Final Tribute to Africa...

May 28th...

This morning they took us to a black high school in the township of Khayelitsha. It was a very interesting day because no one knew what to expect. When we arrived at the school many of the students were standing outside their classrooms. We were to find out that some of the teachers just decided not to show up that day. The students say that is a problem they often face.

These high school students had plenty of questions to ask us...here is just a few examples:

"Do you have shacks where you live?"

"What is AIDS like in America?"

"How do we become as powerful as America?"

Sometimes I felt like I didn't have good answers for them. Each question and answer made me realize just how much I have to be thankful for.

We traveled for some lunch and then back the school again. Once at the school we heard the school's award winning choir perform and then their drama team.

The drama was very moving. It was about an African King who went to study at the university and lost touch with his identity, roots, and heritage. It ended with a rousing version of, "If I believe and you believe..." After the performance the school treated us to lunch (man why did we go out for lunch?)

We then headed onto the bus (van) and went to check on the scuba diving arrangements. It turns out that none of us are qualified to dive. The instructor was a wonderful host though and told us all about his scuba diving outreach. He also quickly prepared a wonderful meal for us (third lunch of the day). I was amazed by his generosity and want to always be that way myself.

We then dropped H. off at his house and our guides told us that they were taking us students out for some night life. It was a very long night and I wasn't feeling all that well. As the night progressed on I began to feel worse and worse. Eventually we were piled into the van to be taken home. After visiting with our host sisters for a while R. and I were able to finally find sleep.

I forgot to mention earlier that the police even made a big deal about us this evening. They blocked off an intersection for our van. They also cleared out a bar that we might have a safe place to party. It is very strange to be treated like celebrates just because we're American.

May 29th...

This morning I woke up in Khayelitsha only to be left alone in our host families' home. The girls went off to Saturday classes and R. and I were left to watch "Generations" a South African soap opera. I grew very bored and annoyed with the television and was happy to turn it off for the silence of the book I was reading.

Eventually the family came back and we ate a late lunch together. Then it was off to our next family home stay. We were moved from black families to coloured families. The former EMU student (and South African native) named John arranged for our family stays. Our group really got split up for places all over Cape Town. While waiting for my family John and Emily (John's wife) played the Mennonite game with me. It turns out that John knew exactly where I lived and even knew my Dad. It felt really good to be making connections with home. I think we all are getting a little anxious to be on our way home.

After some time my host family arrived and S. and I left together. We are living with Graham and Elaine Cupido and their two girls Khaylin and Stacey. This couple is very active as youth sponsors at the Lofdal Baptist Church.

We were almost immediately taken to the Church for a youth meeting. This was an area gathering of youth and a very exciting time. I longed for our youth at Weavers to be able to experience the excitement of the South African youth. Their love for the Lord came out in song, dance, and dramas. The meeting lasted almost four hours and I loved every minute of it. S. and I were even called on to come up front and share out testimonies (now is that ever a story).

After the meeting we arrived home and continued on through the evening in visiting with our family. Both Graham and Elain are night owls so they were in no hurry to go to bed. This couple is one of the busiest I've ever met, plus they raise two very active girls.

May 30th...

This morning is Sunday and that means we headed back to Church. The service was an usual one because of all the extra youth around. It was also different due to the fact that it was both in Afrikaans and English. The sermon was a true hell fire and brimstone one with an alter call at the end. The service the evening before had been an interesting one for me this one was fairly boring. It was also a very long three hour service.

After Church we met up with some of the others from our group at a potluck. Our group is so scattered through out Cape Town that not everyone was there. After the meal I assumed that Sabrina and I would be taken back home. Instead a good portion of our group was taken to the mall and then to the casino for ice skating. I had such a wonderful time on the ice, I didn't want the time to end.

Eventually though we were taken back to our host family.

May 31st...

My stay here in Cape Town is helping me come to terms with the fact that time is relative. My host family is subtly helping me understand that relationships are more important than schedules. The plan for this morning was to meet at John's home at a certain time to go and visit his daughter's school. Graham heard and agreed to these plans, but he was more interested in taking S. and I out for breakfast. It all turned out alright because John himself was an hour late. All of this African time has taught me to always be prepared for everything and to be up for anything.

The school was a very interesting experience it was definitely the most well off than any we had previously visiting in our travels. Though the teachers informed us that it was a relatively poor school. It was a primary school with blacks, coloureds and whites. For the teachers this comes with challenges, such as language and poverty. The children here were very well behaved and organized. The principle of the school was very generous with us in giving of her time and also in serving us tea and coffee.

The girls walked us home from school and we were served fish and chips for a late lunch. Eventually Elaine and Graham picked us up and we all ran errands for the evening meal. The whole family went a relatives home for a 9:00 dinner of potjie. Prepared in a dutch oven with oil, garlic, onions, potatoes, tomato stew, chicken, pork, salt (and maybe a few other ingredients). This is a very popular dish in South Africa.

The conversation was very good that evening and I learned about the "West Cape Smile." It turns out that it is the fashionable thing here in the area to have the top front four teeth removed. The denture industry is in high demand for designer teeth to replace them. It is also quite acceptable to leave the gap there. People are very proud here of their missing teeth and pay good money to have them removed.

June 1st...

Today was a day of much confusion and frustration. I was proud of myself for taking it all in stride. When others in the group complained I told myself not to take on their comments, but to just enjoy the moment.

It all started with the bus being several hours late in picking up the group. Then it took quite some time to gather all the students from their various locations. Eventually we all made it to the Pollsmoor Maximum Security Prison in Cape Town.

Being at the prison was an eye opening experience for me. The prison was over crowded by one hundred and seventy-six percent. As a group we went into two different cells. The first didn't seem so crowded, but the second was a different story. Where only twenty should have been there were seventy-nine men.

We visited the juvenile prison and most the youth there were still waiting to be sentenced. The average wait is two to four years for a trial.

The food there is another issue the prisoners are served breakfast and the lunch and dinner together. The food looked really disgusting too. It was the incentive I needed never to end up in a South African jail.

After our prison visit we went out to Boulders to check out the penguins. I learned an important lesson about penguins, they are stinky, smelly animals.

Shortly after we left for Cape Point (Cape of Good Hope), but it was so expensive that we only saw it from a distance.

Next on our agenda was a very long ride home. The bus was crowded and it took almost three hours to get people home. Eventually Graham came from S. and I and took us out for ice cream and chips (french fries) at 11:00 p.m. Talk about random eating habits.

June 2nd...

This morning S. and I quickly packed to leave our host family. Before arriving at John's home Graham took us out for breakfast again. He reminds me a lot of my own Dad who would rather go out for a meal than have to fix one for himself.

The bus eventually arrived at John's home for us. It took us to our next destination in Cape Town, which was the hostel Ashanti. Being back with the group is a nice feeling. Here we are a fairly large group with so many different personalities. It's been a little shocking how we have bonded together. It'll be interesting to see how connected we stay in the following months or years.

At Ashanti life became much more our own will. For dinner H., K., H., and I went to an Asian restaurant and I had the best sweet and sour chicken ever.

Trying to fall asleep was quite a struggle. The bar in this hostel is right over our room and the music and footsteps make it really impossible to sleep. This is quite a party hostel.

June 3rd...

This morning I woke up after an awful night's sleep. R. and I traveled to the Holocaust Center here in Cape Town. The pictures weren't nearly as graphic as those you see in the Washington D.C. Holocaust Museum, but they showed a horrific history. The tour was also much shorter, it probably took one hour to view the entire exhibit.

What I found interesting was the introduction of the exhibit that examined the similarities between apartheid and the holocaust. So often leaders in the South African Nationalist Party were educated in Germany. It explains the similarities between segregation of black and white and the segregation of jew and gentile.

After the museum we went out for lunch at a cute little muslim cafe. There I had a true South African sandwich called a Gatsby. Mine was made with chicken curry, lettuce, tomato, mayo and chips (french fries). It was probably the best thing I eaten since coming here.

Then it was off to do a little shopping in the market. I'm starting to get better at bartering, but I'm still not very good. I don't want to cheat people, so I give in a little high.

I stayed at the hostel for dinner. And went out with the the group later for a drink. All in all it was a fairly relaxing evening.

June 4th...

This morning R. and I went down to the market and sat for almost three hours while our hair was being braided. I learned an important lesson, never believe the braiders when they tell you it will only take forty minutes.

Immediately after we both did some massive shopping at the market. I had a shopping list and stuck to it getting everything I wanted. I believe my family will be impressed with their gifts.

All the shopping took us late into the afternoon. Once back at the hostel we met up with the Table Mountain hiking group. They had such wonderful experiences to share.

Later in the evening we went as an entire group to a restaurant called "Mama Africas." It was such delicious food and very fancy too. I ordered the smoked chicken salad...YUM!

On the walk back to the hostel B. and I stopped off at "Mugg and Bean" for some chocolate cake to go. A few of us stayed up for a short while eating cake and visiting, then it was off to bed.

June 5th...

I woke up this morning to rain. Today is the first real bad weather day since we arrived in Africa. It was a little upsetting since most of us were given extra money by H. and wanted to spend it at the market. Now because of the rain the market is closed and no one is sure how to spend their money.

I went around to some indoor shops in the morning and all I found were some postcards. I made the decision not to spend my money on alcohol like some people in our group, instead I'm going to get some candy to give out to my youth kids back at Weavers.

The rest of the afternoon was spent watching movies. In the evening almost the entire group went to the Mexican Kitchen, except for B., M., and I. The three of us went to St. Elmo's for dinner. It was a very pleasant experience to spend time in a small group.

After dinner I spent the majority of the evening with B., and M. A memorable M. quote came out of the evening.

***Edited out Quote...not as funny as I first thought it was***

This quote came out of the frustration of having his shirt stolen on top of sixty-eight rand.

I went to bed early to be well rested for our flight back home tomorrow.

June 6th...

Another rainy morning in Cape Town. Today though is Sunday and we fly out this afternoon.

I had extra rand I had to use up, so I got myself a calling card. I called home and woke Dad up, but he still sounded happy to hear from me. It sounds like everything has been well while I've been away. I'm excited to share my stories and pictures with everyone.

THE END