I’m not sure which staff member was dumb enough to come up with the idea, but a few days ago we had a big soccer match, with the Namumu staff facing off against the older Namumu boys. Tuesday was a holiday, African Freedom Day, and our office was closed. The weather has cooled considerably and the Namumu soccer field and goal posts are set up quite nicely. So, I suppose it actually wasn’t that bad of an idea.
Set back behind the Namumu dining hall directly beneath the nearby rolling, tree-lined hills, the Namumu soccer field is a pretty good one. It’s mostly dirt with a few patches of rocks and a few of grass, but for the most part it’s smooth and level. The goal posts are two large logs with a Y shape on top and the cross bars are old, rusted iron pipes. It’s a pretty big field, and while I have no real basis for comparison it certainly felt like it couldn’t have been too far from regulation size.
Now, I’ve been playing sports for years and at many points I’ve been involved in some version of the young guys vs. old guys game, whether it be players vs. coaches, students vs. teachers or children vs. parents. They’re always fun, and 99% of the time the old guys take a beating, which is always amusing. This match was no exception. Unfortunately, unlike all the other times I was one of the old guys for this one. And yes, we took a real beating.
In our defense, these older Namumu boys play just about every afternoon, and have been playing every afternoon for years. They’ve been running around and training like woah. My team was made up of an over-weight accountant, a couple of chain-smokers, a borderline alcoholic and a 4 foot 10-ish borderline midget, among others. Oh, and then there was me. The slow white guy. Obviously the odds were stacked against us.
I arrived at the field a bit late and the game was almost starting, which meant no stretching (Tony Perkis would not have been pleased) and no warming up, not good considering I hadn’t kicked around a soccer ball more than a handful of times since my Bon Air Elementary playground days. Plus I had just eaten. Plus I was thirsty. Plus the afternoon sun was bearing down hard, and even in the Zambian winter the sun can be oppressive. Is that enough excuses?
And so the game began. The old guys predictably tired right away, but still hung in there for a while. We had a few early shots on goal that nearly made it through.
Kebby, the boys caretaker, was our go-to guy, our super star. At 33 years old I think his game may start declining soon, but at this point he can still move. He claims to have once upon a time played a bit with the Zambian national team. I doubted his claim at first, but it turns out that Kebby is indeed very good. And the Zambian national team is indeed very mediocre, so hey, maybe it really is true.
Debby, a 17 year old Namumu boy was the clear-cut leader of the boys. He and Kebby had some good head-to-head battles. His ball control skills are unbelievable, and while he’s never flashy or show-offy you can tell right away that he’s the most talented of the boys.
So, for what seemed like hours we ran back and forth across the field, sweating and chasing and trying not to throw up. Well, at least I had to try not to throw up. I can’t speak for the other old guys. Like I said, the staff team certainly had its moments (most of them provided by Kebby) and managed to get some decent shots off. But, overall, the boys team was dominant, controlling the ball and the tempo like pros. They ended up scoring three goals to our zero.
It all turned out to be quite an event. As you might have picked up on by now, there ain’t much to do in Siavonga, so a good number of people showed up for the spectacle.
The Namumu girls were out in full force lining the field, cheering and screaming and having a good ol’ time.
And let me tell you something. I’ve tried my hand at a few different sports over the years, but basketball has always been my game. Through the years I’ve played in front of some rough and rowdy crowds and experienced my fair share of heckling. I’ve played in the city and been ridiculed by OG’s. I’ve played in AAU tournaments all over and been blasted by the opposing team’s parents and friends. I’ve played games in Huguenot park where I was the only white guy on the court and an obvious target for ridicule.
But I’ve never experienced heckling like that which our team heard from the 10 to 14 year old Namumu girls. They were merciless. And small slip-up, no matter how minor, was loudly and aggressively mocked by our girls. They were giving it to both sides, but as the staff provided the most slip-ups we received the most ridiculing.
Still, we played our best, and while we came up short I don’t think we embarrassed ourselves too badly. I thought we played respectably.
Well, I thought that until I was reading with my girls that night. I was talking about the game with Wendy, a 16 year old grade 10 student who you may remember from blogs past. I expressed to hear that I was proud of our effort and performance. Wendy, however, completely destroyed any shred of dignity that remained by pointing out that she had watched the boys play each other and teams from other communities dozens of times and that the boys had been completely toying with us, putting in infinitely less effort against us than against the others. She also pointed out that Jimmet, the older boy picked to play the role of referee, had in no uncertain terms told her that he would be bending the rules as much as possible to propel the staff to victory.
And we had still lost badly.
I heard a wave of comments following the match from the staff suggesting we should be practicing and getting in shape to really challenge these boys the next time. I can’t see that happening. I think that the staff have experienced only their first of many beat downs.
Monday, May 31, 2010
Tuesday, May 18, 2010
Plenty of Sams
Well, it’s official. On Friday, May 7th, Samuel Steven Luubi entered this world.
As it turns out, Vincent was serious about naming his child after me, and now there’s another Samuel Steven at Namumu. And when I say it’s official, I mean it is officially official. Vincent actually had me write the name on the Zambian Record of Birth document before he submitted it to the Siavonga District Hospital.
And oddly enough, there was a little twist to the whole ordeal. Remember how the whole issue came up during that heart-to-heart Vincent and I had while walking a few weeks ago? And remember how his little pregnant wife was walking with us and agreed to the deal? Well, Vincent has two wives, and the one who just had Samuel Steven was the other wife, not the one walking with us. They were both pregnant and the other wife had her baby first.
Hmmm…
I wonder if the one walking with us will be sad that she didn’t get to have a Samuel Steven. Or maybe hers can be Samuel Steven, too. Or maybe I can convince Vincent to name that one Steven Samuel.
Ahh, the crazy, mixed-up world of polygamy.
So, even though I’ll be away from Siavonga for a little while the Sams will be well-represented. Now Samuel Steven Luubi is around. Plus, there’s another little Sam who lives in the village just outside of Namumu who is awesome. This Sam is like a little African Dennis the Menace, constantly running around stirring up trouble. He’s always carrying a slingshot and his clothes are always dirty and he always has this smile on his face like he just did something really, really bad. At the same time he is very likeable.
And if any skeezy Christopher Lloyd-ish burglars ever came to our quiet town I’m sure Sam could save the day.
Yep, I can die happy now because my name will live on.
As it turns out, Vincent was serious about naming his child after me, and now there’s another Samuel Steven at Namumu. And when I say it’s official, I mean it is officially official. Vincent actually had me write the name on the Zambian Record of Birth document before he submitted it to the Siavonga District Hospital.
And oddly enough, there was a little twist to the whole ordeal. Remember how the whole issue came up during that heart-to-heart Vincent and I had while walking a few weeks ago? And remember how his little pregnant wife was walking with us and agreed to the deal? Well, Vincent has two wives, and the one who just had Samuel Steven was the other wife, not the one walking with us. They were both pregnant and the other wife had her baby first.
Hmmm…
I wonder if the one walking with us will be sad that she didn’t get to have a Samuel Steven. Or maybe hers can be Samuel Steven, too. Or maybe I can convince Vincent to name that one Steven Samuel.
Ahh, the crazy, mixed-up world of polygamy.
So, even though I’ll be away from Siavonga for a little while the Sams will be well-represented. Now Samuel Steven Luubi is around. Plus, there’s another little Sam who lives in the village just outside of Namumu who is awesome. This Sam is like a little African Dennis the Menace, constantly running around stirring up trouble. He’s always carrying a slingshot and his clothes are always dirty and he always has this smile on his face like he just did something really, really bad. At the same time he is very likeable.
And if any skeezy Christopher Lloyd-ish burglars ever came to our quiet town I’m sure Sam could save the day.
Yep, I can die happy now because my name will live on.
Saturday, May 15, 2010
Outreach Visitors
We entertained a group of visitors at Namumu this past week and a good time was had by all.
The Outreach Foundation, Namumu’s main supporting organization, sent over a group of nine representing various churches in the US, a group led by one of my personal heroes, TMTMTL Bill Warlick. Bill has actually made the trip from Orlando to Zambia three times in the past year. I keep telling him to stop coming and bothering us but he keeps on showing up anyway.
Kidding.
Along with my Granddaddy Carl, Bill is one of the wisest men I’ve ever had the pleasure of associating with. While here he sits through meeting after meeting with any and all Namumu departments, reviewing the past year, crunching numbers and evaluating performances. He is intelligent and thoughtful, always guiding and suggesting, never forcing or commanding. He takes the time to talk with everyone and makes everyone feel important. Kind of like Jesus would.
Although he did show some signs of aging. Bill took a nap one afternoon during the group’s stay, something I’ve never seen him do. Don’t get me wrong, on trips like that napping more than understandable. I’ve just never seen him do it. He’s always running around and evaluating everything all day long.
Also, there was the driving incident. Early Tuesday morning we went as a group to see the kapenta boats come in. Bill was driving us all in the large van they had brought down to Siavonga, and as we pulled out onto the town’s main tarmac Bill cruised on over to the right lane and accelerated, coasting right along through the hills of Siavonga, which would have been fine if we drove on the right hand side of the road in Zambia. We don’t. We drive on the left. Fortunately it was early, there was nobody on the road at the time and someone yelled at Bill from the back seat to get over in the left lane, which he immediately did. So we lived to see the kapenta boats, which was nice. I suppose I’m partially responsible as I was navigating from the passenger seat, but oh well, it all worked out in the end.
The group’s visit went about like most other visits do. The group took a tour, met all the staff, sat and chatted with the children and gathered in the chapel for singing and devotions each night.
A number of groups have come through to Namumu since I’ve been here and it’s always the same thing, but you know what? It’s always wonderful. In this environment it’s easy to get bogged down by the day-to-day frustrations, to lose focus and lose sight of the big picture, to forget why we are doing what we are doing. When groups show up to see us for the first time and we have to present the organization to them it reminds us that we are here working for something greater than our own personal comfort and enjoyment. Plus, when you have to explain to someone all the facets of the organization and how it works, it forces you to think about how you can improve things and it gives you a fresh perspective.
The group hung out around Namumu most of the time, but we did get a chance to move around town some. We made it to see the kapenta sales in the morning and took a spin around the lake on the Lucy boat, attended a mini-church service (that is, mini relative to other African church services) at St. Marks Presbyterian Church and rocked out to keyboard-jamming and loud-speaker-enhanced praise songs, visited the Kariba dam with it’s spill-gates open and wandered around the main market in town. It was a lot of fun.
Besides enjoying the company of the group and making a number of new friends I was the privileged recipient of a number of gifts from the group including chocolate, books, hot sauce, letters from the US, and, most importantly, the most recent episodes of LOST’s final season (Holy crap this show is unbelievable. Richard is originally from the Canary Islands? Loophole Guy may be the devil? Jin and Sun are finally together? Ahhh it's getting crazy. I hope Lindelof and Cuse can tie it all together for us here). Thanks to everyone who sent something along from back home, I’m very grateful.
And I’d like to make a special shout out to Cindy Schmidt’s classes in Orlando. Thanks for the messages, you guys. Very uplifting. I appreciate you all taking the time to do it and send them over with Bill. You guys rock and I hope to get to pay you a visit one of these fine days.
Anyway, it was great spending time with such a nice group, one with people passionate for Africa and its inhabitants, people determined to see the good Lord’s work done in Zambia. We miss you guys already. Come back soon.
The Outreach Foundation, Namumu’s main supporting organization, sent over a group of nine representing various churches in the US, a group led by one of my personal heroes, TMTMTL Bill Warlick. Bill has actually made the trip from Orlando to Zambia three times in the past year. I keep telling him to stop coming and bothering us but he keeps on showing up anyway.
Kidding.
Along with my Granddaddy Carl, Bill is one of the wisest men I’ve ever had the pleasure of associating with. While here he sits through meeting after meeting with any and all Namumu departments, reviewing the past year, crunching numbers and evaluating performances. He is intelligent and thoughtful, always guiding and suggesting, never forcing or commanding. He takes the time to talk with everyone and makes everyone feel important. Kind of like Jesus would.
Although he did show some signs of aging. Bill took a nap one afternoon during the group’s stay, something I’ve never seen him do. Don’t get me wrong, on trips like that napping more than understandable. I’ve just never seen him do it. He’s always running around and evaluating everything all day long.
Also, there was the driving incident. Early Tuesday morning we went as a group to see the kapenta boats come in. Bill was driving us all in the large van they had brought down to Siavonga, and as we pulled out onto the town’s main tarmac Bill cruised on over to the right lane and accelerated, coasting right along through the hills of Siavonga, which would have been fine if we drove on the right hand side of the road in Zambia. We don’t. We drive on the left. Fortunately it was early, there was nobody on the road at the time and someone yelled at Bill from the back seat to get over in the left lane, which he immediately did. So we lived to see the kapenta boats, which was nice. I suppose I’m partially responsible as I was navigating from the passenger seat, but oh well, it all worked out in the end.
The group’s visit went about like most other visits do. The group took a tour, met all the staff, sat and chatted with the children and gathered in the chapel for singing and devotions each night.
A number of groups have come through to Namumu since I’ve been here and it’s always the same thing, but you know what? It’s always wonderful. In this environment it’s easy to get bogged down by the day-to-day frustrations, to lose focus and lose sight of the big picture, to forget why we are doing what we are doing. When groups show up to see us for the first time and we have to present the organization to them it reminds us that we are here working for something greater than our own personal comfort and enjoyment. Plus, when you have to explain to someone all the facets of the organization and how it works, it forces you to think about how you can improve things and it gives you a fresh perspective.
The group hung out around Namumu most of the time, but we did get a chance to move around town some. We made it to see the kapenta sales in the morning and took a spin around the lake on the Lucy boat, attended a mini-church service (that is, mini relative to other African church services) at St. Marks Presbyterian Church and rocked out to keyboard-jamming and loud-speaker-enhanced praise songs, visited the Kariba dam with it’s spill-gates open and wandered around the main market in town. It was a lot of fun.
Besides enjoying the company of the group and making a number of new friends I was the privileged recipient of a number of gifts from the group including chocolate, books, hot sauce, letters from the US, and, most importantly, the most recent episodes of LOST’s final season (Holy crap this show is unbelievable. Richard is originally from the Canary Islands? Loophole Guy may be the devil? Jin and Sun are finally together? Ahhh it's getting crazy. I hope Lindelof and Cuse can tie it all together for us here). Thanks to everyone who sent something along from back home, I’m very grateful.
And I’d like to make a special shout out to Cindy Schmidt’s classes in Orlando. Thanks for the messages, you guys. Very uplifting. I appreciate you all taking the time to do it and send them over with Bill. You guys rock and I hope to get to pay you a visit one of these fine days.
Anyway, it was great spending time with such a nice group, one with people passionate for Africa and its inhabitants, people determined to see the good Lord’s work done in Zambia. We miss you guys already. Come back soon.
Wednesday, May 12, 2010
Here I Come
Well, it looks like I’ll be making a little trip back to the US of A pretty soon here. I’ve been trying to plan things out for a while, but I didn’t want to post anything until I had locked down a flight and made it official. I’ll be flying out from Lusaka on June 12th and will hopefully arrive safe and sound in DC on the morning of June 13th.
It seems nearly all my friends have decided to go ahead and get married around the same time, so that seemed like as good an excuse as any to head on back to the US. I mean, what do I like better, Christmas or wedding season? Uhhh, that would be…wedding season. I can’t wait to grab that net and catch that beautiful butterfly.
To be honest, my overall plan is a bit fuzzy. As for now, it looks like I’ll be around the US for a couple of months and then, in all likelihood, I’ll be heading back to Zambia to work for a while longer.
I am still a little concerned about coming home for a bit. I’m coming back to an America that appears to be very different from the one I left, the one where Michael Jackson was still alive and kicking, where Lady Gaga and Justin Bieber were nobodies, and where nobody had heard of Twitter. I’m going to feel so lost when I get back. What else has changed since I left? Are there flying cars there yet? Feel free to post comments on the blog or to email me to help make this transition easier.
So, for the next few weeks I’ll be tying up loose ends and preparing to step away from Namumu for a bit. It makes things easier knowing that I’ll be returning to Siavonga before too long. I’ll be pretty busy for the next few weeks but I’ll do my best to do some solid posting anyway.
No excuses, play like a champion!
It seems nearly all my friends have decided to go ahead and get married around the same time, so that seemed like as good an excuse as any to head on back to the US. I mean, what do I like better, Christmas or wedding season? Uhhh, that would be…wedding season. I can’t wait to grab that net and catch that beautiful butterfly.
To be honest, my overall plan is a bit fuzzy. As for now, it looks like I’ll be around the US for a couple of months and then, in all likelihood, I’ll be heading back to Zambia to work for a while longer.
I am still a little concerned about coming home for a bit. I’m coming back to an America that appears to be very different from the one I left, the one where Michael Jackson was still alive and kicking, where Lady Gaga and Justin Bieber were nobodies, and where nobody had heard of Twitter. I’m going to feel so lost when I get back. What else has changed since I left? Are there flying cars there yet? Feel free to post comments on the blog or to email me to help make this transition easier.
So, for the next few weeks I’ll be tying up loose ends and preparing to step away from Namumu for a bit. It makes things easier knowing that I’ll be returning to Siavonga before too long. I’ll be pretty busy for the next few weeks but I’ll do my best to do some solid posting anyway.
No excuses, play like a champion!
Wednesday, May 5, 2010
Triple Thank You
I believe a few thank yous are in order today.
First, thanks to all of you who took the time to email Zenzo and Clever. You made these guys very happy. Everybody loves getting emails, but it was especially nice for these two since emailing is a new experience for them. So good work, team.
And feel free to keep them coming. If you haven’t emailed either of these guys yet, go ahead and do it. Right now. Go.
Next, I’d like to thank all of you who have sent over young adult and children’s books for the kids. Namumu has a very solid library these days thanks to you. The kids have a nice selection to choose from and they are grateful.
I’m grateful for your help as well. It’s seems that some time before I arrived, some group from Canada either brought over or sent a bunch of books. Before you all started sending over books it seemed like the only thing these kids had to read were books of Canadian origin, either written by a Canadian author or set in Canada. Boy, did they suck.
But now we’ve got some great stuff. I’ve got kids reading “Maniac McGee”, “Wayside School is Falling Down”, “Charlotte’s Web” and “The Hardy Boys”, among other selections. It’s awesome.
So, thanks for sending them over and for contributing to the education of our kids. And for saving me from crappy Canadian literature.
Finally, thanks to all who have supported my stay here, both financially and through prayer, and for making it possible for me to work in this strange in beautiful place.
Thank you, thank you, thank you.
First, thanks to all of you who took the time to email Zenzo and Clever. You made these guys very happy. Everybody loves getting emails, but it was especially nice for these two since emailing is a new experience for them. So good work, team.
And feel free to keep them coming. If you haven’t emailed either of these guys yet, go ahead and do it. Right now. Go.
Next, I’d like to thank all of you who have sent over young adult and children’s books for the kids. Namumu has a very solid library these days thanks to you. The kids have a nice selection to choose from and they are grateful.
I’m grateful for your help as well. It’s seems that some time before I arrived, some group from Canada either brought over or sent a bunch of books. Before you all started sending over books it seemed like the only thing these kids had to read were books of Canadian origin, either written by a Canadian author or set in Canada. Boy, did they suck.
But now we’ve got some great stuff. I’ve got kids reading “Maniac McGee”, “Wayside School is Falling Down”, “Charlotte’s Web” and “The Hardy Boys”, among other selections. It’s awesome.
So, thanks for sending them over and for contributing to the education of our kids. And for saving me from crappy Canadian literature.
Finally, thanks to all who have supported my stay here, both financially and through prayer, and for making it possible for me to work in this strange in beautiful place.
Thank you, thank you, thank you.
Saturday, May 1, 2010
Coming Soon to Namumu: A Little Samuel Steven
Wait. It’s not what you think. Read on.
I had a great walk-and-talk the other day with Vincent, Namumu’s Senior Welder, and I thought I’d briefly share some of the highlights.
Still what I would call a young man at 27, Vincent is a goofball. Tall and lanky, he towers over his coworkers at the Namumu workshop, though he is far from intimidating. Because he’s a goofball. Most of the time he’s laughing and flashing a big, toothy grin, joking around as he grinds and cuts door and window frames all the live-long day.
Besides crafting works of art out of iron sheets and Y12 steel bars, Vincent plays guitar in a local band that specializes in traditional African music. I’ve only heard them once but I thought they sounded phenomenal. I think they’re still looking to catch their big break, but until then they are content to just meet to jam out every week or so.
I’ve spent a fair amount of time chatting with Vincent at the Namumu workshop during work days, but last Sunday I got the chance to have a nice long conversation with the guy. Mike, our Assistant Carpenter, had invited us to a special church service at the local branch of the New Apostolic Church in Siavonga to celebrate the recent birth of his daughter, and as Vincent lives close by we decided to meet up and make the 45 minute trek together. His pregnant, non-English-speaking young wife and baby girl joined us.
The trip started out on a high note when Vincent made an announcement. He informed me that he planned to name his next child, the child his wife is currently carrying in her belly, after me. If it’s a boy he said he’ll name it Samuel Steven Luubi, and if it’s a girl he will name it after some female member of my immediate family.
To this day I’m still not 100% sure that he was being 100% serious, but I’m pretty sure he was. Needless to say, I was taken aback. I don’t really know where that decision came from. I’m quite certain I haven’t done anything in my time here to deserve such a tribute. But I felt honored and I told him so again and again. The thought of a little African Samuel Steven terrorizing Namumu for years to come brought joy to my heart.
We continued on our journey, which was far from an easy stroll. This particular branch of the New Apostolic Church was on the other side of town, and to get there required passing over some serious rocks and hills on a small footpath through the brush. It was strenuous, but given the fact that Vincent’s tiny wife was walking effortlessly while carrying one baby on her back and another in her stomach I figured I shouldn’t complain. So, I trudged on with the group.
As we climbed up and down along the narrow path Vincent began opening up a bit more and sharing bits and pieces of his background, some of which I was aware of and much of which I wasn’t.
Like many of our Namumu children, Vincent was orphaned early on in life and was raised by various members of his extended family. He stopped going to school after grade 4, which was especially surprising to me since his conversational English and writing skills are so good. Usually these early dropouts are strictly Tonga speakers (or whatever the local tribal language happens to be) and often they cannot read or write. I can’t tell you how he acquired these skills outside of school, but he did.
Vincent’s past has made him especially sympathetic towards the children of Namumu. He told me that since he’s experienced the life of an orphan and its hardships he wants to do whatever he can to help them out. He wants to continue working for Namumu and training our kids as long as he can.
I gave him a solid pat on the back for that one.
On the way home from the service we talked about the future and what it held for him and his family. He really wants to find a way to go back to school. His Namumu paycheck is not a big one, so saving up the money might be an issue. He’ll need to pay for classes and then for examination fees. But the desire is there. His immediate objective is to prepare for and take his grade 7 examination which, given his reading and writing skills, I’d say he should be able to pass without much of a problem. I told him that in the coming weeks and months I’d do what I can to help him out.
Eventually we reached our respective homes and our conversation came to a close, which was a shame. I wish we could have continued on. But I suppose there will be more conversations to come with Vincent, and, hopefully years from now, with little Samuel Steven as well.
I had a great walk-and-talk the other day with Vincent, Namumu’s Senior Welder, and I thought I’d briefly share some of the highlights.
Still what I would call a young man at 27, Vincent is a goofball. Tall and lanky, he towers over his coworkers at the Namumu workshop, though he is far from intimidating. Because he’s a goofball. Most of the time he’s laughing and flashing a big, toothy grin, joking around as he grinds and cuts door and window frames all the live-long day.
Besides crafting works of art out of iron sheets and Y12 steel bars, Vincent plays guitar in a local band that specializes in traditional African music. I’ve only heard them once but I thought they sounded phenomenal. I think they’re still looking to catch their big break, but until then they are content to just meet to jam out every week or so.
I’ve spent a fair amount of time chatting with Vincent at the Namumu workshop during work days, but last Sunday I got the chance to have a nice long conversation with the guy. Mike, our Assistant Carpenter, had invited us to a special church service at the local branch of the New Apostolic Church in Siavonga to celebrate the recent birth of his daughter, and as Vincent lives close by we decided to meet up and make the 45 minute trek together. His pregnant, non-English-speaking young wife and baby girl joined us.
The trip started out on a high note when Vincent made an announcement. He informed me that he planned to name his next child, the child his wife is currently carrying in her belly, after me. If it’s a boy he said he’ll name it Samuel Steven Luubi, and if it’s a girl he will name it after some female member of my immediate family.
To this day I’m still not 100% sure that he was being 100% serious, but I’m pretty sure he was. Needless to say, I was taken aback. I don’t really know where that decision came from. I’m quite certain I haven’t done anything in my time here to deserve such a tribute. But I felt honored and I told him so again and again. The thought of a little African Samuel Steven terrorizing Namumu for years to come brought joy to my heart.
We continued on our journey, which was far from an easy stroll. This particular branch of the New Apostolic Church was on the other side of town, and to get there required passing over some serious rocks and hills on a small footpath through the brush. It was strenuous, but given the fact that Vincent’s tiny wife was walking effortlessly while carrying one baby on her back and another in her stomach I figured I shouldn’t complain. So, I trudged on with the group.
As we climbed up and down along the narrow path Vincent began opening up a bit more and sharing bits and pieces of his background, some of which I was aware of and much of which I wasn’t.
Like many of our Namumu children, Vincent was orphaned early on in life and was raised by various members of his extended family. He stopped going to school after grade 4, which was especially surprising to me since his conversational English and writing skills are so good. Usually these early dropouts are strictly Tonga speakers (or whatever the local tribal language happens to be) and often they cannot read or write. I can’t tell you how he acquired these skills outside of school, but he did.
Vincent’s past has made him especially sympathetic towards the children of Namumu. He told me that since he’s experienced the life of an orphan and its hardships he wants to do whatever he can to help them out. He wants to continue working for Namumu and training our kids as long as he can.
I gave him a solid pat on the back for that one.
On the way home from the service we talked about the future and what it held for him and his family. He really wants to find a way to go back to school. His Namumu paycheck is not a big one, so saving up the money might be an issue. He’ll need to pay for classes and then for examination fees. But the desire is there. His immediate objective is to prepare for and take his grade 7 examination which, given his reading and writing skills, I’d say he should be able to pass without much of a problem. I told him that in the coming weeks and months I’d do what I can to help him out.
Eventually we reached our respective homes and our conversation came to a close, which was a shame. I wish we could have continued on. But I suppose there will be more conversations to come with Vincent, and, hopefully years from now, with little Samuel Steven as well.
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