Floods

My soul was rocked by last May’s Nashville Floods. Maybe it was my foolish decision to drive for several hours in the height of the storm. Maybe it was the horrific real life images of houses, cars, neighborhoods, and landmarks under water. Maybe it was the unbelievable outpouring of support/community/volunteerism that resulted among Nashvillans in the weeks after.

Rainy season is nothing short of outrageous in Namibia. When I talk about rain, I don’t mean a shower. I don’t even mean a thunderstorm. I’m talking storms of hurricane proportions...trees bending over, flash floods, living things dying, villages swept away, and no drinkable water. And maybe even cholera if the season is wet enough.

The rains in Ohangwena this week have been amazing. I love a good storm! Snowstorm, thunderstorm, hailstorm, you name it. But storms in Namibia are crazy!

Remember how Namibia is all desert? Well, the ground’s first reaction to sudden rain is flooding. It can’t soak up the water fast enough. Twice this week the entire school grounds have flooded in 3-5 inches of water, making it impossible to walk without being submerged to your ankles in mud and dirty water. And twice this week, our water has gone out...which is just a terrible inconvenience (but as always, TIA).

Crazily enough, after a few hours most of the water here soaks into the sand. Unfortunately, this does not remain true outside of school. A lot of these rains completely flood fields, oshanas, streets, and villages. Many roads get washed out this time of year, sometimes making it impossible to travel. We are warned to always have nonperishables and water around in case we get flooded into our villages.

As a teacher, I find the rains pose their own challenges. Tthe learners typically stay in their classrooms all day while the teachers go from room to room. If it’s raining, I still have to walk to my next class. This is Africa, so all the rooms are outside; no protection.

(Side note: I still don’t know the protocol during these heavy storms. So far, I’m the only one who seems to be switching classes at the appropriate time when it rains. Are you just supposed to stay in one class and miss your next one because of rain? That seems ridiculous, but maybe.)

Additionally, all of the roofs are made of tin. Put a monsoon on top of a tin roof and you have a deafening din. Without fail, I cannot teach when it rains. My voice is simply not loud enough to shout over the rain. Here's to patience and flexibility in your lesson plans.

But the best part about the rains in Namibia is that no one gets upset about them! Rain is seen as an incredible blessing here. It brings much needed water for drinking, bathing, and laundering...it allows the crops to grow...and it refreshes the land and makes everything beautiful. It doesn’t rain outside of these few months, so everyone is grateful while it does. Even if a village washes away...even if your house gets flooded...even if people and animals get sick or die. Rain is a blessing from God in Namibia. It really puts life/nature into perspective.

Tonight, I am grateful for the rain because the air is cool, the sunset was indescribable, and I’m listening to a symphony of frogs and insects right outside my window as I fall asleep. You can’t find this in Nashville, that’s for sure.