Hut time!

I have made it to my permanent site! I have so much to write about - but unfortunately, the Internet is not very reliable out here, in the village. I'm actually writing this on the Blogger app on my phone, and hoping it actually works :)

So, yes, I am living in a hut! And I have put my hammock just outside my door- and the kids LOVE IT! And I've decided to keep it there- this way, it will encourage them to come visit me. Though, part of me thinks maybe that's a bad idea because the other morning - at 6:30am- the little 5 year old, Junior, was swinging on it. But I'm glad that they're not shying away from me. I found out very quickly, that I had to be the one to initiate conversation. See, are first, they would just quietly look at me from afar. Now, they are constantly wanting to come in my hut, or show me things, etc. Oh, and they call my "Miss Johanna" :)

The other day, I also showed them some little Christmas lights I had that are solar powered. They got pretty excited about it. So we charged the lights all day, and then that evening, I suggested we put the lights on the tree that holds the hammock - and this would be the "party tree". And the our mini dance party began!!! The brought the radio over, and were showing off their dance moves! And then, of course, they tried teaching me the moves. So, hopefully when I come back to the States, I will be an expert in Namibian dancing - because I have some great teachers!

Anyway, I have sooooo many stories to tell and have taken pictures and video, and can't wait to share them! As soon as I can find some decent Internet around here - because, as the locals put it, I am "in the bush"!

For now, though, I'd like to leave you with this thought-provoking, and hopefully, inspirational passage from "Half The Sky" (sorry it's so long- but I had to include it in its entirety because I am learning that every word of it is true!):

"Young people often ask us how they can help address issues like sex trafficking or international poverty. Our first recommendation to them is to get out and see the world. If you can't do that, it's great to raise money or attention at home. But to tackle an issue effectively, you need to understand it - and it's impossible to understand an issue by simply reading about it. You need to see it firsthand; even live in its midst.
One of the great failings of the American education system, in our view, is that young people can graduate from university without any understanding of poverty at home or abroad. Study-abroad programs tend to consist of herds of students visiting Oxford or Florence or Paris. We believe that universities should make it a requirement that all graduates spend at least some time in the developing world, either by taking a "gap year" or by studying abroad. If more Americans worked for a summer teaching English at a school like Mukhtar's in Pakistan, or working at a hospital like HEAL Africa in Congo, our entire society would have a richer understanding of the world around us. And the rest of the world might also hold a more positive view of Americans."

(By the way, the last part of this quote explains exactly what are some of the goals of the Peace Corps!)


If you're looking for a good book to read, I HIGHLY recommend "Half The Sky"....

Happy Mother's Day to all the moms out there!!

Love and miss you all!
~ Johanna