ghost town

Monday the 11^th of January

Some coffee before the tour.  Coffee expensive, Trines face, priceless.

Day off, being super-touristy! Went to Kolmanskop, or Ghost Town, outside of Luderitz. It’s a small town that was abandoned in the 50’s. It was founded when germans came to look for copper in the mid 1800’s. After a while they discovered diamonds, diamonds everywhere, they were lying around like common stones on the ground. Diamond rush, and monopoly, the reason to why the city was abandoned was not that it ran out of diamonds. It was simply the fact that they found even more, further south. For a while only five families were living there, they had their own little Europe in the middle of desert, wind and sand everywhere, I understand why they moved, but it’s really sad. The city was literally abandoned, and the houses was left to ruin. Imagining their former state, ah! The buildings are beautiful, they don’t make them like this anymore. Too many pictures, what to do? I guess a sample.

The most fotoed house in Kolmanskop, the teachers' house. A bit of a project,

Just need some love and paint, almost ready to move in...

Loving the colors

Angie and Bianca, having a moment.

Let's add sexy to the desert, I definetly think it needs sexy!

Did you remember to sweep the floors darling?

Maybe...

Are you sure?

According to regulations dad?

Very hungry we went on to Diaz Point in hope to eat some at the café. It was closed. Imagine 5 hungry women in a car. I think we did ok;) Diaz Point was possibly the windiest spot I’ve ever been in. WOW! We saw seals, which was a disappointment for most who most of the time was guessing dolphins… I like seals, almost more now because they where so completely neglected, somebody has to stick up for the underdog seals. “uhr, uhr,uhr”(clapping my hands together just like a seal(mental picture for those who want it))

Diaz Point

Seals! 

The lighthouse at Diaz Point

Flamingos on our way from Diaz Point

When we came back to Luderitz we decided to go for junk food at the waterfront.

Ended the day with girls-night at Damons house, Papa D is out of town working, so we’re using the opportunity. Bianca did pedicure on us:) Very luxurious. And we saw a movie that 4 out of 5 fell asleep to…

Hairstyle? Forget about it!

Things we didn't know how to:
Get our tour-guide at Kolmanskop to quickly develop a sense of humour, maybe because she spends her youth in an abandoned town, who are we to judge, ey?
keep our hats on

Lessons:
Trine is very good at catching hats, windy weather+hat equals trim
5 girls in a car without food for many hours is not a good idea
Nice toe-nails make you feel very girly.

going to the beach

Litho Angie Trine Amis and Caduu

Saturday the 9^th of February

Today we prepared before going to the group. We brought clothes to change to go to the beach straight after cleaning the Kingdom Hall. It did not help at all.
Group witnessing in Nautilus. It’s a “richer” area so some of us were a bit more sceptic about finding any interest. Gladly they we’re wrongJ I was working with Rebecca and Gionathan, who was showing his good side today. Helping us with our street was Paulus, Ashley, Marian, Melanie and Bridget. The last ones are 2 German sisters visiting for a week, they’ve been here before and have just come to see the congregation this time, afterwards the will go all the way up north, we’re they were last time they were in Namibia, 2 years ago. They’re so impressed by the young ones’ progress!

Caduu raking the gravelparking at Kingdom Hall

Marianne and Astrid cleaning together, we all know that the
first impression is very important, here is our front door.

But we all know that when it comes down to it, it's the inside that  matters.

After cleaning the Kingdom Hall and singing our favorite Kingdom Melodies, we go back home, so much for preparing and bringing all our stuff. Bridget and Melanie join us for coffee, they will pack they’re buckey together and pick us up afterwards. Heading for Agathe beach! Just picking up Jessie, Bazzie and aunty Tandies dog, on the way. 

On our way out we see flamingos, lots of different
birds and lots of springbuck. They’re beautiful! 

We arrive late, and everybody is either playing in the water, eating or just enjoying the good company of the brothers. We go SWIM! Perfect after a warm day in ministry! The ocean is unusually warm today probably because it’s not so windy so the shallow water gets warm and doesn’t go out so fast…weird explanation, but  you get it, don’t you?! I mean you’re clever person! Anyways, it’s really great! 

the back of a buckey at its best.

Melanie and Bridget fell in love with Jessie last time they were here, now Jessie is almost twice the size, she's become a lazy dog, but still a fantastic personality.

Digg.

We through some ball, play some soccer and Trine takes Jessie for a long walk along the beach. She goes “tourist” on herself and takes video of JessieJ She is the most happy and loyal dog I’ve ever met, almost a bit too loyal. If you know Hanna you know she has a hard time handling needy, likes space. 

   When it’s time for food Hanna go to get Trine, Mama D has prepared for all of us. We eat, enjoy, we dance some.

Paulus

Soccer, and Trine testing effects on her boss' camera

Bridget and Mama D

Trine and Melanie

 And after the sunset and a photo shoot it’s time to go home. Most on the back of a buckey, we’re in the comfort of inside a buckey.

Next week Anders and Andy, Stavanger-boys serving in the Herero-congregation in Windhoek, are coming to visit. They have gotten in to some paper-trouble, and Andy had to leave the country. They’ve been to South Africa and are going to try to get his visa renewed and prolonged when they get back in again. They’ve been here before and know the congregation, so on their way back their coming!

Sunday the 10^th of January

Meeting and field service. Trine worked with Marianne for a while. Fredericks' live in the territory so, I  collected white rocks with Ewald, he went bananas and loved it! Now it’s starting to look very nice outside the house. Some plants and it's very cosy!
The germans are leaving early, instead of a ten day stay, they will leave tomorrow. We enjoyed while it lasted! Germans out, Anders' in. But we  havn’t heard from the Anders’ what day they're coming or if they wanted to join us in being touristy the coming week so we’ll go for it tomorrowJ

Things we didn't knew how to:

Be on time

Lessons:

Afican time is not only african

arrival of a rival? noooo:)

Thursday 7^th of February

Day off starts with looking for studies, Mariana was not home, got a bit worried, we left a note under the door. Study with Elisabeth, she is so sweet! Always looks a bit worried when she opens the door but invites and listens, fascinated over everything she gets to know! Regina was in the middle of washing, so we’re coming back tomorrow.

Off we go to Kairo Coffeeshop B&B. When we get there it’s about lunchtime so we get some food as well and enjoy the beautiful view. When we sit there Christo and Magdalena comes home. We ask them to sing for us, and Christo is not playing hard to get! He sits down by the piano and they sing “Come what may”. WOW! Lina, you should have heard it! Or maybe not;) A smile from ear to ear and goose bumps allover! It’s the Christian-effect, when he gets started playing with the keys of a piano you can’t help but smiling. He asked me to play something afterwards, you know me, no-way-José! He played another one and Trine figured lets record it! But it was a gospel, what can you expect from the son of a preacher-man? “The angels called him Jesus, his disciples called him Jesus, but I call him Lord”… naaa, not exactly the same effect as the first song…

Did some grocery-shopping. It’s definitely not the selection you have at home. And it’s hard to getting used to the fact that some of the shelves in the shops just seem deserted. If they’re out. They’re out, when you live at the end of the world you’d better buy what you need on the day of delivery. But it works.

Got home, prepared the meeting.

Finally a picture of our beutiful Kingdom Hall. I love the way Litho describes to people in ministry to help them find it: "You know, opposite of Benguela Market, that BEAUTIFUL building" and his whole being just radiats that he absolutelly LOVE it!

Friday the 8^th of February

They have started with a group on Friday mornings as well. It was surprisingly cold this morning, but it’s often a bit cold in the morning but usually it gets warmer rather  quickly, so when Trine asked me if she would take something extra with her I said “No of course not!”(I very often end up carrying around my own clothes the entire day, I hate to freeze and I apparently never learn). As I was saying, usually it gets a lot warmer quite quickly but not today, so Trine was actually a bit cold today, the morning mist didn’t want to leave.Sorry about that!

With us in the group was Litho, he slept in and figured he would be way too late for school so he joined the group at 9 instead, he was sooo pleased it was almost laughable. The zealous Paulus and Rebecca with Gionathan, Trine was working with Rebecca, Gionathan was silent until they got invited in today, it never failed, he has the loudest scream, I and Bianca heard him when we were far away in another house, Rebecca is very patient, Trine even more. Ashley was working with Litho and Paulus.  I was working with Bianca, she had decided that today, she wanted to start Bible-studies. There was surprisingly many at home in Area 2. And we we’re invited, first to an old man whose son is a witness somewhere else, and then to Cornelia, a young girl, we discussed what hope there is for the dead and we’re welcome to come back.

Waiting for Hanna and Bianca, in Cornelias house

Man tager vad man haver kan tillämpas på det mesta

Kids in Paulus and Rebeccas yard

A barber-shop

Went on with returns and studies. Met up with the others at the hall for lunch. Trine was heading home. We thought we could make lunch with what was at the Kingdom Hall flat. Easy, pasta and some kind of tomato-sauce……it was not crushed tomatoes, it was tomato-puree… it’s been a long time since I had such a disgusting meal. Bianca, Litho and I, we kept a straight face for quite a while, but Litho was the first one to say something. Still very polite, he just stated, that “this was really not good at all”. Bianca just bursted out in laughter, “Nope, I think this might have been the most disgusting food I have ever tasted” Funny thing is, we all still finished our meals and some even took seconds and thrds, were we just trying to get rid of the food? What do I know? Lots of laughs and after a couple of more hours in the field complaints about the stomach-reaction. I had none:9 I guess I’m used to weird food. As long as it doesn’t contain anything with eyes, I eat almost whatever…

Bianca went home to fetch Angie who was arriving from Keetmanshoop today. Me and Litho waited for the others to come to the Kingdom flat for “young people ask”.

Meanwhile:

I Trine FYI   the store, baught myself some lamb, salad, went home, slept, made food…felt lazy that I was not in field service, so I wonder …should I prepare some food for Hanna ? Try to call  her..she has been out a long while in service…ends up that Hanna doesn’t get time to come home before“young people ask” . What does that teach us ladies and gentleman ? That Hanna talks a lot? Or that Hanna easy gets into conversations in fieldservice? You draw your own concluscion ;)

Meeting up with Hanna at the kingdom hall I see that she had a LOOOOONG day, but still smiling.

Bianca comes with her friend Angie, a lovely pioneer sister from Köhln in Germany, visiting Keetmanshoop for 3 months, now visiting us! We are happy for these persons we get to meet.

Pictionary

There is no young people ask, some forgot to bring their books… I won't mention any names…. We played Pictionary instead. Learned som new words: like Goosepimpel: who knew that such a word existed? Pictionary is full of surprises. How to draw dehydrated,difficult was difficult, Madrid… eeh…you have to know geography,litter, fragile.. we had fun.

Doing the dishes

Tomorrow mff, 9 o clock.cleaning the hall, going to the beach ! ;)  

Things we didn’t know how to:

Get Gionathan happy indoors

Make others understand without words

Lessons:

Something to eat makes almost anyone happy(more of a statement/reminder though)

Trineohanna thank Jehovah for the gift of speach

Köln is also called Colonge…or something like that

divide activities over several days..

Wednesday 6^th of February

Hey,hey,hey what a day! Got an early start today, at 8.15 this morning it was practically Maria’s lunchtime. She has a “shop”, she gets up at 4 opens at 5. We sat down and started in the Bible teach-book. She’s a very clever girl, costumers coming and going so it takes some time to get through it, but we enjoy it, she has prepared her book, so it’s clear that she gets it. We enjoy it very much! Meeting for field service at 9 as usual, we manage to be 10 minutes late, ooops. Trine has plans, she’s taking Amis to take over Ohli(a young man who’s turning in to a study) and Rebecca to Elisabeth, Trines kwangali-study.

I get to work with Mama D. What a pleasure! We do have to spend some time looking for houses and finding our way, but when we do! Ah! People love Mama D! She’s been in Windhoek for a while to get some paper in order, but she’s been missed! Of course I’m just guessing cause it was all in Afrikaans! We studied with Tiki and Oma. Oma is all you want an African old Meme to be! She is tiny, toothless and a thousand years old (might be a slight exaggeration) and an old fashion midwife! This old Meme told a joke, I didn’t understand a word, but her entire body language screamer: JOKE! And also the reactions of Tiki and Mama D. I was smiling to myself over the fact that body language can speak so clearly. They looked at me a bit confused and asked me if I understood? Then they explained: “The fly said to the bee:

-The king is having a party! Let’s go and be the FIRST to eat of the king’s fine cake!

-No, answered the bee, let’s go to the forest and make our own cake!

The fly refused to listen and went off to the king and he sure was the first to eat of the king’s fine cake. The bee flew to the forest and made his own cake, and some things never change, the bee is still making its own cake in the forest and the fly is eating the finest food, even before the kings!”

 (I don’t know about you but for me, I enjoyed watching Oma tell the story even more than the story itself, African sense of humor, maybe I’ll get it…)

After fieldservice we went to Shark Island, beautiful, we got to see another side of Lüderitz, houses almost looking like mansions. And Lüderitz from another angleJ On our way out we saw the Diamond-ship, they get approximately 50 000 diamonds…was it per day? From the seabed… they suck up the mud and search through it. Diamonds seem to just be lying around here…

I’ve started a project, I don’t even know when. I’m collecting white rocks to a sister’s house. It sounds ridicules, and it is. This wonderful sister has just moved to a new house with her boys, she’s very sad that she had to do it because it’s further away from the Kingdom Hall, her job, town, the store, but it’s cheaper, a lot cheaper. So trying to make it homy and nice in simple ways I’ve started to collect white rocks for her garden… We’ll see if she likes it..

Showing our.... 

We met the cutest dog : Sadie.

  Picking rocks at Shark Island it strikes me that it might not be allowed so I ask a couple that’s there with their lovely dog. And so we met Cristo and his sister Magdalena. Picking rocks is fine! They ask who we are and we get to explain how we know each other and witness some. Their parents run the bed and breakfast on the way out to Shark Island. Their dad is also a priest in, I don’t remember which church. They invite us for coffee at the café in the B&B. They have a piano! Every morning Cristo plays for the guests and we’re welcome to use it. So maybe tomorrow on our “day off” (we have already planned for 3 studies on our day off)

On our way back we just need to pick a few more rocks...just a few... Hanna will get real muscular after all the rock carrying;b 

Luderitz from another viewpoint. From the "rich " side.

In the evening we were to tired to make dinner so we went out to eat.

Mmm Savanna! 

Down at Ritzies it is cool and a nice breeze. So nice to have someone else preparing our meal. We feel like men ?? Or princesses? Don't know the difference.

Misty lovely evening, down by the waterfront. Ocean and the desert in the horizon...

What we didn’t know how to

Ad anything in field service, today was a tag along day for Hanna, the other way around for Trine

Hanna doesn’t understand how musicians find her when she tries to focus.

Lessons

Being yourself in ministry is the best!

There’s always a piano around

slow starters...

Monday 4^th of February

Oi,oi,oi! What happened today?! Very slow morning, yesterday we ran out of coffee so we decided to have breakfast at Diaz Coffee House. I think we might have been the worst costumers ever, deciding has never been my strong side. French toast and Café Mocca, m,m,mmm. Trine went for the more long-lasting energy-meal Omelette Tommy if I’m not mistaken and a couple of cups of coffee.

Olli, Elisabeth, Regina and some street work.

When we get home Trine makes her FABULOUS lappar! Like American pancakes, but I imagen betterJ Need some jam so I go to the Portuguese shop, the only one open after 6. Fig jam and strawberry jam, I accidently by more sourmilk instead of cream. But,but, it isn’t only,only! Papa D and Bianca join us, Mama D(finally arrived from Windhoek!) and Astrid miss out on wine and lappar, next timeJ Aaaah, wine and lappar, can it be better?

Tuesday 5^th of February

Slow start Trineohanna! Cutest kittens at Bianca’s study Ludi. I loved the red one, it was charmingly angry. We go to the fish shop to buy some fish(surprising, ey?), Rebecca is going to cook for us today! Alphonso-something, a funny-looking red fish.

 ...yes...we are cat people...

...we see the prospects of growing old and live in a house with at least a couple of cats. 

 Street witnessing our way out to Amilema, where Paulus and Rebecca lives.

A short stop at Maria, lots of costumers so she doesn’t have time to study right now. Neither does the lady in the Stalakies in Benguela Market.

Rebecca and Gionathan. She might be one of the most beutiful women I've ever seen.

All of the little things we’ve done today made us late for the study with Mariana in Built Together, she’s going to the hospital on Wednesday, so we’ll have to meet on Thursday, no day off on Thursday, but that’s our own fault, being late… 

Studied with Regina. She is now staying with her sister and her husband.

They have bought a table and chairs since last time:)

Sooo, lunch/dinner/evening meal all at once at Rebeccas'!

Washing up before we eat.

 Wow! What a dinner! Rebecca knows how to cook! In their mini-home there is not room for all of us inside so we sit outside in the shadow. It was so tasty we didn't even get pictures of the food! It was rice, some kind of cabage-soup and fish, I don't know how she prepared it, but they eat it all. Paulus enjoyed the head!

 The company, fabulous Paulus still laughs at everything we say and do, I wonder if we have ever had a serious conversation. Hmm, might have been close a couple of times but we always get back on the right track;) Ashley(Papa D) joins us, he’s the one studying with the family. They are so good examples! Always at the meetings and often at the meeting for field service.

 Little Gionathan(named after the Italian brother that was here for 4 yrs) is a little moody kid, when his happy, his the cutest kid, but all of a sudden he starts screaming, out of the blue! Don't know why..But his parents still allways brings himin ministry, showing what's important!

 A coffee in the garden before family worship with Amis.

  Watchtower-study, added a song for every paragraph, Trine knows surprisingly many religious songs. For the complete soundtrack of this week’s Watchtower, send request.

Things we didn't know how to:

Get up in time

Keep our appointments

Finish the meal at Rebeccas'. So tasty, but enormous portions!

Lessons:

We can eat more than we think!

If you do, you don't need to eat more food for the rest of the day.

Hospitability of our less fortunate brothers and sisters is amazing

Trine knows surprisingly many religous songs