I hope you can see what the picture is of, but in case you can't tell - we saw some giraffe.
Monday, May 26, 2008
Guess what ELSE we found...
We had to travel to Windhoek (the capital city of Namibia) for a language-acquisition course that was required for us (which will help us as we learn Afrikaans, and greetings in the local languages), and on our way back to Arandis today we saw this scene...
Sunday, May 11, 2008
Guess what we found...
So, we're on our way to do the kind of stuff we came here to do (you know, work with orphaned and vulnerable children) and we almost ran this thing over...
And so, of course, he became our mascot for the day...
But, we had to let him (or her) go (how does one know which with a chameleon??). In case you're wondering, chameleons really do change colors. We tried it on Jessa's pink shirt, though, and I think it's abilities were a little stretched then.
Anyhow, I know we owe you an update on our ministry efforts, but we've been so busy with the children lately and also with trying to get the house updated/renovated so we can move in that we have had very little time to spare. Coming soon though...
And so, of course, he became our mascot for the day...
But, we had to let him (or her) go (how does one know which with a chameleon??). In case you're wondering, chameleons really do change colors. We tried it on Jessa's pink shirt, though, and I think it's abilities were a little stretched then.
Anyhow, I know we owe you an update on our ministry efforts, but we've been so busy with the children lately and also with trying to get the house updated/renovated so we can move in that we have had very little time to spare. Coming soon though...
Saturday, April 26, 2008
Pictures from the Camp in Swakopmund
Thank you all for helping us get to the camp in Swakopmund last weekend. I finally had time to sit down and upload some pics. This was a truly amazing time for these children (our 4th-8th graders), and I hope we can do it again with them sometime. Some highlights:
(1) First time to a camp of any kind for several of them
(2) First time for some of them to see an elevator
(3) Special bonding moments between myself and the children
(4) Good bible lessons, especially as taught by my friend Boniface who also lives in Arandis
(5) This camp can usually only be afforded by the more well-to-do children in the country (notice the digs most of them have on). The Hopes kids got to enjoy life right along with those kids this time. It made them feel special, for sure.
Above: Arrival at the Swakopmund Secondary School, where we stayed.
Above: Just some heads stickin' out the window. :-)
Above: Practicing for a "talent show" type thing
Above: Grub time
Above: Some kids from Windhoek, after the trek up the dunes
Above: Two of the Hopes children who came along when we went to the beach. Look how nice Swakopmund looks in the background. BIG contrast from Arandis and the lives of these wonderful children.
Above: One of the games... ketchup-eating contest.
Above: It was a tiring time. One of our girls just couldn't stay awake. :-)
Above: Bible times were orderly. A little different from what we're used to at camp in the U.S.
(1) First time to a camp of any kind for several of them
(2) First time for some of them to see an elevator
(3) Special bonding moments between myself and the children
(4) Good bible lessons, especially as taught by my friend Boniface who also lives in Arandis
(5) This camp can usually only be afforded by the more well-to-do children in the country (notice the digs most of them have on). The Hopes kids got to enjoy life right along with those kids this time. It made them feel special, for sure.
Above: Arrival at the Swakopmund Secondary School, where we stayed.
Above: Just some heads stickin' out the window. :-)
Above: Practicing for a "talent show" type thing
Above: Grub time
Above: Some kids from Windhoek, after the trek up the dunes
Above: It's nice that we are near a "resort" type area on the coast, because there we find Dolphin Park, which has a pool and water slide. Funnest part of the camp for sure. Only about $1 (US) per child to get i
Above: Two of the Hopes children who came along when we went to the beach. Look how nice Swakopmund looks in the background. BIG contrast from Arandis and the lives of these wonderful children.
Above: One of the games... ketchup-eating contest.
Above: It was a tiring time. One of our girls just couldn't stay awake. :-)
Above: "Friends are friends forever...". Two of our guys.
Above: Bible times were orderly. A little different from what we're used to at camp in the U.S.
Above: Another of our guys.
Above: Kailey and one of her friends.
Above & Below: The group from Arandis together
Wednesday, April 16, 2008
Practice your balloon animals...
So, if you're planning on coming to visit, get practicing on your balloon animals. They were a hit today at the pre-primary school that is run by Hopes Promise. (It's a very nice school for this area, and it's the type of place I love to visit. The ministry has put a lot of time, energy, and resources into the schools, and it shows. BTW - many of the children are from the community, and not just Hopes kids.) This was the last day of school before break, which lasts about a month here, so we tried to make things a bit special for the kids.
In case you forget, I'm going to re-post the pic of the school so you get a feel for how things look...
In case you forget, I'm going to re-post the pic of the school so you get a feel for how things look...
Thursday, April 10, 2008
Friday, March 28, 2008
Mailing Address update
I almost forgot! Our new mailing address is:
The Grahams
P.O. Box 8
Arandis, Namibia (Africa)
Mail seems to take about 2 weeks, and it seems to be reasonably safe to send things. That said, if you send anything to us here you'll find out quickly that it's MUCH MUCH better to keep it in a flat envelope and not too heavy (for example, DVDs in a jewel case, or something like that). It can get kinda expensive if you send a box...
As always, our email is the same... reachnamibia@yahoo.com
The Grahams
P.O. Box 8
Arandis, Namibia (Africa)
Mail seems to take about 2 weeks, and it seems to be reasonably safe to send things. That said, if you send anything to us here you'll find out quickly that it's MUCH MUCH better to keep it in a flat envelope and not too heavy (for example, DVDs in a jewel case, or something like that). It can get kinda expensive if you send a box...
As always, our email is the same... reachnamibia@yahoo.com
Wednesday, March 26, 2008
Arandis (pics)
above: We hiked up the closest mountain to Arandis with some of the neighborhood kids. This was a special adventure for both us and them, especially as we got to know each other. Though there are not the Hopes Promise kids that we came specifically for, they have become regulars in our home and lives.
above & below: Just some pictures to share with you the way Arandis looks. The town was originally built by the Rossing Mining company around 1979 to house it's workers. Since then, there have been little updates to the town and most of the structures and infrastructure have not aged gracefully.
Above: Home Sweet Home. Well, kinda. This house was bought recently for us to live in. We are staying in another house in town as we wait for the current tenants to move and for some basic repairs and changes to be made. Most of the houses are exactly the same in size and arrangement... so there wasn't a lot of house-shopping that needed to be done to determine where we would live. The GREAT thing about this house is that it's only about 80 meters from where the Hopes Promise kids go to school.
above: Unfortunately, this is the most common "wildlife" around Arandis. Also unfortunately, the kids don't have many places to play that isn't littered with broken glass. We have had to provide first aid help for several hurt feet (as most of the kids here in Arandis don't have shoes or simply don't wear them if they do). I am working with a small group of kids to help clean up an area so that they can play soccer safely (see pic below).
Tuesday, March 25, 2008
Yep, it was kinda warm today
No. The temperature shown was not doctored in this photo. (In case you can't read the pic, it says 128.5 degrees Fahrenheit.)
Monday, March 24, 2008
This is the Talitha Kumi Pre-primary school in Arandis, which is run by Hopes Promise. It’s sooooo cute watching the little ones line up outside the door as school is starting around 7:45am. My heart just melts when they come running up to me as I approach the fence in the morning. I’m such a sucker for little ones anyhow…
Sunday, March 23, 2008
Ministry Focus
So, in my last post I promised that I would write a bit about how we will be focused here in ministry. While there were certain goals established quite some time ago, it was important for us to reevaluate the situation upon arrival in Arandis. You see, the needs are so widespread that the door was pretty much wide open for us. The previous plan involved us working to establish a boarding program for the school here. While that may still be in the mix, Hopes Promise Orphan Ministry has expressed a desire to see my experience in youth ministry and my background in youth counseling/psychology come into play. This is for two main reasons:
(1) There are several Hopes kids that are rapidly approaching adolescence, and they and their “foster parents” will benefit from support. Most of the kids in their care have experienced great trauma and loss in their lives. Up to this point, Hopes Promise in Arandis has been primarily focused at pre-primary and primary aged kids. This is an opportunity to be part of expanding the scope to be ready to answer the physical, spiritual, emotional, and social needs of older children who have experienced some unbelievably difficult tragedy and trauma.
(2) This community is DESPERATELY in need of a structured outreach to the youth (pre-adolescent to adolescent/teenaged years). There are literally hundreds of kids/youth roaming the streets here on any given day without parents watching over them. In most of those cases it is simply because they have very little or no adult involvement in their lives. You can cruise the streets of Arandis and see tons of faces that look lost and without hope. They are completely without direction and are in desperate need to have Jesus’ love and compassion made real to them.
The good news on this point is that I won’t have to start completely from scratch. There is a young man from Burundi (another African country) who was called here by God a year or so ago who has already started a couple outreaches to the youth in the schools and community. I have helped out on a handful of occasions already, primarily in leading some music for the youth groups (BTW – the teens LOVE to sing worship songs here… they don’t seem hindered by the spirit of “I’m too cool for that”). I am getting to know some of the young people here and starting to gain insight into how they live and what they do.
As far as Karrie goes, there is talk already by Hopes Promise of starting a Crisis Pregnancy center/counseling outreach here in Arandis. Currently, there is nothing like that here though there is a huge need. Over 70% of all kids in Namibia are born out of wedlock, and the majority of those to teenaged girls. Many of those have had poor modeling for pre-natal and infant care, and really are in need of mothers (i.e., grandmothers in many cases here) to help them. Sometimes they are ostracized and forgotten in their position, and so they are frequently without help or hope. They often can’t find jobs or places to go. Can you imagine that being the launching-pad for a brand new life?
Anyhow, this is right up Karrie’s alley. She has had training and experience with pre-natal care. She also has worked with young unmarried mothers and adolescent girls in difficult circumstances. She has helped at births (well, come to think of it so have I, since two of our kids were born at home – on purpose I might add – with just Karrie, a midwife, and me). We believe that Karrie will be well suited to be involved in starting a ministry of that sort here in Arandis (under the umbrella of Hopes Promise). In this capacity, she will literally help save lives and preserve futures, while also helping brand new lives get a much better direction. Like everything we do here, this ministry will be about seeing the situation be redeemed through the power and design of God. Redemption – that word is at the heart of the Father-heart of God.
So, enough explaining for now. We hope to get beyond just “getting our feet wet” soon – but we are also trying to be patient. Much of what we do will depend on relationships, and those take time to develop. Before arriving in Arandis we only knew one person here – and that was through a 2 hour meet and greet time in Chantilly. We have a lot of roots to grow here. The great thing is that’s happening even better and faster than we expected. In fact, in my next post I’ll plan to share some pics that represent some of the cool things we’ve done in getting to know the folks here.
(1) There are several Hopes kids that are rapidly approaching adolescence, and they and their “foster parents” will benefit from support. Most of the kids in their care have experienced great trauma and loss in their lives. Up to this point, Hopes Promise in Arandis has been primarily focused at pre-primary and primary aged kids. This is an opportunity to be part of expanding the scope to be ready to answer the physical, spiritual, emotional, and social needs of older children who have experienced some unbelievably difficult tragedy and trauma.
(2) This community is DESPERATELY in need of a structured outreach to the youth (pre-adolescent to adolescent/teenaged years). There are literally hundreds of kids/youth roaming the streets here on any given day without parents watching over them. In most of those cases it is simply because they have very little or no adult involvement in their lives. You can cruise the streets of Arandis and see tons of faces that look lost and without hope. They are completely without direction and are in desperate need to have Jesus’ love and compassion made real to them.
The good news on this point is that I won’t have to start completely from scratch. There is a young man from Burundi (another African country) who was called here by God a year or so ago who has already started a couple outreaches to the youth in the schools and community. I have helped out on a handful of occasions already, primarily in leading some music for the youth groups (BTW – the teens LOVE to sing worship songs here… they don’t seem hindered by the spirit of “I’m too cool for that”). I am getting to know some of the young people here and starting to gain insight into how they live and what they do.
As far as Karrie goes, there is talk already by Hopes Promise of starting a Crisis Pregnancy center/counseling outreach here in Arandis. Currently, there is nothing like that here though there is a huge need. Over 70% of all kids in Namibia are born out of wedlock, and the majority of those to teenaged girls. Many of those have had poor modeling for pre-natal and infant care, and really are in need of mothers (i.e., grandmothers in many cases here) to help them. Sometimes they are ostracized and forgotten in their position, and so they are frequently without help or hope. They often can’t find jobs or places to go. Can you imagine that being the launching-pad for a brand new life?
Anyhow, this is right up Karrie’s alley. She has had training and experience with pre-natal care. She also has worked with young unmarried mothers and adolescent girls in difficult circumstances. She has helped at births (well, come to think of it so have I, since two of our kids were born at home – on purpose I might add – with just Karrie, a midwife, and me). We believe that Karrie will be well suited to be involved in starting a ministry of that sort here in Arandis (under the umbrella of Hopes Promise). In this capacity, she will literally help save lives and preserve futures, while also helping brand new lives get a much better direction. Like everything we do here, this ministry will be about seeing the situation be redeemed through the power and design of God. Redemption – that word is at the heart of the Father-heart of God.
So, enough explaining for now. We hope to get beyond just “getting our feet wet” soon – but we are also trying to be patient. Much of what we do will depend on relationships, and those take time to develop. Before arriving in Arandis we only knew one person here – and that was through a 2 hour meet and greet time in Chantilly. We have a lot of roots to grow here. The great thing is that’s happening even better and faster than we expected. In fact, in my next post I’ll plan to share some pics that represent some of the cool things we’ve done in getting to know the folks here.
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