:Sale kahle South Africa:

I am sitting in my old room, back in Wisconsin. It is crazy to me that 4 months has already passed, and I was in Africa.  Words cannot sum up the experience I had and I'm afraid none of you will ever understand the things that my South Africa family and I went through.  I am writing this blog not because South Africa is over, but to let everyone know that each and every day from here on out, South Africa will always be on my mind and in my heart.  This may be an end to a blog, but it is the start of so much more.  

In the past four months, I have done the impossible.  Or at least what I thought was the impossible.  I never thought I would be one to travel half way across the world to live and study.   That was never my plan, but what I've learned is that the best things are never things I plan.  God called me to this beautiful country for a reason. I can't tell you what that one reason is, but I can tell you what all of the countless reasons are.  I have learned so much. All in four months.  Those four months have changed my life forever and I will carry them with me from here on out.  

While in Africa, I experienced the beauty of life.  Not only is the country gorgeous, but life there is so much simpler.  Simple may not be filled with all the glitz and glam we are used to, but I've learned it's so much better than all of that.  Being there I learned time is important, but people are even more important.  The people on the street smile at you, stop to ask how you are, people there care. While I was there I thought back to my life here and saw how little time I give to people.  God made us to be in community with one another, to care about each other.  So why do I devout so much time to myself?  I learned that time well spent is time not spent on myself, but time spent with others.  Just talking, laughing, and enjoying one another's company.  Simple is when I wake up in the morning starting on the right foot, focused on what truly matters and what truly matters are things that we often take for granted at home.  Driving through the green hill of South Africa remind me to appreciate the beauty of life. To stop and look around at everything this world has to offer. To remember all the people that love us.  To appreciate what we have and remember how amazing it is.  In Africa, you have that time to stop and breathe it all in. It's time we all have, but for some reason it just took my going to Africa to realize.  We are blessed. 

The people.  Like I said the people of South Africa are like no one else.  They are happy, beautiful, kind, and thankful.  I see the hope in the eyes of the people unlike a hope I have ever experienced.  That's hard to understand as you stand in their one or two room houses, but then again is it really?  If they are so happy, why am I not that happy all the time?  They are happy with the fact that their children are healthy and that they have the love of Jesus Christ.  That's enough for them, and I've learned that's enough for me too.  I learned so much from just listening to the struggles of the people I met.  And even though I just want to sit there and cry for them, their happiness reminds me that I shouldn't pity them because they don't pity themselves.  I see a poverty like I have never seen before, but at the same time I see the richness of the people that lacks so much back at home.  Being back here does make me irritated.  I see things that I don't agree with anymore, but I know that is no reason to be mad.  Some people just have not been able to see the amazing things I have been blessed with seeing.  I have been loved unconditionally by the people of South Africa, even though I was only there for a short time.  Unconditional love is something that is very hard to come across, but they have it and that's what calls me back.  The relationships I formed are ones that have so much depth that I can't see myself not finding my way back into their lives.  

My South Africa family is a big family.  There are 50 of us and after spending 4 months with them I can honestly say that I love each and every single one of them.  The worst part of being home is not having them by my side anymore.  There has not been one day where we haven't communicated with one another in some way or form.  We are obsessed with each other... in a good way.  We understand each other and all of them hold a part of South Africa that I miss.  In four months I was able to make some of the most amazing friendships that I have ever made.  Those people know me inside and out. Without them I feel like there's a part of me that's missing.  We woke up together, and went to sleep together.  We did everything together, and when we weren't together we wanted to be.  These people are the ones I hold dearly because together we grew. Together we learned. And together we loved.  And if none of this blog post makes sense it's okay, because I know it makes sense to them.  

I could sit here and ramble on and on about the greatness of my semester in South Africa, but that would still never compare to the actual experience.  I can never put this trip into words.  It has been a semester of a lifetime and I keep thinking to myself, now what? I went to South Africa for four months and learned so much, what do I do with it all now?  Well, I'm still not really sure.  For one, I know I am changed. But I want others to know why I am changed, and more importantly I want others to change.  You will never grow if you don't take the time to travel and talk to those who share this world with us.  You will never know what I am talking about unless you stop and open your eyes to the things that go on around you.  You will never get the feeling I have right now if you don't take the time to ask yourself, what is this life all about?  You will never understand unless you put yourself to the side.  You need to love. You need to listen. You need to learn. And with that there is nothing you can do but grow.  

To you, these posts all might be just stories. But to me they are life.  The people I wrote about are real, they're my friends.  South Africa may seem really far from our world, but it's really not.  Right now as I write this Nonjabulo is waking up getting ready to go to the Creche. Right now Nomvula is preparing her one room house for the several children she watches everyday.  Right now Boy is probably running the streets of the township, causing all sorts of mischief. Right now Mikey is putting on his uniform and getting ready to go to school. Right now life is still happening back in P.E.  Just because I sit here in America, doesn't mean I am a world away.  I still care about those people just as much as the day I left them.  And I still pray for them as they face their day to day lives.  

I realize I didn't go to Africa to help others, but for others to help me.  I never knew that my life could be changed like this but it has and I am so thankful for that.  I apologize for not blogging more during my time in Africa, but that just means you are going to have to ask me about my trip to find out more.  I apologize ahead of time if I talk way to much about it, but this is the best thing that has ever happened to me and I love talking about it.  I hope those of you who have followed me, have taken away something from my journey.  I can only hope that I did this trip justice! But please I beg you, don't forget.  Don't forget what you see, hear, or read.  Because there is more to life than what you think. I truly believe that if you want to see it all, you will.  

:Catch Up:

I am so sorry for not posting, but here are a few of my journal entries from the last few days of service sites. Please read and enjoy!!

March 23^rd

         Today was day 5 at service sites and I can’t believe how much Riv Life has blessed me already.  Yesterday I had the amazing opportunity to go to an HIV/AIDs support group hosted in the township over.  We pulled up and saw the run down building we would be meeting in.  Immediately when I saw it I wondered how this support group could feel any hope in this kind of place.  We walked in to find that the inside looked just like the outside. We went with Thendi, the social worker, but still I was a bit nervous.  I didn’t know what to expect. Soon women began to arrive, but we all just sat awkwardly as they came in.  It was also difficult because none of them spoke English. 

         Eventually five women showed up and the support group began. I found it very interesting that no men were a part of this group. That is when I saw why HIV spreads so rapidly, the men don’t acknowledge it at all. 

         The women all introduced themselves to us and told us about their family and when they found out they were HIV positive. Most of them were single women with multiple children. All of the women looked healthy and I would have never known they had HIV unless they told me.  It is amazing to see their strength even though they live with a serious sickness.  We then were able to ask them questions and the situation turned a bit more uncomfortable.  I didn’t know what to ask, but as I id they were very willing to answer everything. Again the one question that I have heard came from them “Are you afraid of us?” It is sad to know that they are so out casted in their community. I can only imagine what it could be like to be feared.  The awkwardness continued until the women began to sing.  We sang with them and then started to play games. We played their version of musical chairs, where there were more than enough chairs for everyone, which confused us but we happily played along anyways.  We introduced a few games to them as well that they loved! We also tried to play the human knot game and even though it didn’t work well, it really showed them that we aren’t afraid to touch, hug or be close to them.  Afterwards the women knitted and beaded while we sat with them. They made all of us, including Dan and Alex, earrings. They usually sell the earrings, but because then enjoyed us they just wanted to give them to us.  That spoke wonders that they gave away their form of income to us. I felt so humbled by that gesture.  We have plans to go back with nail polish and more crafts for them to use. I cannot wait to go and continue those relationships with those who don’t normally have them.

         Today was one of the hardest days at Riv Life because it was our final day with the children at the Creche.  It was unbelievable to see the relationships that have formed between the kids and us in just five days.  We know their characters and demeanors, we understand their personalities and they in returned took quite a liking to us.  This last day we decided as a team we should all be together with the kids, and that’s what we did. We gace all the love we had hoping that they will remember it once we are gone.  Watching them leave was difficult because even though we know we won’t see them again, they didn’t understand that we wouldn’t be back.  I know that the rest of the service sites will be amazing, but I will miss those children everyday, especially Nojabulo.  Those kids gave me hope, which is ironic because I should be there to give them hope in their situation.  Their joy blew me away everyday and God’s love was so present in these little children. They really encouraged and challenged me in my own faith.  Watching Nojabulo leave was hard and I definitely shed tears, but I know that my God is watching over that little girl even when I’m not. I hope to see her again while in the community, but either way that smile and those songs will stay in with me forever. I just pray that the Creche will be a safe place where those children can continue to go and learn.

March 26^th

Spiritual Warfare

There is a small girl who has been at the Creche everyday.  She is very young, about three or four.  She is beautiful and full of joy, always smiling.  It did not take us long to realize the many open sores that lined her legs, arms and back. These are not small wounds; but large, open, pussing, bleeding wounds.  None of us knew what the wounds were from or why she came everyday with a new, deep wound.  We brought in the nurses to treat the wounds and as they cared for one wound we found, another, and another.  By the time the antiseptic was on and the bandages were covering them, blood was already coming through.  It was so painful to see this small girl have so many wounds covering her body. After, when talking with the nurses we discovered that the injuries could be caused by many things.  Bug bites, a skin virus, or HIV/AIDs.  When they said that it hit us that a serious disease such as AIDs can be behind the face of a young, sweet child.  We talked to the Gogo about having her parents take her to the clinic. The Gogo spoke with her mother later that day and we expected the child to come back the next day with progress. The next day she came back, she did not have any treatment, but two more deep wounds on her arm.  When talking to the Gogo about why this child has yet to go to the clinic, we found it was because this little girl was continually being taken to the isangoma (witch doctor) for medication/treatment.   It frustrates me that a little girl, who may have a sickness as serious as AIDs, will not receive help simply because their belief is to go to a witch doctor instead of a licensed medical doctor.  The pull between these people and ancestral worship is unreal. It is something that is ingrained in the culture and even if a person is a Christian. Most of them have one foot in Jesus and the other in ancestral worship. It’s crazy that someone can believe in God, yet still do something so obviously wrong according to those beliefs. 

         Seeing this precious little girl with these serious wounds kills, but to know why nothing is being done is almost worse.  In scenarios like this is where I see the evil in this world so clearly.  I see it pulling the life of this small child because of the beliefs of her parents.  Spiritual welfare is real. The devil is constantly working against us, yet we seem to push that matter aside.  We never realize how serious it is because we are often blinded.

         Being here has opened my eyes. Seeing what I have seen has changed my view on life. Hearing what I’ve heard will play over and over again in my head. As much as I believe in a God who loves, I also believe in a devil that desires to tear us all away.

April 1^st

         This past week at service sites has shown me a lot. Within the week we painted nails at the HIV/AIDs support group, visited Nomvula’s home to hear about her many ministries and ran a holiday camp for the kids at the Drop In Center. We were not expecting some of the tasks handed to us, but TIA. We also started our Fresh Creche project in the afternoons. It gave us such an amazing opportunity to finally bond as a team.  We had also talked about putting a chalkboard in the Creche the week before and to see it actually going up was an amazing achievement for our team that was physically present.  We as a team picked Colossians 3:14 “Above all clothe yourselves in love, which bonds us together in perfect harmony”, to put up above the board.

         In the holiday camp we were really blessed with another week with the kids. One afternoon as we were playing Duck Duck Goose, a couple people called my name and told me to turn around.  I turned around to see Nojabulo running towards me, screaming! My excitement was uncontrollable! I had said goodbye to her the week before in tears and I was now blessed with another week and a half.  In that week I was able to get to know Nojabulo’s sister, as well as walk her home multiple times.  She pulled me inside and I got to meet her Gogo. She showed me her house, the kitchen, bathroom and where she slept. It was hard to see my sweet little Nojabulo living in a house like that. She shares a twin bed with her siblings, her father has passed away and the home was dirty and cold.  But once again she was so joyful in showing me around that I couldn’t be sad.  A girl like Nojabulo was placed in that home because of her amazing happy spirits and all I can do is continue to pray for that tiny one’s future.

         God has shown me this week the power of love and the way it can strengthen relationships beyond what I can imagine.  I’m loving every minute of serving that community. 

April 4^th

         Today was our last day of service sites and it was the hardest day so far.  I did not wake up this morning expecting the emotional roller coaster that took place. We came into Riv Life just 12 days ago not knowing anyone and left today with some of the best relationships I have ever formed on a service trip.  We started our day with Nomvula and her Gogo support group. We spent the morning sitting under her back shelter watching them craft and talking. It’s funny how whenever we go the kids always seem to find us. We sang and danced with those beautiful kids and even the Gogos showed us some of their dance moves.  We also had the amazing opportunity to present Nomvula with the money we did not spend. We pulled her inside her house, all 13 of us, and gave her our thank you card with 400 Rand inside. 400 Rand in my eyes is not a lot at all, but when I saw Nomvula’s face as she saw what we had given her I realized how much it actually is.  Her expression was one I can’t describe. It was the look of an utter miracle and relief. The tears streamed down her face as she tried to mumble as many thank yous as she could. I was so humbled to hear her thank us because I realized how much I want to thank her for everything she does for her community and everything she had done for us. I respect her so much and cannot believe how selfless she is. She is a woman who gives up everything for the sake of others.  The most unbelievable part is that she doesn’t have anything to give away, yet she still does everyday.  I stop and ask myself what I would be like in her situation and I really don’t think I could do what she does.  Nomvula is an amazing woman of faith and hope and all my prayers go to her.  She is a strong woman of God that I admire so much, and a role model I truly strive to be more like.  After giving her the card we were all able to pray over her and it just showed how much God has blessed us with the opportunity to know her. In just 12 days that is one relationship God has strengthened.  Nomvula again made us Zulu bread, which shows her willingness to give even though we have plenty. The Gogos also made us beaded necklaces and bracelets.  That group of people has taught me how to love unrestrained. We said our goodbyes and headed back for lunch. 

         Chris (Director of Riv Life) finally spent sometime with us at lunch. His wife made us an array of Indian food including chicken curry. I had two plates when finally the spices caught up with me. It was really sweet of Chris to do that and show his appreciation even though we didn’t see him much. After lunch we were able to walk him over to the Creche to show him the chalkboard we painted on the wall. It was a great group project that we all were very proud of. Seeing Chris’ reaction was great as well, but I really wish we could be there to see the Gogo’s reaction come next week. 

         The Drop In Center was the last part of our day. We snuck into the yard through a broken rail in the fencing and the kids came to join us.  The ones we had seen earlier at Nomvula’s had walked 40 minutes just to come and spend time with us.  I walked into the center hoping to see Nojabulo, but also hoping maybe she wouldn’t come to save me a hard goodbye. I played with a few kids when I heard some people calling my name and then that tiny voice yelling “Ally! Ally!” I turned to see Anna carrying Nojabulo down the road. I ran to the fence and like always she screamed and jumped into my arms.  I have never had a child fit so perfectly on my side.  Every time I hold her I can’t get over how she just molds in my arms. Holding her is my favorite thing to do.  I love when she turns and looks up at me with that tilted head and sweet smile. I love hearing her little voice speak to me in Zulu and even though we have no idea what each other is saying we get along so well. Whether she is squeezing air out of my cheeks to make loud sounds or repeating what I say in English we just had such a love for each other. Most of all I love her songs. The songs she is always singing. I love that she takes one time and will repeat it over and over again. Today as I was holding her she asked me to sing a song. I sang the chorus of Jesus Loves Me over and over hoping she would pick up and remember it. She would try and sing along, but mumble random things so I kept singing. When I stopped and looked at her she began to sing it word for word! I was so excited and proud! Soon she switched back to Akeko (her favorite song) and got everyone clapping a beat for her.  She is the cutest thing and I have loved every second I have her by my side or in my arms.

         We hung out for a while longer until I saw our buses pull up. My heart dropped into my stomach and my eyes began to well up immediately. I took the beads the Gogos had made me off my wrist and slipped them into Nojabulo’s pocket as she was singing. I wanted to give her something, but didn’t want the other kids to see it. I gave her some Nik Naks (Cheetos) and slowly walked to pick up my backpack at the offices. I wouldn’t set her down until I actually had to.  I walked to the gate and Alex handed me my backpack, I dug out my lunch box which I had filled earlier that morning and began piling as much food as I could into her little 4 year old hands. I walked back by the APU buses and just held her with a pile of food resting between her and I. Regean and Liezel began herding us into the vans and the tears just started to pour out, but I just kept holding on.  A few more minutes passed when I realized I had to say goodbye. It took all I had to pry her little legs away from my body and set her on the ground. I placed her two feet down, wrapped my arms around her, kissed her on the cheek and croaked out an “I love you”. She said it back and I immediately had to drag myself away.  The second my back turned on her I completely lost it. I just remember sobbing as I walked away. I felt like the wind had been knocked out of my chest. Liezel walked me to the van and I got in. Sitting in that van and looking at her standing with arms full of food standing on the side of the road was so difficult. I hated pulling down the street for the last time knowing I will not see her the next day after that. I hate not knowing if she will stay healthy or fed. I hate that I won’t know if her home situation will stay consistent. I hate that I can’t know that she will go on to school. I just hate not being able to be there with her like I have been for the past 4 weeks. It is really hard to have hope in situations like this and I still don’t know how to handle the things I’m feeling and the things I’ve seen. I’m dreading getting on that plane and leaving for good the township of Cinderella. The faces of every child will constantly play through my head and their personalities will stick with me even more. All I know now is that I have a huge responsibility to tell their stories, to let people back home know Mikey had no father and an alcoholic mother, the small girl at the Creche who has AIDs, the orphan child who has no one, Nojabuo who lives in a two room house with her old Gogo and every child who just wants to be held, touched and loved. These are all real people I am talking about, not just stories. I want people to hear their stories, be moved and actually care. I want to open people’s eyes to problems that are happening in Cinderella and all over South Africa. I want people to be uncomfortable when I tell them about what I’ve seen and experienced. For all the love that those kids and Gogos and HIV/AIDs ladies showed us, the very least I could do is continue to spread their stories. I anything I have learned so much about the power of faith. With so much brokenness and heartbreak, there is so much joy and happiness found in the kids and Nomvula. It is amazing and has really forced me to look at my faith and myself.

         So right now I am still full of a lot of sadness leaving, but I do know God placed Nojabulo in my life for a reason. She is the “Princess of Happiness”, and it is so obvious in that 4 year olds life already. She encourages me to stay positive and to keep on singing praises because in the end God holds it all in His hands. 

:My home away from home- Riv Life:

My amazing friend Dan put together the perfect film of our time at River of Life! I can blog about it all I want, but this really captures why our hearts were stolen by the community of Riv Life.  Those faces are so much more to us and those memories will forever be with us! I have never cried so much about leaving a place, but God willing maybe I will be back some day.  Click on the vimeo link below!!

http://vimeo.com/39849683

:River of Life:

I apologize for my lack of updates, but I have been journaling almost every night and would love to share some entries.  Being at service sites has been so amazing and I already feel very attached to the community.  My time there seemed to be long, but I am now realizing that it is a bit limited.  It has been a wonderful experience so far and I cannot wait to continue the relationships!

Day 1- March 15

Today was the first day of service sites, and it was truly amazing.  I started off my day by going to four home visits with Grace, Alex, Steven, Jess and Adrian.  The first home we went to was Debra's. She had a large wound on her backside.  Grace, A;ex, Steve and I could not contribute much with the wound so we sat out on her couch watching isiZulu soap operas. I felt kind of useless as we sat there and the nurses took care of everything, but after they were done we were able to go and pray for her.  The next home we went to we just simply prayed over her. She was a young woman with AIDs.  She also had two young boys. When we asked her what she needed prayer for, her request was that she is able to stay strong for her two boys.  It made me think about the things I pray for, and compared to her prayer requests they seem incomparable.  She had so much trust in the Lord, it was unbelievable.  As I stood in her small two bedroom home, I realized her strength and trust in the Lord and I know if I were there, in her place, I may not be as trusting. I thought back to my home and how blessed I am, yet I cannot seem to trust the way she does, everyday.  The last home we went to was even smaller. We walked into find a woman holding a small 2 month old baby. The nurses took the woman's blood pressure, blood sugar, and listened to her lungs.  When they told her that everything was in good condition, she was overjoyed, just by the results of those simple tests.  She then pursued to ask the nurses to test her 2 year old baby for HIV. The nurses did not have the equipment, but I think all of us realized that baby had a very good chance of being HIV positive.  This small child, only at 2 months, has a long road ahead of her. The woman then asked to test her teenage daughter for AIDs. The nurses can't do that without a lab, but it meant that this woman's other daughter was already HIV positive.  It was so crazy to me.  Here I am blessed to be healthy and these two girls without a choice were born into a life of a lot of struggles ahead. When we asked the woman what she wanted prayer for she imply said "For people to not be afraid of me and for my community to understand the seriousness of HIV and AIDs".  When the nurses did her blood sugar and pricked her finger I will admit the sight of that blood scared me. It was crazy to know that this serious disease was right in front of me! So we stood, joining hands with her and prayed this prayer and I saw that nothing should separate me from the rest of God's people no matter who they are.  

After home visits my group joined Dan, Yui, and Anna at the Creche (daycare center). We were welcomed by 3-5 year old Zulu children. They are adorable. Precious. Sweet (and a little sassy). I was totally in my element, and even though I am the one loving on them, they show way more love in return with each smile! There was one small girl, red dress, shaven head and ears pierced, that I fell in love with. She was the most joyful child I have ever met.  Constantly singing in the cutest high voice. I would just hold her and she would sing and smile at me, touching my face.  If anything. it was in her that I truly saw Christ's love. That little voice will forever be stuck in my head, "My Jesus died for me, my  Jesus died just for me!". She knew no English, but she knew that song, as well as it's context.  The rest of the kids were a hoot! I have never seen that much energy before... ever! They really didn't understand anything we said, so chaotic is one way to describe the Creche.  There was one woman looking after these 40 small children and her reign on them was pretty tight, but as soon as she left the story changed.  We played outside with them, running, singing, climbing, anything and everything! Nap time was also a favorite of the day. Us girls, Anna, Grace, Yui and I took the 15 girls into, while Alex, Dan and Steve took the 15 boys to the nap room.  We were instructed to lay with them and make sure they napped and that's exactly what we did, nap! A few were hyper, but with the simple back scratch they were asleep.  I sat for a while watching them all sleep on the foam pads laid across the floor, and just prayed.  I got to pray over each and every one of those little girls. Soon enough I fell asleep too with them there on the floor. After a while I heard the door open and Alex looking in. I noticed the noise from the boy's nap room, crept up and went to the boys. They were typical boys running around, doing handstands and acting like... boys.  We gently took a boy on each arm, laid them down and began scratching their backs.  I am proud to say within 15 minutes all of the boys were knocked out.  It truly proved that the affection of touch spoke wonders to these little boys. As they were sleeping, I began to look around and just wanted to cry.  It was no place for children to lay and take naps, it smelled, yet every child looked so innocent and peaceful.  I didn't understand and still don't know how they can live like this.  It broke my heart to think about how unacceptable this would be in the States, yet here it's so normal.  I wanted to book a plane ticket for everyone of them back to the US with me. But they are such joyful kids that I have to remember it may not look the way it does to me.  

The last half of the day was at the Drop In Center (DIC) with older children. It's like an after school program that provides a meal and activities.  These older ones are much more guarded around us, so those relationships will be a goal to work on.  

All in all my eyes were glued open today by all that I saw.  The happy and sad.  I am also so thankful to have my team of 13; Alex, Enoch, Dan, Steven, Kenny, Yui, Yvette, Grace, Anna, Emily, Hayley and Michelle.  I cannot wait to see the friendships that will form out of Riv Life. each day I have to remind myself how blessed I am, today I saw it even more.  

Day 2- March 16

Service sites continue to blow me away.  As soon as I left the Creche yesterday I was already missing all of those adorable faces.  I crave being around them and holding Nojabulo as she smiles and sings.  I have such joy when I see them, yet every time I look at their surroundings it breaks my heart. It is filthy. The Creche is nicer than their homes, but still is in poor condition. There are ants everywhere, dirt and pee from the kids.  Today there was one girl who was burning up with a fever and I felt so bad for her.  It was so difficult to comfort her, and we had no First Aid kit in sight.  That really angered me.  What does it take for a child in Africa to be as valuable as a child in the States? Why does one get a beautiful, easy life while the other suffers trial after trail? Why are their clothes dirty? Why do none of them have shoes? Why do the little ones walk around the dirty street along, peeing on themselves? It kills me to see God's children in this position. It is not supposed to be this way and I wish there was something I could do. 

It's hard to face those sights everyday,but God has simply called me there to love! As little as it does for m anger about the situation, I know it speaks wonders to them. I need patience and acceptance. I need to remember I am here to show that Christ's love is enough.

Nojabulo

:Serve:

Tomorrow I start my service site. I will be at this service site for the next for weeks.  It is called Riv Life and it was my number one choice of site.  I have no idea what tomorrow will bring, but I am so excited to go, to see, and to learn! I really have no idea what I will be asked to do here, but I know that whatever it is, God will work wonders! I am going with my team of 12 and I cannot wait to see our team grow closer and stronger through this experience.  I am ready to be challenged and changed by these next four weeks and I hope that what I see and experience there will stick with me for the rest of my life! 

God has created me to serve others and I could not be happier that I get to do exactly that.  

Jesus Washes His Disciples' Feet

 ¹ It was just before the Passover Feast. Jesus knew that the time had come for him to leave this world. It was time for him to go to the Father. Jesus loved his disciples who were in the world. So he now showed them how much he really loved them. ² The evening meal was being served. The devil had already tempted Judas Iscariot, son of Simon. He had told Judas to hand Jesus over to his enemies. ³Jesus knew that the Father had put everything under his power. He also knew he had come from God and was returning to God.
 ⁴ So he got up from the meal and took off his outer clothes. He wrapped a towel around his waist. ⁵ After that, he poured water into a large bowl. Then he began to wash his disciples' feet. He dried them with the towel that was wrapped around him.
 ⁶ He came to Simon Peter.
   "Lord," Peter said to him, "are you going to wash my feet?"
 ⁷ Jesus replied, "You don't realize now what I am doing. But later you will understand."
 ⁸ "No," said Peter. "You will never wash my feet."
   Jesus answered, "Unless I wash you, you can't share life with me."
 ⁹ "Lord," Simon Peter replied, "not just my feet! Wash my hands and my head too!"
 ¹⁰ Jesus answered, "A person who has had a bath needs to wash only his feet. The rest of his body is clean. And you are clean. But not all of you are."
 ¹¹ Jesus knew who was going to hand him over to his enemies. That was why he said not every one was clean.
 ¹² When Jesus finished washing their feet, he put on his clothes. Then he returned to his place.
   "Do you understand what I have done for you?" he asked them. ¹³ "You call me 'Teacher' and 'Lord.' You are right. That is what I am. ¹⁴ I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet. So you also should wash one another's feet. ¹⁵I have given you an example. You should do as I have done for you.
 ¹⁶ "What I'm about to tell you is true. A servant is not more important than his master. And a messenger is not more important than the one who sends him. ¹⁷Now you know these things. So you will be blessed if you do them.

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:Safari:

I continually have to pinch myself to remember that I am here and experiencing the things I am.  We just returned from a three day safari! It was so unreal and the entire trip was something I will never forget. We arrived to the fame reserve Friday afternoon and got to see the other half of our SA group (they divided the 50 of us into two safari trips), they had just finished safari.  And out of the entire weekend, being reunited with them only for a few minutes was the best! After not seeing each other for three days, we all greeted each other with hugs. Three days is not that long, but we all genuinely missed each other a lot! It really went to show how much the group has grown and how hard it will be to leave this semester.  After we said our hellos, we had to say our goodbyes. The other group left to go back to the AE Campus and we began our safari!

We were greeted by Matt and Andy who would be our guides, along with Reg. We were told the many important rules of the reserve and then were immediately on our way.  I ended up in Andy's Jeep and we began our ride! The first thing I remember seeing were giraffes, which were not very far away from our open vehicle.  It was amazing to be so close and personal with these large and wild creatures! 

We spent the rest of the afternoon just driving around, taking millions of back roads, trying to find the biggest game.  I got to see rhinos, zebras, wildebeests, impalas, and warthogs all on the first day! It was an unbelievable thing. We were completely surrounded by nothing, we were the only people for miles and were surrounded by God's beautiful creations.  It was really relaxing to sit in that Jeep, speeding down dirt roads, wind blowing, blue skies, beautiful scenery and a giraffe every couple minutes. After the first day out on the reserve, we were escorted to our tents with our roommates.  As soon as I saw the tent I would be staying in my mouth dropped.  There were the largest tents I have ever seen. It had a porch and a bathroom connected to it, as well as two beds that were bigger than the ones we have back at AE.  Let's just say that "roughin' it" could barely be considered rough.  

We settled in and made our way to dinner in a large tent down the camp site where Andy's wife, Susie, cooked us a delicious African meal! We were then dropped back off at our tents by Reg and hurried inside.  The thing about this camp site is that it's on the middle of the reserve where all the animals I had seen earlier run free, so free that the night before there were lions and hyenas on camp! Because of this we were not allowed outside of our tents after dark.  Another thing about the camp site was that all power went out at 10 pm, so we got completely ready for bed before the lights shut off on us.  Our beds also had large mosquito nets that covered us so we wouldn't get eaten alive (I am proud to say I did not get bite once the entire trip)! Once the lights were off it was pitch black and I realized how outdoors I was. I could hear every single noise and I laid in bed praying I would hear a lion grunting outside my tent. I began to worry the two sippers that separated me from the outside was not enough! I eventually feel asleep only to be awoken at 4:45 am! We got dressed and ready in the dark with the help of our flashlights and head lamps.  We then opened our tent and stood on our gated porch until we saw our jeep down the road.  We ate a light snack and headed our immediately. The morning air was pretty brisk and definitely did a good job of waking me up.  

Within no even twenty minutes of our ride Reg radioed Andy reporting that he found what we had all been hoping for... lions. Andy slammed on the gas and just like out of an Indiana Jones movie we were flying through the reserve. We spotted Reg and Andy dropped the engine. OUr jeep crept up to the spot and three beautiful lions came into view.  It was perfect. The sun was just rising and they were sun bathing.  There were two males and one female, and they were so amazing.  I snapped a billion pictures! Then one of the males stood up and walked off. Next them female stood and moved to the left of our vehicle and the other male followed her.  They hunched into the grass and I realized they were about to hunt! Suddenly, in perfect timing, some zebras came trotting down the road further down the road. We had a great view of what was about to happen. The zebra paused for a moment, but then continued on. The male launched to his feet and hurled after a zebra. All we could here was the frantic trotting of the zebra's hoofed feet, and then they both disapperaed into the bush.  The lioness stood and listened with us, nothing. It ended up being an unsuccessful hunt. The male returned and we watched them for a bit longer until they both disappeared into the bush.  By this time it was only 7 am and it was by far one of the best mornings of my life!

We continued to see more and finally saw what I had been waiting for... elephants! They were in a herd of at least 20, including some babies.  It was like straight out of a movie, they were all lined up, connected trunk to tail and just strolling through the bush. We saw so many animals and then finally stopped for lunch in the reserve.  We continued on the rest of the day spotting more rhinos, elephants, and zebras. However we were all scanning the bush for cheetahs or leopards. We ended our day around 5:30 pm. We were all exhausted and falling asleep in the Jeeps.

We then had an amazing braai for dinner! It was so good and the chicken was to die for! We also roasted marshmallows outside the tent on the grill. It was a really good night and my group bonded a lot under the breath-taking stars. We were heading back to the Jeeps to take us to the tents when we had some visitors who wanted some food... the hyenas were already on the camp site looking for something. Some of my friends came face-to-face with them.  We were all completely freaked out and everyone, including me, ran back to the tents.  We got ready for bed and turned out the lights but instead of freaking myself out about the hyenas we talked about life until we feel asleep.  I woke up again bright and early, packed and got picked up.  We ate a small snack and headed out.  We immediantly saw hyena, which I'm sure was just leaving camp. We continued and drove across the reserve and had a huge breakfast at the reserve buffet. After breakfast we packed up and headed out for our last two hours on the reserve.  In this time we saw rhinos rolling around in mud and wild dogs eating their kill (wild dogs are the most rare to see on safari). We ended our trip with no cheetah or leopard sightings but I had the most amazing time!

It is still unreal to me that I was able to expericnce this.  A safari is something I never thought I would have the oppurtunity to do, yet here I am just returning from my first one and hopefully not my last. I was, however, excited to return to the place I now call home and see the friends I now call family. God has truly blessed me and I could not be more happy with my life than I am at this moment.  I am in Africa, living an incredible life.  I owe God everything for the way He blesses me everyday. I am a very lucky girl!

Now the real excitement beings! I know I have been in Africa for quite some time, but I feel like now is when I am really going to have those life changing experiences.  Today, I took my one and only final exam! I am now done with my classes (except for Zulu), and it is only March! The first semester was amazing, but I am ready to get off of campus and go into the communities at our service sites! I also want to make the promise that there will be more blog posts during service sites! However; before service sites we are going to finish out this week with a bang!

Tomorrow, I am going zip lining on one of the tallest zip line courses in the world! I am not a fan of heights but this is a chance of a lifetime, just like everything else I do here.  Better yet, on Friday I leave for a three day safari! I cannot wait to go out to the bush and finally see the major Game in South Africa (also known as all of the characters from Lion King).  It is going to be such a great experience and I will be sure to share it with you when I return!

After this week we will finally be starting out service sites.  This is what I am most excited for, and it is one of the main reasons I decided to come to Africa.  I will be spending the next month, everyday from 8 am to 4 pm at Riv Life.  It is an amazing community that brought me to tears when I visited it.  Here I will be doing anything and everything.  I will have to opportunity to help kids, do community projects, and do home visits to patients with AIDS.  I cannot wait to finally go into a community and become involved and form relationships! Serving is one of my favorite things to do and I am so blessed by this opportunity.  It reminds me everyday of why I chose the career I chose.  Picking Social Work as my major was a very difficult decision.  And whenever I tell someone what I am studying, I get one of two responses; either “Wow, you must have a big heart” or “Oh, that’s nice”.  It is hard to hear, but then again I am not doing it for others.  I am praying that Riv Life will strengthen my desire to serve people for the rest of my life.  I pity the people who don’t respect my major because I am simply doing what I love and fulfilling a calling I know I am supposed to be involved in.  Social Work doesn’t make a lot of money and the cases are not shut and close, but I don’t not do it because of those things… I do it because my heart finds joy in letting others know that there is someone out there that cares.  I do it because I learn how to humble myself and what a difference it can make if you just sit and listen to someone else’s story.

I cannot wait to share my love and faith through Riv Life for this next month and I know I am going to have the hardest time leaving.  But when I go back home and hear those discouraging comments about my major, I will look back to Africa.  I will remember the smiles and laughter. I will remember the stories of the people. I will remember the ones who I helped and the ones who I wished I could have helped.  I will remember the changes I will see happening, no matter how big or small.  I will remember the way that I impacted Africa, and most importantly the way Africa impacted me!

This past week

I once again apologize for the lack of updates.  My time here in Africa just seems to be flying by and I am trying to savor every last minute.  It has been one month since I left the LA and found myself in this beautiful place!  Being here makes it hard to remember what life was like before this amazing experience.  I am surrounded by great people everyday and we are enjoying the most wonderful place on earth.  

It has been a good two weeks since I last wrote.  This past weekend after our enjoyable trip to Durban we drove three hours to Drakensberg to see Bushmen cave paintings.  The paintings were not the most exciting but the hike up to the caves was the most breath taking hike I have ever been on.  I found myself snapping picture after picture trying to capture the absolute beauty that this place holds, only to be disappointed by the images that later uploaded on my computer screen.  There is nothing that can describe how amazing this hike was, I wish I could take each and every one of you there to experience it yourself.  The clouds were light and fluffy, the sky was the purest blue and the scenery was green and lush. We were all dreading the three hour drive as well but the view out of the van windows kept us occupied.  It was a great day full of nature and friends! 

This past week was one of the best and most relaxing weeks.  We had no isiZulu because our teacher was out of town for a conference, so I only had History and Intercultural Communication to worry about.  It was wonderful and I already know that I am going to have the most difficult time going back to main campus in the Fall.  As little homework and class we have, we are always busy and exhausted.  We spend as much time as possible trying to go out and experience Africa.  At the beginning of the semester our mindset was that we have plenty of time, but now as the weeks and months dwindle down we are eager to go out more.
Valentines Day is usually not a big day in my life but this year we decided to celebrate it with everyone! We got together a decorating committee and activities committee to make the night special.  Each of us were assigned a Valentine to spend dinner with and get to know more.  It was such a fun night and our photobooth was a hit! Our theme for the night was "Would you love me if I dressed like this" and we entertained ourselves with a stage and some microphones!

One of the most exciting things we find ourselves doing on a weekly basis here is a giant slip n slide.  We have purchased a large tarp the we run down the front law. We soak it with water and soap and let the fun begin!  We have all be injured, cut up and bruised from it, but none of us seem to mind.  It has come to the point where there is a huge mud pit at the end of the hill where the tarp ends and our wet bodies hit.  Another thing we do as a community here on campus is Zumba class! The girls have so much fun dancing, shaking our hips and watching the boys attempt to do it as well.  I don't want people to think I am doing nothing here, but truth is we do nothing but have fun all the time.  

This weekend we went off campus for a night and stayed in Dundee, a four hour drive from Pietermaritzberg. We rented a huge coach bus with reclining seats and had a mini road trip.  The main propose of the weekend was to see Zulu battlefields, but my favorite part was just being with everyone.  We played games, talked and ran around the bus for most of the drive, just enjoying each other's company.  The battlefields were okay, but being together was the best part.  We stayed at a cute little bed and breakfast and were pretty much the only ones occupying it.  Before dinner we left the quaint hotel to explore and found ourselves totally out of place.  We were the only white people for miles, and it was obvious everyone looked at us as walking wallets.  We ended up in some bad parts of town, too close to the taxi ports, but were altogether and with our boys.  I felt so uncomfortable, but it was an experience I am glad I had.  I have felt so safe here, that I am glad to realize that there are some dangers.  The dinner was the BEST food we have had in a while and we all stuffed our faces until we fell into a restful food coma. It was an expected boring weekend, but turned out to be so much fun together.  

This week we will be assigned our service sites.  I felt very called to one site called Riv Life, mainly because there is a social worker there that I could work side by side with.  We were able to write down our top two and it will be decided by Reg.  We were told that we could email Reg if one site fit our major more than the other, but I am very confident that wherever I end up is exactly where the Lord wants me.  As soon as our semester ends (in two weeks), we will be spending most of our days at our service sites. This is the part I am most excited for.  It will be the time where we will be able to be part of the townships and get to know people in the communities, which is my kind of thing! 

I am praying that these next two months slow down because I am so content being here in Africa.  I am so grateful for this opportunity and I never want it to end.


A few snapshots from these past few weeks

Update!!

I have been a horrible blogger lately, and I apologize! We are still pretty busy, but busy in a good way! 

Classes have been going well, I got an A on my first isiZulu test!! I am continually getting better at speaking the language, but I am still working on all of the clicking.  I try to use Zulu as much as possible, but I am usually too scared to sound like an idiot.  However, every time I work up the courage and use it, the Zulu people are so happy to know that I am trying to learn their language.  They are so appreciative and try to help me as much as they can...

This past weekend, we all traveled to Durban for a fun-filled Saturday at uShaka Waterpark! It was a waterpark/ Sea World/ beach front all in one! I brave up and went down the death plunge and luckily came out alive.  Then we headed to the Dolphin show, and if you know me you would know that it was the best part of the day.  The crowd loved our group of 50 Americans and I was called up to go down to the tank and participate in the show.  The dolphins sprayed me with water that had almost as much salt as the ocean.  After the dolphin show we went to the beach and I was able to swim in the Indian ocean for the first time. It was beautiful and the water was not refreshing at all, but warm and tropical.  We had so much fun, and could not have asked for a better day in Durban.

The people here are as nice as always and I still feel so blessed to be in such a beautiful place everyday.  I cannot believe I have been here and month and am already dreading leaving.  Africa is beginning to hold such a special place in my heart and I really don't want this adventure to end.  

My Heaven

This is the place I get to wake up to everyday.

I get to spend my semester enjoying this beauty. 

I am blessed beyond belief and these pictures barely do it justice.  

This is a experience of a lifetime and I am so happy to be living it!

Your hands that shape the WORLD

Yesterday I again had the opportunity to go to Liziel and Reagan’s church and it was such an amazing service.  Every song that we sang had so much feeling and emotion tucked into it that it becomes so much easier to worship. As I looked around the church I saw so many different people. All of which were throwing up their hands in complete awe of the Lord.  There were Blacks, Colored, Whites and Indians, and every person was joined together in the love of Jesus Christ.  It was a beautiful thing, and I noticed that it is something I never see at my home church.  The church I go to at home in mainly White, but I fully believe that that is not what God wants His church to look like.  And the way we worship should be out of true, deep emotion.  A church should be a place to join together with different people, no matter the race or culture, to worship the God we ALL love.  
Being at this church has opened me up to so many things that I have never seen before, and at first it scared me, but has brought up so many good questions in my mind.  Different may be a hard thing to get used to but as I sang, I noticed in front of me, a young colored boy.  His mother was holding him and he was gently resting his head on her shoulder. He looked up at me and I saw that he had Down Syndrome.  I immediately thought about my Aunt Liz back and home; her loving spirit and great ability to make me laugh and that is when I realized the people here in Africa are no different from me.  We are constantly afraid of the differences in people that we never even take the opportunity to look at our similarities, to appreciate.  Yesterday God really showed me that there are no differences because we are all His beloved.  Whether some people worship in Africa and others worship in the United States, it makes no difference.  We are all people longing to love the Lord and no one has the right to judge another’s heart. 

I having been waiting for something to change me here in Africa, fearing that I will miss it, but at church was an amazing opportunity for me.  It is small things like that that I feel will constantly move me throughout my semester here and I am so thankful for them!

Sanibonani!

Sawibona! Igama lami uAlly! 

Today was the fourth day of classes, and in that time I can officially say I have learned a new language.  Tonight I had my fourth Zulu class and I feel like a pro, but I will never underestimate this clicking language again! It is the hardest class I have ever taken.  Zulu is everything that English is not, but I am getting the hang of it and I could not be more excited!

Not much has happened since classes have started.  Campus is beautiful everyday and homework haunts us as we play.  Today I did nothing but Zulu class, journal, read and tan.  I can't believe that this is my life and I am beyond blessed to be living it! As much as we complain, we really have no homework.  We fill our days with about an hour or two of studying and homework and the rest is filled with volleyball, hiking, swimming, and playing in waterfalls. Rough huh? I almost can't believe that I have time throughout my day to sit and just reflect.  I wish life back on the California campus was like this, because honestly who needs all that stress? 

Even though we are not taking the most demanding classes, we are being bombarded with culture shock and information.  We may not be in a classroom all day, but we are definitely learning.  There is so much about this country we have been learning just by taking those hikes and talking to people.  It is an interesting life style that continuously engages me.  Not only are we learning about our surroundings, but about each other.  I am so blessed to be here with some amazing people.  We are constantly learning and growing by listening and talking with each other.  My peers are so encouraging, and I have not been here one day in which I wasn't searching for something more.  

We are all here to figure this country out, to try new things and to grow and become more aware.  Together I can already tell that we are going to have some great adventures, whether it's conversing with the local Zulus when getting lost in the jungle, having the boys chase a lizard out of your room with a garbage can or simply waking up early to do our devotional.  I cannot wait to see the changes that are going to come upon each and every one of us.  None of us are sure what we are waiting for, whether it will be large or small, but I know none of us will return to the States the same.