What a weekend

It’s been pretty crazy these past couple days, and it doesn’t look to let up anytime soon. Our Bible Study at the high school just finished the Firm Foundations book that they’ve been going through for over 2 years now. To celebrate we had a little Fun Day with the kids. We spent the morning over at Gross Barmen, a natural hot spring in the area, enjoying all kinds of pool games like sharks & minnows, Marco Polo, and some chicken fights. Then we headed back to Dieter & Joan’s plot where we braaied up some food and gathered around in my living room to watch The Passion of the Christ projected up on the wall. We had some great questions and conversation following the film. Overall, a great day and a good conclusion to the study.

As I mentioned, next weekend I’m joining Dieter & Joan and a group from Emmanuel Church on an outreach down to Mariental. Joan was put in charge of the volleyball ministry, for her leadership and ministry sense rather than her volleyball skills I’m sure. In fact, no one who joined her team knows much of anything about volleyball! As usual, Joan was excited about the Providence of having an American coach living on their plot. So Saturday morning I held a little clinic for them, demonstrating some of the basics that they can then show the girls next weekend and teaching the rules so they can referee their tournament. They were an attentive class and most importantly, they understand that this whole project is for the sole purpose of sharing the gospel and God’s love with the teens that come.

Have I mentioned yet how thankful I am that God provided good friends my age to hang out with? Saturday night we had a little game night with some of the other ministry volunteers around the area. Markus and JoJo are a German couple who are helping Lon & Val Garber with their ministries. Isabella is an Ovambo girl who’s been staying with them as well, helping with the beading ministry and often used as an interpreter in Vyf Rand. Anna is a German volunteer at the Ark. Then there’s Buddy, Julia, and myself. It was awesome being halfway around the world, sharing the same table and breaking bread with people from 3 different countries and cultures. We quickly decided that there needs to be a Namibian version of Apples to Apples, a perfect opportunity for me to use my print-your-own cards. It wasn’t until I played it over here that I realized how very American that game really is. But it was cool because they could learn a little vocabulary and I could learn how deeply engrained my own culture is in me.

The Judea Harvest Youth Camp arrived tonight. I helped out playing guitar during the opening session and it gave me flashbacks of the crusade back in Arandis. The leader starts singing a song and I have to figure out the key and the chords on the fly, but this time I don’t have Tresford to follow. Should make for an interesting week. :) Dieter keeps telling me how African I’m becoming, but I can’t help but think how American I really am.