Cool Stuff is Happening -

We have been writing grants like crazy people. The project we have in the grant pipeline are a Nkurenkuru Theatre Project, Hostel Activity Center, Tulikameni Sewing Project, Tulikwateseni Chicken Farm (Not our project but helping write/submit the grant), and soon to be the ELCIN/Nkurenkuru Combined School Laboratory Proposal. Wahoo for grant writing!!! Though a tedious and arduous task the idea of helping people who want to give help to people who need help is an absolutely wonderful feeling. Working out budget numbers or getting price quotes is actually quite horrible but the end product is great and even better if the proposal is accepted and the work can begin.

Work is beginning this Saturday (or next Saturday or the one after that who knows actually because this is Namibia where time matters little) on the Tulikwateseni (working together) Garden Project. The grant has been approved and the fencing materials are ready to go so we are going to start building the fence and working the soil. Regarding the water tower for the water tank, it seems that the business the project is actually paying to do the work has put us off for more than two weeks now. Here is a typical conversation just to wet your whistle to what it’s like trying to actually help something to happen. (and yes we really do talk like this on a daily basis)

Me: Morokeni Tate!

Businessman: Morokeni None

Me: Ngapi?

Businessman: Nawa

Businessman: One Ngapi?

Me: Nawa

Me: So how is everything going today? You are busy or no?

Businessman: Yes yes I am busy today, many many things to do.

Me: Yes so I am thinking about this project we are doing and wondering maybe if you can start to build that tower sometime this week because would be good that it could be done then.

Businessman: Oh yes we will start today even, except that the man who is doing it is in Nepara so we must get him. We will start tomorrow and it will be finished.

Tomorrow comes:

Me: Morokeni Tate!

Businessman: Morokeni None

Me: Ngapi?

Businessman: Nawa

Businessman: One Ngapi?

Me: Nawa

Me: It is good to see you, how is everything going today?

Businessman: Oh I am just working, but not so busy today.

Me: I remember talking to you and you said the tower might be built today, so what is the news with that one?

Businessman: But you see the problem is that man has not come from Nepara yet so we must wait. I am going to a funeral for the weekend and he will come tomorrow and Friday. He must do that work Friday because then he will go back to Nepara.

Me: Okay but it must be done that day because we will start building our fence on Saturday and we would like the tower to be there. Mpandu Tate!

Businessman: No problem it will be done, you don’t have to worry about that one.

I have had the above conversation with this man (except for the starting to build the fencing part) probably three times. The first time I talked to him was on a Saturday and he told me it would be done on Sunday. Why would he tell me that when he knows full well people don’t work on Sundays, or very rarely on that day? In fact when he told me that, the person who could do the work was still in a village 40km away so why in the @#$%& would he tell me the work will start and finish on a day when nobody works when the man is not even around? I have no idea. The funny thing to me is that we’re paying him for it and he still won’t do it, and of course we won’t pay him until he does it. Don’t get me wrong, it’s not like everyone is late or blows you off, its more of a case by case basis. Some people are very punctual (few and far between however). Hilarious and all we say anymore is “Oh well, we’ll try again tomorrowJ”

Besides that we’ve been doing alright lately. We’ve both had problems with our principals at our schools involving scheduling and work hours. They seem to think that staying at school while doing nothing is better than helping with the stuff we mentioned above. We politely disagreeL My principal was clearly livid at me, evidenced by his 30 minute diatribe about my failure to attend all the staff meetings. Sorry dude but your staff meetings suck, there is very little accomplished and any input I have is rarely taken or considered, not to mention the meeting is somewhere between 3-5hrs long. We’ve also both been homesick and it kinda came to a head this week. We just miss our family and friends. We miss the familiar and the normal. We miss being able to relax in the evening and buy some sandwiches from Togo’s then get some frozen yogurt. Or go over to the houses of family and friends and talk about whatever, just enjoying one another’s company. Or going to play basketball with people who can actually play basketball Being in a different culture just wears on you and it makes you realize how much the culture of our home really has shaped the way we think and feel, not to mention being awesome and wonderful in many ways. It made us both really think about whether we want to stay for a 3^rd year and whether we can really handle it. We’re still not sure but we’re gonna still apply anyway because we can turn it down if we change our minds.

Anyway thanks for listening, for those faithful readers 16 months later, and we still love to hear how everyone is doing. We are commonly on google chat from the hours of 7am to 12pm (PST) during the weekdays, and on the weekend as early as 6am-3pm(PST). I know that’s your work hours but if you want chat on the weekends we would love you. All you need is a gmail account and just log on, considering you have emails from us.

Love,

Caleb and Rachel