January 3, 2009

A new year has quickly swept in, and it is hard to believe we have been in Botswana for six months now. 2008 certainly was a year of change and transitions for us. A favorite gospel song of ours says, "Time is filled with swift transition, naught of earth unmoved can stand. Build you hopes on things eternal. Hold to God's unchanging hand. Trust in Him who will not leave you, whatsoever years may bring..." We certainly have been "building our hopes on things eternal", and "holding to God's unchanging hand". Even though we have made our share of mistakes in the process, we can still keep our sense of humor and continue to trust in Him through all the new experiences we have been encountering.


Shortly after the posting of our last blog, Mmatshimo asked us to come watch her traditional dance group perform again. At the time, we did not realize that the group was asked to be the entertainment at a graduation ceremony for the Wildlife Management Institute. It turned out to be a four hour formal affair, and we politely sat through the whole thing. Mmatshimo and her group performed a few times during the event along with a few other groups. But mostly there were many government officials there, with lots of military pomp and ceremony involved as 200 game rangers and conservation agents received their degrees. Pictured below are some of the rangers during the singing of the national anthem, and Mmatshimo's group singing and dancing in their new costumes.
A few days after the graduation we enjoyed the company of old friend's who used to live in Galena, and some friends of theirs, as they stayed with us a night while passing through Maun. Tim and Laurel Osborne have been living in Namibia for the last ten years, but had been helping with a project putting radio transmitters on Kori Bustards (big birds) in the Central Kalahari Reserve. They stopped for a visit on their way to Zambia where they spent Christmas with friends. The friends they were traveling with were on their way to Victoria Falls on the Zimbabwean boarder, and then were to fly back to the states from Namibia on Christmas day. Just about a quarter mile from our house there is a woman that makes some of the nicest baskets around here, so everyone was thrilled to get some lovely souvenirs to return home with from Botswana.
Only three days past after our Namibia guests departed, we had the pleasure of another visit from our missionary friend from Rakops for two days. After twenty years ministering in the country, John had some good insights to impart to us and many interesting stories share. His company was a pleasure. We continue to feel blessed with this home, and thankful to be able to extend hospitality with others the Lord brings into our lives.

One day, after five months of living in Maun and driving by the sign pointing the direction to the Game Studio Taxidermy, we finally got to drive out into the "Boro" ward area and view the factory. Julie had established a friendship with the owner's daughter-in-law, so she had been out to visit the property previously for a "coffee with cream" invitation one day after church when Colin was flying. It is a long way back on a sand track road, but well worth the drive. The property is beautiful and located by the river, with a bird aviary that Katie and her husband own. The factory had burned down a few years ago, so the elephant pictured below was just getting replaced from the original loss. Most of the recently completed trophies had just been shipped out, and the staff was on break when we visited, but there still were plenty of interesting animals to view and of course a good visit to have with Katie over tea.

A real highlight for us during the Christmas season was the discovery of boxes filled with baby clothes and toiletry supplies in a Flying Mission Services storage container. After filling our Pajero with all the items, we took them to the Flying Mission house to sort. Most of the baby clothes were already in 1 gallon zip-lock bags, which had salvation tracts in Setswana from a publisher in South Africa. There were also boxes of empty zip-lock bags and boxes with hand towels and face clothes, soap, shampoo, tooth paste and tooth brushes. Furthermore, there was a box of tin cups with a Bible verse painted on each one. So we put those things together and mad additional toiletry bags. There were also some canvas bags with the Flying Mission Services decal and some T-shirts for adults, so we made care bags using those also. In addition, each bag had a Flying Mission Services brochure in it. As the Flying Mission Services team in Maun (minus Travis who was still in the states visiting family), we organized piles of gift bags to be distributed to local people in need. We had baby bags sorted for new or expecting mothers, toiletry bags for children, along with a few adult items in the canvas tote bags. Robert and Pusteso knew of a number of new mothers not only around Maun, but also in their home village of Sepopa north of here. Some additional bags went to the church we attend to be given to people a few days before Christmas in more rural areas. Mmatshimo helped out by going with us to the out lying village of Sexaxa (pronounced Sicaca), and taking bags to her village of Disaneng. Pictured below are just a few of the people we visited when giving out the gift bags. People here live very simplistically in small huts. The children have very little and were thrilled by the simple gifts bags we distributed. It felt a bit like being a pied piper of children as we visited from home to home. They loved having their picture taken, and all Colin had to do was point the camera in a direction and they would run that way, gather together, and pose. Below is just a sample of the fifty or so shots we took during our village visits. Notice the car toys made from wire they were so proud to show us. We have been printing out the pictures we take and returning for further visits as we continue to build relationships with the people the Lord draws us to.
Not only were we able to give needed items to people who greatly appreciated the material help, but we were able to plant some spiritual seeds in addition to reflecting Christ like love as we distributed the gift bags. In a small and simple way it felt like we were able to truly share Christ, the real gift of Christmas this season.

Christmas in Maun was very low key, with little or no commercial hype as we usually experience in the states. Moreover, the lack of snow and the hot weather further hindered any sense that it was time for Christmas. We did enjoy a very nice candle light service at the church we have been attending that was on the 20th, and by the 23rd of December we had planned to attend another service on Christmas day and join our friends that own Island Safari Lodge near our home for a holiday meal. But with a charter cancellation on the 26th, and Robert's family trying to get to their home village about five hours drive from here, we decided to take a brief trip up the delta "panhandle" for Christmas instead. Early the morning of the 24th, we picked up Robert's family and loaded more of the gift bags in the car to take to Sepopa. Pictured below was what much of the village looks like, and the little yard entry to Pusetso's mother's home once we arrived there. Robert grew up right next door, so both were excited to have time with family. Note the bundles of papyrus reed drying for later sale or use as fencing as seen in the pictures.


Due to an early departure, we arrived in Sepopa by noon with plans to stay at the Sepopa Swamp Stop Lodge near by to the village. After checking in, and enjoying a light meal, we rented a boat and driver to try some fishing on the Okavango River. It was not the peak season and Colin did not have any success, but we just enjoyed being on the water for a brief time. Our boat driver even made Julie a water lily necklace, and explained aspects of traditional living by the local people while Colin fished. We were only able to be out on the river for about an hour when a huge storm blew in; after all it is currently the rainy season...The storm was very dramatic with thick sheets of rain and spectacular lightening. We made it back just in time and watched the storm from the shelter of the lodge along with a few other guests staying there.


Another couple from Durban, South Africa was on holiday in Botswana and we enjoyed visiting with them at the lodge. We had decided to explore the Tsodilo Hills the next day where there are approximately 2,700 rock paintings created up to 3,000 years ago by the San/bushman people. Botswana is almost totally flat except for this small group of hills in the northwest part of the country. Our new friends, Jackie and Clynton, asked to join us on our Christmas day trip to the hills. The guide book said that the road in was rugged, so we all felt it would be better to travel together. After almost 3 hours of beating our way into the hills through soft sand tracks needing 4 wheel drive, the hills finally were in view. We found our way to the main gate and were immediately noticed by some village children selling necklaces made from local seeds and reeds. They seemed quite good at negotiating a sale, and of course we all could not refuse a few mementos.

Driving further into the hill area we discovered that there was a newly built museum and camping area inside. Continuing to drive around some of the roads close to the museum area, we explored caves and found numerous animal paintings on the rock walls as we hiked in some of the trails of the roads.

The funniest part of our adventure was when we realized there was a well maintained road to travel in on from further north of Sepopa and it only took us half an hour to drive back out. We all felt that going in through the bush had been a fun adventure, though if we return some day we would definitely use the new road. Back at the Swamp Stop Lodge, a nice dip in the pool was a great way to get relief from the heat and finish our Christmas holiday.

Two days after Christmas, the chief pilot for Flying Mission Services was here for a few days, and it was nice to see someone from our Gaborone Flying Mission family. He left on the 31st and New Years eve was spent visiting with our Baptist missionary friends and praising the Lord for His continued provision and care.

Most recently, Colin has been flying fairly regularly with the holiday travelers going on photo safaris to the bush camps near Maun. Julie finally got to go with Colin to pick up two passengers the other day, and seeing the area from the air for the first time was impressive. We saw giraffe and gemsbok on the flight out, in addition to hitting a small bird at 5,000 feet above sea level (a large bird could have been a problem). Robert is pictured below after taking it out of the plane cowling. Colin started joking about it being a small chicken for Robert's lunch, and other porters around continued in the fun. Because of the heat in the engine, it was pretty well cooked and jokes were made about a small chicken braai (BBQ) for Robert. People here are plesantly easy going, and Colin really enjoys his daily interactions with those he works with. This morning we had a chameleon clinging to the wire fence around our patio, hissing at one of the dogs as Red tried to attack it. The fencing was gray and the post near by was brown. In the photo below you can see how closely it had changed its coloring as it tried to blend in to its surrounding, but that still was not enough to protect itself from our barking dog. Colin held out a large stick and the chameleon carefully climbed on and allowed itself to be transported to the safety of a nearby tree. It then changed to the color of the tree bark. How amazingly simple for this small creature to just change to blend in to a new place. How quietly trusting and content it was to just be safely transported to a new location. How remarkably adaptable and flexible.We can not say that the changes this year were easy or always simple, but the transitions in our lives have been positive and we certainly can see the hand of God in it all. Each day we continue to try to be a small blessing in someway to someone here as we seek guidance and direction from the Lord. In a recent Bible devotional a scripture was quoted that said, "Who despises the day of small things?" Zechariah 4:10 NIV. The overall point of the devotional was that often as Christians we can get caught up in the adage of "the bigger the better" when it comes to ministering. People sometime want to measure success in numbers or spectacular displays of God's power. But in reality, all God is interested in is our heart and our willingness to be obedient. It is good to remember that even in small things, His spirit is enabled His purposes will be fulfilled. We are just a small part of the Lord's work here in Botswana, but in this new year and season of our life please pray we continue to be obedient in the small things (and maybe a bit more like the chameleon.)