My Last Sunday

As predicted, yesterday was a tough day. I woke up to the rain pouring down outside. What a gloomy day to say goodbye to everyone. Even though Kwa Zulu-Natal needs rain really badly, it just reminded me of big crocodile tears coming down from the sky. I heard it has been raining back at home as well.

When we got up to the church, there were not very many people there. The rain really makes it hard for everyone to get around and with no transportation, the walk is very difficult. It was ok though. The church was dark and the sound of the rain was popping off the tin roof throughout the entire service. It kind of just made you want to be quiet and still and just listen. Maybe that is why God brought the rain- so we could just listen. It was so hard to see Jabulani, a grown man, get up and openly weep in front of the church as he said goodbye to me from the church. I was so moved that the words that were coming out of his mouth were for me. Liz. Just Liz- 22, young, unknowing, and ordinary. At that moment all I could think about was the words to the song, "How Great is Our God."

How GREAT is our God.

Sing with me how GREAT is our God.

And all will see how GREAT,

How GREAT is our God.

Seriously, can we measure his greatness? Never properly, but we can generalize the enormity of it in human measurements by the things He has done for us that we could never do on our own. I thought back to one year ago when I was in the Outer Banks sitting in church with my aunt and cousins. I genuinely heard the voice of God for the first time in my life. It has never been more clear, but He said to me simply, "Go." I knew then I must go. My reaction was, "Where? When? How? What?" From that moment, I had the burden of his calling on my heart. I was restless, anxious, nervous, impatient. To think about that moment then and to look at where I am now truly shows how great He really is. The moment I knew I was coming to Africa, I felt that burden lift. That is how I knew in my heart I was supposed to be coming here. I tried to tell the people of the church that, and I hope maybe it came out like that. I just wanted them to know how lucky I felt to be there; to be the one God called; to be the one who experienced their unyielding love; to show them He is great. Before I left, they all placed their hands on me and prayed over me. Wow. I have never had that done for me before. I cannot even try to start to describe that feeling except that it feels like Christmas. It feels like everyone is offering only me gifts, and no one else is getting them, just giving them to me.

Can I tell you how selfless they are? Ana (the lady that Mission decided to build a house for and in the picture I posted) and I formed quite a bond the last couple of times I have been with her. It all kind of started when I was with Bridgette at Ana's house. That was the day we were basically rolling with laughter because Ana "demonstrated" that I was her real daughter. I guess it just sounds bad if I don't just tell you what she does. She simply pushes up her breasts and that means, "You are my real daughter." It is basically a huge joke and every time we see each other, we do that. It is kind of the equivalent to a secret handshake to us, but more hilarious. Sorry if that is weird, but I guess you have to be here to understand the humor. haha. Anyways! So she had on a beautiful pink and white scarf yesterday at church. It was extremely cold there then. As we were all standing there about to leave, she comes over and wraps that scarf around me. You know, this lady has nothing, and gives everything. She has taken in so many orphans, has cared for them, and given herself to her community. They have nothing and then they give what little they have. You really have to feel so small and shameful of yourself when you think of it!

We went over to Jabulani's last night, but I decided it couldn't be the last time we say goodbye. Fikile has gone to Empangeni this morning but on our way to Durban, we are going to stop and say our last goodbyes. I hate all the sadness. Today will be the day I say goodbye to everyone here, except Swazi. We took her back to school early this morning and that was the last time I will get to see her. I don't think it has quite hit me yet. She wrote me the sweetest card. I want to brag on her writing and English a little bit by showing you what she wrote. This is what it said:

Lizzy-

Thank you for being our teacher at school and you are so beautiful to me. I love you Lizzy and I know that you love me and may God bless you. You do know that I love you so much because you love me. And, I want to ask you to remember your song grade 7 sang for you ("We love you with the love of the Lord"). You'll be missing me and I'll be missing you.

Swazi just turned 9 years old. Isn't it amazing? A little over a year ago, she could barely speak English. I am was so proud of her every time I would look over her shoulder in class and read her sentences. I will miss her so much!

Well, tomorrow we head out to Durban. I can hardly believe it. Didn't I just arrive a couple of days ago? It feels so short, but it also feels like I also have a full heart and that is evidence that I have been here far longer than a couple of days. I want to encourage you to see the world. Think outside "the box." Meet new people. Form relationships that you wouldn't normally form. See that God isn't as focused on one place as you thought He was. It will truly open your eyes to so many things. If you get the chance, and if you have a desire to do something like that, just do it. Go. I don't think I could ever stop doing that.

His plan for our journey truly is like the open sea: visually endless, deep, mysterious, adventurous, exciting, stormy, glassy, wavy, windy, peaceful, quiet, and far-reaching. Now that I have set sail, I have a hard time seeing my boat docking ashore in once place for awhile. Let Him be the one to blow wind into your sails. If we let Him, He will provide direction and lead us. Like Delmar says in the movie, O Brother Whereart Thou?, "Come on in boys, the water is fine."

Last Week at School

I apologize that I am just now updating the last week. There has been so much to happen since the last time I wrote. The countdown until leaving SA is 4 days. Seems like I just got here yesterday.

I will start with last Saturday. I was so thankful for that night. Forman came back up to Hluhluwe for the weekend and he, Jordan, and Jabulani held an all men's bible study in one of the rooms in Jabulani's new house that is being built. I heard that went wonderful. But while that was going on, there were some pretty cool things happening on a different end. Since we were outcasts for the night, Fikile, Zenhle, and I hung out in the rondoval. We just all sat around enjoying each other's company and joking around about we didn't want to hang out with the men anyways. Fikile had worked all day though, and she ended up going to bed. Zenhle and I just ended up singing through an entire cd full of praise songs. Afterwards, we just began talking and she showed me some pictures that she kept with her. First, let me say a little bit about Zenhle. She is Nelesiwe's older sister and lives with Jabulani and Fikile so that she can help with the clinic. She has been taking classes to receive certification for HIV and AIDS counseling. She ALWAYS has a smile on her face, has such a gentle and kind nature, and she loves to sing. So, we were talking and I quickly came to find out she had lost a brother and a sister. One passed away from disease and her brother was shot to death. Also, she had just recently been a victim of a horrific act of violence, which had happened only 4 months prior. Her and her boyfriend were traveling home at night along the road when someone came up to rob them. They shot and killed her boyfriend right before her eyes then knocked her unconscious with the barrel of the gun. She still has a little bit of memory loss and sometimes cannot mentally understand it. I was knocked back with how unaware I was because her bright personality overshadows such a horrible incident. I could hardly believe that someone who loves God so with such piety could have just been going through all this. She revealed to me how much she trusts God though. Amazing. Trying to imagine myself in her shoes made me first think of anger. I would be quick to anger, but she is trusting in the Lord although she has gone through such a tough time. I was so thankful that we could talk in that way and I could really get to know her more. I think we both found comfort in confiding in each other. God continuously is reminding me to not take what I have for granted- I do it all the time.

Monday was Swazi's birthday. Oh my how she was spoiled. I don't even want to imagine my own children's birthdays one day. I could have bought out an entire kids clothing line for her. We checked her out of the hostel so she could come and open her presents, then we went over to Jabulani's and had some cake. We spent some time there in his new house just talking about how fast everything has flown. It was just so rewarding to hear Jabulani say that he feels my presence has greatly affected Swazi's english. I basically have forced her to converse with me and with confidence. We also talked about how great it would be for the children of the church to have the opportunity to have Bible School every holiday they were out for school. It was such a good opportunity for them. Jabulani said I should just fly back every holiday here. haha. I can't believe how close I have grown to that family. I have made such strong friendships with Fikile and Zenhle. Fikile has to be one of the most hilarious people ever. Zenhle the sweetest. Then Jabulani. He is like a Father to me. I cannot describe how he has taken me in and been such an encourager. Swazi. Well we all know she is the little sister I never had. She is spoile to stinkin death. Sometimes I cannot believe how advanced I feel in my relationship with her and Noxolo. I feel like I have known them for years.

Sorry again this blog is so long. You may need to take a break. haha. Tuesday night, I was invited home to spend the evening and night with the pre-kindergarten teacher at my school, Saartjie. She is around 28 and is the teacher I have been doing PE for everyday. Her and her husband live about 30 minutes west in a Game Reserve in Mkhuze. What a beautiful ride to her house! How cool would it be to have a backyard as a game reserve? Amazing. I had the pleasure of spending the evening with Saartjie, her 14 month old, Jacu (say it like Yaku), Saartjie's husband, and his mother. What great people! I had the best evening talking with them and eating dinner with them. Saartjie's husband took us for a quick ride around the reserve in his truck. We saw a little bit of wildlife and I got to see the tomato farm that he also manages including working for the Game Park. They have a beautiful farm house. The next morning, as we were riding down her driveway going to school, and an antelope ran out in front of us! Ok, there was another what I like to call "Africa-checks." It is kind of like a reality check but it just reminds me I am definitely far from home. Basically- I sometimes forget I am in South Africa and those things quickly remind me. It was no deer, it was an antelope. Amazing, eh? Another Africa-check happened about 10 minutes later when I saw the most amazing sunrise come up from behind the mountains on the trip back to school. I don't have to chance to see it much in Hluhluwe, but that morning I was graced with the brightest, most orange sunrise I had ever seen. Those things I will miss. The sun, the moon, the stars, the clouds, the landscapes. I was just so thankful for how welcoming the teachers like her were to me on this trip. I really have enjoyed getting to know the teachers. Yet again, two different worlds. The Zulus and the Afrikaans. Yet, I fit along well with both.

Wednesday: What a sweet, sweet day!!!! One of my favorites. So, originally, I was supposed to go along with the 2nd grade on a game drive at Bonamanzi Game Park. That fell through the morning we were about to leave. Here we had all these disappointed 2nd graders. Somehow, the teacher worked it out that we could go to this cat farm called Endomeni. I am so so so glad we went there instead. When I say cats, I don't mean a sweet little domestic cats. I mean cheetahs, lynx, wildcats, and servals! WOW. What an amazing time we all had. We got to go in all of the cages (except the cheetahs') and pet them. Our guide's name was Uncle Dumasani and he was so wonderful. Thankfully, they let us come for free. It would have cost us an arm and a leg to do something like that at home. Anyways, I was just in shock at how close we got to be. Then, the last thing we saw were the cheetahs. Those are the most majestic, beautiful animals. There were three of them in separate enclosures. Two of them we saw super super super close. The other we got to see run. Now talk about a breath-taking sight. To see that cheetah run from one end of the enclosure to the other (not even close to full speed)- absolutely awesome. I could talk about those cats forever, so I will stop there.

Thursday was my day to say goodbye to most everyone at the school. It was so sad!!!!! I was definitely drained and exhausted by the end of the day because I feel like hugged every last person in that school. haha. I received so many beautiful letters and gifts that I felt so so undeserving of it all. I told them all at break that they showed me love that they didn't even have to. They loved me just because. That is amazing to me. After the children sang to me, I kind of got a little emotional because it just hit me how lucky I was to be in that place. What a chance of a lifetime, and it was me getting it. I cannot express how some of their words touched me that day. You wouldn't believe how some are so ahead of their time. To feel that cared about my people you have only known in a short period of time is really special. It was all genuine to me. I can honestly say that a number of the teachers really were amazing mentors and helped me grow in my faith. They opened up my eyes to think things that I would not think about on my own. Those things right there- that is what this trip was about to me. Relationships. Friendships. Building those and knowing it is all because of God. I feel more certain that I was sent here to simply build those relationships. I love that my purpose took on that role.

That night the 6th graders organized what they called a "Sockie" or a dance. It was for 4-7 and I felt like I hopped in a time machine back to the 80's with the music. It was either 80's sounding or techno music. I still had a blast with all of them. I brought my laptop and plugged it up through the sound system so we could do the Shackles dance. Funny, so many of them already knew it because some of the other girls from Bible School and the 2nd graders who learned it with me had been teaching the others. Amazing how things catch on. We always just had to do the Cha Cha Slide. I was thinking about breaking the Electric Slide out, but then I thought maybe they weren't ready for that yet. haha! Maybe next time. :-) I think this was also like the first time in the history of Zulu culture that girls were dancing with boys. We should have wrote that happening down. Those things just don't happen around here. But apparently, things tend to change when you blend two completely opposite cultures together. I love it that way. I love swirls. They are colorful!

Friday I traveled to Pongola with the Track and Field runners. Now talk about a gorgeous trip. We were heading in the direction towards Swaziland, so the terrain became more mountainous. It was so beautiful. I also got to see part of the Jozini Dam which is lined by lovely mountains and dark blue water. Monkeys sat along the road as we passed and I swear that just cracks me up. Yes, Africa check. The kids did incredibly well at what was basically a Track meet with 5 other primary schools. I tell you those kids can fly. I had fun getting them stretched, warmed up, and ready for their events. It made me miss running in Track meets myself (subtract the 3200m run. blah) and also coaching. I was so proud of all of them. It was a great end to a wonderful experience working with the Primary School. The goodbye at the hostel was tough. I am surprised a couple of them aren't sitting with me now attached to my leg still hugging me. haha. I think I got a trillion hugs. I tell you, if you want to feel famous for awhile, this is the place you should come. And it makes you feel like that good kind of famous; like you are really loved. Not the fake kind where it ends with your career.

We ended up driving to Tembe Elephant Park and stayed in the Lodge. I wish Bridgette would have been with us. That is where she worked for so long. It made me think of her. In the middle of the night, I woke up to a Bush baby walking on top of my tent. You should have seen the spider that was waiting on me when I first got there. Funny- I can't even freak out anymore. lol. So that was an awesome experience. We sat around the campfire and I got to talk to some of the other people staying there. They were from London. I love meeting new people from around the world. So cool. This morning, we woke up and went on the 6:30am game drive at Tembe. It was so cold! We didn't see much except Nyala, Impala, Kudou, Red Dika, and Weildabeasts until the ultimate animal came across our paths. The animal I had been hoping I would see the entire trip. It was a female lion. We didn't see her for very long, but we saw her about 30m away and man was she a sight. That made the whole drive worth it. Later after we had packed up, we went out on our own in the truck and went on an elephant hunt (not to literally hunt them). I had only seen one with the Mission group. We went to the Hide Camp and ended up seeing 6 there. They were huge! On our way out of the park, we met two along side of the road. I could not believe how close to the thing I was. It is actually a little scary. You know you aren't at the zoo. There is a fence, but the difference is, you are also on the inside of the fence with the wild animal. Pretty amazing.

Well, I kind of dread tomorrow because it is my last church service. It is going to be a sad and long day I am thinking. But, it would have to happen sooner or later. Better it happened short than never experiencing the wonderful trip at all! I am sure that my last blog entry will be coming up soon. :-( Time is just something we feel like we never have enough of.

Friday 7-24-09

This week was a great first week back at school! After slowly getting back into the swing of things, on Tuesday, I met with the principal about my responsibilities for the next two weeks. Since the time frame is shorter than planned, he decided I should teach different classes when needed, teach PE to the pre-kindergarten and kindergarten everyday, teach random PE to other classes when needed, and help coach the track runners for their competition in Pongola next Friday.

For most of the week I followed the second grade teacher around, Elma Bradenhorst. Swazi is actually in that class, so she had an extra set of eyes on her. I kind of feel like she is my kid, so whenever she would get called down, I shot her a look. haha! Although, she doesn't go by Swazi at school. Her real name is Bongeka, so I am constantly catching myself when I have to call her name in class. I really enjoyed working closely with Elma. She is a wonderful, loving, gentle, caring, and insightful teacher. It is amazing how she can do bible school and bible lessons with the children every day. That is something we cannot easily do in school at home. Not to mention she has the best set up with only 17 children in her class. Those children really do love the Lord! You should hear them pray- and they are only 8-10 years old! I got to teach a couple of lessons with them this week and Swazi and I ended up teaching her class "Shackles." Swazi also decided to teach them "God is so good." Working with the children this week really made me miss my students back at home. I am so excited to start back school! I also took the second graders out for some PE activities and we played Hospital Tag, Red Light- Green Light, and did some relays. They loved it!

Working with the Pre-K has been going pretty good as well. I have them for a little over half an hour each day and we have been working on locomotor skills, social interactions, and playing games. All of the games I have introduced are brand new to them, so it has been fun watching them enjoy the games. However, it does take them quite a while longer to catch on. I played a game called "Animal Tag" where one team tries to guess what animal the other team is acting out. When they guess correctly, the guessing team chases the acting team to the other end of the field. I love playing this game with my students at home. My animal idea box had quite a different make-up than my list that I usually use. Here, I got to give them animals to act out like giraffes, zebras, elephants, and lions.

On Wednesday, I got to teach a class the principal usually teaches; Religious Studies, grade 7. He told me they were on the topic of relationships, but they had only covered family relationships. He kind of insinuated he wanted me to hit on "those" kinds of relationships, but not in the serious way of boyfriend-girlfriend. I ended talking about all relationships- those with the opposite sex and those with close friends. It was mainly just about them surrounding themselves with the right people; those who are positive influences. I really had such a good time with them! At the end I was trying to pull a discussion out of them. I told them I must have been boring. They kept saying, "No Miss! No Miss!" haha. I think it was probably an awkward conversation. Noxolo was in that class and at one point they were picking at her about a boy in the class, Lindo, who is like the typical popular, smooth-talking machine. Cute as can be though. I keep telling her she better not be boy crazy or I will get her. After we talked, I had brought my guitar, so we sang some songs together. I knew they knew, "Lean on Me" because I had heard them singing it in choir. We ended singing lots of songs together, and man, I just had a blast with them. I love that age.

Later on in the day on Wednesday, I ended up teaching an Afrikaan class. No, sorry to disappoint, but I did not speak in Afrikaan. Thankfully they understand English! It was a life skills class and only had about 7 students. I got to speak on road and driving safety. Let us not question at whether I was qualified to teach on that subject especially under the circumstances that we drive on the complete opposite side of the road! haha. No, it went great as well and they were very insightful. It was different, because all the students were white! It is amazing how that seemed like such a change to me. I guess I will be in shock again when I go back to school at home in a couple of weeks.

All summer long, I have been enjoying the fact that I have no vehicle (with the exception of Jordan's vehicle) to drive around and be lazy (it is the same feeling with having no cell phone). After school, I will go and walk around town or either run if I am exercising. Most of the time, I will run inside the school grounds around the field. Anyways, I was walking after school Wednesday and met Lucky (cool name, huh?) walking on the road. He works at the hotel and I met him and his brother, Sidah, through Jordan. They are super nice guys and coach the boys soccer team that Jordan got jerseys for. They have their first game Saturday. Lucky and I ended up walking to Jordan's house and one of his friends came over from the hotel. We all just hung out, talked, and they grilled out. It was nice just to have a different conversation. Lucky and Jordan ended up having a rapping battle. Talk about interesting. I think Jordan had an unfair advantage because his English came easier, obviously. It was hilarious!

Yesterday, I got to start helping coach the Athletics which consists of the sprinters, long-distance runners, long jumpers, high jumpers, and pole-vaulters. I helped with race starts with the sprinters. Sadly, I think I introduced most of them to the idea of stretching and warming up. We did some famous Larry Honeycutt agilities. The English teacher I followed before the Holiday also helped. She actually was very knowledgeable. I found out her husband had been a South African sprinting champion back in the day. No wonder!!! Anyways, I will get to go with them to Pongola next Friday for their Athletic competition.

Today was another awesome day! I traveled with the school's singing choir to a big competition with surrounding rural Zulu schools. It was held in Mtubatuba. I knew it was going to be a great experience, but I tell you, I have never heard so many beautiful voices......coming from children! They have the moves as well. The competition had all these different categories (including a category where females "model" without tops on- cultural thing). Anyways, the category we were in was called Afro without instrument. All they had were their voices and percussion from their feet. There was also a spiritual singing, gospel, creative poetry, all male choir, and afro with an instrument category. Some of the outfits were so cool. They were the traditional Zulu outfits. If you could hear how low some of those boys sing! Unbelievable! I am not sure what place the choir got because we left before the results. I was so proud of them, though.

Tomorrow, the boys' soccer team plays in the morning at 9. I have been hounding them about when they are going to play for awhile. I am excited I finally get to watch! Forman will also be coming back from Durban and I am pretty sure we will have revival again tomorrow night. I can hardly believe I only have a week and a half left! Insane! I will get some pictures from the competition today on here soon. :)

7-19-09 Continued

I know I have already posted a blog earlier this morning, but more exciting things have happened since then that I felt like I needed to write yet again.

I am not sure if I mentioned that we had Revival last night up at the church, but we went up there last night for a couple of hours and had a nice, relatively short (in Zulu time) service. Forman delivered the message for everyone and I think it was a great challenge to us all. One thing I love about his messages is that he engrains the idea that it isn't all about us. It is all about others.

This morning, we got up to the church around 12:30 and everyone was pretty much already there. The kids and I practiced the dance really quickly, but they really didn't need it because they all pretty much remembered it. They finally got to perform it in church today and I was just so proud. They did so well! Hopefully soon, I can get the video of them doing it on here so everyone can check it out. Let me tell you that today was the longest church service yet. We got home around 4:30 and the sun has pretty much started to set on me. I feel like I just woke up! I was SO hungry when I got back that Forman and I made a burger run. haha. Anyways, today in church the kids did their dance and I got the chance to brag on the children a bit about how proud everyone should be of them. It is kind of a cultural thing for adults to not really involved in children's activities and developmental ideas. Kids/teenagers are not taken as seriously as they should be. Let's just say that there isn't near enough time put in on working with the rural children in churches and communities. So, I was just so excited that I could tell the church how impressive those kids were and just how hard they worked on their dance. Also, I wanted them to realize that those kids could have done a number of things on their holiday break from school, but they decided to come to Bible School and worship God. That is awesome.

Another great thing that happened this morning was that the plumber for Jabulani's house gave his life to Christ this morning in church. He is only 22 and unbelievably talented. Jordan said he does a better job than many work jobs done back at home. Not to mention he is a super nice guy. We were all happy to see him come up today. Another girl visiting the church also came up when Forman gave the invitation.

Pakamile (a girl who has TB and had spent time in Fikile and Jabulani's clinic) was at church today. She looked so sick and coughed a good bit of the service. She had been staying in the clinic where Fikile and Zenhle had been taking care of her. Apparently, there was an issue involving the trifling mother and now Pakamile is back at home when she really needs to be at the clinic. I am not sure if I wrote about it one night, but when the group from Mission was up, we all went over to Jabulani's one night for a Zulu dinner and bonfire. Pakamile was staying at the clinic then and we brought her outside to sit in front of the fire. I am not sure how to describe it, but we were all standing there singing and praying, etc. when I got the strangest urge to just touch her. It was the weirdest thing, but somehow I felt like if I could touch her, I might heal her. I am sure that sounds crazy and believe me, I did not really know what to do. So I kind of bit back the urge for awhile, but the next thing I knew, Jabulani asked everyone to lay hands on Pakamile and pray for her right then. Then I knew I couldn't refrain any longer and God was saying, "Well fine then, if you won't do it yourself, I will make everyone do it." As we laid hands on her, I just touched her leg and wept because I was so overwhelmed by the longing to heal all of her sickness. So today at church, Jabulani called her again to the front of the church where some of the elders, Forman, and I came up to lay hands on her. She just sat there coughing and weeping. I had my hand on her shoulder and I promise I could feel every bone in her shoulder; she was frightfully skinny. I know her time is limited, but again I felt the urge to want to heal her. This time, the entire church joined in and everyone was simultaneously praying for her healing. I cannot say whether she will be physically healed, but I sure want it for her. I also just hope she received some comfort and peace in those moments this morning. I can't begin to imagine what her life must be like and the things she must go through at such a young age. I really hope she comes back to stay at the clinic.

That is one of the things I forget about when I am over here. The horrible and truthful reality of disease and sickness. It is so easy to forget with all the surrounding happiness, but today was an instant reminder of the struggles that do go on here. If you are reading this, will you please just say a quick prayer for Pakamile? Doesn't having to be anything extensive, I just want to believe in that prayer truly does have power. I know it does. Thank you for that! :-)

Well, again, I begin back school tomorrow. I am excited that I got a chance to know the children more of the church community, but I am also excited that I will be able to get to know the kids from school a little more over the next couple of weeks. I am curious to see what the Principal has in store for me. I still am not sure what he will have me doing. The suspense may make for an interesting week. I hope you will have a great week yourself, for those reading. Thank you for just taking time to care. Gosh, it just means so much to me and I cannot express my appreciativeness. Cheers from S.A!!!!

Sunday 7-19-09

It is Sunday morning here in Hluhluwe and we will be leaving for church shortly, but I thought I would go ahead and update things a little. The kids from Bible School and I will finally get to perform the "Shackles" dance today; which makes me uncontrollably excited!

Bridgette came down this past week and spent about 4 days with us. I hated to see her go on Friday because it was just so great having her to talk to about everything to. We worked on updating her resume because she is trying to get a job here at the Hluhluwe Hotel. Hopefully she can move here in the next month or two. They'd be crazy not to take her as intelligent and well put together as she is. I've learned that those very qualities that someone at home would be eagerly looking for in a possible job contestant are things that discourage employers from hiring here because of intimidation and the fact they would have to pay them more for being over-qualified. Ridiculous. Both Bridgette and I talked about where we see ourselves going, but I think between the both of us, we have fears of missing opportunities and the fact that time flies by so fast that we are afraid we will run out of time to accomplish what we desire. As silly as it sounds, we both talked about how it stinks growing up and she (at 26) calls herself old. Ha! That is just how ambitious she is, feeling like she is almost too late for success. I think we are just similar in feeling like time flies like sand in an hour glass and we are so up in arms about not missing one single chance to fulfill the things in life we've always dreamed about. I think we both came to the conclusion, though, that it is never too late for anything.

Strangely, after we had sat outside talking about those worries, Jordan had drove to Durban that day to pick up Forman and he came back with a DVD of a message from Francis Chan on worry and anxiousness. We watched it together and I thought, "Wow, what a depressing way I look at things sometimes." The verse he used was Phillipians 4:4-

Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice.

I was so glad I heard his words because it just immediately made me realize I should change my perspective on the way I pursue my own life and just go about my dad. I shouldn't worry! I should have excitement about living about respond to situations appropriately (as the chapter goes on to say). About anything. And I know it seems so unrealistic in the eyes of a normal person, but what Pastor Chan goes on to say about the criticism of this idea is that we need to get a grip on reality and that our time here is short and this is not our actual Home. What is there to worry about when all this is temporary anyway? God will listen to our prayers but we should pray using thanks! Maybe this doesn't make sense to you, I just have really been focusing on waking up and saying, "I want be positive today and just have joy that is from God." I think that ultimately will have an effect on people.

One day this past week, we all went up to Ana's house (the lady the mission group decided to build a house for and the lady who has an alternate site for Jabulani's church). Jordan was trying to get the measurements for the house and Bridgette and I just spent time laughing and joking with Ana and her girls. Needless to say, that was definitely a female talk, but had us rolling laughing. I just so enjoy times like those.

Yesterday, I had another one of those opportunities when Forman first got here. Forman, Jabulani and I just sat around for a couple of hours talking about different aspects of the bible and Christian life and how it all relates to each other. Well, mostly it was Jabulani and Forman who discussed things, but I just enjoyed being a sponge and taking it all in. I have found that it is better for me to be like that over here because what a great learning experience it has all been for me. I know I still hold very little knowledge about it all, but I know I have grown in my faith for sure since I have been here. I just enjoy listening and soaking up every bit of understanding about coming closer to Him. I keep on learning, keep on growing.

This week has just been a nice end to my holiday. I begin school back tomorrow at the Primary School. Time sure does fly here.

Well, I will update this more after church, but I am off!

July 7, 2009

Have you ever been to a place that was so surprisingly fascinating to you, that you felt like you yourself made the discovery that this place existed in the world and no one else had a clue it was there? Well that place for me was Mozambique. I had my own ideas about what it might be like, but the reality of it was no where close to my images. SO cool!!!! Ok, so as soon as we passed the border, I noticed right away there were no roads. Well, there were roads... that were made of sand. Thick, get-stuck sand. Only 4x4 vehicles venture into Mozambique (unless you are nuts and think you will make it with anything else). Only sand roads take you to places in Moz. You say, where is the main road? Well, you happen to be on it bumping along, fish-tailing and what not, all the while wondering where the heck you are going- there are no signs. That place was a dirt-biker/off-road junkie's dream. 

We went to stay with Nic and his wife, Claire, and their two sons, Chris and Tim. I had such a relaxing and peaceful time with them all! Not to mention, we had a blast on the beach and just had such enjoyable conversations. They have a great place right on the beach and for some reason, whenever I sit in front of an ocean, it is an immediate reaction for me to greet God. Just imagine an African ocean! They live in a little town called Pontaduoro, and is such an awesome little place. Turns out, it is quite a vacation place for some people. I also found out when I got there, that it is a Portuguese-speaking country. How crazy to see signs that resemble Spanish in Africa! Anyways, the town had some neat little restaurants, shops, and houses. The architecture of houses was amazing because of the Portuguese influence. Unlike SA, it was completely safe for us to walk down the roads at night and not have to worry about a thing. Yesterday, we went to visit an orphanage ran by a lady named Annette, which was about 30 minutes away. There we got some awesome Christmas cards and saw what her orphanage was about. People like that truly amaze me and how loyal they are to God's calling. She gives her life for these children, and I imagine rarely has time for just herself. I just got the feel, in the short time we were there, that she was extremely gentle, but had a great and fun-loving personality. 

I was so lucky to get to spend some time on the beach and experience the beautiful surroundings of mountains, oceans, and a lovely blend of culture all in one place. I realized that I could totally live in a place like that! The easy going, free-flowing attitudes of the people make me smile. 

Unfortunately, we will have to wait until next Sunday before the kids get to do their Shackles dance. Jabulani decided to meet with the church today about a serious situation that has been taking place here recently. The reality of things is, it isn't always roses. It always isn't hands raised-hugging-people coming to Christ-people sharing God's love-situations. There are bad things that take place here as well. It is important for us to see that though. That is life- Africa, America, or wherever; we will always experience adversity in some form or fashion. So, before we left Nic's we had a nice little worship service at his house. Now I feel so rejuvenated and just clean-feeling! Not the kind of clean feeling a shower can give you, though! :-) 

Well, Bridgette is coming to Hluhluwe tomorrow and I am SOOOOO excited to see her! I have missed her a lot since we parted ways in Durban along with the Mission church group. She is one of those people who can put a smile on your face without even saying anything to you, necessarily. I think she must have one of those infectious personalities. I am pretty sure she is one of easiest people to converse with as well. She is just lovely. Well, I am off to bed. Those Mozambiquan waves have lulled me into a lazy/tired feeling mood. Til' next time! 

Wednesday- July 8, 2009

So, I am excited to tell you about this week! We started Bible School at Jabulani's church this past Monday and today was our third day. It is supposed to start every morning at 8 and go to about 12 or 1, but let's face it: We are in South Africa and they have their own idea about time. So if you say, "Let's start at 8," it translates (psychologically) as 9ish. I love that they flow that way though. It is like, hey! We will get there when we get there! So anyways, we are focusing on that ANYTHING is possible as long as we have God on our side. Today was my favorite day so far, though. I took the verse Phillipians 4:13 and focused on "strength." I read the story that Jesus told about the two men who built houses; one built his on rock, they other built his on shifting sand. I love that story because it beautifully symbolizes our relationship with God and how we make it through good and bad times. If we build our foundations on Him, even when things get tough, we can withstand the storms, because we are strong in Him. I also love the way a rock symbolizes strength. When I think about setting my mind to something, or making something possible, I just always think of being strong. So, for our arts and craft, we all went and found a rock outside and they decorated it with paint. You know you, I definitely have never possessed the gift of public speaking and it mostly terrifies me. Especially from a preaching type stand point. But, it was amazing to feel the words flowing from my mouth today when I was speaking to those kids. It was like, I was so sure in my heart about things, that I didn't have to think twice about what to say. It was a refreshing feeling!

One of my favorite aspects about Bible School is that I have been teaching the older children a dance to the song "Shackles" by Mary Mary. The song basically says that God takes the shackles off our feet and hands so we can dance. I talked to Ronny briefly today about it. We sing that song at Mission and it is a very soulful song. At home, it would be quite a sight for us to literally dance to that song. Ronny asked me if he should dance to it next time they sing it? I told him that he should (even though it might taint his reputation a bit). It doesn't make much since that we are singing a song about how we want to dance, but we are not dancing at all. Anyways, the kids dance to the chorus, then during the verses, they are acting out the words. I am so excited about it because they are going to get to do it this Sunday. Man, I wish I could post the video of it on here! haha. It is awesome! If you get a chance, look up the song, "Shackles" on YouTube. You will totally want to dance to it.

I am continuously in awe at how those kids just let me come in and they accept me. What did I do to deserve their attention and affection? I think they are starting to get used to me a little more. Bless their hearts, you should have seen their blank stares and deer-in-the-headlights looks at first. They were SO shy. I told myself, the goofier I act, the better things will get for us. Well, you know, being goofy is like second nature to me. Playing games always helps as well. Today, I discovered they have all these neat little sing-song type games where they all stand in a circle. They did all of them for me today where they are saying/singing a clever phrase and clapping while the person in the middle has to go and pass it on to someone in the circle. They had about 10 different songs. One of them consisted of the person in the middle going up to another and saying/singing, "I love you, S0 & So, but the problem with you is _______." They are so clever! It amazes me all the fun they easily create for themselves.

Another amazing thing is how their voices quickly fill the entire church. Like there isn't a single inch on the wall that doesn't get touched by the music. Jordan suggested the simple song, "God is so good." One would think, what a song that lacks. You would quickly change your mind after hearing them sing it. It completely changed my feelings about the "child" song. How they bring it to life!

Another thing I want to say is how often I am reminded of my own insufficient ability to always do things that are pleasing to God. We fail others, we fail ourselves, yet we are continuously awarded second chances by the one who gave us the ULTIMATE chance of a lifetime in exchange for His son's life. I just want to say how truly thankful I am that I am allowed to be here in this place feeling more love than I deserve to feel. Even when I feel like running away in the opposite direction, He is quick to bring me back. Kind of reminds me of all the goats that roam around here. If you drove down any Hluhluwe road, you would know what I am talking about. Even though they wander and wander, somehow they always find their way back home. I promise it is almost impossible to be far away from God in this place! I think it is because there aren't many places that don't feel like home to me. Goodnight!

July 3, 2009

It has been awhile since I last wrote, but honestly, I just now got a breather to write. We drove the team to the airport on Wednesday, and then, Patty and Terry just left today. Time is really flying here because I can hardly believe everyone has already came and gone. It is going to be weird for awhile with everyone gone. I think things will change pretty quickly and maybe I can get into that South African routine. I am looking forward to spending more alone time with God and getting to know him better. With the group here, we went on a game drive, saw some wild animals, went to Manguzi to visit Joel's church, went to Tugutugu for an awesome church service, went to St. Lucia and saw crocs, hippos, and the beach, and had a couple of bonfires and great Zulu cooking. I think everyone had a great time. It was hard to see them go. Last night the four of us went to Jabulani's for Patty and Terry's last night here. We had so much fun I can hardly believe I was sitting in S.A. around a bonfire with a bunch of Zulu people and not thinking a thing about it. I am starting to do that a lot. Even riding down the road, it will just hit me: Oh yeah, I am in Africa. Fikile and Zenhle cooked for us. It was amazing as always. The traditional zulu dinner consists of steak, boarwors (which is like pork sausage links), putu (which is maize mill or really fine corn, but it looks like mashed potatoes), spinach greens, vegetable dressing to go over the putu, rice, and sweet potatoes. I tell you I am eating good over here and I might come back thicker than expected! :-) Later after dinner, Fikile called Patty into her room and uncovered a surprise. Fikile had had some women make Patty a traditional Zulu outfit and Patty had to dress up in it. That was absolutely hilarious. I told her to wear it on the plane and she suggested it might take her to first class. She did look pretty important, but maybe not to the average person. So after she dressed up, we all came out dancing and singing a song that says, "Teach me, Father" in Zulu. That is one of the only ones I can sing the words to. haha. 

Also last night, Fikile gave me my Zulu name. She calls me, "Thandeka," which means, "Lovely." I am so completely undeserving of that name. I told Fikile that should be her name. Also, we sat and looked at all the pictures on Terry's computer. There were so many awfully goofy pictures of me I told Fikile she would really be wanting to change my name by now! 

Today, Jordan and I are riding to Richard's Bay to pick up some things for Bible School and a cabinet or bed for the clinic. We are still all in awe of Nelesiwe's recovery. What a beautiful girl she is- that goes inside and out and all the way around. Her smile lights up the room like a candle. I already fell a bond between so many of the people here. Wow God works fast. I can only pray I can have event the smallest impact here. The people here and their beauty force me to look at my own self in the mirror and say, "Am I real?" Meaning, do I have real depth inside? I am so eager to learn here because I know learning about the people here will surely teach me things about myself. It already has, but I have far to go. I need to start planning for Bible School, which starts Monday. There will be so many kids! I think I would like to make the theme the verse Matthew 19:26 which says, "...with God all things are possible." I love to think of that in my own life too. For example, here. I could not make this possible. God was the one who made it work out. Well, I am surely going to miss Patty and Terry, but I am excited to let God grad hold of me and move me where He wants me. The "what" is what I am unsure of, but like everything He does, his love is eventually unveiled.

June 25, 2009

As tired as I am, it would be ridiculously crazy for me to go to bed and not write about some of the amazing things God has done here tonight. Today was the big end to the Winter Sports day at school and it was an all day event. I did pretty well in Netbal, just because it is so close to basketball. I failed miserably at soccer (surprised?). I had tons of fun even though the day was long. Tonight's story, however was the ultimate highlight of the trip so far and maybe will remain that way. We (I went with the mission team) went to Bonga's mother, Anacleta, house for a nice traditional Zulu dinner. When we arrived, some of the ladies were outside the house already singing and welcoming us. As we parked, a big group of guys were standing on the side of the road. So some how or another, they ended up walking up to where we were and before you knew it, they were singing songs with us. Well, we were kind of going back and forth because we were trying to think of songs they might know. They would sing a Zulu song, we would sing an English one. They have the most amazing voices and can sing so low! So, this lasted awhile, us all singing. That was only the beginning, though. They began to dance for us as well doing the traditional high leg kick dance. How they do that without pulling muscles and keeping their head from getting hit is beyond me! Jabulani came over to talk to them and come to find out, they were in a group that competes in dancing competitions. We ended up raising some money for them to buy their uniforms for their dance. Anyways, after they danced for us for a couple of hours, I look around, and there is at least 65-70 people there. I thought, "Wow!" Jabulani then started to speak to everyone about God's presence being so great there. Ronny also spoke and it kind of turned into this amazing, unexpected service. Fikile was there to lead us in song. I know I could pick her voice out anywhere. It is so beautiful and carries so smoothly. One boy that was one of the leaders in that group of guys then came forward as Terry was about to pray and found Christ right then. That's when it hit me. Seeing and hearing that boy and feeling the pulsing reality of things. I remember looking around and thinking, "Is this REALLY happening, now?" 9 more boys including Spia, our driver who helps transport people to church and is so sweet and shy, also came forward. Jordan couldn't believe it. God was so real tonight I think I could almost touch him. All that fancy surface nonsense like Ronny preached in his "Losing My Religion" series, such as unneeded structure, organization, and additional frivolous elements, were completely stripped away. What we had there were straight, raw professions of faith and the knowledge that this was what it was like to really come face to face with God. Again tonight touched me in a way that let me know I should be here in this place. These people may not be monetarily rich, but they are so wealthy in terms of true happiness and love. I would love to keep taking those doses myself because I know it is God who is doing the feeding. AMAZING! What a night.

June 22, 2009

Today was one of those nice, laid-back days, despite the fact that it was Monday. The team from Mission are in DC now about to board the plane to come here. I am going with Jordan to pick them up tomorrow in Durban. For the first period today, the 6th grade asked me questions about America, myself, etc. Some of their questions were so funny it made me think they look at us like aliens/cave men/nomad wanderers. I guess we are guilty of the same things! They had their cross country day and all the kids were timed in either 2, 3, or 4 kilometer runs. Some of them are so stinkin' fast! I guess they inspired me because later I went and ran myself for 30 minutes. It felt good to exercise again and just run. I can easily enjoy the scenery and the weather is just about perfect for running. I had another short grocery shopping experience. That place is different. I feel it is more like a market than a grocery store. Patty fixed some amazing spaghetti tonight and it made me miss food at home. For example, Mi Cocina's chips and salsa, What-A-Burger's cherry lemon sundrops and crinkle fries, Carabba's lasagna, Little Tokoyo's Hibachi chicken, and On the Border's grilled enchiladas. Ok, I should stop there! haha. I wouldn't trade anything here for something at home. I love the experience, love the authenticity of everything. I should also say it is nice just to kind of fall of the face of the earth for awhile and just blend in with the people here. Well, obviously I can't physically blend in because I am so white I stick out like a sore thumb, but I mean figuratively speaking. To live it. 

When I arrived back at the hostel tonight I was invited to a birthday party in the kitchen. It was for a girl named Felicia. It was cool time to spend with some of the kids getting to know them and giving them a chance to just ask me questions. I brought my laptop down there so there would be some music. It was so sweet for her to save me a place at her birthday table with a big piece of cake. I really enjoyed tonight just being in a laid back setting with them. They keep asking me if I've met any celebrities!  I swear they think we all live together in one little town. Like I can go knock on Obama's door and ask him for some sugar. Haha! Some of them probably think I am from Outer Space. Sometimes I think I am myself, though. I just pray I can help and make some sort of little difference here. What a great opportunity that has been laid here before me!

June 21, 2009

I need to begin writing what happens every night or I may forget every awesome thing that has happened. I don't want to even let one event slip through and be forgotten! Well, two mornings after I arrived here, I overslept by accident due to the earplugs I decided to wear. Yep, I wok up at 8 and was supposed to be there at 7:15. Those things work good! haha! Thankfully, it wasn't that big of a deal to the teachers, who blamed it on jet lag. What a great impression I made on my second day. I am starting to get to know all the teachers and students a little more. I have been shadowing the English teacher from class to class and she is awesome. She has the best sarcastic, witty, and fun sense of humor and she is extremely intelligent. I really like her a lot, probably because she reminds me so much of my mom. I think they would definitely get along well. I went home with Elaine and petted and fed her pet rhino. Her family is extremely nice and inviting. Everyone around here is so into Rugby and Cricket it is crazy. I am trying to learn more but I feel so unknowledgeable and left out. As big of a sports fan as I am, I feel like someone who has no clue about sports here. I think I am going to referee Netbal next week during there sports week, so I studied the rules over the weekend. 

Friday after school, Swazi and I got picked up and went with Jordan, Patty, and Terry. I have so enjoyed getting to know Patty and Terry more. Firstly, Terry spoils me all the time, and Patty is constantly making me laugh. Secondly, Terry is so easy to talk to and Patty can about talk to anyone and have just a natural and refreshing conversation. I might feel lost when they are gone. 

Yesterday, all of us and Swazi drove a couple of hours to a place called Manguzi. I bought a hilarious African-looking dress. It actually kind of looks like I am a stay at home mother from the 1950's when I put it on. They bough Mbali and her family groceries and we visited with her awhile. She says she wants to be a teacher. It is amazing to hear her speak English with knowing that she only learned in the last year. Wow. What is my excuse for not knowing another language? None, I guess. Next, we rode WAY out in the bush to where a new church was being built by a monstrosity of a man named Joel. There we met Nic and his family who has been a missionary/game reserve supervisor in South Africa all his life.  We also met another mission team from North Carolina, go figure. I tell you if we aren't half-way around the world and I met a girl who went to South Stanly High School. She now teachers at New London. Small world, isn't it? That night all of us; Patty, Terry, Jordan, Jabulani, Fikile, Swazi, Nixolo, Nocebo and I went to the hotel and ate. It was so good! Afterwards we jumped on a trampoline with the girls. I don't think they had ever jumped on one before because every time I tried to bounce them high, they would go on knee lock-down. haha. I also learned a traditional Zulu dance and boy was that a sight. I found out the significance of that short lesson later when I had to get up in front of everyone and do it with all those half-naked boys and their traditional clothes on. It was quite an experience! 

This morning I experienced my first Zulu church service. It was a pretty long drive down a bumpy dirt road to the church. It didn't seem like it, but it lasted around 3 hours. I don't think I could take one of our church services at home for that long, but here it just seems to fill all the empty spaces in your mind and settle with you. They sings so beautifully it gives me chills, or "chicken skin," as Jabulani calls it. We had to get up in front of everyone and introduce ourselves and give a little speech. You always have to be ready to give an improv speech with Jabulani. One boy joined the church and renewed his relationship with Christ and they all just started dancing! At events like those, you really have to ask yourself, "Do I really have any rhythm?" It was pretty amazing. Apparently, I am not going home according to Jabulani. It is so easy to love the children here. Oh yes, also! Today, I saw Nelesiwe for the first time and I could hardly believe my eyes. She looks great and could hardly imagine her in her near-death state. What a lovely personality she has! No one can come here and know what has happened and say God isn't real. He is truly everywhere and I am just so glad he brought me here.

Wednesday- June 17, 2009

Well, I finally made it here. I am sitting here in the Hluhluwe Primary School's hostel gearing up for my first night in my new room. It is actually quite nice with a good view and lots of room. We flew out of Charlotte on Saturday, but did not make it to S.A. until Monday. We stayed in Durban Monday night then didn't drive up to Hluhluwe until yesterday evening. We came to the school this morning and I met Jabulani for the first time last night! He is such an energetic, positive, and up lifting person. It is impossible not to wear a constant smile when he is speaking to you. A new house is being built for him and it is big- which he deserves after he gives about 80% of his money away. So, at the school today, I met most of the teachers and principal. It's a little out of my comfort zone right now just because I am not completely oriented yet. I just need to get to tknow everyone a little more. One of the teachers Elaine, invited me to her house after school tomorrow. She apparently has a pet rhino? Ummm, ok! Haha! I can't wait to see that. All the kids are so sweet and have beautiful smiles, just as I knew they would. I met Swazi, Jabulani's daughter. She is so cute! Well, I am sure the days will get far more exciting from here on! Hambe kahle!