The summer weather is in full swing and we are doing very little these days except rest and drink lots of water. The day temp has got to be 100˚ and the nights are cooling to the low 90s/high 80s. It's hot without air conditioning! I had someone tell me that I should douse my top sheet in cold water before bed and sleep with it that way. I tried it Saturday night and almost every night since then! It's been awesome! With the ceiling fan and floor fan both on high it's almost like winter! It's amazing because after one hour the sheet is already dry! Evaporation is an amazing process! :-)
Etosha (yes, again)
When I went to Etosha with Daryl, Sabrina and Anna, Shelley couldn't join us, so I promised her that we would plan a small weekend trip before she left. We decided that September would be a good time to go. I know that many of you think that I go on too many vacations so I wasn't even going to tell you about this little weekend trip. However, God blessed us so much that I can't help but re-cap our amazing trip and just brag on God's awesomeness for a minute! In a day and a half, we saw an amazing amount of animals! Total we saw: 59 elephants: one water hole had 22 elephants where we watched them play in the water and even got to watch one baby breast-feed! 16 lions: The first day we saw 12 lions. A single male and then a pride with 5 cubs, 2 males and 3 females. We saw one male earlier in the day and when we came back to that same spot the rest of them were there and crossing the road right in front of us! The next day we saw an older male, a younger male and 3 females that crossed the road literally right behind our car! I kept pushing Shelley out the window to get a better picture and she thought I was trying to get her killed! 5 hyenas (4 at the same waterhole with the 22 elephants!). We also saw a black rhino that was just off the road that stopped perfectly in a clearing for us to take some pictures! The first day we saw a leopard come out from the bush to get a drink at a waterhole. It was the most perfect sighting we could have ever wished to have of a leopard! Then, to our amazement, we saw another one the second day! WOW! People can go on safari their entire lives and never see a leopard! We had two in two days! The second one was a little frustrating at first because there was a huge banter with Linda, a missionary in Grootfontein that went with us of "Which tree? That tree. Which tree? That tree right there. The dark thing in that tree. Which tree? Look at this rock then go straight back this way. I still don't see it. Which tree? Ok, is it the tallest tree? Yes. I don't see anything in the tallest tree. WHICH TREE? That tree." I honestly think that the only reason I ended up seeing him was because he moved! Every time it just seemed like our timing was orchestrated by God so that we saw the most amazing things! Did I mention that it was an awesome trip? :-) Here are a few photos that I posted.
Further proof
In case you guys needed any further proof that I go on vacation more than anyone else in the world (except my fellow missionaries) I am planning another trip for the end of this month. Jessica, the other missionary in Grootfontein, has her birthday at the end of the month and has requested a trip to Swakopmund on the coast. She has also requested to go sky diving in honor of her birthday! I think it's a great idea because it's something that I have always said I wanted to do. However, it is a little expensive. A chat with my friend brought us to acknowledge that we wouldn't want it to be cheap as that would be frightening! The cost is $220 US. Being on a fixed income this will be really difficult for me to come up with. If anyone is interested in helping out a bit I would gladly accept it. (Sorry, it wouldn't be tax deductible) You can email me for details about how.
Home pregnancy test?
I don't always pay the best attention so it wasn't much of a surprise to me when I realized a little late that Olive (my cat) was in heat. I found her the other night in a compromising position with a neighborhood cat. Is there a home pregnancy test for cats? What in the world am I going to do if she has kittens?!?! Ekes! Though I think it's slightly funny, I am still wondering what the results of my inattention will be! Why hasn't she been spayed yet you ask? By my best estimate she is only 5 or 6 months old and I didn't think she was old enough to have that problem yet! I have an appointment tomorrow with the only vet in town to find out what we can do.
Good cat? Bad cat?
I have been frightened before, but I had my first true panic attack Saturday night when I went out to get a glass of water right before bed and found Olive playing with one of the spiky geckos that I hate so much in the hallway! She looked like she wanted to come and show me her prize so I had to praise her for catching it but kept telling her to stay where she was! It was a little like this "Good girl Olive! You caught a lizard! Good girl! No- no- don't bring it here. You stay right there. Don't you dare bring it over here! But good girl for catching it..."
Shelley, who was house-sitting at Daryl and Sabrina's next door, got a phone call of "Olive caught a lizard and you have to come over right now!" The saint that she is, she actually came over. However, at night we always bolt the door from the inside so even with her keys she couldn't get in! That sent me into even more of a panic because it meant I had to get past Olive and the gecko to get to the kitchen to let her in. Poor Shelley had to stand outside coaching me from the window to get me through it! The gross little thing kept biting Olive and at one point she flicked it up onto the wall. Because it was above her, she "lost" it. At this point I was able to use a piece of foam to push her into the bathroom then use as a shield between me and the gecko. They don't typically run from people and I think this poor guy was a little shocked because he didn't even try to run when Shelley finally used an old plastic butter tub to catch him. What would I have done without a roommate who isn't afraid of these nasty little creatures?!?!?! (Mary said that in the future I can call her, but she leaves in December!)
Me
So you're tired of hearing about all the fun stuff I do and you just want to know how I am doing. Well, it's been a struggle lately but it is improving. Things weren't going well with Shelley and we had to ask Sabrina to mediate for us, I haven't been able to do any teaching at the hospital for a multitude of reasons, and the heat is intensely oppressive and makes me ridiculously lethargic and cranky. On the other hand, I have been developing a wonderful relationship with Pastor Domingo's youngest daughter Emilly. Emilly called me a month ago and asked if I knew anyone that could tutor her in accounting because her grades were very poor. I asked those around me who are teachers if anyone could help and the answer was always no. So I decided to help her myself. What do I know about accounting? Absolutely nothing! However I do have a college degree and I am an American consumer so I figured I knew enough. Boy was I wrong! Even though she's already half way through her book in school I decided that the best place to start was the beginning. It has been so confusing! I have no clue why the debit side is for money coming in and the credit side is for money going out! I don't understand at all! However, we have been able to keep working through the book and we're all the way to chapter 3! I don't know if it is the blind leading the blind or if I am helping, but I hope it's the latter! I use it as a chance to coach her in English as well which she appreciates. Emilly is a very sweet girl and I have enjoyed spending time with her several afternoons a week. I will keep you updated on how we do! :-}
I hope this finds you all doing well!
lots of love and hugs!
kapande
Kimmie Tibbetts
Serving the people of Namibia at the Rundu State Hospital
http://thekimmieconnection.blogspot.com
http://s207.photobucket.com/albums/bb136/thekimmieconnection/
http://thekimmieconnection.blogspot.com
http://s207.photobucket.com/albums/bb136/thekimmieconnection/
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