Of visitors and trips ...

We really enjoyed being a part of the recent training workshops led by a team of 27 CESA (Church of England in South Africa) representatives. It is a loooonnng drive from Cape Town (3 days each way). What a sacrifice of time. We loved catching up with old friends on the team and making new ones. The group ran workshops on pastoral ministry for ministers, women, children and youth. David helped organise venues (including up on the border), using his growing network of friends and contacts. We pray that seeds sown during that time would bear fruit and that we would have the opportunity to follow up some of the people and churches. As I write, David is miles away, preaching a sermon and then leading a Bible study for a Baptist church, from a network of churches called “The Evangelical Baptist Church”. One of the students at NETS, who is part of this church invited David to come and speak.

We have not seen much of David over the past weeks with the two teams being here and David off with workshops. Where we live in not really near anywhere so, as David has the car, we tend to just stick around at home. When the Prentices called and said they were overnighting in Rundu on their way to Victoria Falls (west of Katima Mulilo) and asked us if we would like to meet them there, we thought we could catch up on a couple of missed ‘days off’ and drive there. The one drawback is that the trip was over 1,200 km for a 1 day (2 night) break. We had to drive from Oshakati to Grootfontein, then back up to Rundu (see map). Good job our car has a big tank as there are no shops or garages north of Grootfontein till you reach Rundu.

The Lodge we stayed in was fairly basic but did boast a marvellous view of the Okavango River, which is the border with Angola. You can see Angola on the other side of the river. We hired a canoe and paddled over to Angola and Caris took the picture of us three on ‘foreign’ soil! Then we went up river to the island you can see. Coming back down again we were warned of a hippo in the water! Although we saw the hippo, it did not obstruct our return route and, having going back up the hillside to the lodge, we were able to see the hippo when she climbed out of the water. What a great way to celebrate our wedding anniversary! They speak a different language in the Kavango region, but we could be sort of understood with our limited Oshiwambo. I was intrigued to hear them use the word ‘mvuu’ for hippo, like they do in Malawi (onomatopoeic for the sound they make). In Oshiwambo it is ‘onjabaomeva’ (water elephant). They have amazing teak trees in the Kavango region and their woodcarving is legendary. I have posted a photo of a roadside curio shop where we bought a … hippo!

On the way there we stopped near Grootfontein to see the Hoba meteorite – the biggest known meteorite in the world! The children were amazed that they could touch something from space. Before it became a national monument, and in the days before shops, Bushmen used the iron to make their arrow and axe heads. Aloes are only found south of Tsumeb. Behind them are ripe Mahangu (millet) plants. People have just finished harvesting their mahangu. In the background are some hills – a long time since we have seen any of THOSE!

On the way home we took another detour and, in the middle of nowhere, found another national monument; a huge baobab tree. You can just about see the children and David at its giant base. (The children pretended it was a space rocket.) They look like trees that have been planted upside-down. The fibrous bark can be used to weave mats. The trunk can be hollowed to store water when it rains, or grain when it is dry. Hollow trunks have been used as prisons, shops, postboxes and even a flushing toilet! The seeds are covered in a sherberty powder which is high in Vit C. if you want to know more about this amazing tree, download ‘Ongaipi 3’ at www.dagreeff.iway.na.

David will soon be heading past there again, southwest of Grootfontein, to do a workshop among other, the San (Bushmen) at Tsumkwe.
Meanwhile, this week, there is careers’ fair for the Oshana region where people leaving school this year go from room to room and hear a talk about different careers. We will be there, promoting Christian work as a choice, as well serving God in your profession – and the NETS courses.

The ,faux pas of the week’ goes to me this time.
I asked a woman if the baby she is expecting is her oshivelo (door).
She looked puzzled for a moment then asked if I meant oshiveli (first born).