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.
