let's have a little reconciliation

hello again, long time. internet here is very sketchy and I haven't been able to log in very often and when I do I try to upload pics and then it dies again so I'll just have to wait and do Zambia and Luderitz another time.
So for now this past week...
It was a really nice week actually, ups and downs as usual but it all came together in the end with this amazing church service I went to.
Monday was a nice day at my internship followed by some quality time with some friends and then quality homework time. Tuesday we went to the prime minister's office to speak with one of his special directors. The director is currently working on projects for the betterment of the Saan people, the oldest group of people in the world but also the most marginalized. It was interesting to hear how they are approaching the situation, trying to fit people into the society who live so radically different than anyone else, but it does seem they are making a real effort to do it in a culturally acceptable way.
On Thursday we had a women come speak to us about her experiences during apartheid and how SWAPO, the leading liberation and political party, put her in a dungeon for a couple years because she was a suspected spy. SWAPO has unjustly hurt a lot of people with this and she and others are just trying to bring the truth out. From there we went to a seminary and spoke with a pastor about reconciliation. Namibia did not have much of a reconciliation process, partly because of SWAPO's history with the spy camps, and they didn't see it necessary. This is an area that I think South Africa has really done well with in comparison to Namibia, it had a reconciliation program that I believe really made a difference.
After that some of us went to Katutura to get tested for HIV. No, I have no reason to believe I need to get tested but I thought it would be a good experience, see what people go through. Also, as Americans we look at people here and wonder why they don't get tested ever but when we look at ourselves, neither do we. However, we could not get tested. And this is actually very frustrating, because testing is only available during the week and it starts at 8 am and finishes when they meet the quota each day, and generally that does not last very long. How do people get tested? It is free but people are at work during the week and most cannot afford to take work off, even if their work let them. Anyways we went by the community radio station where a couple of our friends work and visited them and then went with them to a market and got some fat cakes :)
After that a few of us went to parliament gardens to read and talk. It was cool because a lot of graduates of the University of Namibia were there taking pictures. I was just thinking of how proud the parents must be to have their kids graduate from university. There were not universities in Namibia before independence. So to graduate must mean a lot. Also just the fact that they were on the parliament lawn with people of different races is a huge deal when you stop and think about how that would have been illegal less that 20 years ago.
On friday we had a wonderful woman, Patricia, come speak to us, the first woman we've had so far. She directs Hope Initiative which has helped so many children and people in the informal settlements of Katutura. Her heart and passion was radiant and it was so nice to see someone making true progress and a difference in Namibia. As I have mentioned before, I sometimes get frustrated with how impossible everything seems here and no matter what you do little gets done, but this lady gives me reason to believe otherwise.

Moving on, the weekend was really really nice, just stayed in Windhoek and spent time with a friend.
Sunday comes and I go to the church down the street that I have been to a few times and it was an exciting day because the three separate Lutheran churches are coming together to work as one church. This is a big deal regardless, but even bigger because 60% of Namibians are Lutheran, so this event is helping unify 60% of the country. There are two black Namibian churches and one German church that joined to make a council that will help unify the three churches so they can begin to work as one. It was an incredible event that incorporated so much of my experience in Namibia. There were people from all over the world, Germany, Netherlands, Finland, USA, and then South Africa, Tanzania, and Zambia, and Zimbabwe. A band played conducted by the composer of the National Anthem. I saw the former prime minister there along with a few speakers we've had. People of different races, languages, nationalities, and cultures all came to celebrate the event. That was reconciliation at its heart that morning; four hours of coming together as a church to serve God and to help Namibia come together as nation. It was so amazing to experience the apologies and forgiveness between peoples for the harsh history of colonization and apartheid. So many speakers mentioned their desires to work towards healing and helping Namibia by creating social and economic justice in the country. As frustrating and unhopeful it can be here at times when I experience things like this and meet all these people who are passionately working to help this country I know that the country will make it and grow beautifully.