Another week, another...

Another week, another volunteer! We’ve got someone else helping at the After School Program. Edwin is a student from the Namibia Evangelical Theological Seminary (NETS), doing a year-long Certificate in Youth & Child Ministry. He heard about our Program through his friend, Carlos, a second-year Theology student also at NETS.

Edwin (see under, helping one of the Grade 1 girls) is from Opuwo in the north-east corner of Namibia. He has a real desire to tell young people about Christ and spent two years with his church, the Dutch Reformed Church, doing school outreaches in the Kunene Region. “I could see a real difference between schools as we traveled around the Region,” he said. “Where there was a positive atmosphere and learners were doing well, I could see that there were teachers who really cared for the learners. Invariably, those teachers would be Christians who really wanted to make a difference in the kids’ lives and not just help to educate them. I want to become a teacher like that!” He hopes to complete a Diploma in Theology before getting a teaching qualification and becoming a Religious Education/Life Skills teacher. For now, he’ll get some practice with us!

We’re looking into an arrangement with NETS where the students can get the practical children’s ministry experience they need as part of their courses, by helping out at the After School Program. Meanwhile, we’re very happy to have Carlos (see left, with some of the upper primary kids) and Edwin assisting when their studies allow.

The week was still a little hectic as Kauna (the Program Coordinator) had exams and so was on study leave. We sure missed her organizational skills! I was Acting Chief and I just hope she isn’t too mad at the mess she’ll find on Monday…

On the home front: don't talk about rugby
I’m looking forward to Jimmy’s last week-long trip for work for the year, which takes place next week. Not looking forward to him being gone (of course!), but the fact that it’ll be the last one for a while. So, barring any emergencies, his trips outside Windhoek for the rest of the year should only entail being away for two or three days at the most.

And I managed to win two squash games this week – Rachel better watch out! As for the rugby match against France, well let’s not talk about it. The Namibians are playing again tonight against Argentina, so we’ll see how that goes.

Lastly, while we were sitting on Tuesday evening, watching the sunset turn the clouds pink and the birds wheeling and diving in the sky, Caietta, my two-year-old, suddenly shouted at the top of her voice, “Birds! Where are you going?”

So let me leave you with that – where DO birds go?