Happily lost in the Namibian desert

With 7 flats and 12 missionaries under our support in Botswana’s neighboring country of Namibia, we decided a trip there was needed, so we scheduled a week to survey the properties and the young men living and working there.

Our Airlink flight took us first to the sprawling mess that is the Johannesburg South Africa airport then on to the capital city of Windhoek, Namibia, where we rented a 4X4 safari vehicle and stayed a couple of nights at the lovely Hilton Garden Inn. 

Our most adorable elders took us on tours of their flats pointing out needed repairs.  I care for these young men with a love borne of the responsibility I’ve been given over them, and I ponder that their mums at home worry over them and pray somebody cares and watches out for them.  Indeed, somebody does care, very much so.

The disorganized storage container we rent to hold missionary pamphlets and books is in dire need of sorting out, but sadly I did not budget enough time for this herculean task so will put it off for another time.

The Church maintains three Branches in Windhoek, one in the distant northern city of Ongwediva which we did not allow time to visit, and another in the coastal community of Swakopmund.  With 1,110 members in Namibia, The Church has seen slow but steady growth these last 20 years in which missionaries have preached The Gospel here.

Prior to WW1, Namibia was a colony of Germany before becoming a colony of South Africa.  Gaining its independence in 1990, the country still maintains a distinct German culture with several spoken languages including Afrikaans, German, English, and several tribal languages. 

                   

                                                

Once our mission work was complete, we enjoyed a lovely P-Day in the famous red dunes of Namib-Naukluft National Park.  This being our first 4X4 excursion, we didn’t know what to expect but were wildly thrilled with the comforts and amenities of this traveling hotel.  From a propane stove with complete kitchen setup to a large fridge/freezer combo to a comfortable mattress and sleeping quarters, we were completely self contained and mobile.

                                                   

                   

                 

The funky touristy gas stop of Solitaire in the middle of the Namib Desert made for a fun break.

               

               

Most of the trip was spent on deeply corrugated roads with some packed gravel and/or deep sand thrown in.  One was constantly either airing the tires up or letting them down depending on changing road conditions.  

                                              

Our campsite for two nights at Sosossvlei came equipped with a hot shower and flushing toilet.  This unexpected luxury was outdone only by the exquisite and stark beauty of the Namib desert and the impressive red dunes which extend for miles.  These dunes are among the largest in the world.  The vivid play of color across the dunes during sunrise and sunset beckoned me to climb and shoot a thousand pictures. 

            

              

            

             

                                            

The hidden treasure deep in the dunes which became the highlight of our wanderings was Deadvlei, a salt pan which was a lake 900 years ago but whose water supply was cut off as winds sculpted the massive surrounding dunes.  The arid heat scorched the trees, and there is not enough moisture for them to even decompose.   

                                                

               

               

                

Both evenings of our stay, I climbed to the top of Dune Elim just outside our camp for views across the pan (vlei in German) which 1000 years ago was a lake bed.  The sunsets never get old, the Milky Way never ceases to enthrall me, and once again, site of The Southern Cross made me cry.  Just after sunset on both evenings, the hair of my arms prickled with the eerie howl of nearby hyenas who must have just made their kill. 

              

              

              

              

              

Although this trip was more for dune siting than animal encounters, we were lucky enough to cross paths with several ostrich, a few baboons, a lone hyena (our first), colorful guinea fowl, and the ubiquitous wandering oryx. Aaron added oryx burger to his growing list of exotic meat he's imbibed in.

               

Africa:  a deliciously exquisite destination.