Well, it's hard to believe it's been a week and a half since I wrote my last e-mail. So much has happened, time has gone by so fast! Thursday on the way up here to Opuwo, just a couple hours after leaving Windhoek, I had the interesting experience of sliding to a stop in a vehicle nearly out of control, while watching the rear wheel of the truck roll past my window...
You know--there's a reason engineers
put 4 wheels on a car--they don't work too well when one is missing.
I have no idea how the wheel came off. Apparently the lug nuts worked
their way off and the whole rim came off the hub. After we came to a
stop, as I was getting out of the truck, I noticed a car stopped
behind us and I heard Gideon greeting someone like a long-lost
friend. It turns out that one of Gideon's friends from the church in
Windhoek just happened to be following us when the wheel came off (I
would say that was providence). With their help we managed to put the
wheel back on using nuts from the other wheels and drove on into the
next town, Otjiwarongo, about 15k away. Got the vehicle repaired
(thankfully there was only minor damage to the hub and wheel rim) and
spent the night in Otjiwarongo. We arrived in Opuwo on Friday in time
to clean up and settle in before the Sabbath.
My first Sabbath in Africa was very
enjoyable. You should just hear the enthusiasm of their song service!
Even though I didn't recognize most of the songs, I was able to
follow along and join in occasionally on the repetitive choruses.
Sabbath afternoon, Gideon and I went out and visited people around
the town, and I got a chance to meet some of the local people for the
first time, and see how the people really live. Its so sad--so many
people living all their lives with so little. How much we take for
granted every day! I could sit here and complain because I don't have
DSL Internet, or because I don't have the newest car or the latest
computer--but seeing how these people can live with nothing and still
be such happy, contented Christians--that makes me so thankful for
what I have!
This week I really got a chance to
be immersed in the Himba / Herero culture for the first time. Tuesday
morning I packed up a tent, bed, food, and clothes enough for several
days and Gideon took drove me up to a school about 30km away to spend
some time observing the culture and learning the language. That was
quite an experience. I was a little frightened at first, at the
thought of being all alone in a strange place, with hardly anyone who
knew English. But I really had a lot of fun. The people were so
friendly--they helped me set up camp, cook food, and then visited
with literally the whole time that they weren't sleeping or in
classes! We talked, laughed, played games, and went on walks
together. They showed me their Himba villages, their garden, and even
their graveyard. They probably taught me over a hundred words and
phrases in otjiHerero, which I wrote down and recorded on my voice
recorder. Of course, I can't remember them all, but at least I'm
getting familiar with the language and with some drill and some
practice, I think there's hope that one day I may actually speak a
second language!
When I left the school Thursday
morning, it was actually hard to tell all my new friends goodbye. But
I will be going back to the school next Sunday until Thursday again
for more language/culture study. After next week, I will probably not
go back to the school but I'll be spending 2 more weeks or so in
another village, even more primitive than the school, where I can be
with a family to really integrate with the culture and learn the
language with a little less "cushion" (fewer people who
know English). So keep me in your prayers. It will be interesting, it
will be challenging, but I know I'll have a great time! I pray that
I will be able to be a positive Christian witness at the school and
in the village. Even in the short time I spent at the school this
week I was able to speak to the student body for a few minutes during
their morning exercises, and I even taught a song to the first and
second grade class. I hope that I will have more experiences like
this, as well.
Thank you so much for all your
prayers and e-mails. Even if I haven't been able to respond
personally to each of your e-mails (although I try) be sure I have
read and appreciate each one. Take care and God Bless!
In His Service,
Daniel
P.S. I've uploaded several dozen pictures to the website that you can take a
look at. I've got pictures of the trip, as well as pics around here and up at
the Okahozu school where I stayed this week. Take a look if you want at
http://sms.fiforms.org/photos/ and click the link to "Daniel in Africa"
