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.
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