Since we are taking the Canadians (Evan and Stephen) down to Windhoek this weekend as they are heading back to their homeland, they came around last night to cook us pancakes (the proper Canadian way!).
We thought it only appropriate that we show our thanks by posting a picture of how they were dressed when they turned up at the house.
I can only describe it as some blend of fashion from the Himba, Hawaiian, and possibly the Canadian cultures.
On our way back up north, after the accident, we were able to stay overnight with Linda, an AIM missionary in Grootfontein, and see the work she is doing there.
She is involved in a church plant there and one of the other things she has done, in the ten years that she has been there, is to set up and run a soup kitchen at one of the secondary schools.
School here starts at 7.00am and goes until 1.00pm, with a break at 10.30am. She has managed to get a bunch of the local women together and every morning at break time they make porridge for the children in two huge cauldrons (you can see one of them in the bottom picture). It has become so popular that the local primary school kids now come over after the secondary school kids have been fed. They feed, on average, up to 600 children every day, guaranteeing them at least one good meal.
An interesting article in Time Magazine with Bob Geldof talking with George W. Bush about his funding for Africa. Not something you hear too much about.
Helen has been on a couple of courses relating to MDR-TB and HIV/Aids while we have been here, which have been funded through his Global Fund. They do seem to run a lot of courses in Namibia, which can only be good.
Although, when you read this, it is a sobering comparison.
We went for a walk last weekend, and came across these little fellas.
No idea what they are (but am not allowed to put any scary animals up until the in-laws have been and gone!).
Both our phones "disappeared" at the scene of the accident, so we instantly lost the ability to communicate with anyone we knew in Namibia, including the hospital, church or friends in Opuwo and any of the AIM people in Windhoek.
What is really amazing , was that one of the passengers in the passing Combi must have recognised Helen as one of the "white doctors" in the hospital and rang up the hospital to see if she was OK. The message was then passed to the Principal Medical Officer and then to the Regional Medical Officer that we had been involved in a car accident.
They somehow figured out that we were heading to the Medi-Clinic in Ongwediva and rang there and managed to speak to Helen, and from that we were then able to inform the rest of AIM and from there organise our insurance, medevac, etc.
In the three hour period that we were being driven to the hospital and wondering how we were going to get in touch with AIM and let them know what was happening, there was a parallel work going on that we weren't aware of.
There is no doubt that God, in His providential care, had the whole situation within His control.
Psalm 91 (Message)
You who sit down in the High God's presence,
spend the night in Shaddai's shadow,
Say this: "God, you're my refuge.
I trust in you and I'm safe!"
That's right—he rescues you from hidden traps,
shields you from deadly hazards.
His huge outstretched arms protect you—
under them you're perfectly safe;
his arms fend off all harm.
Fear nothing—not wild wolves in the night,
not flying arrows in the day,
Not disease that prowls through the darkness,
not disaster that erupts at high noon.
Even though others succumb all around,
drop like flies right and left,
no harm will even graze you.
You'll stand untouched, watch it all from a distance,
watch the wicked turn into corpses.
Yes, because God's your refuge,
the High God your very own home,
Evil can't get close to you,
harm can't get through the door.
He ordered his angels
to guard you wherever you go.
If you stumble, they'll catch you;
their job is to keep you from falling.
You'll walk unharmed among lions and snakes,
and kick young lions and serpents from the path.
After the accident, we had to leave the car where it was ... you know, urgent appointments with the hospital, etc, etc.
The next time someone we knew went to the car was on Monday morning (about 40 hours later).
As you can see from the photo they took, the car had been pretty well stripped.
