Namibia!!!!

So Awesome! Over the school holidays, when our programs are not running, six of us international volunteers decided to go to Namibia for 10 days. It was an incredible adventure and for all of us further proved to us that God is good and trustworthy! This post is a little long, so grab a cup of coffee and enjoy!!

First, we took the bus to the capitol of Namibia, Windhoek. The bus ride took 21 hours! Once we got to Windhoek we would need to get to Okahandja, an hour from Windhoek to the YFC Training Centre there. We had asked the bus line rep on the phone if the bus would take us to Okahandja and she said she thought they would or they would assist us in making arrangements. Well we asked them on the way there and they said no they couldn't take us and they had no idea if any buses went there or how we would get there! We were a little shaken by this, so we prayed. In the meantime, Steffi, one of the volunteers from Germany, started talking to the lady sitting next to her and come to find out, she is a South African who now lives in Namibia and she travels back and forth many times a year and she said it would be no problem to get us to Okahandja, she would help us once we got there! So once we got to Windhoek she showed us how to get to the main bus and taxi area and then asked around about taxi fares (too high she said!) and then while we waited she went over to the bus area, asked around and found us a bus that would take us for much cheaper than the taxi! It was so great - we would have been wandering around lost without her help!! First answered prayer! Also this lady, Reikie, now lives in Swakopmund, our last stop in Namibia and she said when she got there she would look up info for us on all the activities in the sand dunes!

Ok, so we get to Okahandja to the YFC Training Centre and get settled into our cabins. We spent a couple days there and were able to go into town and check it out. It’s a cute small town, not unlike many in the states. Namibia used to be a German colony, so much of the architecture and names are German and so most of the international volunteers at YFC there are from Germany. The two German volunteers with us, Tina and Steffi, enjoyed getting to speak their mother tongue with the volunteers in Namibia. The Training Centre is very nice though it’s kind of out in the bush and isolated. They have a conference center, chapel, offices and many cabins to accommodate all their volunteers as well as for youth camps they have throughout the year. We got to go on the obstacle course they have there as well. It was fun, each obstacle is aimed at teaching leadership skills based on Christian values. I had a hard time keeping up with the youngsters again, but it was a good time! They have plans in the future to make the centre completely self sufficient; they already have cows and plans to plant a large garden, they have water and if they could get solar panels, could provide their own electricity. It was a cool place; the volunteers there live much differently than we do in Cape Town.

We had planned to stay at the Training Centre for 5 nights, but because we wanted to see the capitol city and weren’t sure when the YFC staff could take us there, we decided to take an opportunity to go there a couple days early and get accommodation there instead. Only problem was, its Easter weekend, and most of the hotels are booked! We could have stayed at a Backpacker’s one night (Thursday) but it was booked on Friday. So we prayed about it and then later in the day we got out the phone book and the first place we called was “Pete’s Place” and they said they could accommodate us for both nights! Yeah! They said they had 4 single beds and one double bed, and could bring in another mattress if we needed it. So we booked it, but then started to get worried that it was going to just be some room at a house and were a little anxious about “Pete”. But this wasn’t our only worry. We were headed to Etosha National Park on Saturday but we needed tents to camp out in. We had asked the YFC Centre if they had any or could make arrangements, but when we got there they said they didn’t have anything for us! And the head grounds keeper at the Centre used to work at Etosha as a Nature Conservationalist and told us a story of 2 Australian guys who camped outside of the area they were supposed to in just their sleeping bags and they got attacked by lions! So we were quite worried about our sleeping arrangements in Etosha. And again, it a holiday weekend so they told us everything in Windhoek would be closed on Friday, so we didn’t even think we could buy tents! So more prayers!

Well, we get to Windhoek to Pete’s Place and it’s awesome! They have a whole separate flat that they let out. It had two separate bedrooms and then a living room with two beds in it, satellite tv, a kitchen, pool and patio area we could use and the kicker – they are a Christian couple and Pete used to serve on YFC’s Board! They invited us to their church with them, so we went to Maundy Thursday services with them. They were so great! So second answered prayer!!

Then Thursday night before church we walk down to the grocery store a couple blocks from the house to get some food and there in the back aisle are – yeah you guessed it – TENTS! Three-man tents for 300 rand a piece (just over $30) So we bought two tents and sang praises to God the whole way home!! Third answered prayer!!

The rest of our answered prayers were not quite such big deals, but here are few of the other things we were concerned about and that God took care of quite handily… We were worried about what the vehicle we were renting for the last 5 days would be like…it was awesome, Steffi and I loved driving it and we were able to fit in all our bags and didn’t feel too cramped for our 6 and 7 hour drives up to Etosha and then to Swakopmund on the coast….. We desired to see lots of animals at Etosha and were treated to giraffes, elephants and zebras walking across the road right in front of us! The only thing we didn’t see was lions….. We were worried about the drive to Swakopmund once we realized a good part of it was on gravel roads (had we known ahead of time, we’d have picked a different route!) but though the going was slow for a bit, we made it safe and sound and before the sun went down! Plus got to see so much of the beautiful Namibian countryside that seemed to change every hour, sometimes mountainous and rocky, sometimes grassy plains, then lots of desert – fabulous! ….. Then we wanted to go quad biking in the sand dunes and we were worried they would be booked because of the holiday weekend, but we made a reservation for the next day, no problem. And the quad biking was soooo much fun!! A highlight for me – I LOVED IT!

Everything worked out so well! We had a fabulous time! I highly recommend you come see Africa, my friends! So many things to do, beautiful landscapes to see and the people are so welcoming, friendly and helpful!

Anyway, I’ve probably gone on for too long and you all probably think I’m just here to have fun! Not true!! I have been doing ministry work in the office, at the SOS Village with the orphans and am excited to start volunteering at the kindergarten there on Monday the 16th. We are hopefully starting some new projects in the coming weeks as well, so stay tuned…..It’s just that when the holidays come along, I will take full advantage and see as much of Africa as I can! It seems crazy not to! I hope you enjoy pictures I will post separately....