Along the Garden

So this last portion of the trip has come. The next few weeks I will continue with my History and Culture of South Africa course in Cape Town. Friday morning was the last day in PMB. It was a rainy cold day when I left. My trip to Cape Town has been exciting. So far I have seen some friends bungee jump for the world's highest bridge. It was super exciting. I wasn't able to bungee jump but when I saw people flying out and I really wanted to go and do it.

After bungee jumping we came to the little town called George, where I stayed for two nights. Saturday I was able to go into the Cango Caves. There was two parts to the tour the standard tour where you see two large cave chambers and learn about the history of the cave. Then there is the Adventure tour which I was able to do. It consisted of several chambers where there were tight spots that I had to climb through. There was one called the Tunnel of Love where it was so narrow that all of my limbs were touching both sides of the cave wall. Then next one after that was called the Devil's Chimney. This tunnel was extremely narrow and kind of difficult to climb through. I had to maneuver my way through a tiny space. It was a bit frightening because I felt so weird not knowing what to do.

After that we had to come back through the rest of the cave to get to the exit. It was such an incredibly cool adventure. I've never done anything like that before. Our tour guide explained that in one of the big chambers concerts were held in there because of the great natural acoustic setup.

Later that day we went to the Cango wildlife park. There was different types of animals. There was crocodiles, snakes, tigers, cheetah and baby goats! There was much more too. I was so glad that I got to hold a baby goat. They are the cutest animals ever! I am set on getting one when I get a house.

The next place we went was to an ostrich farm. I was able to ride on a ostrich!! It wasn't want I expected. It was actually kind of frightening but over all awesome. They have to put a bag over the head of the ostrich to calm them. Then I had to climb on like if I were to do the same on a horse. Then the helper would hold onto the ostrich and let me ride around for a bit. It was weird because I had to hold onto his wings and then lean back and hold my feet around the ostrich's chest.

Once that was done we watched some ostrich's race and one of them was called Speedy Gonzales. I don't think that he won :[ I was rooting for him too.

After that we went back to our little bed and breakfast and had dinner.

Tomorrow is our last day of traveling for a little bit. We are suppose to get into Cape Town at around 3pm. I am excited to see what its like. I feel like I've had another culture just being in the Western Cape. Since PMB is in Kwazulu-natal where primarily Zulu's live, being here in the Western Cape there is a different culture. I'm not used to hearing Afrikaans here where back at AE IsiZulu. But its going to be a great two weeks and a half. Then I will be home for Christmas!!

I am thankful for

my family at home missing me. I am thankful for the people that I have met here in South Africa. I am thankful for the things I have learned and still learning. I am thankful for many things.

Today, Thanksgiving would be like any other holiday except this year I celebrated it in South Africa.

I was sitting at the table thinking of the things that have passed. So many great memories. Some tears. Lots of frustration at myself but sometimes with others. And lots of laughter and joy.

Tonight is my last night here in Pietermartizburg, then its off to a three day journey to Cape Town. I am excited for what is going to happen along the way.

It was just yesterday when I came into my little room, unpacked my things and set out for the adventure of my life. And now I am sitting in that same little room, writing on this blog thinking of each day that has passed.

I am thankful that God made all of this even possible for me to experience, and I am thankful that my parents helped me and still loved me when I chose to go.

Time is precious.

This was my last week of service site. I didn't realize how soon it would all come to an end. I knew the time was short but I didn't take hold of it to well. Our last day at Esther House we threw a tea party for the ladies and took them to AE. They were talking about it for days before the party. I didn't know how excited they were until the day came when everyone was all dressed up and ready to go.

Once we got to AE I was so nervous that things would go bad, that they wouldn't like what we planned or they would be bored. But instead they absolutely enjoyed it all! We played pin the pedal on the flower. Where we decorated our own flower pedals and then pined them up blindfolded. Lulama is a mother of a young girl, Thabile, that I got to know. She told us that she was thankful of the things we did. That we started to remind them of the dreams they have and to go out there and reach for them. I never knew that the ladies talked about some of the activities we did with in the house. But to hear that they actually enjoyed making a dream chart and the river of life. It was so good to hear that we made a difference some how.

Once that was over we had to take them back because they needed to get back before 6.

It was just too soon that we had to rush them out. I was trying to take in as much as I could before they left. We took a group photo and walked towards the van. Once we got to Gateway to say our goodbyes I saw the faces of these women for the last time. Each hug was priceless, each farewell was and is precious. I never knew how much they meant to me until that moment. When I said goodbye to one of the ladies' son, Esfundo, I opened my arms to embrace him and he just smiled at me and said bye. As I walked away looking back for the last time, I cried.

Papa Reg, a wonderful man of God and fortunately our head master here in South Africa told me that "Tears are the price we pay for love". I didn't expect to feel this way after the four weeks. I didn't know the ladies would cry. But I know God made His glory shine through us to reach them. I know we loved them for who they are.

It just wasn't enough. Not enough time. Not enough laughs, or hugs or tears. I just wanted to stay there and to love on them and learn from them.

And the most difficult part of it all is I don't know if I will ever see them again.

There should be a warning sign for the next semesters that go to South Africa.

What a Sunday

My second to last Sunday here in PMB then its off to Cape Town! Its wrapping up so quickly! But today was another great Sunday. It started off with church at New Life which is an Indian church I started going to. The pastor had a great message about what goes wrong with interpersonal communications. It was very insightful and helpful in understanding why we have communication breakdowns. Then one of my girls from my D group that I am co-leading spoke about Mary washing Jesus' feet and how she felt so grateful for the miracle that happened with her brother Lazarus. She is showing her all when she does this to Christ. It was a great mini sermon.

After church we had lunch which was spicy but delicious! Then I went to the mall to do a bit of shopping for some necessities. After that I was just completely busy with going to another Indian family's house for some tea and to drop off a gift.

But I really enjoyed this Sunday even though I didn't rest. I got to spend time with friends and enjoyed different foods for a change.

What a Sunday

I can't believe I only have two more weeks at AE. That means I only have three more days at my service site. I only have 6 hours left with the ladies of Esther House. My team and I have just began to make relationships with some of the ladies and I am sa

dden at the fact that we will leave them in just days. I wish I had more time in the day. More time to laugh and cry with them. More time

to understand their story. More time to learn from them and see their strength.

I don't want to go back so fast. Where did my time go? There was so much of it at first but then it just passed me by.

The beauty of this all is I have changed. My eyes have been opened to the pain in this world. Opened to the honest fact that

God is needed everywhere. But God is still working no matter what situation good or bad. He is at work! I know that these ladies have changed me. They have a strength that I've never seen before.

My team and I tried something with the ladies on Thursday. We did an activity called River of Life. The purpose was to draw out our life using lines to indicate our ups and downs and then label them. We were so nervous to see if it would work. I was scared because I drew mine first in front of them. I wasn't sure what to say. Tears started to flow and they came fast. I drew my lowest point in my life, but then I shared the fact about how God redeem me completely. At the end of it all of the women in the house drew their own river of life. I wasn't too sure what they thought of it. Today I was able to talk to one lady and I asked her what she thought of it. She said that she liked it and it was good to do. She wanted to share but was to scared. I asked her if she would want to share with me. It was here that I found out that most of the women who live in Esther House is because of abuse, but its not always abuse from a husband or boyfriend. Sometimes its from sisters, aunties, etc. I was shocked. She told me that she knew she had to get out of there. She did not want her one year old son to be in that kind of environment so she left and thats how she found Esther House.

This is Luthando, my little friend.

I got to hang out with him once a week when I would work at a feeding scheme in the community. His grandmother helped prepare food for about 20 people. I think this last week was the last time I would get to see him :[ But he was so cute. He speaks English and IsiZulu which helped a lot. He would translate some Zulu for us here and there. He has a little sister who so twice as cute! She is shy but when I got to hang around her more and more she was much more spunky. I saw how Thando was such a good brother. His sister was riding her bike and he got behind her and started pushing her on it. It was so cute!!

This past week a great week. At my service site there was a much different atmosphere than normally. Before when we came into the house we felt like the women didn't really know why we were visiting them. They didn't seem to be very excited that we came either. My team felt like we were going to be welcomed in with such joy and excitement but it was completely different from that.

This week changed as we started to be bolder in asking deeper questions other than resorting to small talk and that went really well. But the whole point for us to be here at the service site is to incorporate the things that we learned in our Community Engagement class and learn from the people in the community. So our goal is to learn from them and then to try to implement the tools that we learn from class and find what they are skilled in and use those things to empower them for a better life.

There was a mother who I have been talking to when I am in Esther House. She was telling me this week that her baby son is not well because his limbs are working and he doesn't talk. She told me that she has been taking him to the physical therapist since January and there was not real change in his condition. I was so glad and sad at the same time because she started to talk about the person things in her life and I was sad because her son is not even two years old and has this disability.

For the rest of the time on we baked for the ladies in the house and they really enjoyed it. The first time was hard because we wanted them to join so we can have something to do while we tried to start up conversations with them. But it was different this time as we saw the ladies were in the kitchen and we sat down just eating with them and talking about different things.

The rest of the week was great. I taught some PE lessons to a bunch of elementary kids. They were so crazy!! We played Red Light Green Light, Simon Says, Red Rover, and Duck Duck Goose. I felt like a kid again it was so fun but then I was reminded how out of shape I am after running around for a bit.

The weekend was great too as we went on a Safari about four hour north of AE. We rode in open jeep vehicles that looked a lot like the Indiana Jones type of car. So we rode for about almost three hours before we reached the open game vehicles. After that we rode in the vehicles for about an hour and half on dirt roads. I was sitting in the back and the other girls who rode with me got so dirty because of all the dust that was flying up in the air. On the way over we saw a cheetah sitting in the bushes.

Once we reached the camp site we settled in our bungalows and got ready for dinner. We were staying at this environmental camp that is located in an actual game reserve. There was no lions at this game reserve but there was other game.

Then early next morning we went on a game drive. We saw loads and loads of Impalas and Nyalas. I saw a large group of Giraffes and some White Rhinos. That day we saw the back of a Leopard which is the hardest of the Big five to find. The next morning I went to the game reserve that is next door to the game reserve I was staying in. I was able to see two male lions really up close! That was not scary but really majestic. Then we saw the most dangerous of the Big five which was the Buffalo. They are the most dangerous because if you hunt them they will charge back at you. The Big five are the Lion, Buffalo, Elephant, Leopard, and Black Rhino. The reason they are called the Big five is because they are the most dangerous animals to hunt on foot.

The whole weekend was just a great experience in God's creation. The last day we had we went on a afternoon Safari. We visited a lake and caught the sunset. It was so beautiful and clear.

We saw some hippos in the water from a distance. But then after a while we noticed they started getting closer to the bird hid we were in. Then suddenly our driver was telling us to hurry up because the hippos were coming. I knew that people die of hippos more than other animal attacks in Africa. So we ran out of there safe and sound!

It was a great weekend and now is a start of another potentially great week.

The hike up

and back with a rock passage way

The first of November

I only have another 6 weeks left before I leave for the States.

This past week was the start of my service site at Project Gateway. I hang out with women who have been abused and I work at Christian school. Its been hard the past few days with the women because it just seems like we've just popped out of nowhere invading their personal space. I don't know why I expected the women to be happy to see and meet us. I keep forgetting that their background, what ever it may be, wasn't easy. I don't know if I have the right words to say. Most of the women don't even seem interested in staying around to chat which makes me discouraged as well as my other friends with me.

I guess what's really bothering me is if anything I am doing is worth it. I know it is, and most of the time the fruits of one's labor isn't always seen. I am asking the Lord to help me and my friends continue to love and be positive about this despite the gloomy atmosphere. But the first few days went really well despite today and Friday. Today was good and bad. We were able to bake scones for them but no one was really interested in baking. But I was glad to know they enjoyed the scones we made.

I was thinking that we only have 10 more days total to be working there and it just seems like that isn't enough time at all.

The school has been going well. I am using my library skills that I have acquired from high school to fix books. Its a tedious chore but I am glad to help none the less. Some days we get to teach P.E for the classes which was one of the reasons why I wanted to work at Gateway.

Halloween was not the same this year. I went hiking in the famous Drakensberg mountains and was able to look at Bushman cave paintings. The hike was absolutely awesome. There was a store that we were able to go in before our hike started and I was looking through it and found an interesting book about the mountains. It was called encounters with the Dragon. I was looking through the books and the images captured of the mountain range were spectacular.

Every time I see the splendor of His creation, I want to be right in the middle of it and breathe it all in. To have my mind, body and soul completely quite right in His presence.