A little constructive work

 Next day- update on the construction at the Outdoor Ministry site.  First they poured the foundation for the brick wall that will enclose and attach the bathrooms.  Originally they were to be inside the floor plan.  After seeing how things were coming they decided to add more space to the building.

The walls are going up up up!

Decided to do a little bit of constructive work myself.  My first laundry day in Kalkfeld- all hand washing.  Here is the wash cycle.

Here is the rinse cycle.  Mostly I got things clean.

 But I also got things very wet and made a bit of mud along the way.

But I used the rinse water to water the trees so that there wasn't too much waste.  There are 12 fruit trees in the yard- these are some of the smaller ones.  Can't remember what they all are- and it is winter so I cannot tell.  Oranges and nectarines for sure.

 And here is the drying cycle.

And I thought this was particularly important to show- this is where a seminary education takes you.

Anywhere in the world the Spirit calls!

I opened some suitcases and did some decorating from home- my mom's quilt.

Scarves from around the world.

Pictures of family and friends and items that make a home including my menorrah, God is Still Speaking communion set, and a clock mom gave me years ago which tells me what time it is all around the world.

The kitchen got some additions too- a table for a small "office" for my computer where I can construct sermons, blog posts, email, Sunday school and Bible study.

And I can sit and look out the side porch door as I work.

Here is a view of the side porch.

And a view of the outside laundry room where things dry in minutes!

And Sharifa came by to to help me fold socks.

And with all the constructive projects today, God's splendor was the best construction of all.  This is a view out the side porch at sunset and one very bright first star.

A Walk Around Continued again

6/11/2013

I  mentioned the church buildings earlier.  Here is the old church building circa 1939 to 1975.  There is some talk about turning it into a museum in recognition of the fact that Kalkfeld was the site of the first Congregational church in Namibia.  The very first building (moved to become part of the school across the highway) was used as a school M-F and church on Sunday until this building was built.

 The second church building is on the right.  It was built because the congregation was too large for the old building.

 Walking down the road toward the highway and the school you cross railroad tracks which are for cargo trains.  Though this is about a 15 minute walk from the house, you hear one rumble by all the way at the house about once a day.

I don't know why but I decided to take pictures along the way, but not all the pictures of everything along the way.  On the left side of the road is the municipal building and the bed and breakfast and the road to the school.  Perhaps I have already posted those pictures from my earlier trip in April but it seems incomplete.  Now that I have been here a while I see things with new eyes and I see things I think I missed before...  But here is a goat on the road.  Goats, and dogs and donkeys and horses and cows around Kalkfeld.  On the road on the way between Otjiwarango and Kalkfeld are warthogs, guinea fowl and kudu and oryx and gemsbock and dik diks.  Some of them I will have pictures of but most we pass too quickly so enjoy the goat.

Quite a few old and abandoned buildings from when Kalkfeld was a town and not a settlement.  Homes, shops, a bank, gas station and a church now used for a preschool.

Here is the abandoned gas station with the donkeys who now pull carts or just hang out along the road.

The next couple of pictures are the new construction in Kalkfeld along the highway at the center of the settlement- the visitor's center and some retail space and some public restrooms.  Construction started in September 2012 and you can see slow progress every week.

 A sign for a private safari lodge but Mount Etjo is the sight of a famous battle between the Herero and German battalion.  I believe the Herero were terribly overpowered.

A rare sight for me to be where the train is and watch it go by.

Kalkfeld settlement is almost centrally located!  70 kilometers (approximately 50 miles) to Otjiwarango (a town of 20,000) and 70 kilometers to Omaruru (a somewhat smaller town).

I walked down the main street in but did not take any pictures (see my previous trip in April) until I saw these children on their way home from school in their uniforms.  They like to see their pictures on my camera even if they don't get a paper one to keep.

Some goats crossing the main street in Kalkveld.

The main street in Kalkfeld with a couple homes and closed shops on the left.  Also down the road are the sewing project (in the old bank building), post office and police station.  I caught the street at "rush hour."

And these are the "folks" rushing at rush hour.  A farmer and his herd and helper- a pretty large herd with lots of calves.  I complimented him on the fine herd and he was very happy/proud.  He lives down the street on the right side in a traditional style home.  I included pictures on my trip before...

The road from the main street back to the church grounds- "Queldom B"  There is one house on the right where staff member from the school lives with her parents and some calm dogs and some very healthy looking chickens and roosters.  There is a larger house/complex on the left which you cannot see with many pieces of equipment.  Haven't met them yet- the kids are afraid of the dog and since they are my tour guides I only go where they lead!

It is a fifteen minute walk from the main street to the church grounds- almost there!

Back to the church grounds and almost home.  Here is the gate.  The church buildings are off to the left and the old parsonage/manse is the light pink building ahead.  The house of my neighbors across the street is on the left and if you could see through it you would see my house.

And this was the treat I had to reward me for my walk-about.  I bought it at the Roadhouse, the convenience store/bar near the construction for the visitor's center (pictures included before).  This is a real find with chocolate AND ice cream and a rare treat- otherwise I will have to walk twice as far each day!

A Walk Around Continued

June 11, 2013
Next comes a view from my house.  Here is the front of the house.

 

Turning toward the left (the pictures are presented counterclockwise) we see the water tower in the yard from the previous post.


Now we are looking toward the outdoor ministry building and the next house down the street.


This is looking toward the old and new church building and there are six homes in that direction.  Most of the youngest children live in that area.


These are the two houses across the street, the closest houses to my house.

This is looking down the street to the right (facing the house).


This is down the street to the right.  There are two houses in that direction.

And there is the termite hill on the right near my house.  You will see pictures of the kids climbing it later.

This is an overall view of the area of the property that is associated with the Kalkveld Congregational Church, United Congregational Church of Southern Africa,and the families from the church who live on the property.  There is a cemetary down to the left of the house past the outdoor ministry building and the houses of the children and all the land around it belongs to the church.

The main street of the settlement of Kalkveld is a 15 minute walk down the dirt road past the church.  The main highway and one of the schools is a 20 minute walk- past the church- and then turning to the left.

Now if you think you have seen everything in this area, go back and look at the pictures again at the sky.  It is really that color.  And that big during the day and at night with every star of the milky way visible.  And then there are the people... but we shall get there as we walk.

A Walk Around

June 11, 2013

Done with unpacking and settling I decided to take a walk around.  For those of you who have been wondering what Namibia, specifically Kalkveld looks like... here is my pictorial tour.

First we start with the most exciting new part of the community.  The Outdoor Ministry project.  It is next to the house I am living in.  The cows don't seem to mind the disruption of their watering and feed trough.  This is the front of the building and my house is to the right- quite a ways.

This is the back of the building and the pile of bricks that will be used up by the end of the week taking the building walls up to the top of the window frames.  The workers really put in a productive week!

Here is the master bricklayer sizing things up.

This is a view looking back toward my house.  The water tower on the left in the background is in the left side of my yard.

Looking toward the church from the front of the Outdoor Ministry building.