Google Map

http://maps.google.co.uk/maps?f=q&hl=en&geocode=&q=rehoboth+namibia&ie=UTF8&t=h&ll=-23.316799,17.089636&spn=0.005971,0.01133&z=17&iwloc=addr

The link above should show a satellite picture of our flat. There is a "green" rectangle about half way across towards the top - this is the rugby pitch. Our flat is at the bottom right hand corner of the pitch. The group of buildings around this are the hostel and then the school is below the hostel.

Braai

Saturday in Rehoboth is Braai day. Braai (pronounced bry as in cry) is Afrikaans for a barbeque. Namibians are in to meat in a big way and so our lunch today consisted of a kebab and a mutton steak with roasted bread and melted butter - so healthy and delicious!

The good news is that we have now seen where we are going to live.

Our "flat" is actually a semi detached bungalow and is on the campus of Rehoboth High School Hostel. The hostel is the place where learners who live too far away to travel in each day, board during the week. It has three double bedrooms a large open plan living area and kitchen. The flat is a stone's throw away from the high school

so there will be no excuse for me being late in the morning even if it does start at 7am! Our patio (!) looks out over the rugby pitch so we will be able to watch the games for free.

The bad news is that there is another teacher temporarily living in the flat whose home is having some building work done. The work has over-run so the latest is that we can't move in until Friday next week. I think we almost expected that things wouldn't be entirely straight forward.

It looks as though I will be teaching more ICT than Maths and maybe even teaching Physical Sciences - a combination of Physics & Chemistry. The last time I did any Chemistry was 30 years ago - help!

We hope that Ruth & I might visit Rehoboth again on Wednesday - they want me to attend the assembly which starts at 7am so we will need to leave Windhoek at 6am. The principal told me that the teachers all take a turn at taking the assembly leading bible readings and praying - I think I need to be prepared for that to happen on Wednesday! I will spend the day looking around the school and we hope that Ruth might get to visit some primary schools to see where Jaydon & Courtney might go.

Alex

The family we are staying, the Rineers, are quite extraordinary. They have six children, three of whom are adopted - three birth children: Hannah, Steven and Peter, two Kenyans: Adam & Grace and one Namibian: Christie.

Nearly six weeks ago they were asked if they could look after Alex, 15 months, whose father had died. There is a saying in Africa that there is always room for one more and the Rineers certainly made room for one more in their family. Alex arrived as a baby but made amazing progress in to a delightful toddler and stole his way in to the heart of everyone he met.

On Monday Alex was taken away from the family and placed in a childrens home here in Windhoek. Alex's Mum has lots of problems and the magistrate decided that Alex should stay in the home whilst they establish whether the Mum can get these problems sorted out.

It was a time of great pain as we prayed together with the Rineer family and as we remembered a similar experience in our lives with Joshua who had the same big brown eyes and curly hair.

Please pray that Alex would be able to live with the Rineers whilst the social services decide whether Alex's Mum is able to parent Alex adequately (which seems very unlikely). Please pray for the Rineers as their hearts are at breaking point as they try to love yet another child unconditionally.

The first few days...

We've just returned from "Conference" - once a year all the AIM missionaries in Namibia meet up for a long weekend together. It was a real privilege to be able to get to know so many of them and to hear about the work that is going on here in Namibia. We had two sessions each day by a speaker from Canada, Ian Campbell, on the subject of the Friendship of the Trinity as well as time for prayer and praise and personal testimony. And also some fun...

We are planning to be in Windhoek for a few days and then move to Rehoboth on September 2nd. I guess we're excited but daunted at the same time.

We've arrived

After a good but long journey we are here in Namibia. At the moment we are in Windhoek, the capital of Namibia so apart from the weather it doesn't feel that African as Windhoek is very modern looking. We go to the AIM conference tomorrow until Tuesday where we will meet all the AIM missionaries currently in Namibia.

We have so much to be thankful for:

- Smooth journey to Gatwick
- No problems with our slightly overweight baggage
- No problem with taking the guitar
- Despite the plane being full there were four seats in a row together
- All the luggage arrived and intact
- Warm welcome to the Rineers
- Lovely space for us to sleep tonight - none of us got much sleep last night!
- The sun is shining - sorry but it is!

You still here then?

For those of you who are looking for our first post from Namibia, you are going to have to wait a little longer as we have delayed our departure by a week. Katie is making good progress and we feel confident to be able to leave her in the hands of our family and extended church family.

I meant to add a post to the blog about the weekend of 1st-3rd August when we had a lovely social evening on the Friday followed by a very special commissioning service on the Sunday. James Young spoke on Plans, Purpose and Power.
Click here for the audio recording

We have certainly had a powerful reminder that sometimes God's plan is not what we had planned - we don't know why these things are part of God's plan for us and perhaps we never will but day by day we are being helped to trust that God's way is best.

Dark Paths

The words of this hymn are very special to us at the moment as we are coming to terms with the news that Katie had been taken ill in Romania. Thankfully she is now back home but was admitted to hospital today for further investigations. Currently it would be nothing short of a miracle if we were to be able to leave on Wednesday.


Father, although I cannot see
the future you have planned,
and though the path is sometimes dark
and hard to understand,
yet give me faith, through joy and pain,
to trace your loving hand.

When I recall that in the past
your promises have stood
through each perplexing circumstance
and every changing mood,
I rest content that all things work
together for my good.

Whatever, then, the future brings
of good or seeming ill,
I ask for strength to follow you
and grace to trust you still;
and I would look for no reward,
except to do your will.

JOHN EDDISON © SCRIPTURE UNION