This is Ricardo. Every single time I look at him, he either squinches his eyes shut or else covers his cute little face with his hands. I love it. 
This is usually what he does next...ducks behind a door or chair or when nothing is around...He just sits down or holds really, really still, hoping I can't see him anymore.
Andreas, Carlos, Chrisley, and Michael outside in the sun at the preschool.
Kevanni, Ilario, and Talon cleaning the yard...
some of the kids with Camilla the elephant and all her pinned on tails (:
Right before Lu got on the combi to go home. This is the sweet dentist chair left in the YC. Who knows what it's purpose is. I love it though.
Hayley and Kevanni with the cake they decorated with food coloring for the birthday party.
We made balloon animals, hats, and flowers (or tried at least!).Happy April! Lots going on this month and lots that has been happening these past few weeks.
Stephen’s aunt Edith came to visit for the last week because she was traveling around Africa for mission work and a wedding, so she stopped in (along with a suitcase full of supplies, Easter candy, and GRANOLA BARS!) to spend some time walking and working with us. It was great to have a guest, but I unfortunately got food poisoning her second night in Rehoboth, so I ended up knocked out for most of the remainder of the week. I was finally feeling well enough Thursday to go to the preschool with a small crew of friends: Stephen and Edith, Kristen, and Josh and Nicky. We did a miniature version of a Clown Worship for the kids, and it was so much fun! We all dressed in our crazy clothes (when I got to school first, Selvia, the principal, saw my bright colors and variety of patterns and stripes and said, “Ohhh! You look like a Nama girl today!” I think it is one of my favorite compliments, and I kind of wish I could wear crazy patterns and colors and jewelry every day…who needs to match?). We also painted our faces and brought bubbles for the kids, new musical instruments, Yo-Yos, and my iPod to provide the soundtrack for the worship. Since I obviously didn’t have the actual clown worship music, I had to improvise and make the soundtrack using a bit of music from Wicked, country, Jock Jams, the Beatles, and worship music. The kids LOVE music and love to dance as much as possible though, so it worked great and they were bouncing around to “Cotton Eye Joe” with great passion. Selvia was also a huge help by translating the worship service (even though we don’t speak at all for it) into the children’s language so that they understood what we were doing when the Sin clown froze all the happy clowns with sin balloons, and then the Christ clown freed them from their sin by popping the balloon on the nail on the cross. We also acted out the Good Samaritan skit to finish it off and then painted all the kids faces. It was a high-energy day, but so much fun. We’re thinking of taking our act on the road and visiting Kristen’s farm school to show it to the kids there.
Me and Stephen have started helping out with a Bible study on Thursdays, and it has been wonderful. It’s always a new mix of kids each week, ranging in ages from 11 to 18, but it always manages to work. We’re going through a Campus Crusade 4-part study about the foundations of being a Christian, and it has been so amazing to me to see Christianity through the eyes of a new believer again. How many things I forget about or skim over but that are SO incredible and beautiful. The kids have a lot of questions, and it’s really encouraging for me to hear their hearts and how they see God. Tonight on the way home from youth group, a young girl Nolene told me that she’d had a great week. When I asked why, she said that she is so thankful that God has opened her eyes to realize what a gift each day is. She was so excited at the thought of living one more day, each day being such a blessing. I was a little bit stunned that a 13-year-old would think about something like that. The kids in the youth group, worship team, and Bible study are so dear to me. Saying goodbye to them, and the children at the preschool, will be the hardest part in leaving. I’ve hit that point where I’m thinking that having a month and a half left seems so long still until I can see my friends and family but much too short of a time left to invest in the people here and spend good time with them. So I’m stuck at an impasse of wanting to go home but not wanting to leave the relationships growing here…Why does the world have to be so big?
Tonight Larissa (a friend from the worship team) gave me a “Musk Mint” to try…First of all, anything titled “Musk” that is supposed to be edible is bound to be gross. Second, it was. It tasted exactly like what is sounds--a weird minty, chalky thing that tasted like a can of musk that you would buy off the bottom shelf of a dollar store. It was so bizarre! I said, “You like these things? Gross!” haha She just laughed. Then she gave me an actual mint mint. That was better.
Two weeks ago, a group of high-schoolers from Canada came to do ministry in Rehoboth over their Spring Break. It was a lot of fun to have them at youth group leading familiar songs and acting out dramas. They had HIGH energy, let me tell you, and it definitely helped to revitalize my energy and passion for being here. The week after that was Lulu’s final week (she’s home now), so we had a “Everybody’s Birthday Party” party at the preschool. We baked cakes, brought candles, played pin-the-tail-on-the-elephant (named Camilla by my host cousin Talon), did a cake-walk with candy bars, blew up balloons, and sang Happy Birthday many, many times. Desserts and baked goods are really rare from what I’ve seen (they eat much more meat and bread…), so it was a lot of fun to dish out giant pieces of vanilla cake dripping with way too much pink frosting (: The kids were probably on a sugar high the rest of the day, but that’s why we send them home at noon! To say goodbye to Lulu that weekend, we went to Windhoek for lunch at Mugg and Bean, which is a fabulous little restaurant. Think Caribou and Panera combined in Africa. Mmm! And the people who started it really had the last names “Mugg” and “Bean.” Soo…I’m thinking I just need to find a good buddy with a cool last name like that, and I’ve got myself half of a successful coffee shop! It was no fun to send Lu home early, and the past two weeks have been weird to not have her always with me and Steve. We were three peas in a pod, and now we are two. I miss her a lot (especially when I was hugging the toilet all night this weekend and relieving my stomach of its entire contents plus a few small organs. She is the kind of friend who would have sat there all night and held my hair and made me feel a little better in the midst of awfullness) but I know she has a purpose being home. So keep praying for her and checking her blog to see what God’s doing in her life!
The Wilkes arrived (Josh and Nicky), and it has been a blessing to get to know them and hear their thoughts on the Youth Center. Our whole team went to the dam this week to spend time with Steve’s aunt, and I was struck by how blessed I’ve been to have them all here to support and encourage me, to laugh with, to pray with, to ask questions, to learn from, and to just simply be friends. I really enjoy the time I get to spend with them. Last night I had a sleepover with Kristen, and it was such a needed reprieve from day-to-day life. We watched “The Jane Austen Book Club,” ate homemade banana muffins, talked, laughed, I cried (at the movie), and then I went to sleep, living out of my little backpack, just like I would at home. I will never get too old for sleepovers. Oh the power of good friends, good food, and a good chick flick.
I forgot--before Lu left, me, her, and Steve made a bunch of peanut butter and jelly sandwiches and went to hand them out to the kids in Block E. I’d never done a PB outreach before, but I think it would work just as great in the US! The kids were so happy to get the food and to talk to us (kids are generally just so cheerful here!) and we were humbled by how grateful they were for one little sandwich. How much I take for granted. We’re going again this Sunday with the team, so maybe I’ll have some pictures after.
I really have so many thoughts and I’ve waited too long to write this but life has seemed to suddenly accumulate a ton and now I can’t write it all out. Or keep it straight, as I’m sure you’ve noticed from the random stories bobbing around in this letter. On a very very happy note--my good friend Shelley got engaged on St. Patrick’s day, which made me so excited and then to make it even better, she put a video on her wedding blog to tell me about it and then ask me to be a bridesmaid! It was so great! It was like actually talking to her in person and getting to see her ring and hear her excitement…Woo! So keep her and her fiancé Josh in your prayers as they began that craziness called wedding planning!
Other prayer requests:
*Continued prayer for the purpose and direction of the Youth Center
*My relationships with the youth at my church and the opportunities to talk about God and their lives and their futures!
*That I would enjoy my last month and a half here and really focus on NOW and what God can use me for in this little bit of time left
Thank you for your patience and for your continued support, love, prayers, and encouragement. I love and miss you!
God Bless,
Britt
Stephen’s aunt Edith came to visit for the last week because she was traveling around Africa for mission work and a wedding, so she stopped in (along with a suitcase full of supplies, Easter candy, and GRANOLA BARS!) to spend some time walking and working with us. It was great to have a guest, but I unfortunately got food poisoning her second night in Rehoboth, so I ended up knocked out for most of the remainder of the week. I was finally feeling well enough Thursday to go to the preschool with a small crew of friends: Stephen and Edith, Kristen, and Josh and Nicky. We did a miniature version of a Clown Worship for the kids, and it was so much fun! We all dressed in our crazy clothes (when I got to school first, Selvia, the principal, saw my bright colors and variety of patterns and stripes and said, “Ohhh! You look like a Nama girl today!” I think it is one of my favorite compliments, and I kind of wish I could wear crazy patterns and colors and jewelry every day…who needs to match?). We also painted our faces and brought bubbles for the kids, new musical instruments, Yo-Yos, and my iPod to provide the soundtrack for the worship. Since I obviously didn’t have the actual clown worship music, I had to improvise and make the soundtrack using a bit of music from Wicked, country, Jock Jams, the Beatles, and worship music. The kids LOVE music and love to dance as much as possible though, so it worked great and they were bouncing around to “Cotton Eye Joe” with great passion. Selvia was also a huge help by translating the worship service (even though we don’t speak at all for it) into the children’s language so that they understood what we were doing when the Sin clown froze all the happy clowns with sin balloons, and then the Christ clown freed them from their sin by popping the balloon on the nail on the cross. We also acted out the Good Samaritan skit to finish it off and then painted all the kids faces. It was a high-energy day, but so much fun. We’re thinking of taking our act on the road and visiting Kristen’s farm school to show it to the kids there.
Me and Stephen have started helping out with a Bible study on Thursdays, and it has been wonderful. It’s always a new mix of kids each week, ranging in ages from 11 to 18, but it always manages to work. We’re going through a Campus Crusade 4-part study about the foundations of being a Christian, and it has been so amazing to me to see Christianity through the eyes of a new believer again. How many things I forget about or skim over but that are SO incredible and beautiful. The kids have a lot of questions, and it’s really encouraging for me to hear their hearts and how they see God. Tonight on the way home from youth group, a young girl Nolene told me that she’d had a great week. When I asked why, she said that she is so thankful that God has opened her eyes to realize what a gift each day is. She was so excited at the thought of living one more day, each day being such a blessing. I was a little bit stunned that a 13-year-old would think about something like that. The kids in the youth group, worship team, and Bible study are so dear to me. Saying goodbye to them, and the children at the preschool, will be the hardest part in leaving. I’ve hit that point where I’m thinking that having a month and a half left seems so long still until I can see my friends and family but much too short of a time left to invest in the people here and spend good time with them. So I’m stuck at an impasse of wanting to go home but not wanting to leave the relationships growing here…Why does the world have to be so big?
Tonight Larissa (a friend from the worship team) gave me a “Musk Mint” to try…First of all, anything titled “Musk” that is supposed to be edible is bound to be gross. Second, it was. It tasted exactly like what is sounds--a weird minty, chalky thing that tasted like a can of musk that you would buy off the bottom shelf of a dollar store. It was so bizarre! I said, “You like these things? Gross!” haha She just laughed. Then she gave me an actual mint mint. That was better.
Two weeks ago, a group of high-schoolers from Canada came to do ministry in Rehoboth over their Spring Break. It was a lot of fun to have them at youth group leading familiar songs and acting out dramas. They had HIGH energy, let me tell you, and it definitely helped to revitalize my energy and passion for being here. The week after that was Lulu’s final week (she’s home now), so we had a “Everybody’s Birthday Party” party at the preschool. We baked cakes, brought candles, played pin-the-tail-on-the-elephant (named Camilla by my host cousin Talon), did a cake-walk with candy bars, blew up balloons, and sang Happy Birthday many, many times. Desserts and baked goods are really rare from what I’ve seen (they eat much more meat and bread…), so it was a lot of fun to dish out giant pieces of vanilla cake dripping with way too much pink frosting (: The kids were probably on a sugar high the rest of the day, but that’s why we send them home at noon! To say goodbye to Lulu that weekend, we went to Windhoek for lunch at Mugg and Bean, which is a fabulous little restaurant. Think Caribou and Panera combined in Africa. Mmm! And the people who started it really had the last names “Mugg” and “Bean.” Soo…I’m thinking I just need to find a good buddy with a cool last name like that, and I’ve got myself half of a successful coffee shop! It was no fun to send Lu home early, and the past two weeks have been weird to not have her always with me and Steve. We were three peas in a pod, and now we are two. I miss her a lot (especially when I was hugging the toilet all night this weekend and relieving my stomach of its entire contents plus a few small organs. She is the kind of friend who would have sat there all night and held my hair and made me feel a little better in the midst of awfullness) but I know she has a purpose being home. So keep praying for her and checking her blog to see what God’s doing in her life!
The Wilkes arrived (Josh and Nicky), and it has been a blessing to get to know them and hear their thoughts on the Youth Center. Our whole team went to the dam this week to spend time with Steve’s aunt, and I was struck by how blessed I’ve been to have them all here to support and encourage me, to laugh with, to pray with, to ask questions, to learn from, and to just simply be friends. I really enjoy the time I get to spend with them. Last night I had a sleepover with Kristen, and it was such a needed reprieve from day-to-day life. We watched “The Jane Austen Book Club,” ate homemade banana muffins, talked, laughed, I cried (at the movie), and then I went to sleep, living out of my little backpack, just like I would at home. I will never get too old for sleepovers. Oh the power of good friends, good food, and a good chick flick.
I forgot--before Lu left, me, her, and Steve made a bunch of peanut butter and jelly sandwiches and went to hand them out to the kids in Block E. I’d never done a PB outreach before, but I think it would work just as great in the US! The kids were so happy to get the food and to talk to us (kids are generally just so cheerful here!) and we were humbled by how grateful they were for one little sandwich. How much I take for granted. We’re going again this Sunday with the team, so maybe I’ll have some pictures after.
I really have so many thoughts and I’ve waited too long to write this but life has seemed to suddenly accumulate a ton and now I can’t write it all out. Or keep it straight, as I’m sure you’ve noticed from the random stories bobbing around in this letter. On a very very happy note--my good friend Shelley got engaged on St. Patrick’s day, which made me so excited and then to make it even better, she put a video on her wedding blog to tell me about it and then ask me to be a bridesmaid! It was so great! It was like actually talking to her in person and getting to see her ring and hear her excitement…Woo! So keep her and her fiancé Josh in your prayers as they began that craziness called wedding planning!
Other prayer requests:
*Continued prayer for the purpose and direction of the Youth Center
*My relationships with the youth at my church and the opportunities to talk about God and their lives and their futures!
*That I would enjoy my last month and a half here and really focus on NOW and what God can use me for in this little bit of time left
Thank you for your patience and for your continued support, love, prayers, and encouragement. I love and miss you!
God Bless,
Britt
we have so much to talk about. i will be so happy to see you again. i love you with all my heart beanie baby. your words and your life are so touching and uplifting. we haven't forgotten about you and think about you all the time.
ReplyDeleteshawna b