Comfort Zones

What exactly IS a ‘comfort zone’?
We take it for granted when we are in it, and are often not happy when we are out of it.
I have been thinking about this and have decided that a ‘comfort zone’ is being where you can predict the outcome of any given situation. Or, perhaps, as it is a ‘comfort’ zone, it is being reassured that the outcome will be in one’s favour.
Being ‘out of one’s comfort zone’ is a great place for being reminded that we are actually NOT in control of our lives and to trust in God, who orders all things. I was reassured yesterday to read Job’s declaration: “I know that you can do all things, and that no purpose of yours can be thwarted”. (Job 42:2)
We are out of our comfort zone at the moment. Our visa card has expired and the new one is taking a LONG time to arrive from Australia. So, things like our internet connexion has lapsed until we can supply a new card number. Not such a big deal – though I do need it for work (and a comfort zone for me is being able to have emails from friends!), but also because David is in Angola and had been trying to skype me, not knowing it has expired! (Next day – David has tried sending me an SMS but all it says is *some text missing*. I suppose coverage is poor there. Still, I know from the funny name accompanying the SMS - instead of a number - that it is from him so, despite the lack of text, it tells me he is still alive and kicking!)
Talking of Angola, here is a story for you about DIScomfort zones:
David and two other chaps from NETS were due to leave early Thursday morning for Angola as they had their first meeting Saturday morning at 7 am and the town is about 14 hours from the border on a road not even to be considered with a vehicle with low clearance (I think it is a main road but is pot-holed beyond belief – a war legacy, I think). Anyway, on Tuesday, the Windhoek contingent discovered the border would require a police clearance certificate about the car and it would take about 4 days. Finally, on Thursday at 2.30 they were able to pick it up and they then set off to us to collect David. They got here Friday at 3.15 am (YAWN) and had a quick snooze till 6 am when they all set off to get to the border early. Unfortunately, the border demanded MORE papers so they had to go back to Oshakati and only got over the border at 2.30 pm! They then drove and drove and drove until they arrived at 6.30 am … with 30 mins to spare before the first meeting! YAWN! David, when he finally got hold of me (emails, SMSs, ‘phone lines etc can be rather unreliable that side of the border), said they slept for about 4 hours that afternoon!
A kind friend in Windhoek is going to try and get us reconnected to the internet tomorrow (as there is no provider branch up here) so you may well get this before July!
Well, church was a ‘comfort zone’ today as we went to the English church in Oshakati. It is comfortable as it is held in a conference room in a motel/lodge: comfortable chairs, punctuality in starting (the Ondangwa one starts when it starts!) and … a TOILET! I love having access to that luxury.
However, Ondangwa is very rewarding as the children LOVE Sunday School, and I enjoy the privilege of teaching. Though trying to get lessons ready each week in another language can be very draining.
Talking of Bible teaching, the mother of one of Étienne’s friends came round yesterday and asked if we could meet each week and read the Bible together. That is really exciting!
We thank God for someone coming 2 mornings a week to help me with the cleaning. Sima is very friendly. She hardly speaks a word of English, which is good for my language acquisition. However, she is Oshikwambi. There are only 2 local people groups which have text books etc in their language; Oshindonga and Oshikwanyama. Sima, as Oshikwambi, did her schooling using Oshindonga text books. Unfortunately, my ear has yet to adjust to Oshindonga spoken with a Kwambi accent! So I am out of my comfort zone; but it is the only place where I will progress, so I thank God for the opportunity. But I confess I am not sure how much Oshindonga I will learn, it may just as easily be Kwambi words she teaches me for all I know! Not that it matters. One only gets the ‘pure; form of a language when deep in the tribal area of that people group, away from towns where different languages congregate. By the time home assignment comes around, I will really be an Oshiwambo speaker (pot pourri) and David a purist Kwanyama speaker! Maybe living in Owamboland can be likened to living in Switzerland, which is the only other place I have experienced where a number of official languages are spoken in a small area.
As I type, Étienne is writing an essay on the San. The children have learnt so many things since we have been here. And seen so much, too. Caris is writing a very sweet essay on plants. Her spelling is very interesting.
‘This is a page of plants. Plants have lots of sap. Butterflys have lots of colis. Berds have hlo bonse. Don’t chrie to cil them?!’ (colis = colours, hlw = hollow, chrie = try, cil = kill)
Last night we played Scrabble. All the pieces are available for the children to use so that Caris, especially, can find the letters she needs to make words. Étienne always devises huge words to access the triple word scores! With him playing, keeping score is easy as I let him keep everyone’s tallies. Maths is so easy for him. He is enjoying learning cursive and it amazes me how ‘grown up’ his writing is starting to look, now he has moved away from block writing.