Weekend Fun

Friday the clouds had rolled in from the coast and it was the coldest day we’ve experienced so far. It was our final day in the schools and to finish the painting. But mostly Friday was spent looking forward to the Open Stage night in the evening. We had prayed for the weather to warm up because the performance was to be held outside at the amphitheater, but God had other plans. So we all layered up in multiple sweatshirts and bundled up in our sleeping bags to brave the cold evening. There were dance performances from all the different age groups, the youth group, and a special dance which Lauren choreographed for her, Jes and Pearl. There were raps, songs, and dramas, including our two which got the crowds roaring. The whole evening was a blast and Jes and Lauren felt like proud moms watching all the dancers performing on stage. It was a great finale to all we’ve been doing all week.

Saturday was our tourist day in Swakop. We drove the 30 minutes down to the coastal town for shopping, swimming, sandboarding and more. Katie and Parker were the only two willing to brave the cold waters of the southeast Atlantic. But everyone took a turn at bartering with the local woodcarvers and at sandboarding. Meghan and Parker tried the stand-up boarding which is much like snowboarding, while all the others tried the lie-down boarding which is more like sledding. Everyone had a great time going down reaching speeds up to 75 km/hr (Jill held the record), though the hike back up the dune proved quite the workout. At the end of the day everyone had a great time despite the sand in places they didn’t even know they had places!

Sunday was our day to say goodbye. We went to church one last time where we saw many of the children in Sunday School. Lauren, Jes and Pearl performed their dance once again during the service. The afternoon was our final chance to hang out with our new friends for the last time. In the evening we led youth group. Parker organized some big group games which everyone loved. Then I led in some worship songs which only some of the group seemed to know. Seems I need to work on my repertoire of Afrikaans songs! For the lesson we talked about how God makes all things new. Not only does He restore all things at the end of time, but He begins that restoration in our lives today! Parker then shared his testimony as a powerful, concrete example of that very truth. He had many of the youth coming to him afterward asking questions and it was evident that his story paralleled many of their own. After youth group we stayed for quite some time exchanging email addresses, getting photos with people, and saying our last goodbyes. It will be sad to leave, but for those who have the sand in their blood, it’s not “goodbye,” it’s “until next time.”