days now, so we had to take our meat out to the farm.

Needless to say some days and some weeks are more frustrating then others… this has been a very difficult week… not only for us, but for the Joubert family!!! We are still very unsure as to what will happen when we go out to renew our visas in Oshikati. If they say no we could be there for a month trying to work things out!

WE appreciate your prayers… both us and the Jouberts!
I must run, my battery is almost dead and I must get to the café!
God Bless,
Charlene for the gang!!!