Here’s for
honesty... I have been in
Otjerunda for three days now and I can already admit that this will be the
hardest thing I have done with my life.
Each day I am presented with new challenges and different emotions. I wish that I could say that I have
been strong and conquered the first couple days with grace and a worldly
manner, but in all honesty, I have gone through almost every cultural high and
low possible. This experience has
proven to be a new world to me, and without God and my parents, there is no way
I would make it through the year.
On Thursday
evening, I arrived at my new house with close to 50 eyes on me. I am at a hostel school, which means
that a majority of the students live on school grounds. My house and the male house are also on
school property. As I got out of
the van, teachers and learners awaited my descent. My emotions here were ones of nervousness and
excitement. As a couple minutes
passed though, we entered my home and I was shown where I would be living. My room is a decent size and includes a
double bed, a wardrobe, a fridge, desk, and stove (not working yet). Now that I am set up, I can take a step
back and realize that this room will be beneficial for the year. I also share a bathroom with my
roommate, her two children, and her siblings. The bathroom will present my biggest struggles for the
year. Currently, the sink does not
work and the toilet does not flush, so if you are planning to do additional
business, you have to fill a water bucket and prepare to flush the old
fashioned way. The bathroom is
definitely a get in and get out sort of situation for me. As for the rest of Thursday, I spent
time unpacking, organizing, and adjusting to my new home.
When Friday
morning came, I followed my roommate to the teacher’s office where I met additional
teachers. There are about 19 of
us, 11 of which teach 5th grade and up. Mr. Zahungama, my principal, took the time to introduce me
to all of the teachers. The names
are difficult and I have failed miserably at remembering them, which for those
of you that know me well, I usually take pride in being good with names. During the meeting, I learned that I
will also be teaching 8-9th grade art. I am not 100% sure what this entails yet, but I am excited
to get creative with some of my learners.
Following the meeting, I was introduced to all of the students. As I
told them my full name, they all broke out in laughter because it was so new to
them. The rest of the school day,
I helped another colleague work on the time-table (class schedule), which is
completed all on poster board.
When the
school day was considered over, my roommate and I took a hike into Opuwo. We were able to stay for a couple
hours, so I was able to meet up with Mailin and Ashley for the day. I purchased groceries and house supplies,
had the opportunity to see more Himbas than I could ever imagine, and was
approached by more strangers than I would have thought possible. My day ended with a hike home, soccer
and Frisbee with my learners, and me cooking chicken on my own for the very
first time in my life. It was a
productive day for sure. Oh also,
our water went out this night. Yay!
On Saturday,
I had planned to go into town to meet up with the girls again in order to run
some more errands. However, this
would be my first solo hike. To say I was nervous was an understatement. I was sure I would not make it, but
luckily, I convinced some of my learners to walk to the road with me and teach
me to catch a ride. I was able to
finally get a car after 40 minutes and was on my way to Opuwo. Once there, I got some tea, did more
shopping, and bought another new bracelet (only $10 ND, which is about $1.50
USD). Ashley, Mailin, and I,
walked around town some more and discussed all of the problems/exciting
situations we will be presented with this year. Speaking of problems we were going to face, the grocery
store closes at 1:30 pm on Saturday and we got there at 1:40. This was a problem because I was
planning to buy water in order to shower and look presentable. Fortunately, God always provides and a
butcher, yes a butcher, overheard us talking about my situation. He took me to his shop, filled a huge
bucket of water for me, and then had his wife drive me home. I was so blessed in this situation that
I can’t even put it into words! On
the drive home, his wife told me about her time in Namibia. She is originally from South Africa,
has 3 children, and has thoroughly enjoyed living in Namibia. Being sweet and friendly, she gave me
her number and told me to contact her if I ever needed help. Again, a huge blessing! From there, I spent the rest of the
evening with my learners. We
played soccer in the field and went for a walk. The principal saw us playing and has since asked me if I
want to train the girls’ soccer team.
I guess I said yes, but I have no idea how to play soccer, so if any of
you athletes have advice/plays, I would greatly appreciate it!
Sunday,
today, has presented me with my biggest challenges. I have been homesick more than I care to admit. Without going into town, I am limited
on what I can do and who can understand me well. I was supposed to finish the time-table with some of the
guys, but they needed to go to town to run some more errands. Therefore, I volunteered to work on
it. This is a tricky job indeed
because classes are set up differently than in the US. I’m hoping that what I was able to get
done will be beneficial, but no promises because there are more classes than
there are time periods… Other than
doing that today, I have been in my room watching shows on my computer,
writing, talking with my parents, and figuring out some little things. My current state: I feel like I am the
new toy that everyone wants to play with.
I am completely flattered, but also very exhausted from all of the
attention. I am not a person that
enjoys being the center of attention, so I pray that my newness goes away
pretty quickly.
Tomorrow is
my first full week of school though.
As far as I understand, Monday will be used to pass out school materials
and then we will start teaching on Tuesday. Unfortunately, I may not be at school Tuesday because the
Kunene girls need to go to Oshikati for our tax id. This allows us to actually make some money while we are in
Namibia.
Well that is
all for now. Pray for my strength
so that I can continue to do good for these learners. Also, stay tuned for an upcoming project I hope to take on
while I am here. There are no
promises it will work, but baby steps will make a difference.
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