Namibia Missions Trip

A day in the life of Preschool at Talikumi Christian School in Arandis: We arrive about 8 and join the few five and six year olds who have arrived first to school and are very eager about the day. Hear the loud chattering of some English, but mostly Afrikaans or Damara. “Henry, stop beating David. Julia get off of little Sammy.” Try to keep the kids off each other and in good health before we start the day. Bend down low to hear the little one whisper in your ear his pleas to escape the small classroom and run to the bathroom. Everyone is here; all fifty children greet teacher Amanda and the others in unison. What time is it? It’s hug time! We hug our friends and our teachers :) my favorite part of the day! Oh, the music is starting, “Get away from the Table and Worship God!” Shouts from the teachers, WORSHIP GOD!

Leave the others and take 10 preschoolers to their classroom. “What day is today?” Friday! Monday! Tuesday! “If today is Tuesday, what day was yesterday?” Saturday! We go over the days of the week, months of the year, the date and struggle through counting all the way to 100. Ok now count by tens: 3, 4, 5… “Teacher, Henry Puffed! I have to open the door!” Try to get them to speak in English because we don’t understand Africans. “He said a bad word!” It’s break time! They run outside to eat and play. So many runny noses, so many passionate laughs, screams of excitement and sometimes horror. The day is half over.

“Be here now,” seems to be a good phrase that describes our week of ministry. It is easy to wish to be somewhere else or doing something more important but it’s most effective when you can be flexible and fill in the gaps of need instead of trying to do what you have planned. His Promise Ministries finds local families to foster children whom they rescue. This week the mommies’ had a “foster training” so we watched the children after school till about 4. I thought it would be nice to stay with one family each day and really build relationships with their children; however they needed me to fill in places for an hour or two hours in one home and move to others. It was easy to complain one afternoon because I thought I would not have the same opportunity as others to build close relationships with one family, but God really brought sensitivity in me for each child that I had the opportunity to stay with. My perspective changed, something that I thought was negative turned into a unique opportunity to get to know each and every child in the ministry.


Many people think that we came here to help and make an impact on these children and although we may very well have, they have influenced us in many ways. They are very independent and they care for each other while their mother is away. We were supposed to walk them home after school although I had to follow their lead because I was constantly getting lost. They didn’t really need us but I was excited to be able to observe and experience the ways that they do things, to be able to talk with them about how extremely valuable they are to God. It’s special that they have been chosen to live in these particular families, and it’s a privilege to be one that has been chosen to come and share life with them. We are here now, I am content and there is really no place else that I would rather be.

Anna