I'm feeling very ambivalent this morning. On the one hand, the prospect of going home and seeing family and friends is so exciting; on the other hand, it is hard to say good-bye to all our new friends in Africa!
Last evening the team spent some time reflecting on things we have learned during our stay in South Africa and I would like to share some of those:
We renamed this our "Hurry up and Wait" pilgrimage, which is to say that we have all learned a little more about patience.
We learned that we could live happily with a lot less "stuff", which may mean we clean out our closets when we get home - and pack less on future trips.
We learned how very fortunate we are by virtue of being born in the U.S. We learned that we are given many opportunities that others don't receive and we learned that good fortune and opportunity carry with it a responsibility to care for
those who are not so blessed.
We learned that Christ was already in Africa waiting for us.
We learned the value of genuine hospitality.
We learned to step outside of our comfort zone and trust God to walk beside us.
We learned that although we live in a completely different culture, we are more alike than different from our brothers and sisters in Africa.
And I learned that Belmont UMC is blessed with some of the most gifted and mature youth I've ever had the privilege to know.
We all agree that this has been a memorable pilgrimage for us and that it has bonded us together into a community that we hope to continue to share when we get home.
We are looking forward to seeing your smiling faces at the Nashville airport tomorrow!
Love,
Chris Steele
Thursday, June 25, 2009
June 24 Reflection from Hannah
Today has been a complex day for me, in terms of absorbing all of the information to which we’ve been exposed. To recap: We spent most of the day touring Johannesburg… We visited Soweto, the Hector Pieterson museum, the Apartheid museum, and the Regina Mundi Catholic Church, where many of the Anti-Apartheid activists’ funerals were held.
I had the most difficult time at the Apartheid museum. I think, though, that it was difficult in a necessary way, because it forced me to think about the struggles that we face as youth today in comparison with those of the past, and how we are called to respond.
Activism has been an important message of this trip to me. It seems that I am often involved in “raising awareness” about various causes, but very rarely do I actually do anything to attempt to make a positive change.
I have learned, however, that the changes I most wish to make (big, definable ones) are often not realistic. The beautiful people from Come Back Mission made it very clear, though through their actions and testimonies, that it is through human to human contact that we can ever hope to create a world founded in peace and equality.
Steve Bryant said it perfectly at devotion tonight… he said that whenever we work consciously to help spread love and help others on a person to person basis, that is where there is a new world, a new creation, and that is where the hope is.
Hannah
I had the most difficult time at the Apartheid museum. I think, though, that it was difficult in a necessary way, because it forced me to think about the struggles that we face as youth today in comparison with those of the past, and how we are called to respond.
Activism has been an important message of this trip to me. It seems that I am often involved in “raising awareness” about various causes, but very rarely do I actually do anything to attempt to make a positive change.
I have learned, however, that the changes I most wish to make (big, definable ones) are often not realistic. The beautiful people from Come Back Mission made it very clear, though through their actions and testimonies, that it is through human to human contact that we can ever hope to create a world founded in peace and equality.
Steve Bryant said it perfectly at devotion tonight… he said that whenever we work consciously to help spread love and help others on a person to person basis, that is where there is a new world, a new creation, and that is where the hope is.
Hannah
June 23 Reflection from TJ
Today was a glorious day! Having slept soundly in our host family’s home, Aren and I awoke to the beauteous African sunrise at 7:07am. We then were driven over to our host family’s grandma’s house for breakfast. Breakfast was delicious. Magnificent heapings of eggs were punctuated by bites of spicy sausage and bacon, so that the taste might have been better distributed. Served with cereal, toast, and tea, the carnacious combination made for delicious breakfast. From our breakfast meeting, the team drove to the Come Back Mission HQ. We were debriefed (luckily Aren and I wore boxers so we didn’t have to cope with lack of undergarments).
We prayed and drove through Kliptown before arriving in the not so aptly named Heavenly Valley. Though at first sight there was nothing special about Heavenly Valley, our arduous efforts went a long way towards making it more heavenly. From 9:30-1 pm, we worked well towards painting a preschool and an old lady’s house. After some kids dragged me away from my work and played ball with me and showed me around did I realize for what reason it was called Heavenly. (Yet I am still baffled by the name “valley;” it seemed flat to me.)
Also, while I worked, I got to know some really cool people. At 1pm, we prayed and left our day’s work. We went back to HQ in order to eat lunch. It was delicious. We were served a plethora of hotdogs, each of uniform taste and color. These franks were different from the American variety for three reasons: the neon pink color, the streamline shape, and the satisfying feelers of rubbery skin breaking and freeing up the flesh inside. I loved those hot dogs.
After lunch, we walked to the Freedom Park Methodist Church. I shared the walk with two lovely partners who guided me. After we arrived at the destination (only by preceding the highlighted route) we took part in a marvelous program. Similar to the Swazi service in some ways, there was much singing and much sharing of culture. We talked about presidents, problems, and solutions. I gave a brief history of our national anthem. I loved the service. Many other youth went up and spoke. After the program we went to dinner.
Dinner was bountiful. Before dinner Aren and I talked to a wonderful man named Edmund. He plans to hook us up with some World Cup tickets. Anyway, dinner had so many delicious dishes that even taking 3 oz of each, my plate was full before I made it halfway through the line. And so, I resolved to layers of food, topped with a delectable stir-fry. After dinner, we had a heart-warming devotion followed by the good-bye dances. We sang and danced with happiness. I hated to say goodbye to my friends, but we exchanged email addresses. And so, we departed from the exciting dinner party and went on to sleep.
T. J.
We prayed and drove through Kliptown before arriving in the not so aptly named Heavenly Valley. Though at first sight there was nothing special about Heavenly Valley, our arduous efforts went a long way towards making it more heavenly. From 9:30-1 pm, we worked well towards painting a preschool and an old lady’s house. After some kids dragged me away from my work and played ball with me and showed me around did I realize for what reason it was called Heavenly. (Yet I am still baffled by the name “valley;” it seemed flat to me.)
Also, while I worked, I got to know some really cool people. At 1pm, we prayed and left our day’s work. We went back to HQ in order to eat lunch. It was delicious. We were served a plethora of hotdogs, each of uniform taste and color. These franks were different from the American variety for three reasons: the neon pink color, the streamline shape, and the satisfying feelers of rubbery skin breaking and freeing up the flesh inside. I loved those hot dogs.
After lunch, we walked to the Freedom Park Methodist Church. I shared the walk with two lovely partners who guided me. After we arrived at the destination (only by preceding the highlighted route) we took part in a marvelous program. Similar to the Swazi service in some ways, there was much singing and much sharing of culture. We talked about presidents, problems, and solutions. I gave a brief history of our national anthem. I loved the service. Many other youth went up and spoke. After the program we went to dinner.
Dinner was bountiful. Before dinner Aren and I talked to a wonderful man named Edmund. He plans to hook us up with some World Cup tickets. Anyway, dinner had so many delicious dishes that even taking 3 oz of each, my plate was full before I made it halfway through the line. And so, I resolved to layers of food, topped with a delectable stir-fry. After dinner, we had a heart-warming devotion followed by the good-bye dances. We sang and danced with happiness. I hated to say goodbye to my friends, but we exchanged email addresses. And so, we departed from the exciting dinner party and went on to sleep.
T. J.
June 22 Reflection from Sarah
We spent Monday driving to Come Back Mission. The drive itself was exciting, but driving in SA is just exciting in general. When we finally made it to Come Back Mission we were so warmly greeted. The second you walked into the volunteers’ presence you could feel God in such a strong way. There was so much love that we all felt instantly. Our whole evening was filled with music, food, and new family members. J
Sarah
Sarah
June 22 Reflection from Andy
Today was mostly a travel day, driving from Kruger National Park to Johannesburg. It’s given me lots of time to savor the memories of our time in Kruger. All day Saturday, I rode in the white van with Lanecia, Erin, Hannah, Mary, Sarah, TJ, and Richard (our driver). Two of the highlights of the day were:
From another care, we heard of cheetah sighting. Cheetahs are the rarest animal in all the park- there are only 225 or so in the 4 million acres of KNP- so we raced to the site. A jumble of cars, trucks, and minibuses clogged the road, and we jostled our way into the pack. Fortunately, most of us were able to see the cheetahs about 30m off the road in the shade of a tree amongst some tall grass-even if all some of us saw was a flash of orange spotted fur.
Later, we drove to Transport Dam, a watering hole that was the site of “Battle at Kruger,” a famous YouTube video. We didn’t see anything quite a spectacular as a face-off between Cape Buffalos, crocodiles, and lions, but we did see another special event: a giraffe trundled down to the watering hole, awkwardly spread his front legs, and bent down to take a drink.
I’ve really enjoyed our time it Kruger, but it has had a very different feel from Cape Town and Swaziland. I’ve felt much more like I’m on vacation than a mission-pilgrimage. Just like I have to be watchful and vigilant to spy game in the bush, I have to work harder to find God in Kruger. The meaning doesn’t come to me; I have to go find the meaning.
The meaning I’ve found so far in this: to take joy from the fact that we can marvel at really all aspects of God’s creation at Kruger: beautiful sunrises and sunsets; the brilliant Southern night sky; acacia trees, silver cluster-leaf trees, impala lilies, and aloe vera with yellow cone flowers; creature of the air (horn bills, mouse-birds, guinea fowl), water (hippos, crocodiles), and earth (rhinos, giraffes, impalas, elephants). This morning, watching the sun rise, I could also echo the creation and say as God did on the sixth day of the creation story, “It is very good.”
Yet the creation at Kruger is mission something: man and woman, and the hopes and dreams and struggles that have enriched our time in Africa. Tonight we will meet the local people with whom we will stay for two nights in El Dorado Park. I wait with anticipation for the encounters with God we will have in Johannesburg!
P.S. Richard cooks up a mean burrito!
From another care, we heard of cheetah sighting. Cheetahs are the rarest animal in all the park- there are only 225 or so in the 4 million acres of KNP- so we raced to the site. A jumble of cars, trucks, and minibuses clogged the road, and we jostled our way into the pack. Fortunately, most of us were able to see the cheetahs about 30m off the road in the shade of a tree amongst some tall grass-even if all some of us saw was a flash of orange spotted fur.
Later, we drove to Transport Dam, a watering hole that was the site of “Battle at Kruger,” a famous YouTube video. We didn’t see anything quite a spectacular as a face-off between Cape Buffalos, crocodiles, and lions, but we did see another special event: a giraffe trundled down to the watering hole, awkwardly spread his front legs, and bent down to take a drink.
I’ve really enjoyed our time it Kruger, but it has had a very different feel from Cape Town and Swaziland. I’ve felt much more like I’m on vacation than a mission-pilgrimage. Just like I have to be watchful and vigilant to spy game in the bush, I have to work harder to find God in Kruger. The meaning doesn’t come to me; I have to go find the meaning.
The meaning I’ve found so far in this: to take joy from the fact that we can marvel at really all aspects of God’s creation at Kruger: beautiful sunrises and sunsets; the brilliant Southern night sky; acacia trees, silver cluster-leaf trees, impala lilies, and aloe vera with yellow cone flowers; creature of the air (horn bills, mouse-birds, guinea fowl), water (hippos, crocodiles), and earth (rhinos, giraffes, impalas, elephants). This morning, watching the sun rise, I could also echo the creation and say as God did on the sixth day of the creation story, “It is very good.”
Yet the creation at Kruger is mission something: man and woman, and the hopes and dreams and struggles that have enriched our time in Africa. Tonight we will meet the local people with whom we will stay for two nights in El Dorado Park. I wait with anticipation for the encounters with God we will have in Johannesburg!
P.S. Richard cooks up a mean burrito!
Highlights from Kruger Park
So, Kruger Park was everything I thought it would be… and so much more. We saw so many animals, including 3 of the “Big 5” and the rarest creature in the park: the cheetah! Aside from the wildlife, the landscape was marvelous. Even if we hadn’t seen animal life for a while, the drive was nonetheless beautiful. At night, the stars were, quite literally, majestic. We even say some shooting stars! The trip was well worth it. I think all got something out of it, whether it is some outstanding pictures or a better understanding of pilgrimage.
Keller
This moment pretty much sums up my experience in Kruger:
After dinner and devotion the first night, we walked over, as a group, to sit and look at the stars. I forgot they exist sometimes because they’re washed out at home, but in the 30 minutes or so we sat there, we say four shooting stars, each of which was greeted with a collective gasp. I clapped a couple of times, I’ sure.
Hannah
Kruger Park was super fun. We spent all day in the sun. The night ride was pretty pointless, but the hamburger I ate after was just the greatest.
Marie Claire
My experience in Kruger was amazing. I thought it was really cool seeing all the animals up close in their natural habitat.
My favorite part of the trip was on the night ride and we turned off all the lights in the car and sat there in the silence, hearing only the crickets chirping, and gazing up at the Milky Way. It was a peaceful moment and I saw God in the beauty of it.
Tiresa
Before Kruger, I expected to see one animal or one type of animal at one time.
What I saw was a giraffe and a buffalo drinking from the watering hole right next to each other and heard of elephant, buffalo an impala all in the same area.
We can learn a lot from animals if you just take the time to pay attention.
And on June 20, I saw 3 shooting stars. It’s nice to travel but nice to know that I have a home to go to.
Love. Peace. Jamye.
Report from Dr. Kim, Medicine Woman: you will be pleased to know that the item most in demand from the first aid kit has been Advil- from our sore muscles in Swaziland. Other than that, there have been 4 knee scrapes (Claire, Andy and T. J.). T.J. had 2- both from climbing trees. Only 3 instances of upset stomach (Brynn, Chris and Meredith) with none lasting more than a few hours. There was one headache caused by riding in a coombie full of teenagers one day J. On a spiritual side: Psalm 8 sums up my thoughts on Kruger and God’s creation pretty well.
Kim
Keller
This moment pretty much sums up my experience in Kruger:
After dinner and devotion the first night, we walked over, as a group, to sit and look at the stars. I forgot they exist sometimes because they’re washed out at home, but in the 30 minutes or so we sat there, we say four shooting stars, each of which was greeted with a collective gasp. I clapped a couple of times, I’ sure.
Hannah
Kruger Park was super fun. We spent all day in the sun. The night ride was pretty pointless, but the hamburger I ate after was just the greatest.
Marie Claire
My experience in Kruger was amazing. I thought it was really cool seeing all the animals up close in their natural habitat.
My favorite part of the trip was on the night ride and we turned off all the lights in the car and sat there in the silence, hearing only the crickets chirping, and gazing up at the Milky Way. It was a peaceful moment and I saw God in the beauty of it.
Tiresa
Before Kruger, I expected to see one animal or one type of animal at one time.
What I saw was a giraffe and a buffalo drinking from the watering hole right next to each other and heard of elephant, buffalo an impala all in the same area.
We can learn a lot from animals if you just take the time to pay attention.
And on June 20, I saw 3 shooting stars. It’s nice to travel but nice to know that I have a home to go to.
Love. Peace. Jamye.
Report from Dr. Kim, Medicine Woman: you will be pleased to know that the item most in demand from the first aid kit has been Advil- from our sore muscles in Swaziland. Other than that, there have been 4 knee scrapes (Claire, Andy and T. J.). T.J. had 2- both from climbing trees. Only 3 instances of upset stomach (Brynn, Chris and Meredith) with none lasting more than a few hours. There was one headache caused by riding in a coombie full of teenagers one day J. On a spiritual side: Psalm 8 sums up my thoughts on Kruger and God’s creation pretty well.
Kim
Tuesday, June 23, 2009
"look at the stars, look how they shine for you..."
Since there was limited internet access in Kruger, I am just now able to post about our time there...
After a hot breakfast in Emafini, and a 3-4 hr drive, we arrived in Kruger National Park. The first animal we saw was a Cape Buffalo. Soon after, we saw many giraffe, impala, elephant, zebra, kudu, warthog, and tsessebe. After arriving in Pretoriaskop, we settled into our thatched roof "huts". This was a bit of a challenge for me, because there were a few bugs in our hut. Luckily I was rooming with Tiresa and Kate (who are not afraid of bugs), so they took care of it. ;-)
Right after dinner, many of us went out to the amphitheatre, to look at the milky way for a good 30-45 minutes. We saw 3 shooting stars, the southern cross and Scorpio. It was AMAZING!!! This is one example of where I encountered God's grandeur during our stay in Kruger. I have been fortunate enough to be able to travel to many beautiful places around the world, but I think this view of the stars was quite possibly the most beautiful sight yet!
The next day we drove to Skukuza and saw many animals along the way (including cheetah, hyena, white rhino, baboons, and water monitors). When we stopped at one of the watering holes, we saw a giraffe taking a drink. He was in a very awkward and uncomfortable looking position. It had us all laughing (oh, and don't worry...I'm sure there will be many pictures to see). After lunch in Skukuza, we drove to Berk-en-Dal. Once we quickly settled in, most of us went on the night ride that Lanecia mentioned before. We didn't see the other big 5, but we saw quite a few other animals.
We had a wonderful time in Kruger, so it was hard to leave Monday morning (it's been hard to leave most places). However, Jo-berg has been fabulous so far! Can't wait to share photos with everyone (there are so many to share...I'm on my third memory card)!!
Peace
erin
After a hot breakfast in Emafini, and a 3-4 hr drive, we arrived in Kruger National Park. The first animal we saw was a Cape Buffalo. Soon after, we saw many giraffe, impala, elephant, zebra, kudu, warthog, and tsessebe. After arriving in Pretoriaskop, we settled into our thatched roof "huts". This was a bit of a challenge for me, because there were a few bugs in our hut. Luckily I was rooming with Tiresa and Kate (who are not afraid of bugs), so they took care of it. ;-)
Right after dinner, many of us went out to the amphitheatre, to look at the milky way for a good 30-45 minutes. We saw 3 shooting stars, the southern cross and Scorpio. It was AMAZING!!! This is one example of where I encountered God's grandeur during our stay in Kruger. I have been fortunate enough to be able to travel to many beautiful places around the world, but I think this view of the stars was quite possibly the most beautiful sight yet!
The next day we drove to Skukuza and saw many animals along the way (including cheetah, hyena, white rhino, baboons, and water monitors). When we stopped at one of the watering holes, we saw a giraffe taking a drink. He was in a very awkward and uncomfortable looking position. It had us all laughing (oh, and don't worry...I'm sure there will be many pictures to see). After lunch in Skukuza, we drove to Berk-en-Dal. Once we quickly settled in, most of us went on the night ride that Lanecia mentioned before. We didn't see the other big 5, but we saw quite a few other animals.
We had a wonderful time in Kruger, so it was hard to leave Monday morning (it's been hard to leave most places). However, Jo-berg has been fabulous so far! Can't wait to share photos with everyone (there are so many to share...I'm on my third memory card)!!
Peace
erin
Word from Steve!
For my first blog entry, I'd like to just say how great the youth are.
We just finished a session (3 hours long!) where the Wesley Guild (youth) of Freedom Park Methodist Church here next to Eldorado Park (a tin roofed wooden structure in a very poor area) led everyone in a time of sharing about issues in South Africa and in America. They even had us sing the national anthems of each country. Then mixed us up and put us in small groups so we weren't sitting by nationality. Those SA youth led the whole thing, speaking with great confidence and engaging us all in dialogue.
Some of our youth stood and spoke and led singing well: Keller, Marie Claire, TJ, and Meredith. Mike Dubose also spoke well for the parents about the kind of concerns we have that are so similar to theirs. We're now, all of us with many of the Come Back Mission leaders, once again in a warm home on a cold night awaiting an abundance feast. As the adults fade, the young people (ours and theirs) seem to picking up energy. Will make for an interesting evening.
Peace to you all.
Steve
We just finished a session (3 hours long!) where the Wesley Guild (youth) of Freedom Park Methodist Church here next to Eldorado Park (a tin roofed wooden structure in a very poor area) led everyone in a time of sharing about issues in South Africa and in America. They even had us sing the national anthems of each country. Then mixed us up and put us in small groups so we weren't sitting by nationality. Those SA youth led the whole thing, speaking with great confidence and engaging us all in dialogue.
Some of our youth stood and spoke and led singing well: Keller, Marie Claire, TJ, and Meredith. Mike Dubose also spoke well for the parents about the kind of concerns we have that are so similar to theirs. We're now, all of us with many of the Come Back Mission leaders, once again in a warm home on a cold night awaiting an abundance feast. As the adults fade, the young people (ours and theirs) seem to picking up energy. Will make for an interesting evening.
Peace to you all.
Steve
For my first blog entry, I'd like to just say how great the youth are.
We just finished a session (3 hours long!) where the Wesley Guild (youth) of Freedom Park Methodist Church here next to Eldorado Park (a tin roofed wooden structure in a very poor area) led everyone in a time of sharing about issues in South Africa and in America. They even had us sing the national anthems of each country. Then mixed us up and put us in small groups so we weren't sitting by nationality. Those SA youth led the whole thing, speaking with great confidence and engaging us all in dialogue.
Some of our youth stood and spoke and led singing well: Keller, Marie Claire, TJ, and Meredith. Mike Dubose also spoke well for the parents about the kind of concerns we have that are so similar to theirs. We're now, all of us with many of the Come Back Mission leaders, once again in a warm home on a cold night awaiting an abundance feast. As the adults fade, the young people (ours and theirs) seem to picking up energy. Will make for an interesting evening.
Peace to you all.
Steve
We just finished a session (3 hours long!) where the Wesley Guild (youth) of Freedom Park Methodist Church here next to Eldorado Park (a tin roofed wooden structure in a very poor area) led everyone in a time of sharing about issues in South Africa and in America. They even had us sing the national anthems of each country. Then mixed us up and put us in small groups so we weren't sitting by nationality. Those SA youth led the whole thing, speaking with great confidence and engaging us all in dialogue.
Some of our youth stood and spoke and led singing well: Keller, Marie Claire, TJ, and Meredith. Mike Dubose also spoke well for the parents about the kind of concerns we have that are so similar to theirs. We're now, all of us with many of the Come Back Mission leaders, once again in a warm home on a cold night awaiting an abundance feast. As the adults fade, the young people (ours and theirs) seem to picking up energy. Will make for an interesting evening.
Peace to you all.
Steve
Monday, June 22, 2009
Out of the Park and Headed to Jo'Burg!
Hello Friends!
We are on our way to Jo'Burg. Hopefully tonight or tomorrow we will have postings of reflections from Kruger Park along with longer blog postings from those who are assigned these days to write about.
Thanks for your continued prayers and support.
Peace
lanecia
I love South Africa!
We are on our way to Jo'Burg. Hopefully tonight or tomorrow we will have postings of reflections from Kruger Park along with longer blog postings from those who are assigned these days to write about.
Thanks for your continued prayers and support.
Peace
lanecia
I love South Africa!
Sunday, June 21, 2009
Kruger National Park
Hello Friends!
We are in the middle of Kruger National Park... WOW! We have seen giraffe, zebra, cheetahs, warthogs, impalas, elephants, rhino, hippo, all other sorts of natural treasures.
It is beautiful, absolutely beautiful! God is quite the artist.
Tonight many of us will be going on a night ride. We hope to see the other two of the big 5.
Thank you for your prayers. The team is well, enjoying this sabbath day looking forward to serving in Jo'Burg this week and meeting new friends.
Everyone is well. It is hard to name each member, because we are a whole and all of the youth & adults are contributing so much to the experience. We have truly become a team, a community of friends, sharing a pilgrimage journey together.
Be God's,
lanecia
We are in the middle of Kruger National Park... WOW! We have seen giraffe, zebra, cheetahs, warthogs, impalas, elephants, rhino, hippo, all other sorts of natural treasures.
It is beautiful, absolutely beautiful! God is quite the artist.
Tonight many of us will be going on a night ride. We hope to see the other two of the big 5.
Thank you for your prayers. The team is well, enjoying this sabbath day looking forward to serving in Jo'Burg this week and meeting new friends.
Everyone is well. It is hard to name each member, because we are a whole and all of the youth & adults are contributing so much to the experience. We have truly become a team, a community of friends, sharing a pilgrimage journey together.
Be God's,
lanecia
Friday, June 19, 2009
A Collection of Reflections from Swaziland
(We leave for Kruger Park in the morning. We may not have new posts until Monday. Hopefully you will enjoy feasting on the following three blog posts until we continue sharing our story with you next week. Thank you for your prayers and support.)
This week I worked with the kids. It was very fun! My favorite moment of today was during storytime in the preschool. A little girl just grabbed my hand and held it the whole time. It was so precious. I have enjoyed being in Swaziland and can't wait to see how it impacts the rest of my life, because I know it will.
Erin
It is amazing to me that a place like Swaziland still exists, where culture, tradition, and family reign supreme. At the same time, there is a sense of awareness about the rest of the world, so that the desire for self growth and/or self education is very apparent. This lends the people an air of modernization that is a trifle confusing when paired dirt roads, wondering cattle, and rugged mountains for me, Swaziland has been one of the most beautiful, sacred, and baffling places I have ever seen. I feel like I have a second home here. Our short stay has left me with more questions, I have a lot to learn.
Hannah
Our week in Swaziland has been incredible! All of the youth worked so hard and accomplished more than anyone had expected could be done in a short time. More importantly, we have learned so much about another culture, about ourselves and about God's vision for this creation.
Chris
I have been blessed continually in my time in Swaziland. I will treasure the views of the beautiful hills and valleys near the Lomngeletjane church and school; the charming homesteads in the countryside; and most of all the people of Lomngeletjane who worshipped and worked with us all week. It was very special to be able to unite in love with our Swazi brothers and sisters in Christ.
Andy
This week consisted of a nervous beginning and a bittersweet end. I learned two valuable lessons that I will forever hold with me. The first is I have learned to be patient with myself and more importantly, others. The second lesson I have learned is that it is possible to be happy when one has virtually no material wealth. These children are so rich with love and joy. They appear to be much happier than many people I know back home, including myself, who have absolutely everything they could ever need, plus more. When I return home, I hope to look around me, at everything I have been provided with, and be content. I hope to look around me, at everything I have been provided with, and be content. I hope to refrain from continuously yearning for more. This week has been very rewarding for me, and I can confidently say the same for everyone on this trip:
"go ahead and hate your neighbor, go ahead and cheat a friend. do it in the name of heaven, justify it in the end. There won't be any trumpets blowing, come the judgement day, on the bloody morning after, one tin soldier rides away."
Claire
Swaziland is wonderful. Looking at a map and statistics, I had no idea about the complex traditions in Swaziland. The cultureabout which we learned in the Cultural Village is so very interesting, and it is remarkable that such a tiny country can have such an unique culture. The people were good to. :)
TJ
Swaziland is beautiful. The scenery is like nothing I've ever seen before. I can't wait to return to this heavenly place to see these friendly, hospitable, hardworking people again.
MC
Gary has a t-shirt that says, "Feel the fear and do it anyway"- that sums up this week to me. We arrived in Swaziland and sang in a siswah church service, mixed concrete, graded a huge area of soil by hand, planted trees, laid block, and taught children who spoke another language. We had never done any of these things before. When asked by someone if we could do these things, we likely would have said, "ugh..." So with a bit of fear, we took our first steps and at the end of the week, we were running. Shout outs to some of those still workng hard til the very last minute: Tiresa, Mary, Hannah, Keller, Chris and Mike and our fearless leader John, who believed in our success.
To MC and TJ: the alphabets that were awesome tree planters! To Sarah, Jamye, Avery and Erin sharing bubbles and smiles with masses of children. To Lanecia and Kathryn for their patience with translators and being overwhelmed with children. To Andy, Aren, Claire and Keller for patiently shoveling and raking to get the grades and drainage just right. To Ken and Steve who proved they can be more thank spiritual guides they are excellent weedeaters.
Kim
Home like here is an ever changing thing.
My home is here and there
but here is ever changing.
Peace and Love
sarah
This week I worked with the kids. It was very fun! My favorite moment of today was during storytime in the preschool. A little girl just grabbed my hand and held it the whole time. It was so precious. I have enjoyed being in Swaziland and can't wait to see how it impacts the rest of my life, because I know it will.
Erin
It is amazing to me that a place like Swaziland still exists, where culture, tradition, and family reign supreme. At the same time, there is a sense of awareness about the rest of the world, so that the desire for self growth and/or self education is very apparent. This lends the people an air of modernization that is a trifle confusing when paired dirt roads, wondering cattle, and rugged mountains for me, Swaziland has been one of the most beautiful, sacred, and baffling places I have ever seen. I feel like I have a second home here. Our short stay has left me with more questions, I have a lot to learn.
Hannah
Our week in Swaziland has been incredible! All of the youth worked so hard and accomplished more than anyone had expected could be done in a short time. More importantly, we have learned so much about another culture, about ourselves and about God's vision for this creation.
Chris
I have been blessed continually in my time in Swaziland. I will treasure the views of the beautiful hills and valleys near the Lomngeletjane church and school; the charming homesteads in the countryside; and most of all the people of Lomngeletjane who worshipped and worked with us all week. It was very special to be able to unite in love with our Swazi brothers and sisters in Christ.
Andy
This week consisted of a nervous beginning and a bittersweet end. I learned two valuable lessons that I will forever hold with me. The first is I have learned to be patient with myself and more importantly, others. The second lesson I have learned is that it is possible to be happy when one has virtually no material wealth. These children are so rich with love and joy. They appear to be much happier than many people I know back home, including myself, who have absolutely everything they could ever need, plus more. When I return home, I hope to look around me, at everything I have been provided with, and be content. I hope to look around me, at everything I have been provided with, and be content. I hope to refrain from continuously yearning for more. This week has been very rewarding for me, and I can confidently say the same for everyone on this trip:
"go ahead and hate your neighbor, go ahead and cheat a friend. do it in the name of heaven, justify it in the end. There won't be any trumpets blowing, come the judgement day, on the bloody morning after, one tin soldier rides away."
Claire
Swaziland is wonderful. Looking at a map and statistics, I had no idea about the complex traditions in Swaziland. The cultureabout which we learned in the Cultural Village is so very interesting, and it is remarkable that such a tiny country can have such an unique culture. The people were good to. :)
TJ
Swaziland is beautiful. The scenery is like nothing I've ever seen before. I can't wait to return to this heavenly place to see these friendly, hospitable, hardworking people again.
MC
Gary has a t-shirt that says, "Feel the fear and do it anyway"- that sums up this week to me. We arrived in Swaziland and sang in a siswah church service, mixed concrete, graded a huge area of soil by hand, planted trees, laid block, and taught children who spoke another language. We had never done any of these things before. When asked by someone if we could do these things, we likely would have said, "ugh..." So with a bit of fear, we took our first steps and at the end of the week, we were running. Shout outs to some of those still workng hard til the very last minute: Tiresa, Mary, Hannah, Keller, Chris and Mike and our fearless leader John, who believed in our success.
To MC and TJ: the alphabets that were awesome tree planters! To Sarah, Jamye, Avery and Erin sharing bubbles and smiles with masses of children. To Lanecia and Kathryn for their patience with translators and being overwhelmed with children. To Andy, Aren, Claire and Keller for patiently shoveling and raking to get the grades and drainage just right. To Ken and Steve who proved they can be more thank spiritual guides they are excellent weedeaters.
Kim
Home like here is an ever changing thing.
My home is here and there
but here is ever changing.
Peace and Love
sarah
The End of Our Journey in Swaziland
Today our week in Swaziland comes to an end. It was very tough to say "Goodbye" to all of the amazing friends we have made here. We've laughed, cried, and even worshipped with these beautiful people.
There were many surprises that came out of Swaziland. The cultural differences were interesting and sometimes hard to understand, but we learned a lot about the history of this country and its customs.
Many of the people we worked with had a strong enthusiasm in their love for Christ and they would even exemplify this in their daily work. They encouraged us to remember God in our lives everyday and thank Him for everything that He gives us.
Learning from devotion tonight, I can tell that everyone has been touched by the overwhelming hospitality, open hearts, and love that we received from each of the people in Swaziland. We hope to keep the relationships we formed strong in our minds and in our hearts forever.
This is a country full of beautiful smiles, abundant laughter, deep faith, rich culture, and wonderful souls.
I know that each of us on this pilgrimage look forward to spreading God's light that was shed on us here in Swaziland.
Mom, Dad, Mimi, Jack, Ashley, and the dogs: I miss you guys, but I'm having the time of my life, as expected. I love you. See you soon!
P.S. Happy Birthday Mimi!!!
Avery Bond
There were many surprises that came out of Swaziland. The cultural differences were interesting and sometimes hard to understand, but we learned a lot about the history of this country and its customs.
Many of the people we worked with had a strong enthusiasm in their love for Christ and they would even exemplify this in their daily work. They encouraged us to remember God in our lives everyday and thank Him for everything that He gives us.
Learning from devotion tonight, I can tell that everyone has been touched by the overwhelming hospitality, open hearts, and love that we received from each of the people in Swaziland. We hope to keep the relationships we formed strong in our minds and in our hearts forever.
This is a country full of beautiful smiles, abundant laughter, deep faith, rich culture, and wonderful souls.
I know that each of us on this pilgrimage look forward to spreading God's light that was shed on us here in Swaziland.
Mom, Dad, Mimi, Jack, Ashley, and the dogs: I miss you guys, but I'm having the time of my life, as expected. I love you. See you soon!
P.S. Happy Birthday Mimi!!!
Avery Bond
Chasing Bubbles
A month or two ago, after passing the Belmont UMC day school playground at church on my way to work, I updated my Facebook status to say something like... Lanecia is watching children chase bubbles. I hope Sheila (my young friend from Uganda) and other children around the world have a chance to chase bubbles today as well.There is nothing like seeing a child delight in freely chasing bubbles blowing in the wind. It is brilliant! They truly believe they are going to catch that bubble, even when it is like a giant above their little heads. Every child should have a chance to experience the joy and delight of chasing bubbles floating in the air like God inspired dreams; that when realized will give birth to a deep joy and life-giving delight.
The joy, delight, determination and hope that beams from this mundane activity from the soul of a child, is like water for the soul.
This week, I had the privilege of loving, teaching, singing, playing, creating, and chasing bubbles with some beautiful children at the Lomngeletjane Preschool and Primary. For a week I got to enter into the lives of over 100 children. As I watched them chasing bubbles, I began to wonder:
What dreams has God placed upon their tiny hearts? Will they receive the tools necessary to realize the God inspired dreams in their hearts? Do they know how special and loved they are? Am I looking at the young leaders & visionaries who will follow the path of the strong youth and adults of this community, working to uplift their community and provide a better world for the next generation? What is God's dream for each child in Lomngeletjane Preschool and Primary, and how might God be calling the church locally and globally to participate in this dream?
Lots of questions, lots of questions.
The great thing about this experience, is the difficulty of being paralyzed by the questions. The joy, delight, determination, and hope of the children, youth, and adults of the Lomngeletjane community and Belmont UMC community, keeps you moving, singing, working, dreaming, hoping, creating and above all loving. I serve God and love the world with some AMAZING youth... AMAZING. It has been so much fun and such a blessing.
I have learned so much this week, so very much. My soul is at rest, there is a peace that is falling upon me that passes all understanding. The love of Christ shared by some of the children and youth of the Lomngeletjane community and their faith has been a testimony to me.
My cup runs over.
I look forward to a little bubble chasing in Jo'Burg next week, hopefully with a few of the children Ciona has introduced me to through photographs and stories.
be God's,
lanecia
Thursday, June 18, 2009
From MY Perspective
Because I am a young, black, female visiting Africa for the first time, Lanecia and I both feel that my perspective is appropriate to be shared.
Before this trip, I never expected to feel so welcomed and so connected to the culture and the land as I do. It is the most powerful and uplifting thing to personally witness and inhabit the land that my ancestors once did.
The culture, the land, and even the children have touched my heart in more ways than I ever thought possible.
Here is Swaziland, I see and hear the culture of American music and clothing are shifting into the Swazi society, but their foundations are still very present. Not only traditions like cows for marriage dowry (we now know that we each of the girls are worth 50 to 70 cows plus a monetary component), but traditions like accepting something...anything from another person with your right hand because it is the respectful way (disrespectful to accept with the left) and asking the elders permission for everything; something even as simple as eating dinner at a neighbors house must be approved by the elders.
These things, along with the Swazi Cultural Village dancing and singing, have made me feel like this is my homeland. However, I do miss home and my loved ones. But being greeted as "my sister" or "sissy" for short is so heart warming.
I am aware that I am not sure why the culture touches and warms me so much, but I'm not too worried about it. I know God will let me know when the time is right; I know that He is not done showing me and teaching me things I have not yet seen or expericanced.
As far as the rest of the work, we are progressing with our projects beautifully (some are even completed!)
I saw God today most prominently in the children. I have gotten past (but not over) the fact that we do not speak the same language, however I see God in the children's love and passion. All of the children I have interacted with and observed have been the most loving and the most receptive people i have ever met. They love us openly and we love them back...this very much so reflects my relationship with God.
Good Night ; )
Jamye
Before this trip, I never expected to feel so welcomed and so connected to the culture and the land as I do. It is the most powerful and uplifting thing to personally witness and inhabit the land that my ancestors once did.
The culture, the land, and even the children have touched my heart in more ways than I ever thought possible.
Here is Swaziland, I see and hear the culture of American music and clothing are shifting into the Swazi society, but their foundations are still very present. Not only traditions like cows for marriage dowry (we now know that we each of the girls are worth 50 to 70 cows plus a monetary component), but traditions like accepting something...anything from another person with your right hand because it is the respectful way (disrespectful to accept with the left) and asking the elders permission for everything; something even as simple as eating dinner at a neighbors house must be approved by the elders.
These things, along with the Swazi Cultural Village dancing and singing, have made me feel like this is my homeland. However, I do miss home and my loved ones. But being greeted as "my sister" or "sissy" for short is so heart warming.
I am aware that I am not sure why the culture touches and warms me so much, but I'm not too worried about it. I know God will let me know when the time is right; I know that He is not done showing me and teaching me things I have not yet seen or expericanced.
As far as the rest of the work, we are progressing with our projects beautifully (some are even completed!)
I saw God today most prominently in the children. I have gotten past (but not over) the fact that we do not speak the same language, however I see God in the children's love and passion. All of the children I have interacted with and observed have been the most loving and the most receptive people i have ever met. They love us openly and we love them back...this very much so reflects my relationship with God.
Good Night ; )
Jamye
Observations and Reflections
Everyone is pleased that we have been able to keep up a strenuous pace and are ahead of schedule based on the projections of when we thought we would complete the tasks assigned to our group. We have finished planting 70 trees ( which involved carting liters of water done to the site in jugs). We have also completed laying the concrete foundation for the house in which the teachers will live and have started laying block. The dirt around the bathrooms has been leveled and raked. All the work is done without the aid of machines.
The children have been a special blessing to all of us. The last few days children have lingered after school has been dismissed in order to help us. They have insisted on working side by side with us even though the work is arduous. Their faces glow with pleasure when they are told they are doing a good job (and they are). We have been blessed by their smiles and enthusiasm.
Swaziland is a beautiful, mountainous, and rugged land, but its people are the greatest resource. We have been privileged to work along side them. Kathryn
The children have been a special blessing to all of us. The last few days children have lingered after school has been dismissed in order to help us. They have insisted on working side by side with us even though the work is arduous. Their faces glow with pleasure when they are told they are doing a good job (and they are). We have been blessed by their smiles and enthusiasm.
Swaziland is a beautiful, mountainous, and rugged land, but its people are the greatest resource. We have been privileged to work along side them. Kathryn
Wednesday, June 17, 2009
Lessons from John
I have seen God at work through the relationship of our team with John, the master builder who is charged with creating a new teacher's home at the Lomngeletjane primary school. Using the most basic of materials -- sand, crushed stone, cement and blocks -- along with a few simple hand tools, he will carry the new four bedroom home from paper plans to concrete reality.
A wiry 48-year-old father of five, John is used to a life of hard, manual labor in a male-dominated workplace.
He was obviously taken aback when, first thing Monday morning, he was presented with his volunteer work crew for the morning -- eight teenage girls, two women and a guy who's mostly used to making pictures of other people working.
It was a beautiful thing, though, to watch him and our team learn to work and live together. A day of hard work mixing concrete on the ground ended wtih about half of the foundation footer poured and all of our team knowing the difference between cement and concrete. John's skepticism had given way to a few words of seemingly grudging respect, delivered with a twinkle in his eye. "You'll be better at this tomorrow," he said. "We need 50 more wheelbarrows of sand laid out before you leave for the day." As I gave him a slack-jawed look, he glanced over at our youth resting on the gravel pile sharing music and stories with the youth volunteers from Swaziland who'd been working alongside us. "You tell them, he said."
Thanks to the head start of all that sand, we were able to complete the footer in two days. By Wednesday, we had grown in our respect of one another to the point that we came to see John less as a stern taskmaster and more as a patient, nurturing teacher as he carefully taught us how to lay concrete blocks.
In the meantime, we learned a bit about life in Swaziland from the many volunteers who came to work alongisde us. From Cindy, a mother with a baby strapped to her back and another the way, to the grandmothers -- Isabet, Mary, Casta and Martha -- our team scooped concrete side by side with our hosts.
While we've all learned many things from our experiences, I firmly believe the incalculable value of this trip will reveal itself over the next few years as our young people begin to make the choices that will shape their (and our) future world.
In Christ,
Mike
A wiry 48-year-old father of five, John is used to a life of hard, manual labor in a male-dominated workplace.
He was obviously taken aback when, first thing Monday morning, he was presented with his volunteer work crew for the morning -- eight teenage girls, two women and a guy who's mostly used to making pictures of other people working.
It was a beautiful thing, though, to watch him and our team learn to work and live together. A day of hard work mixing concrete on the ground ended wtih about half of the foundation footer poured and all of our team knowing the difference between cement and concrete. John's skepticism had given way to a few words of seemingly grudging respect, delivered with a twinkle in his eye. "You'll be better at this tomorrow," he said. "We need 50 more wheelbarrows of sand laid out before you leave for the day." As I gave him a slack-jawed look, he glanced over at our youth resting on the gravel pile sharing music and stories with the youth volunteers from Swaziland who'd been working alongside us. "You tell them, he said."
Thanks to the head start of all that sand, we were able to complete the footer in two days. By Wednesday, we had grown in our respect of one another to the point that we came to see John less as a stern taskmaster and more as a patient, nurturing teacher as he carefully taught us how to lay concrete blocks.
In the meantime, we learned a bit about life in Swaziland from the many volunteers who came to work alongisde us. From Cindy, a mother with a baby strapped to her back and another the way, to the grandmothers -- Isabet, Mary, Casta and Martha -- our team scooped concrete side by side with our hosts.
While we've all learned many things from our experiences, I firmly believe the incalculable value of this trip will reveal itself over the next few years as our young people begin to make the choices that will shape their (and our) future world.
In Christ,
Mike
Another Day. . .
So this morning, we all got up, sleepy-eyed and half-heartedly ready for the day ahead. But, as soon as we got into the van and started on our viciously bumpy ride to the work site, everyone seemed to perk up. There are few things that get teenagers excited at 7:45 in the morning. And that is this: we have all met people that make us excited to come to work, whether that be digging dirt out of the ground, playing with adorable kids, or pouring concrete. And that, my friends, is a beautiful thing.
This afternoon, we stopped work at lunchtime in order to make it to the Swaziland Cultural Center where we learned a lot about traditional Swazi culture. We got to see some traditional Swazi dance by some natives. . . and some of our group picked out from the crowd! Ken was dancing like there was no tomorrow (and Katherine got it all on video!). We then got to hear some traditional Swazi songs, which were gorgeous and soulful. Afterwards, our group got a tour of a mock-living situation in Swaziland. It was so complex! Many, many huts all for certain people. It was a little difficult for our 17 females on the trip to hear about the extremity of the patriarchal society here in Swaziland, such as the ability for the men of the family to have a number of wives and the fact that they "buy" these wives with cows. I don't know about you, but I do NOT like being equalized with cows!
Soon after, we took a small hike to see a quaint waterfall, which was a brillant photo-op for all. We took many small group pictures, so don't worry, Lois! :-)
However, since we have been on this trip, we have been keeping a running tally of the number of marriage proposals offered to many of the girls on the trip. . . especially one in particular. But, the problem is, none of the boys that have offered had enough cows!
After a wonderful dinner here at Emafili Retreat Center, we had a informative session with Chris McClain, the long-term VIM volunteer here in Swaziland, who told us about her mission here so far. She works mostly with the Methodist School system here, finding out each school's needs and trying to meet them with the resources she has been given.
Tonight at devotion, we started to realize how each of us have started to change, whether it be our thoughts about Africa or how we live our lives personally. We are beginning to understand what pilgrimage means and how it's different than just a mission trip. It is as much of an internal struggle and spiritual awakening as an external show of love. We've already noticed the difficulty from spending time with children and young people who have only the necessities, and then going "home" to a nicely cleaned room with comfy beds, clean towels, and a hot meal waiting.
Please be in prayer with and for us as we journey along with God, trying to find our place here and back home.
~ Keller
This afternoon, we stopped work at lunchtime in order to make it to the Swaziland Cultural Center where we learned a lot about traditional Swazi culture. We got to see some traditional Swazi dance by some natives. . . and some of our group picked out from the crowd! Ken was dancing like there was no tomorrow (and Katherine got it all on video!). We then got to hear some traditional Swazi songs, which were gorgeous and soulful. Afterwards, our group got a tour of a mock-living situation in Swaziland. It was so complex! Many, many huts all for certain people. It was a little difficult for our 17 females on the trip to hear about the extremity of the patriarchal society here in Swaziland, such as the ability for the men of the family to have a number of wives and the fact that they "buy" these wives with cows. I don't know about you, but I do NOT like being equalized with cows!
Soon after, we took a small hike to see a quaint waterfall, which was a brillant photo-op for all. We took many small group pictures, so don't worry, Lois! :-)
However, since we have been on this trip, we have been keeping a running tally of the number of marriage proposals offered to many of the girls on the trip. . . especially one in particular. But, the problem is, none of the boys that have offered had enough cows!
After a wonderful dinner here at Emafili Retreat Center, we had a informative session with Chris McClain, the long-term VIM volunteer here in Swaziland, who told us about her mission here so far. She works mostly with the Methodist School system here, finding out each school's needs and trying to meet them with the resources she has been given.
Tonight at devotion, we started to realize how each of us have started to change, whether it be our thoughts about Africa or how we live our lives personally. We are beginning to understand what pilgrimage means and how it's different than just a mission trip. It is as much of an internal struggle and spiritual awakening as an external show of love. We've already noticed the difficulty from spending time with children and young people who have only the necessities, and then going "home" to a nicely cleaned room with comfy beds, clean towels, and a hot meal waiting.
Please be in prayer with and for us as we journey along with God, trying to find our place here and back home.
~ Keller
Tuesday, June 16, 2009
Watering Trees
When I was preparing for this trip to South Africa and Swaziland I entered into a period of discernment. During those rich, quiet moments of reflection I kept hearing these words in my mind, "Pay attention!" I came to Africa to pay attention. Everyday I awake with those words in my mind. During the day, when my mind moves to other things, I will hear again, "Pay attention!" And I have paid attention. It surprised me how much I have paid attention to the wonderful group I have travelled with-- incredible youth and adults, who are always cooperative, never complaining, hearts full of love and joy to share--all of us growing together in our journey. I have paid attention to Africa and to our encounters here. Each day I write a paragraph in my journal of these people and events that have captured my attention and drawn me closer to God. I have noted the generosity, smiles, and warmth of the people of Africa, the depth and commitment of 3 young pastors we met in South Africa, and the beauty and diversity of the land. It has been a heart changing experience for all of us.
Today the "pay attention" moment came at the end of the day. I had been given the task of using a weed whacker, much like our weedeaters, but using a sharp rotating blades instead of string. Stephen Bryant and I put on our harnesses, protective eye gear, face masks, and some cotton in our ears and went to work. We looked like aliens from a science fiction movie. We cut tall grass and brush along the fence line where trees are being planted to provide a windbreak. In the afternoon, I assisted in planting and watering these trees. When school was out a little boy from the second grade followed us around. He watched what was happening, found 2 empty jugs and filled them with water to add to the newly planted saplings. The jugs were heavy, but he was determined to help us. He came up to the giant rain barrel where I was filling jugs and handed me two jugs. I filled one and thinking it to be enough for him to carry, I said, "One," and held up 1 finger. He shook his head and said, "Two," and held up two fingers. He won and he won our hearts as well--all afternoon working as hard as the rest of us. He received great joy from being allowed to pour his water on the trees.
Planting trees, building buildings, moving dirt, playing games with little children in Africa are rewarding experiences. The thought of leaving something behind that is lasting is a powerful thing. We hope to leave something of ourselves here, something of our hearts and souls, something that will continue to make a difference. I hope that a little boy will grow up to see the trees he has watered. And I hope he grows up to have enough of what he needs to be as happy and fulfilled as he allowed us to be today.
Ken Edwards
Today the "pay attention" moment came at the end of the day. I had been given the task of using a weed whacker, much like our weedeaters, but using a sharp rotating blades instead of string. Stephen Bryant and I put on our harnesses, protective eye gear, face masks, and some cotton in our ears and went to work. We looked like aliens from a science fiction movie. We cut tall grass and brush along the fence line where trees are being planted to provide a windbreak. In the afternoon, I assisted in planting and watering these trees. When school was out a little boy from the second grade followed us around. He watched what was happening, found 2 empty jugs and filled them with water to add to the newly planted saplings. The jugs were heavy, but he was determined to help us. He came up to the giant rain barrel where I was filling jugs and handed me two jugs. I filled one and thinking it to be enough for him to carry, I said, "One," and held up 1 finger. He shook his head and said, "Two," and held up two fingers. He won and he won our hearts as well--all afternoon working as hard as the rest of us. He received great joy from being allowed to pour his water on the trees.
Planting trees, building buildings, moving dirt, playing games with little children in Africa are rewarding experiences. The thought of leaving something behind that is lasting is a powerful thing. We hope to leave something of ourselves here, something of our hearts and souls, something that will continue to make a difference. I hope that a little boy will grow up to see the trees he has watered. And I hope he grows up to have enough of what he needs to be as happy and fulfilled as he allowed us to be today.
Ken Edwards
Tuesday in Swaziland!
I quote the famous Squidward from Spongebob Sqaurepants when I say "Oh my aching tentacles.." We are all in pain today. Everyone, from the cement team atleast, are feeling the most pain in their backs. Today was a much more difficult day then yesterday because of our sore bodies. There were more and longer breaks taken. Meredith and I were thrown rocks at by John, the man in charge of building the teachers house, because we were sitting down. This happened multiple times during the day. I must say that I was very impressed by Kim Hawkins. What a beast. I don't think I saw her take a break more than once. That could be because I was taking constant breaks and, on request, helped out with the children for a while. I don't think I saw someone handle a wheelbarrel so well, even out of the men. She was much better at it then me. There was multiple times when I almost dropped my wheelbarrel of cement. The only annoyance of the day would have to be the one wheelbarrel that decided to started to squeeking very loudly.
The children, when I worked with them, sang songs and did a craft called God's eye. It's something you make with yarn and the 3rd graders were quite good at it. The children and the teacher were confused on why it was called a God's eye though since it doesn't really resemble an eye. Erin and I got a few laughs when we told them what it was called. After school let out there was a lot of picture taking of the kids followed by them wanting to see their picture after every one. They they love to wave hello and goodbye to us. The kids we see on the street on our rides home do the same thing.
I wasn't with the team working on raking around the toliets and planting trees, but by the looks of them they worked very hard. Claire was completely orange with dirt. It sounded like it was hard work. Ken and Steve started the weed-eating today. I'm not sure how they did. I do know that Ken broke his at the beginning of the day. I think it was fixed though so all is good.
We are about to start devotion and Im actually on that team as well so that is all for today.
HI Mommy and Daddy and Emily and Mimi!! I miss you!
Brynn
The children, when I worked with them, sang songs and did a craft called God's eye. It's something you make with yarn and the 3rd graders were quite good at it. The children and the teacher were confused on why it was called a God's eye though since it doesn't really resemble an eye. Erin and I got a few laughs when we told them what it was called. After school let out there was a lot of picture taking of the kids followed by them wanting to see their picture after every one. They they love to wave hello and goodbye to us. The kids we see on the street on our rides home do the same thing.
I wasn't with the team working on raking around the toliets and planting trees, but by the looks of them they worked very hard. Claire was completely orange with dirt. It sounded like it was hard work. Ken and Steve started the weed-eating today. I'm not sure how they did. I do know that Ken broke his at the beginning of the day. I think it was fixed though so all is good.
We are about to start devotion and Im actually on that team as well so that is all for today.
HI Mommy and Daddy and Emily and Mimi!! I miss you!
Brynn
For more information
Hello Friends!
You can receive more information about the ministry we are sharing in during our Swaziland portion at:
http://chrisinswaziland.blogspot.com/
Thanks!
lanecia
You can receive more information about the ministry we are sharing in during our Swaziland portion at:
http://chrisinswaziland.blogspot.com/
Thanks!
lanecia
Monday, June 15, 2009
Word from Aren
Today was supah fun?! We did a lot of work. Some of the youth started putting cement down for a foundation of a teacher dormatory that we are building for the teachers to stay. Others helped with the school children. During it,they had lots of SUPAH FUN, by playing soccer and other amazing games. Then some of us such as myself worked on leveling out the ground near the bathrooms so that when it rains the water wouldn't flood them. All in all it was a SUPAH FUN day. I saw God in all the people because they don't have much but they are full of joy. so yeah.........
-Aren
-Aren
Sunday, June 14, 2009
Reflections from Mary
So, yesterday we spent the day traveling again...we're really good at waiting in long lines by now! The five-hour drive to Swaziland was actually really fun. I really saw God in the beauty of South Africa and Swaziland. It seemed like every five minutes we would go down another hill and see the beautiful landscape spread out before us and everyone would immediately get out their cameras. It was also really fun talking and laughing with everybody in the vans. We had four people squished up in one seat for five hours, but it ended up being a lot of fun. There were parts of the road with no streetlights where we could see the stars really well, and we stuck our heads out of the window and looked up at the sky, and it was full of stars, so many more than we could see at home. When we finally got to Swaziland, we stopped at a church where they gave us dinner, which was delicious, and told us a little bit about the culture and customs of their country. One of the things we heard was that the overall word to describe Swaziland is "unity". The country is small, only about a million people, and they all speak one language and have one culture. It was amazing to see and learn about this place and be welcomed by everyone who lives here.
Mary
Mary
Sunday: June 14
First thing today we went to church at Lomngeletjan Church. The service consists of many songs and a few dances. Usually a few youth would lead the songs that most everyone knew, even though they had song books. They had a offering which went to help rebuilding houses. First the congregation sang a song and then someone would go up and give their offering and say what they were thankful for and gave thanks to God. It was really neat to hear everyone's responses but it made me realize how much stuff I take for granted. After the service we ate lunch at the church with the congregation. Later we broke up into teams and visited homesteads. Some of the youth from the church came with us to translate. Now we are back at the lodge having some free time.
Kate
Kate
Friday, June 12, 2009
Pink Dolphins Do Exist
Today is friday and it is now 11pm South africa time which i have come to think of (either correctly or not) as seven hours ahead of y'all up in the states. We are in another world down here so different in so many ways from our own, and yet somehow i feel at home. I can't quite put my finger on exactly what it is that puts me at my ease. It could be any number of things: My good friends, and the ways we all seem to mesh together, or the honesty in the air here, but the fact remains that this is where i belong. At the tippy tip point of Africa at 7 am, my hair and body tugged hopelessy about in the wind like a grain of salt on a moonlit beach pulled and mercilessly pounded by the rumbling waves. Here is the true stue stuff of earth, that which was molded by the hands of God into a heart-wrenchingly almost happily saddening landscape.
Its difficult, whenever i see beauty in nature i always want to make myself a part of it, throwing a rock into a still lake only to destroy the thing i admire. I destroy the serenity, and though ripples are pretty and natural, its the stillness i want to feel connected to not the chaos. So rather than forcing myself into a picture, here i can feel close to nature by understanding the vastness of my surroundings and the fragility of humans.
Its been a long loooooooooong day and now im tired so bonsoir, goodnight and goodbye in Afrikaans.
~Meredith
Its difficult, whenever i see beauty in nature i always want to make myself a part of it, throwing a rock into a still lake only to destroy the thing i admire. I destroy the serenity, and though ripples are pretty and natural, its the stillness i want to feel connected to not the chaos. So rather than forcing myself into a picture, here i can feel close to nature by understanding the vastness of my surroundings and the fragility of humans.
Its been a long loooooooooong day and now im tired so bonsoir, goodnight and goodbye in Afrikaans.
~Meredith
Greeting from South Africa!
Day 3:
Our day started at 4 AM. We were in a rush to book a flight for Capetown, where our agenda for the trip officially begins. We were able to get a 10 o'clock flight, which means we had a lot of time to kill at the airport, which we spent hanging out in the food court and looking around at all the shops.
Once we arrived in Capetown, we were greeted by Steve, and were able to begin our adventure. It was very nice being welcomed by a warm embarace in a not so familar place. We were introduced to two Methodist pastors here in Capetown, Greg and Kyle, who helped with transportation and gave us a tour of the city.
The first thing we did was go up Table Mountain on a cable car. The height of Table Mountain at its highest point is 1,085 meters. We went up in a cable car that had a turning floor so we were able to get a 360 degree panoramic view. Once we reached the top of the mountain the view was breathtaking. We saw the whole city and the amazing beaches and mountains that surround the city.
After Tabletop mountain we went to see penguins! They were roaming freely on a beach and we were able to get real close and take a lot of good shots. The penguins were so cool and we watched them jump around in the water, cuddle with their young, and flap their wings hoping to fly.
We then went to see where we were staying for the next couple of nights and unload our carry on bags, we still didn't have our luggage :(
We went to dinner at a seafood restaurant not to far from our lodge. We ordered our food and as we were waiting, the power went off! The restaurant went quiet all of a sudder, and was soon full of laughter. After a couple of days without our luggage, and the other crazy things that caught us off guard, we got another unexpected surprise. But not to worry, the waitress knew exactly what to do and the power was back on in no time.
After dinner we headed back to our rooms and prepared ourselves for the next adventure soon to come....
Tiresa
Our day started at 4 AM. We were in a rush to book a flight for Capetown, where our agenda for the trip officially begins. We were able to get a 10 o'clock flight, which means we had a lot of time to kill at the airport, which we spent hanging out in the food court and looking around at all the shops.
Once we arrived in Capetown, we were greeted by Steve, and were able to begin our adventure. It was very nice being welcomed by a warm embarace in a not so familar place. We were introduced to two Methodist pastors here in Capetown, Greg and Kyle, who helped with transportation and gave us a tour of the city.
The first thing we did was go up Table Mountain on a cable car. The height of Table Mountain at its highest point is 1,085 meters. We went up in a cable car that had a turning floor so we were able to get a 360 degree panoramic view. Once we reached the top of the mountain the view was breathtaking. We saw the whole city and the amazing beaches and mountains that surround the city.
After Tabletop mountain we went to see penguins! They were roaming freely on a beach and we were able to get real close and take a lot of good shots. The penguins were so cool and we watched them jump around in the water, cuddle with their young, and flap their wings hoping to fly.
We then went to see where we were staying for the next couple of nights and unload our carry on bags, we still didn't have our luggage :(
We went to dinner at a seafood restaurant not to far from our lodge. We ordered our food and as we were waiting, the power went off! The restaurant went quiet all of a sudder, and was soon full of laughter. After a couple of days without our luggage, and the other crazy things that caught us off guard, we got another unexpected surprise. But not to worry, the waitress knew exactly what to do and the power was back on in no time.
After dinner we headed back to our rooms and prepared ourselves for the next adventure soon to come....
Tiresa
Word from Cape Town!
Hello Friends!
We are in Capetown with Steve!
Yay!
Our hosts, Greg & Kyle, are about to take us out to buy some clothes (on the South Africa Airline's dime), meets some amazing people who are apart of some good work in Cape Town and spend time on the waterfront. Tonight we head to a youth group meeting in the town of Fish Hoek.
Tiresa and others will write more this evening. We wanted to let you know we are well.
Peace
lanecia
We are in Capetown with Steve!
Yay!
Our hosts, Greg & Kyle, are about to take us out to buy some clothes (on the South Africa Airline's dime), meets some amazing people who are apart of some good work in Cape Town and spend time on the waterfront. Tonight we head to a youth group meeting in the town of Fish Hoek.
Tiresa and others will write more this evening. We wanted to let you know we are well.
Peace
lanecia
Wednesday, June 10, 2009
We are in South Africa!
Hello Friends!
I am writing a quick note to inform you that we are in Jo'Burg, South Africa. Our flight was a couple hours delayed leaving Washington, DC, so we ended up missing our evening flight to Capetown.
All is well.
Everyone is resting, I slept tons on the plane, so decided to take a few minutes to connect and let you know we are safe.
We look forward to our 6 am flight to Capetown in the morning and meeting Steve Bryant who will lead us on our pilgrimage in this beautiful country.
Thanks for your continued prayers and support.
Peace of Christ,
lanecia
I am writing a quick note to inform you that we are in Jo'Burg, South Africa. Our flight was a couple hours delayed leaving Washington, DC, so we ended up missing our evening flight to Capetown.
All is well.
Everyone is resting, I slept tons on the plane, so decided to take a few minutes to connect and let you know we are safe.
We look forward to our 6 am flight to Capetown in the morning and meeting Steve Bryant who will lead us on our pilgrimage in this beautiful country.
Thanks for your continued prayers and support.
Peace of Christ,
lanecia
Monday, June 8, 2009
Invitation to Daily Pray with Us and Read the Blog
Peace of Christ! We would like to invite you to pray with and read the blog reflections of the 2009 Sr. High Southern Africa Mission Pilgrimage team.
We will depart at 1 pm on June 9, and return on Friday, June 26.
The purpose of the June 2009 mission into southern Africa is to develop and deepen the youth and adults as Christian disciples in the course of intensified engagement with God's mission in the world. The mission contexts are Cape Town, South Africa; Manzini, Swaziland; and Johannesburg, South Africa. In and through these activities, our main work will be bearing witness to Christ's presence in the world by being with people in relationship, listening and loving while receiving the same. 
The Team
Claire
Avery
Marie Claire
Mary D.
Aren
Brynn
Jamye
Keller
Meredith
Sarah
T. J.
Erin
Hannah
Tiresa
Kate T.
Mike
Kathryn
Ken
Kim
Andy
Chris
Lanecia
Steve, Team Coordinator
Visit our blog to read daily reflections from the team members as we go! www.southafricapilgrimage.blogspot.com
(Pictures taken by Ciona Rouse, 2005 Sr. High Mission in South Africa team member)
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