Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas

We took Richard to the airport this afternoon. He’s off to enjoy his white Christmas in NH, watch some Patriots games, and see some friends in their home culture. He will be missed. He was my faithful adventure partner, so now I’ll have to do all those crazy things, like hitchhike to Swakop, all by myself. But I was actually thinking, it might not be so bad. To meet people here, I tend to rely on the relationships that my friends already have. So now without Richard here it will force me to be a little more outgoing and get to know some people. Not necessarily the most comfortable thing in the world for me, but after all, that is why I’m here.

Early tomorrow morning Dieter and Joan will be meeting up with their daughter, Thelma, in Windhoek and heading down to Cape Town, South Africa to spend Christmas with family there. I’ll head in the other direction, joining the rest of the nation in Swakopmund. They say the roads are already so packed that you have to park outside of town. The beaches will be crowded, from the wall to the water, full of people. And there I’ll be, just a short half-hour drive away, in Arandis.

Arandis is a small town built for the workers at the nearby Rossing Uranium mine. It is also the home of Brenda Johnston and Hope’s Promise Orphan Ministry. We’ve been partnering with Brenda since we started bringing teams over in 2004. As opposed to the typical orphanage model, HPOM places orphans in Christian foster homes. We think such a family-based ministry is much more effective, not to mention more Biblical.

Also in Arandis are our friends Tresford and Fabiola Banda, and their children Pearl, Liki, and Jeshua. Tresford has been pastoring a church there for the past few years, and many on our teams have grown close to their family. I’ve been working, almost since I got here, to help their family get visas to go over and visit Christ’s Church, but we keep running into red tape and technicalities. Hopefully Darin can work some magic Stateside to figure something out.

While in Arandis, I’ll be rooming with Toivo Thomas, a long-time friend of Christ’s Church. He and his siblings lived at an orphanage called The Ark, but because he was such a bright kid he was sponsored to go to the International School in Windhoek to get the best education available. When he graduates in 2½ years he’s hoping to go to university in the States to become a doctor. He’s joined many of our teams and we’ve all grown to love him. Oh flip!

Because the nearest internet café is in Swakop, I’m not sure how often I’ll get to update the blog over the next week. Thanks so much for all who keep leaving comments. It’s a great encouragement to know I have friends back home remembering me. I hope to get on again before the 25th, but in case I don’t, I wish you all a very merry Christmas. Be blessed and eat well! :)