Paul and Auguste (and Emmanuel)

These people are the reason we went to Namibia and not, say, Hungary or Laos. I guess Lauren had her tie to the country, having been there for a year or so with the Peace Corps, but I still don’t think she would have organized this trip at this time if it weren’t for the fact that Paul and Auguste were there.

Paul is a Two Riverser. Two Riversian. Whatever – he used to be at Two Rivers. He was the youth pastor there for several years, and when he went to Africa to become a full-time missionary, our church continued to support him, and will continue to do so for the foreseeable future. His parents (who are super cool) still go to Two Rivers.

Auguste is his wife. They met on the mission field in Namibia. She’s Namibian, from the Oshiwambo tribe. I had met her twice before, once each on the last two trips they made to Phoenix. The first time she and Paul came to my house and chatted for a while – but she was pregnant at the time, and feeling very tired, so I didn’t get to talk to her a whole lot. The second time I barely saw them – they spoke at Awaken (young adult group) and the youth group, so I saw them there, and I went to Paul’s house to hang out with him and my friend Aaron for a bit, but Auguste wasn’t around while we were talking. So I didn’t really know her before this trip. Not her fault – a product of schedules and time, and I can’t say I made an effort to arrange anything with her and Paul together.

Emmanuel is their son. He’s a little over one year old, just starting to walk and speak gibberish and sometimes repeat words people say, like “Amen.” (A holy child from the start.) We all got to serve as uncles and aunts during the journey. He dances whenever anyone plays music or taps out a rhythm. He’s pretty awesome.