Tavis takes Jonathan for a ride!
Tuesday, June 19, 2007
Thursday, June 14, 2007
Jonathan and Trevor...
Learning Afrikaans, Xhosa, and Zulu! Actually Trevor was showing Jonathan how much Afrikaans he knows... he is amazing after such a short time! Both he and Tavis are learning amazingly well! They should be linguists when they grow up!
We have bed frames up off the floor!
Friends here in Okahandja loaned us 5 wooden bedframes to get us up off the cement floor! I am SO excited that now I can get out of bed without climbing up off the floor... and possibly I won't hit my head anymore on the cement wall when I aim wrong when flopping onto the bed on the floor... HAHA! Also the COLD floor won't be touching the matresses so perhaps we won't feel like our bones are frozen stiff! WOW God is good... He has answered prayer... BEDS! YAH! Perhaps one day we will get our things from Angola... but until then we are no longer on the FLOOR!
Care and Compassion
The young lady on the right comes to Bible study at Care and Compassion at the Ark Okahandja. She has been very sick. She had terrible burning in her legs (she said it felt like her legs were literally on fire) and she had to have two toes removed because they turned black! She has a very positive attitude and those doing C&C didn't even know that she had two toes removed or that she was in incredible pain as she just did not complain! We went to visit her the other day because she hadn't made it to Bible study. She was very cheerful, but said that she just didn't have the strength to make it. Wednesday, June 13, 2007
On the Way home from Windhoek on Sunday... the sights we see!
Approaching the police checkpoint between Windhoek and Okahandja. They rarely stop anyone, it is always a joke to see them sitting on the chair and they can barely lift their hands to wave you past... the best one yet for me was when one of the officers had his legs crossed and he flicked his foot to indicate to me that I could pass through... they need energy pills for sure!!!
Pete wanted to get past this guy as quickly as possible... just incase the load on his truck decided to come flying into our windshield!
Some of the great names of the places here in Namibia... if you can pronouce it properly, you ought to move here!!!
Sunday, June 10, 2007
Party at the neigbours
Today we were invited to a party next door! This was quite a combination... a baby had been baptized and dedicated... the dad had a birthday... and the baby's namesake had just been married! WOW! After we got home from church (Pete preached this morning and did a wonderful job, his topic was the Glory of God) we were hesitant to head over because we had missed the baptism at the church, and things had been underway for a while (or so we thought)... but when we walked in the yard they had just started!
We sat at a table with an elderly couple, when they brought the plates of food the Meme scraped the plates of food into a tupperware-like container and put it in a bag under the table. They even brought an extra plate and she did the same with that! Then she picked the orange off of the table and put it in a big pocket in her jacket. When Pete was finished chewing on his meat, she asked for his plate and proceeded to put it into her bag under the table. It was a bit humorous yet sad at the same time.
After the meal we moved around meeting with the people there... it started out kind of quiet, it is hard to meet new people when everyone is speaking Oshiwambo and Afrikaans... but once we started moving around people started speaking English to us! It was great. We finally got to know our neighbours a little better and some other people who live not too far away. One lady asked if I could take her 3 year old to live with me, and she tried to pawn off her sisters baby too! I always find that a bit disturbing! Happens often... "will you take my baby home with you"?!?!?!?
Well, we're home now, I'm tired (didn't fall asleep last night until 4:30 AM) and ready to go to bed under my 3 HEAVY blankets with my scarf, hat, gloves, sweater, sweatpants, socks, and housecoat... no word of a lie... that is how I am dressing for bed these days!!!!
Well keep in touch... we love hearing from you all!
God Bless,
Charlene
We sat at a table with an elderly couple, when they brought the plates of food the Meme scraped the plates of food into a tupperware-like container and put it in a bag under the table. They even brought an extra plate and she did the same with that! Then she picked the orange off of the table and put it in a big pocket in her jacket. When Pete was finished chewing on his meat, she asked for his plate and proceeded to put it into her bag under the table. It was a bit humorous yet sad at the same time.
After the meal we moved around meeting with the people there... it started out kind of quiet, it is hard to meet new people when everyone is speaking Oshiwambo and Afrikaans... but once we started moving around people started speaking English to us! It was great. We finally got to know our neighbours a little better and some other people who live not too far away. One lady asked if I could take her 3 year old to live with me, and she tried to pawn off her sisters baby too! I always find that a bit disturbing! Happens often... "will you take my baby home with you"?!?!?!?
Well, we're home now, I'm tired (didn't fall asleep last night until 4:30 AM) and ready to go to bed under my 3 HEAVY blankets with my scarf, hat, gloves, sweater, sweatpants, socks, and housecoat... no word of a lie... that is how I am dressing for bed these days!!!!
Well keep in touch... we love hearing from you all!
God Bless,
Charlene
Jenny's reaction...
So I went over to see Jenny and give her the money... Meagan took a video and I am glad... when I showed her the N$600 she jumped on me and hugged me and then said 'I am going to go to Rundu and get my boy'! She was so excited... she kept squealing and hugging me! It was quite a scene! So this morning she dropped in to get our cell phone numbers and let us know she was heading off to Rundu and would be back on Friday. We can't wait to meet her boy!
One day if I don't have to pay by the MegaBite I will upload the video for you all to see! Well, I just thought I would share with you. You can pray for Jenny this week as she spends time with her family in the village.
Charlene
One day if I don't have to pay by the MegaBite I will upload the video for you all to see! Well, I just thought I would share with you. You can pray for Jenny this week as she spends time with her family in the village.
Charlene
Saturday, June 09, 2007
Jenny's Beading...
Today was a very exciting day for Jenny... she doesn't know it yet, but when she finds out I will blog her response. I taught Jenny how to crochet necklaces (like the one Meagan is wearing in the photo Meagan... our sweet sixteen girl) out of beads. She has done an awesome job and is eager to make more. Yesterday I dropped a bag of necklaces, bracelets and earrings off with the Table Rock team. This morning I went to pick up the leftovers and show them a few more that I had added clasps to last night. They ended up purchasing NINE necklaces, for a total of N$1200. Considering that N$30 is an average daily wage here in Namibia, I think Jenny is going to extremely excited!!! Half of the money will go to Jenny and the other half to stock up on more beads, as all of the current necklaces were made with beads and supplies that I had purchased in Canada and here in Namibia.
If anyone is interested in financially helping toward this little business (the purchase of more beads, clasps, string, and other supplies) please let me know. I would like to do up some kind of a business plan and help Jenny with a plan for what to do with the money that she makes. I would like to enable her to be able to do it on her own should I move away. We will need to look into an easily accessible place to purchase her supplies. In the future I would like to see a percentage of the money going to Care and Compassion here in Okahandja. I would also like to get some of the girls at the Ark involved in beading so that in the future they will have a trade that might help them when they leave the Ark. We'll see how it all goes, and I will try to keep you informed on the progress, however as I mentioned if you are interested in helping toward this little business venture get in touch with me!!
Have a glorious day!
Charlene
If anyone is interested in financially helping toward this little business (the purchase of more beads, clasps, string, and other supplies) please let me know. I would like to do up some kind of a business plan and help Jenny with a plan for what to do with the money that she makes. I would like to enable her to be able to do it on her own should I move away. We will need to look into an easily accessible place to purchase her supplies. In the future I would like to see a percentage of the money going to Care and Compassion here in Okahandja. I would also like to get some of the girls at the Ark involved in beading so that in the future they will have a trade that might help them when they leave the Ark. We'll see how it all goes, and I will try to keep you informed on the progress, however as I mentioned if you are interested in helping toward this little business venture get in touch with me!!
Have a glorious day!
Charlene
Friday, June 08, 2007
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
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
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