The last run

In the picture you can see Bob the Romanian
guy finishing today's run.
I have been running at the village's old runway
for about a year and a half just to stay fit.
(The village used to be an old South African
Defense Force Base and that's why there is
the runway.)
A few weeks ago Bob decided to start running
with me so he could also stay fit.
So, as my time here is coming to an end
activities like this are also having their last hurrah,
so to speak, and today was the last run.

As I was running I was thinking of how life just
sometimes has a path for us.
I believe I've written about this in a prior blog post
but I am going to write about it again here.
Before I arrived in Namibia I spent two and a half
years in Romania. There is a link on the right hand
side of this page to the blog I wrote when I was
there.
Upon leaving Romania in December 2008 and
while in the airport in Bucharest with another volunteer
named John, we both agreed that it was probably
going to be the last time we will ever speak a word
of Romanian.
Fast forward to August 2009 and while living 70
kilometers out in the bush of Namibia, a pair of
white guys show up in the village. The crazy thing is,
that it was Bob and another guy and guess where
they were from, yup, Romania.
It's just difficult to understand how this could be. I am
probably the only American in the area that can speak
Romanian and here they come.
I have to say that during the three or so years that my
Romanian has improved greatly as I have always
spoken to Bob in Romanian and he has spoken
English to me.
So I am wondering that when I told Bob that as I am
returning to the States and that I will probably never
speak another word of Romanian again, if it would
be true. But as experience has taught me in Bucharest
in '09', who ta hell knows?
But also, it has been a great time working with Bob
over these last three years. I was there when they
started their mission in a building that had been
abandoned for over 20 years. I saw the resurgence
from the ashes just like the Phoenix. I also helped
him as much as I could and felt that by helping people
who are helping other people, then I am helping
development of the village.
It has been an honor to be able to have worked with
Bob and there is the memory of that special certain
time of seeing progress go forth throughout the village.
As I am leaving all I can do is wish Bob and his
mission all the luck in the world as they continue to
help the people in the village.