4 months

Well, this is just plain weird. I literally feel like I JUST wrote about my 3 months being spent at Cape point. Each month has consistently gone faster than the previous one. I now only have a month and a half left here-crazy!

It's been much more "wintery" here, meaning rainy days and chilly nights. Last Thursday, I woke up to rainy morning and simply thought "Lord, thank you for this season in my life where I'm not too busy and can stay in bed on a rainy day and not feel bad about it!" This last Saturday, however, the sun came out, which was very convenient because everyone who works\volunteers at the clinic at Jubilee had planned to climb Table Mountain! There was about 13 of us, and it was a rocky incline. We did it though, and enjoyed a feast of a picnic at the top! It was quite chilly up there actually. Half the group took the cable-car down, but the more hardcore of us climbed back down, which proved to be much more intense than the way up. Our legs were all shaking by the time we got done! Afterwards we took our tired selves to the City Centre for coffee :)

This was one of those things that I had wanted to do while I was here, and tried to be patient for an opportunity to come up with friends. As I was hiking, I was so struck by the fact that it would have been absolutely miserable if I had climbed back in January and February, in the middle of summer. I was so thankful that we were doing this on a mild sunny day, with friends I had been with for awhile rather than a group of random students I didn't know. So much better than I originally thought; He knows what He's doing :)

Yesterday Stacey and I went to The Bay Church, about a half hour away, which is another NewFrontiers church. It was a plant from Jubilee in 1993, and is now about the same size, and multiracial as well. I really enjoyed it; thought about how crazy it was that I was connected to all these people and a church I didn't even know of because of NewFrontiers. There was an incredible span of young and old there, and they were really sensitive to where the Spirit was leading the message; the worship ended up being so long the pastor had to condense his message to the remaining 15 minutes, and didn't seem bothered by it at all! I thought that was really neat.

So today was 4 months. It was a gorgeous day, and I spent it at a beach along the Indian coast with 3 other girls. We got lunch there and just enjoyed the sun. I looked around, soaking it in, realizing it may be my last time getting over to that side, depending on how weather is my last bit here. I took many "mental" snapshots.

I have grown so much in these 4 months. I had made peace about the fact that most of how I'd grown I wouldn't see until I was back home, but I feel like in these last few weeks I am starting to see some fruit in my life a little bit. I'm really looking forward to enjoying this next month and a half, and I'm starting to get really excited about coming home as well! I feel like God is beginning to show me some things about my time here that is going to shape my future. I don't know what all it is yet, but it's exciting to me. That's another blog post though :)

Ok, well this is where I say "On to month 5"--my last full month here, ah!

South African Music Video

The World Cup is only a month away, and the fever is starting to rage throughout the city. It's pretty neat to watch. Below is a link to a music video shot here in Cape Town. I don't personally know the band,Hot Water, but they are friends of several students at Jubilee, who are in various shots in the video. It was made in anticipation of the World Cup. It does an excellent job of catching the excitement and emotions that people are feeling here.

There are a few things in the background that I wanted to point out for you to notice and get just a tinny insight into what it's like here:

-At the beginning with the guy at the bar, you can see on the sign how it's sold as "500 ml", not ounces...they use metric measurement here as well.

- The van the boy (Laduma) tries to get in is a minibus, a rather nice, safer-looking minibus than one I've ridden in, but one nonetheless!

--There's a brief shot inside a train. The carriage is first class, where most laborers don't ride, but I would. It cost about R11 for a ticket, about $1.50, so not a stretch for me to get to be a little safer. The third class doesn't have those cushioned seats, just a hard row lined on either side of the carriage.

--There is a shot of a man selling newspapers at a traffic light, or "robot" as they are called here. That's really common; so many times men will be selling fruit, random trinkets, newspapers as you are waiting for the light to change. It is very rare that anyone I've ridden with would buy anything, but sometimes there are just beggars, and several times I've given a few rand when they approach the car.

--When Laduma gets to Cape Town, the sign he sees is just a rectangular circle, symbolizing the stadium. That's really common for road signs to have symbols, sometimes with the names, sometimes without names.

--At the end you see two shots of the stadium at night. Those are taken from Signal Hill, the lower end of Lion's Head...it's even more beautiful than in the video :)

Here is the link, enjoy!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n4V9s9xQwTw

My First Last

Today was my last day of classes at UWC. It was rather anti-climatic actually; I was thinking about the end of the semester in the States, and I totally don't have that same feeling. Now I wait around until the end of this month to take my exams!

There is a massive train strike that is going to happen on May 10. I am so thankful I am done now having to use the train, but my heart really goes out to all of the South Africans who will be stranded and have no way to get to their work. For my exams, the international advisor at UWC is picking me up, so I have another option...they don't have that :/

Although I am SO happy to not have to take the train or minibuses anymore, I am in a strange way thankful I got that opportunity. I didn't like feeling unsafe or not knowing whether a train would be on time or not show, but I really did get an insight into life of a lot of people here. Whether its the "clicks" of the Xhosa language or seeing the tired, lined faces of laborers, there is a little part of it that will stay with me.

Also, I was thinking over these last 3 months with the minibuses and trains, and how I had gotten so many warnings about being so careful, being a white female. I stuck out like a sore thumb, being the only white person (although that didn't bother me really), but God was incredibly faithful in how I've never got mugged or approached once while doing the public transport thing. That really is a small miracle, given the crime rate in this country, and I'm just so thankful!

This morning as I was getting ready to go, I said to Holly, "This is my first 'last' here. I still have exams, but this is my last day of classes, and in about a month's time, alot of things I do will be my 'last' things." I'm glad my first last is something I didn't really care for; it's still a bit of a weird thing to think about though!

So I have a final on the 12th, then not one until the 24th, then the 25th, then my last on the 31st. Talk about dragging it on...! 59 days left of 169 days here..wow.

3 months

I've been in South Africa for 3 months now, thus it's time for me to do my monthly review. Saturday was actually my 3-month mark, but the day was so crazy I couldn't write in here. A group of us went to Cape Point, which is the absolute tip, where the Atlantic meets the Indian. Our small group quickly turned into a group of about 13, so we piled into 3 cars and off we went. At stoplights there was alot of jumping out and switching cars. At one point, Holly was in the backseat with 5 guys crammed back there (thankfully, I was in the passenger seat and had locked my door)! We stopped for some really tasty fish n chips for lunch at FishHoek, then headed to the Cape. It was incredibly beautiful, no surprise there. We hiked to this lighthouse to look out over everything, then went surfing. We rolled up our windows as a big herd of baboons decided to lay around on the road and not let us through!

When we got back, it was about dinnertime, so we headed downtown to the most amazing restaurant ever, Eastern Food Bazaar. I've been there before, and it's a conglomeration of Indian and Chinese restaurants, and other eastern kind of foods that I don't know how to spell. It's crazy cheap and delicious. I love love indian food, and I could get a Chicken Tikka Masala w/ naan bread for R30, which is about 4 dollars...that meal would be at least 11 dollars in the States.

While we were finishing up there, we got a call from some other yearteamers who are at a church about a half hour away. They had been invited to go Afrikaans dancing, but didn't know anyone and wanted us to go with. So off we went, way out of Cape town to some town. When we got there, we were paying to get in, when they told Lenny he couldn't come in because he was wearing shorts! We were really confused; apparently a man showing leg is considered disrespectful in Afrikaans culture! They gave him a random pair of pants to try on, but he said they were much too big. We pleaded with them since we had driven so far, but to no avail. At this point it was about 10 at night. We got our money back and decided to go to someplace fun in Cape Town...so back to downtown we went. When we got there everything was packed, so we ended up just going to another friend in Cape Town's flat and hanging out. It was just one of those days where one thing lead to another.

I'm over halfway of time here now, and I am closer to hugging my family and friends hello than I am to have said goodbye to them. While I'm so thankful for this experience, I am getting excited that in just over 2 months I'll be home again. I'm learning a lot and taking so much in, and I'm curious to see how that is going to play out in Jubilee and St. Louis in general. I know as the last 2 months go on, I'll have more and more mixed feelings I'm sure. On to Month 4!

Urban Force Downloads Available

This is a little behind the game, but I said when the messages from the Urban Force conference with Mark Driscoll and PJ Smyth were out, I'd put up the link. So here it is:

http://www.jubilee.org.za/urbanforce.html

I'd highly recommend it for anyone who is trying to get a better idea of how to view culture how God views it, the right attitudes toward their city, or just to get a refreshing in that area. Enjoy!

Love Ablaze

This past weekend was the LoveAblaze Jubilee students/20s camp. It was in Simonstown, about 45 minutes away from Cape Town. About 150 of so young adults were there, and the main speaker was Sibs Sibanda, one of the leaders with PJ Smyth at Godfirst Church in JoBurg. It was a beautiful campsite right on the Indian, nestled on the base of the mountain..but then again ,everywhere is beautiful here, so that kind of goes without saying!

The whole theme "LoveAblaze", was really well done. Friday night at the first session, Sibs came up to talk and basically said he was going to scratch his message because God had given him a phrophetic word during the worship. One of the songs we had sung was to "know how high, how deep, how wide is love love love", and he felt like he needed to unpack what love was. Love is actually de-throning oneself, and throning God..God was speaking saying He was up for it, but were we really aware of what we were asking in that. He read out of Luke where Jesus sweats blood, and said: that is love. He then challenged us about being willing to ask God to show us what His love is, even if that lead us to the Gethesmane in our life. That last part really struck out to me.

The Saturday night meeting was incredible. All the sessions were really flexible and open for the Holy Spirit to move as He wanted to, which meant some things (like group time) were scratched because it became clear God wanted to heal people, and we all prayed as a collective group and saw healings. The worship was longer than planned, I'm sure, because God's presence just fell. There were lots of phrophetic words and songs given, and lots of celebration. Going into the meeting I had just started feeling a little homesick and down, but I couldn't stay in that state as it went on, because He was so unbelievably there!

Sunday morning Sibs talked about motivation, and how motivation cannot be correlated to feelings. Life is more than feelings, and we will never get anywhere in the Kingdom of God if we are motivated only when we are feeling happy. He again pointed to Jesus before He was arrested and He was NOT happy, but He was fully motivated. Our motivation must be rooted in the Cross, in what Christ did and who God is, regardless of it we are feeling pain or sadness. That was really challenging and encouraging to me, as I've noticed when I'm feeling really happy to be here, I am motivated and ok with the thought that I still have 2 1/2 months before I see my friends and family again, but when I'm feeling stressed out with school or trying to get rides to places, I can get really unmovitated about seeking God in this season He has me in.

There was also a room that was open 24/7 for prayer, worship, and ministry time, which was really incredible. In the afternoon, people could go into Simonstown for "treasure hunting" and praying for people..the seminar I went to ran late, so I couldn't do that. There was plenty of time for swimming, hiking, exploring Simonstown, or just vegging out, but it was a full day with us getting up and out at 7 am to pray together before breakfast. All in all, God showed up tremendously in terms of worship, phrophetic words, tongues and interpretations, healings, and people being set free from lots of things.

I think something I enjoyed the most was the non-rigidity of the schedule. As the Spirit moved, so did the schedule. I feel like when I was a kid, things were more like that in our Church, but in recent years, it's been more rigid in terms of how long worship is, or what the schedule should be like, etc. I'd love to see more openness again to just going with how He is leading, regardless of schedule. All in all it was a really great weekend of young adults coming to understand more of God's incredible love!

Hiking in the Berg

Last Monday was our big hiking day. We were starting to climb by 8 in the morning. These mountains are serious mountains, nothing like the ones I’ve been up in Cape Town and nothing like any I’ve ever seen in the states. Climbing up was incredibly steep at points, tall grass, and no paths. It was very hot too! We were almost to the top, and as we scaled some rocks I saw an incredible view of a vast plain before the summit, with the tops of countless mountains you couldn’t see below, as well as gorges, cliffs, and massive dropoffs.

I also saw what I thought were dogs in the distance, but considering we hadn’t seen other souls in days, I called behind to Sarah to ask what they were. She went, “Those are BABOONS!!" I’d been warned to stay far away the ones in Cape Town, as they’d learned they could terrorize the tourists, but Sarah said these were wild and would be fine, so we took off running across this plain to try to see them closer. They kept their distance pretty well, but barked at us a lot. We climbed up into these caves and looked at some paintings bushmen had marked on the walls. It was SO cool, because it wasn’t like I was in a museum or some tourist spot, it was just Sarah’s property. The world had no idea about this history within these remote caves. The paintings were of the British coming in and hunting\killing\chasing the bushmen. We could tell they were on horses, and the bushmen on foot running. It was fascinating. We also saw fossilized dinosaur prints; we had to lie flat on the cave floors and look up and see the prints that had been made in mud, then lava covering the mud and hardening the prints into the stone.

We heard thunder, and saw lightening and clouds over mountains in another gorge. We thought about waiting it out in the caves, but also wanted to get back in time for a braii at 2, so we started headed down. I was in the lead, and stopped to wait for the others, when I heard a “haaah haaah” close to me. I called out to Sarah asking what that could be, and she said “Um, it Sounds like a spitting cobra…” She had barely finished before I bolted, running like a mad woman across this plain. Every aching muscle and my tiredness were forgotten! I never saw it, but it was very close, and we were pretty far away from any medical help! Later on this week we discovered it was a "Puff Adder" snakes, hence the puffing it was doing because it was threatened. While if I had gotten medical attention within 7 hours (the nearest hospital would've taken us about 3 if you count the time getting down from the mountain), it wouldn't have been fatal, but the bite is about one of the most painful snake bites you can get! I was glad I didn't know all this beforehand...

As we continued across the plain, we did get caught in rain. It felt really good, cooling us down. It was incredible: we were 4 specks crossing this tall, windy, swooshy grass with massive mountains, gorges and cliffs surrounding us, baboons watching us, rain pouring down. I felt like I was very much in “Africa” during that time. We made it down 6 1\2 hours later, aching, tired, and very hungry. We downed Boerwoers (kind of like a hot dog\sausage meat here that is very popular with braiis), showered, and slept for a very long time! The next day, feeling more rested and recovered, I was amazed at the nature and what all I experienced on that mountain.

Durban Trip: Part 1

I’m back from holiday! I spent the last 8 days traveling in the Drakensburg Mountains and sightseeing in Durban, a major city on the eastern side of South Africa. The entire time was AMAZING, and too much to write in one blog entry, so I’m gonna break it down (*side note: I know I break the cardinal rule of blogging, which is to not make each post very long or else you’ll lose your audience, but I don’t really have this to be a “bloggie”, but rather for me to keep my family and whoever is interested up to date, and for myself to look back on).

I flew into Durban Friday night, and immediately went and got some curry and Naan. Durban has the largest population of Indians outside of India, and thus good Indian! On Saturday morning, Sarah, myself, and two other girls drove up to Sarah’s family holiday house in the Drakensburg Mountains with her family. For the next 4 days, this was our schedule: we’d be up and out by 7:30, 8 a.m. after having a huge and delicious breakfast. One day we tubed down a river, another day we hiked (separate blog entry), and another day we Foofy-slided (again, another entry). We would walk to the dams and streams and waterfalls just exploring as well. Come lunch time (1 pm), we’d have a massive yummy lunch, as the humidity brought in a big thunderstorm. We then would all sleep during the storm. We’d wake up, have afternoon tea and a session that Sarah’s mother put together for us to just read the Bible and pray. We would read our books, then come 7 at night have a big meal by candlelight because it was already dark up in the mountains. It got quite chilly at night, and we’d read our books by the fire at night, then be in bed by 9, 9:30…it was awesome! We were so remote, the only way I kept some track of the time was by our meals…I didn’t look at a phone, computer screen, or watch for 4 days.

One night, however, the sky was very clear, and us girls wrapped up in blankets and laid out under the stars, too many to count, and so beautiful. Definitely one of those times that will stand out about my time here. At one point we heard baboons down the stream, and we almost got carried away thinking about the baboons coming up and ruining our peaceful evening by attacking us! We laid there and talked about promises God had over our lives, what dreams He had given us, what we thought the next few years of our future would like. We then moved inside and had a really good time of praying for each one of us, giving each other pictures and words we had for one another. It was all really good…more to come!

2 Months In...

Well, it has now been 2 months since I set off for my adventure. While my first month didn’t seem all that quick, the time between my one month post and this one seems very quick! I’ve settled into more of a routine here now, and the days are fading into weeks. While the first month here more felt like me just holding on for dear life and trusting Him with every bit I could, this month God’s really been showing me reasons why He has brought me here, things He is wanting to teach me and areas for me to grow in. It seems like every time I open my Bible, He has something new to reveal to me! This has made me feel so much better about my time here, and helps me have a renewed vision and focus for this time. Going in hand with that, homesickness has faded a lot. I still miss people, and can’t let myself think too long about 3 1\2 more months without seeing them, but the sting is far less. Faces are starting to become fewer acquaintances and more friends. I do feel more disconnected for the most part in terms of some friends back home, but I’ve also been pleasantly surprised with packages and letters, which SO make your day when you are so far away from home.

The last week or so has been filled with some fun sightseeing things that Holly and I had on our list to do before July. On Saturday, we and a few others went to Groot Constantia, a wine estate. The grapes on the vine were the best I’ve ever tasted. We explored the vineyard then headed to the wine tasting, which was a lot of fun. We then headed to Chapman’s peak drive, a scenic route overlooking Hout Bay on the Atlantic. It was I think the most beautiful thing I’ve done yet. James, our friend who took us, told us of a little cave just down the cliff a little bit…you had to climb over the fence though. Most likely illegal and not very safe maybe, but incredibly worth it to climb into a little nook inside a massive mountain wall and watch the sun and the ocean meet! Afterwards we headed into the Bay for fish and chips.

Last Monday, we climbed Lion’s Head, a very rocky, steep mountain here. It was hot and sweaty, but so much fun! We reached the top and had beers and snacks while watching the sun set over Cape Town. As soon as it did, we were on our way down quickly, to try to get down the rocky steep part while there was still light. At one point there’s a drop off, and you have to use a chain to help scale down. That was a little intense even for my adventurous self, but it was fine. Walking down the mountain as the city lights grew brighter on a summer night has been one of my favorite moments, I think.

Friday morning I fly to Durban, which is on the Eastern cape of South Africa. I’ve heard the weather is very different there, very humid..maybe it will just remind me of a Missouri Summer! I’m going with three other girls, and the first part of the week we will be in the Drakensburg, a mountain chain a couple hours out of Durban. We’re planning to hike and explore all over it, and then also to have some times of worship and prayer. I’m looking forward to it. The last part of the week we’ll be in Durban, and I’ll return to Cape Town the following Saturday. I probably won’t blog until after then. So, on to month 3!

"In Christ, I am CLEAN."

The evening meeting of the conference was different in that the day sessions had been more geared toward leaders, while the evening sessions were for anyone. As a result, it was much bigger. Driscoll's message had quite a different feel from the messages during the day; this one was more outreach-oriented. He said he just wanted to speak on the cross. A lot of times, we say 'Christ died for your sins', and move on, when really we just need to stop there. He wanted to talk to the people who had had sins does to them--it's one thing to be forgiven of sins in light of the cross, but what does the man who was beaten by his dad, or the women raped? What does it do for those who had sins committed against them?

He gave a stark description of the crucifixion, leaving none of the bloody details out. It was one of those things that is hard to hear, but you know you need to be reminded of it. He then talked about how the Bible uses the word "shame" alot, and originally it meant to be "defiled". When the Bible states that shame has been taken away, we can know it to be meant that the feeling of defilement, of being violated, of being sinned against, has been taken away in light of the cross as well. He said a point that really struck out to me: "On our own we get our identity in two ways. In what we've done (I'm a murderer, I'm a rapist, I'm a alcoholic, etc.), or what's been done to us (I was beaten, I was abandoned, I am worthless). The only other option for us is to get our identity in what Christ did for us (Took what we did upon Him AND cleansed us from what was done to us)."

To conclude, he had us all stand up, and prayed for us. He wanted those who really felt like this was for them to just state in belief, "In Christ, I am clean." It was dead silent for about 20 seconds, and then from the back, a man cried out; "In Christ, I am CLEAN!" Then a women from the side of the room: "In Christ, I am CLEAN!", and then from the front, until voices all over the room were raised. It was incredible, all I could was stand there and be amazed at the power of God, as I heard people with all forms of accents-Zulu, Xhosa, and Afrikaans-cry out and be released from strongholds. It was one of those moments that I knew always remember. Afterwards there was a time of response and worship, ended with people dancing and singing.

"Our mouths were filled with laughter, our tongues with songs of joy. It was said among the nations, "The Lord has done great things for them". The Lord has done great things for us, and we are filled with joy!"-Ps. 126:2-3

Urban Force Conference:PJ Smyth and Mark Driscoll

This past week was a flurry of activity at Jubilee as everyone got ready for the Urban Force conference on Tuesday and Wednesday. We were there bright and early, and while I had some responsibilities before it began and throughout the day, I was able to attend pretty much every session, which was really neat. The first session, Mark Driscoll spoke on defining what mission was, what a missional church was, and what a missionary was. Towards the beginning of the talk, the train came by outside the building and he stopped and said, "We're ok, right? That noise, that's not something dangerous, is it?" Alot of his comments I could really relate to, being from America! He addressed alot of cultural idols he saw in Cape Town. At one point, he had the morning paper, and was going through and commenting on what he saw. He addressed one article about 2 female paramedics that had been raped. They had responded to a call for a sick child, and there were 2 men with the child. As they were helping the kid, 3 men with machetes approached, told the other 2 guys to leave, they did, and they raped the paramedics. What he pointed out was that there ws NO accountability for the two men who left. "What men leave 2 women and a child with 3 men with machetes? Those 2 men should have died defending those women, yet no one has a problem that they left." He listed sex as a main god in Cape Town, and said that you cant have sex as a god, and yet also want the high amounts of rape, abuse, and AIDS to go away. He was typcial in his abrupt approach. Later on PJ Smyth spoke on "Citiology", and 7 Godly ways to view the city. In the afternoon I attended PJ's seminar on church growth. The evening was a men's event, so obviously I did not attend, but from what I heard Mark Driscoll just let 2,000 men from Cape Town have it, and it was really challenging but appreciated.

On Wednesday, he spoke on leadership and also mistakes that church planters and established churches make that are detrimental. There was also a long Q&A session, where people had texted questions into a cell phone and then he answered them. As soon as the messages are up, I will post a link. I was thinking alot about all that was said and thinking how they applied back to Jubilee in St. Louis, and got me thinking about a lot of things. It was all pretty meaty and challenging, but I do feel like I have a more practical and clearer understanding now of how churchs need to engage with culture to effectively change their city. I know it was hard for some people here to hear Mark Driscoll's such direct appproach and calling things like he saw it. It's been interesting the last few days to hear everyone's different reactions and responses to what all was said.

The Wednesday evening meeting was incredible; I am actually going to do a seperate post on that after this. Again, when the messages are online, I will post a link up here!

Meet Lenny and Holly: A Western!

Here's another video blog for you guys. This is with Holly and Lenny, two yearteamers from England and Holly. I know for some the audio and vidual doesn't always line up. I think that has to do with the bandwidth here, and unfortunately nothing I can do about that, so hopefully this works. I'm not even entirely sure anyone who wasn't there will understand what is going on in this video, but we had fun recording it :)

In this blog....

• South African junk food
• Homemade granola
• The history of America according to a Dutch man
• A typewriter

You may have to listen close to understand Lenny, as he has an accent and is farther away from the camera.

What classes in South Africa are like

I've been asked by a few people about more details on the classes I'm taking, what my classes are like, etc. I'm taking 4 classes, 2 of which are on Monday and 2 of which are on Tuesday. Each of my professors are colored (the term for mix; you have whites, blacks, and colored as the main category as races here), and I'm by far the minority in terms of a white student. The majority is colored, and the rest are blacks. I don't really feel that aware or uncomfortable about it at all though, I actually don't even think about it. When I talk though, I'm very aware how foreign I am. I've had 3 professors ask me questions of it what they are talking about is true in ths US, or to give an American perspective, and that's somewhat odd for me. At some points I feel like they are wanting the American to validate their point, while I'm trying to not fit into the American know-it-all sterotype, so I'm not sure how to word my reply.

They refer often to what they are talking about in the contexts of South African history, so even though I'm not taking an "africa" course, I do still feel like I'm getting a good sense of this culture. Each class has one paper, one test, and then one final exam. The exam is half your grade, and the paper and test are each a fourth. I was told I just need to pass my courses here for them to count at home, which at first seemed like not a big deal to me, but it seems like failing is alot more common here. In the States, as long as it's not a super hard course, you can do the minimum, and pass. I'm not entirely sure that's the case here, so I'm a little nervous about how these tests and papers are graded.

My first class is about Psychometric testing--the history of tests, how tests are administered to patients, how you diagnose based on results of testing. This professor was harder for me to understand than the rest, and I asked a student if he was South African, thinking he may be from elsewhere. They said yes, and I explained how I had difficulty understanding him. They smiled and said it's because he was Afrikaans, and was speaking with a heavy Afrikaans accent. This class is my least favorite, mainly because he hasn't showed up twice, and yesterday showed up halfway through. He's very scatterbrained, and I still don't really have an idea of what is going on in there. He gave us lecture notes, but we're several pages behind, and there is no book. I have a paper due at the end of the month and I have no idea how to even start it. I asked one of the girls I sat next too if she understood what he was saying or what we were doing, and she said she was totally lost. Thus, I felt better knowing this wasn't just me being an international student.

My second class on Monday is Personology, or the study of personality. I actually do enjoy this class--the professor is organized and presents the material in a way that I remember it. He's been very helpful to me. There is one other American girl in this course who is studying here on a different program, so we've been able to help each other out a bit.

On Tuesday, I have a child and adolescent development course, which I have already taken back at UMSL actually. I needed a class though during the crazy week of registration, so they stuck me in here. I do get to learn about how growing up in South Africa affects a person, which is much different than America. This class is huge, with people sitting in the aisles because there isn't enough seats. I always have to get a seat in the front row just so I can understand the professor with his accent.

My last class on Tuesday is Psychopathology, or abnormal psych. This one is all about the major psych disorders (bipolar, schizophrenia, eating disorders). This is stuff I hadn't taken yet in the States, so I feel like I am learning in this one. The professor is a woman, and she's very engaging and teaches the material well.

Thus far I haven't done anything yet to earn any grades at all. I have a paper due next week, which we were paired up to do, so fortunately I had a bit of help from a regular student here. I just did my part and handed it to him, and he is going to format and turn it in. I have another paper due at the end of this month, and my first test this Friday. After that test, I'll have a better idea of how easy or hard the tests here are. I don't expect to get results anytime soon after turning in papers or taking tests, as efficiency and responsiveness isn't too big a priority here! Spring Break is in 2 weeks, and that's when the first term end. The second term begins after that, and I'm guessing that's when I'll get the info for when the semester here actually ends, since I've been told all sorts of dates.

So that's what my classes are like!

On the road again..

Last week, I was at Jubilee and started to feel overwhelmed. I grabbed Darlene and was talking (well, more crying on her, but still talking) about what I was feeling and struggling with. She stated that she really thought I needed to move out of where I was; that is was too isolating an environment for me, and I couldn't relax there due to what all was occurring in the house. About an hour later, Holly and Stacey, another girl in her mid-20s, said I could move in with them. Stacey works at Jubs, and so I can go with her to the building, like Holly does. It was definitely God opening up a door. I'm planning to move in tonight! The last few days were a bit overwhelming; I had just gotten my bearings where I was, and am now having to figure out how to get places and such again. I know this will be an easier transition, but the past few days I've been having the same feelings as when I first arrived and trying to figure everything out. As I packed up my room last night though, I started getting really excited about it. After moving in, Holly and another friend and I are going out to a chick flick and drinks to celebrate :)

This is a good move; I'll be in a supportive environment with Holly, who is going through similar feelings that I am in leaving home and being a new country. It's a more quiet and safe area, and I'll have a place I can feel at home in, and can sit in the living room or cook. I will be losing internet, but Monday-Fridays I will be on a every day whether at Jubilee or on campus. At nighttime is when everyone is awake back home though! It may be a silly thing to be sad about, but I will miss being able to contact people more easily. It was very kind of God to give me internet at my place this first month ( I wasn't supposed to have it, and it suddenly appeared) to help me with the transition time.

A few points I could really use prayer on:
1) Transporation: On Tuesdays, I can get a lift from Stacey to the bus stop on her way to the building.Mondays no one is at the building though, and being a more suburban area where I am, I'm not sure how to get to campus on Mondays. I'm trying not to be too stressed about it, but I am a little worried; private cabs are safe and reliable but VERY expensive here sinceI'd be going a far way (about 50 dollars or so). This is a major thing I could be using prayer for. I still don't know what I am going to do yet :\

2) Darlene and I were talking this morning, and she was saying that she really wanted this to be a turning point for me. Despite seeing many things and all the adventure and good things out of this last month and a half, it has also been a REALLY difficult time for me. I've been discouraged, exhausted, and fearful alot, and with no help from UWC, it's been a rough go of it in many ways. I wouldn't trade this experience for anything, but it's just been really hard, more than I've let on to anyone back home. I really am praying for this to be kind of fresh start, that things would seem a little brighter and more do-able now and less overwhelming. She said I have had a rough time, which was encouraging to hear from someone who lives here and can testify that it's not just an American who isn't used to life here.

Thank you guys!

The ebbs and flows of culture shock

Whenever I've heard culture shock described, or at least how I always thought of it in my mind prior to this trip, it's always when you arrive somewhere, you are faced with this culture shock. As you go along a few weeks, you adjust and adapt and the shock is no more. I feel as though it's been a bit different here though.

Holly, a girl here from England, and I were discussing this over smoothies (seriously, Cape Town knows how to do smoothies; they are so tasty!). We discovered we were both feeling the same thing, where there are a lot of things that are similiar to home, or that we can easily relate it to back home.."ooh ok, this (insert item) is like this thing back home!" I think it's a way to familiarize or make you feel like you're in a little bit more control. That will be the case for a few days or longer, then you will see something or hear something that stuns you as you realize this is NOTHING like home. You can go to City Centre (what they call downtown) or to a mall or to a touristy beach and think you are in England or America. Then later that day you can talk to a person in a shop and hear their atrocious story, and feel completely overwhelmed.

This past Friday, I was talking to man waiting to be seen at the health clinic. As I asked him questions and got to know him, I couldn't believe his situation: He was from Congo, got married last January and had a degree in Chemistry. That March he lost his job; his wife was then pregnant. Seven months in, she lost the baby, and immediately wanted to become pregnant again, even though he had not found work. In November, he left hoping to find a job in Cape Town, but couldn't find anything due to his foreign status. He wanted to go home to his wife but had no way to get home. Just 30, his eyes were failing him..I could see black lines in his eyes, and he said he had to wear sunglasses outside constantly or his eyes would cry. During his consultation, a screw came out of his sunglasses. He kept trying to fit the tiny screw back in; he HAD to have sunglasses. If I had mine with me I would've given him mine; I so wanted to do something as simple as giving him sunglasses. As I prayed with him for a job or money to go home,for comfort as he misses his wife, for healings for his eyes, it almost was too much. I had to excuse myself right afterwards and go try to get myself under control. The afternoon before I had gone to the city center to ask questions for a video Jubilee shows before the message. High rise buildings and businessman and women hustling around, not too much different than St. Louis. This man's story? NOTHING like St. Louis.

It truly here is so different here, and just when I'm about to think I'm getting the hang out life here, something comes and completely knocks me off guard. Holly and I both agreed that this is how it would be for us our whole time here; not a massive shock when we first arrived, but waves that come and go during our time. It's been a struggle for me to put into words for everyone back home, because nothing I can really say can convey it. I find myself sitting down to a blank page and don't even know where to start, so hopefully this will do.

One month in...

A month ago today I left St. Louis off to the far far away place of Cape Town! I've been asked if it has seemed long or short, and in all honesty, I don't really know. In one sense, I feel like "wow, already a month, ok", but then I think about how I left right after Mobilise. Mobilise seems so so long ago to me now, with the month that I've had since then, so I don't really know how I feel about it.

Things have been overall going well. Mondays and Tuesdays are my most difficult days for me. Even though the last 2 weeks has been fine and noneventful going to campus, I still wake up with a sort of anxiousness about what the day will be like. I also feel more overwhelmed and alone on those days, but in it God is teaching me alot about myself and also about Him.

I've done some sightseeing, but there are many things I still want to do. It's easy for me to get a little impatient or put pressure on myself, but I'm learning that there are things that God wants me to do here right now, and I'll see everything in time. I know as I continue to make friends, those things will naturally happen, and by the time school is over, whatever I have left to see I'll start recruiting friends to do it with me :). I think there is pressure on students who go abroad to "make the most of their time" and "see the world", that I feel like I need to be doing more. However, God really showed me the other day that I am experiencing what actual life is like in Cape Town by being in this community and sharing life with them. Coming with other students, being friends only with them and seeing only the touristy things, I wouldn't actually get a sense of what it's really like here. So, ultimately, I'm getting a better experience through just being about what God has for me.

Along the lines of sightseeing though, next month I am going to Durban for Eater break! I'm really excited. Sarah, a girl my age here at Jubilee, invited me back to her home there along with a few other girls. Durban is on the eastern cape, so the opposite side of South Africa, on the Indian ocean! It also is close to the beautiful Drakensburg Mountains, where we will be going up! It's really a quick decision; she invited me on Thursday, and I booked my flight on Monday.

Alright, time to go...on to month 2!

Everyday Life in Cape Town

So here are random descriptions, observations, etc. etc. about Cape Town...

-It is a very WINDY city!! Especially in Obs, my area of town; it's incredibly windy. All the women know to hold onto their skirt or dress as they walk around, and I haven't even bothered to style my hair in any sort of way that wind could mess it up.

-Not all, but the majority of keys are skeleton keys..meaning they actually look like those old-school keys, and work like them too. I'm just now getting used to turning the key all the way around in my front gate and door, instead of turning it back to the right.

--There is a point when you're driving through the mountains that you can look in front of you and see the Atlantic Ocean, and look behind you and see the Indian ocean. Two oceans at the same time. Incredible.

-Food is overall cheaper here, but most clothing places are more expensive than the US. It's the only time in my life where going out to eat is actually cheaper than grocery shopping; it will be a rude awakening when I go home!I am actually really liking the food; it all tastes a lot fresher here. One of my favorite foods back home is Greek yogurt,but its about 2.5 more times expensive than regular yogurt. Here it's not at all! So I get a quart of Greek yogurt (yoghurt here)and have some every morning! The strangest fruit I've eaten yet is a litchi. It's a small maroon fruit with a hard, kind of prickly shell. You peel it and inside is a white, fleshy little fruit that you can just eat in a few bites and discard the seed. It's tasty though!

-I take a taxi, or minibus, to UWC on Monday and Tuesdays. It's hot, and it takes forever to get there,but in a sense I feel like I'm getting more of a cultural experience, or what life is like for South Africans, by doing this. They fill these buses in as many seats as can hold, and we're off, starting and stopping, whistling to people walking on the street to see if they want on. Not the most safe driving,but I just go with it.

-Alot of people here say "Howzit?" kind of as our "whats up?" It still kind of catches me off guard, and while I've never said it, I almost always think "how's what?" before I remember just to reply how I would to a "whats up".

-Electricity is bought as you use it. Instead of signing a contract with a company, and getting a bill every month, you buy some at the local grocery, or petrol station (gas station). You buy as much rand's worth as you want, and they give you a bunch of numbers to plug in back in your box back home. No one informed us of this though, so we Americans figured it out when all our lights turned off one day :) It makes sense for the electrical company in this society, that way people can't pay bills at the end of the month--if they don't have the money, they don't buy any electricity.

-Since people try to make their electricity go father, hardly anyone here uses a dryer. All the laundry goes up on the line outside. As silly as it is, I really do kind of miss the convenience of just putting my clothes in a dryer, and them being soft and not stiff. The nice weather here allows for them to dry quickly though.

-Same goes with phones, you buy "airtime" as you go. You can get airtime anywhere--grocers, convenience stores, petrol stations. You don't use any airtime when someone calls you, but you do if you call anyone. Texting is alot cheaper option here, and everyone texts. However, its called "Sms"; I'm starting to get the hang of it to say "I'll sms them" instead of "Ill text them"

-When telling the time here, it's always "Half past" or "quarter till". You wouldn't say, "let's meet at 9:15" but "let's meet at quarter past nine". There's also time..and then there's Africa time. For someone who generally has never liked being late, I'm realizing how really everyone is always late here, and that's Africa time. Classes and formal meetings start on time, but that's about it.

-Internet is still more of a luxury here, and is by far the most expensive thing I spend my money on. It's a bit of an adjustment for Americans and Europeans who are used to unlimited bandwidth when we get here, because it's not unlimited here! You buy an amount each month, and when that's used up, then you're out of luck. You simply can't watch alot of youtube videos or listen to music online, because it uses so much bandwidth. My skyping has also had to be really rationed, as that uses alot of megabytes. This is my least favorite thing so far.

-I was told a few weeks ago, "Cape Town has a weather pattern, and then Table mountain has an entirely different one". That's really true, it can be the bluest, sunniest day, but when you look up to the mountain, see it covered in clouds and it looks really stormy..but regardless of clouds or sun, it is the most majestic thing I think I've ever seen.

Mark Driscoll is coming to town!

So to give a little update on my days, Monday and Tuesday I'm at UWC for classes. On Wednesday and Thursday I am volunteering at Jubilee. We got a desk and a computer all set up for me yesterday...well, by "we", I mean Liam (an fyp-er) putting it all together and me telling him good job. I will mainly be doing admin and prep work for March 9-10, when Mark Driscoll will be here at Jubilee! It's a multi-church leadership conference called Urban Force here in Cape Town. Jubilee is hosting the day events, and I am going to be able to go! I'm so excited that I a) Get to help with the work for this conference, and b) that I get the opportunity yo listen to pj Smyth and Mark Driscoll and other leaders!

On Fridays I'm working at the health clinic at Jubilee. I've only been twice thus far, but I really love it. The staff meets about an hour before the clinic opens to pray and encourage one another; those mornings have been really strengthening for me. Then the patients, some with appointments, some walk-ins, start arriving. I go in with the nurse and just observe during the consultation, praying for the patient silently. At the end,every patient is asked, "What would you like Jesus to do for you?" This is based on Mark 10, when Jesus asks the blind man Bartimeaus what he wanted Him to do for him. We then pray for them. This is my favorite part; the thought of just asking a stranger in the US what I can pray for them for is mildly terrifying, so I know exercsing this spiritual muscle and learning to stepping out in faith here will be really good for me.

So that's what my days Monday-Friday look like. It's nice to have a bit of schedule now; I'm making friends but it's really easy for loneliness to try to seek its way in my heart, especially with my housing situation. I'm really learning to rely on God and that His time for me here may look different than I expected, but His time is the best possible time I could have here. Overall I'm really enjoying being here! I don't know how to end this, so to quote my sister Shannon, "Onward!"

The last couple days

Tuesday night I went to an Indian restaurant in City Centre with some folks from Jubilee. It was this massive place right next to the parliament building, an area of town that I hadn't seen yet. The architecture was really pretty, I'm not sure which influence that is from (British, Dutch, etc..) I already knew that I loved Indian food and was pondering what to get (besides Naan of course, I knew I'd be getting that!). I was recommended a dish called "Bunny chow", which is actually a South African meal. I haven't really had too many things that are uniquely South African yet, so I decided I'd better go with that. No, I didn't actually eat bunnies, I'm not entirely sure why it's called that. They take a loaf of bread and hollow the inside out and fill it with curry goodness--chicken and potatoes and some veggies. It was pretty spicy, but thankfully I am starting to be able to enjoy hotter foods these days. Along with garlic naan, I was royally full after eating a third of the meal. I just enjoyed the leftovers for lunch now. It was so good and authentic; I'll be eating there again before I leave!

Last night I went to a Lifegroup (the small groups at Jubilee) on UCT campus. Even though it was only a few months ago that I was doing the dorm thing, being back in a "res" felt all nostalgic to me! KK, the leader, signed me in as a guest just like we did back at Oak hall, and so many things were similar...it was weird to think that now that will be a memory of me after 2 1\2 years in Oak!

It's hot hot hot here, already more so than when I arrived. I've been hearing reports back home of how cold, snowy, and icy it's been...I will try to send some warmth your way! Missing everyone back home and everything familiar; not in a sense that I wish I was back there, but that I wish I could bring you all here!

South Africans love their meat..

In these last few weeks I've noticed in the grocery store more variety in terms of meat, lots of meat dishes at restaurants..just more meat in general than in the States. Not to mention they have Braiis (BBQs) every other day here! Well, this past Saturday, a group of us from Jubilee went to Mzolis, a massive meat restaurant in Gugulethu, a township on the edge of Cape. Myself, along with 3 new Fyp-ers (frontier-year project, a intern program run through Newfrontiers that serve the Church), were first-timers, and those who had gone before couldn't wait for us to experience it!


So we get to this township, and its packed with outside tables, live music, and lots of people wearing yellow hats. There was a stage where people could get up and dance, and man, the people here have serious moves! When it came to ordering, you go to this counter inside loaded with raw meat (vegetarions, stop reading here). Chicken, pork, beef, lamb, sausage..you name it, it's there. You pick out what you want and how much you want, and they put it in a big bowl. You then take it back to this insanely hot Braii room, where these fun guys take it and fire it up. 20 minutes later, I was carrying out a big bowl of cooked meat. And then you eat! It was incredibly messy but incredibly good. You had white pieces of bread you used as "plates", but you just dive in. It was a very cool cultural experience; there were all kinds of people there!


After we ate and watched more dancing, Liam and Holly (2 Fyp-ers) and myself wanted to walk around a little bit. We could only go down the street, however, before we started feeling unsafe and headed back to the crowd. It was crazy how a packed event could be going on, but just a block away could be really dangerous. All in all it was a really neat and fun event! I think I'm set on my meat eating for awhile now though...

*side note* I was gonna put pictures on here, but it takes awhile to upload with this bandwidth internet...you'll just have to look at them on facebook :)

Langa

I went to a township called Langa (I'm pretty sure that's how its spelled) today. I went with the volunteer overseer from Jubilee,Darlene. She has formed friendships with women over the last few years, and just goes to visit them. There was a sober excitement in me to go--I had read,seen, and written about townships over the years, so I was ready to actually see one. At the same time, there was hesitation as I knew it would be really hard. I know enough to know that hearing about something is entirely different than actually seeing it for yourself.

For those who aren't aware of what townships are, they are very very poor housing areas in South Africa, remnants of apartheid. Rape, violence, and murder are a everyday occurence there. Homes are shacks made of various scrap metal and plastic; some townships have running water and electricity, many don't. There's an incredible need for housing in this country, and that is never more evident than in the townships.

When we got there, I immediately was aware of the foul smell. We stepped through and over this little stream of water with trash and waste and starting walking in the dusty, sandy ground with glass shards all over. I kept looking at the barefoot children running around. It was really loud, with traffic and music blaring. We walked to the 'home' of Rose. It was a tiny shack, very very hot inside. She had a desk with some hair products on it. She had started a business in her home, being a hairdresser. Darlene asked her questions about her business; she said it was just up and down. Her scissors and whatnot kept getting stolen while she slept. She had 2 little beautiful boys who were sticking around close. Rose had had TB and had been very ill, near death, but was now making a good recovery. She didn't know how she would be getting food for her children right now though. When Darlene asked what we could pray for, she asked that people would need to get their hair cut and also a way for her to finish high school. She had failed grade 12 in 2005 (at this point I realized this mother wasn't much older than me). As we prayed for her, I was amazed at her bravery, courage, and trust in God despite such an awful livlihood.

We then went to visit Bilongwe. Darlene mentioned her name, and I was a little confused, because I had met her at Jubilee the day before; she worked in the clinic. Surely she didn't live in a township? But she did; we walked into a small room with a bed she shared with her two sons. We talked about her struggle with buying uniforms and paying school fees for her boys (all schools have uniforms here). Her one cord that stretched for miles that gave her power hadn't been working either. We prayed for her, and later on Darlene had told me that after Bilongwe had come to the Lord, she took one day a week for training, and after her training was completed, starting working at Jubilee in the clinic. Jubilee provided a taxi to pick her up. It was just unbelievable to me that a women I met yesterday at the building, whom I thought just came from a normal home, actually went back to a very loud, very violent place.

On our way home, the reality of what I had just seen started hitting me. It's impossible to explain, because anything I'd say would not convey the extreme depths of poverty and injustice I saw. Darlene knew the effect of seeing a township for the first time, and prayed for me when we got back to the building. As I walked back to my flat, I just cried the whole way. The depths of my selfishness and how I worry about superficial things when these people have nothing was hugely evident to me. Also I struggled with the injustice I saw. I went for a run when I got back, wrestling with God-knowing that He is their provider, but struggling to see it. Rose is a child of God just like I am, yet how come I have so much? What truly was amazing to me though, was their resilience and bravery and trust in God despite how things appear. I actually have much to learn from them. I am so glad I have seen a township now, despite the heartwrenching ordeal that is was. I'm still sorting through my emotions and feelings over the whole experience.

21st Birthday weekend

Hey guys,

Mixing it up a little bit, I did a video blog to fill you in on my birthday weekend!

Amazing stories of prayers from back home!

Oh where to start? Well, I'll start with where I left off! Yesterday afternoon I received a call from my study abroad advisor back at UMSL. I explained to her the problems I'd been having, and also my concern about how this would affect my grades and gpa back home. She told me that they didn't advertise this to students prior to going abroad because they didn't want them to blow off classes, but they were very flexible in how grades transferred back home. They know other universities have different standards and they look more at how the students have done in their previous semesters to see how their grades should factor in. Basically, I just need to pass my classes here, and I'll be ok. As she was saying this, it all sort of started clicking in my head. The fact that somehow I got a schedule where I only have classes on Monday and Tuesdays, and that I don't need to devote as much time to them as I would back in the states, is more confirmation that God doesn't want me focusing on them.

Last night I went to a prayer meeting at Jubilee. I walked into the room and just had to smile, because it was set up the exact same way we set up prayer meetings back home, chairs and all! Anyway, we started with a time of worship, and the Spirit just FELL on us. Lots of pictures and words, and we all broke up and started praying for one another. As Jo, myself, and another lady were praying for this women, she was just slain in the Spirit! I haven't seen that since I was a little girl! I looked around and saw others too, amazing! The ladies that prayed for me were so encouraging too. One of the ladies kept praying phrases from Isaiah 61, which was God because there's no way she could've known those are the promises He's spoken to me! Afterwards, my phone rang, and it was parents calling! It was so good to talk to them!

Today I met with one of the college leaders, and she gave me some good pointers for where to get involved. I then met with the overseer of all the volunteering at Jubilee, and am going to try some things out next week. I told her my whole story: of how I'd always wanted to come here, my fiascos with UWC, etc. Before I left she prayed for me, and told me that she felt like God wanted to say to me "Well done", and He's proud of how I have handled this."I of course started to cry, as that was so what I needed to hear, and felt really relieved and encouraged.

The most amazing thing about today is that I've found out about 2 separate events of people praying for me. I was just talking to my sister Jo, and she told me she was awake at 3:30 her time, praying for God's comfort and peace for me...turns out that was the exact time I was meeting with this woman! Also my boyfriend Mitch met a man last week who was a believer and ended up telling him of my problems here. Last Tuesday at 2 am this guy, who doesn't even know me, woke up feeling like he needed to be praying for me--that was when I was meeting with the professor at UWC and was about reaching my lowest point. To know God had someone praying for me meant that was most likely why I was even able to get through that meeting! Amazing! And I know of how many people back home who have been praying, and I am convinved that has given me the strength at this beginning point, so thank you thank you THANK YOU. It's incredible to be in God's family!

Tonight we are having some students who are also international (Norwegian, Dutch, Germans, etc.) over for a Braii ( a South Africa BBQ that is very popular here). Tomorrow I am going to visit children in a very poor area of town with Jess Loizides, and will be going to the beach on Saturday I believe! I'm starting to stand out a little less with my paleness :)

The rollercoaster continues...

Week Two is starting out just about as bumpy as week one. We went to campus on Monday for classes and it turned out to be a madhouse. They extended registering for a classes an extra week, which meant that we were not allowed to add or drop any classes until next week. It also turns out 2 of the classes I had hoped to take that would count towards my major were not actually being offered. So right now I have 2 classes that should help me advance towards graduation instead of 4.

The past 2 days on campus has been incredibly stressful and difficult. I've had to trust God like never before while being terrified. I cannot even begin to describe it as there is nothing that comes close to this campus in the States. Classes being switched around, professors don't know what books they need, students protesting outside deans offices, lines that wrap around buildings...it's been incredibly hard on campus.The only thing that has kept me sane is knowing God has brought me here for a purpose, even if I don't know the reason yet. The only fortunate thing about these classes is they only meet once a week, thus I would only have class Monday and Tuesday. In praying about this, that would free up a lot of my time. I think I'm going to use that time to serve the Church. I'm going to talk to some people at Jubilee, and just see where I can serve. I still have not had the time to really connect with any one there other than the Loizides, and I know the more I get involved at Jubilee and know people, the more I will start to feel at home here.

When I put the whole UWC mess aside and just consider the fact that I'm in South Africa, I'm overwhelmed with gladness. I don't regret this at all, and even with this being an incredibly scary and frustrating time, I KNOW I am supposed to be here. God is indeed stretching me, and I'm just having to repeat the truth that He is GOOD all the time, and He is faithful.

The house we moved into does not have internet, something we were not told when we moved in. We are currently attempting to get it, but it's very different from the States--we have to get a landline installed before we can buy internet, and since we are not from SA, things are even more tricky. I obviously can go to internet cafe's, but I can't at night, as that would have me walking back home after dark, which is absolutely not an option here. So, communication may be irregular or weird until I am able to get that set up, IF I am able to. So, bear with me!

It has been 10 days since I left the States! Sounds like a small number, but that has flown, maybe because I have been in survival mode getting all the basic necessities taken care of. I would ask of you to please keep praying for me, not just in terms of getting the house livable and classes and such, but direction for my time here. Also, please pray against loneliness. I know when things settle down I'll have time to eventually make friends, but right now,besides the other three UM students with me, the Loizides are my only friends, and incredible friends they are!

This week is a week of prayer at Jubilee, and tonight is their corporate meeting. This afternoon I think Jo is going to take me to get a few necessities for my room, and I will go to that meeting tonight. Tomorrow morning I am having coffee with the college ministry leader at Jubilee; I'm excited to meet with her. Each morning I've just asked God for the grace for that day. I'm excited to be where I know I'm supposed to be, I love the locals, the feel of this city, the whole "Africa-ness" of it all. Despite the rough time with UWC, I am so happy to be here.

So loved

As I was sent off, it was with incredible support and love from everyone back home. My friend Gretchen made a "digital letter" for me to watch while I'm here. I BAWLED when she showed me it before I left, just undone. I lead such a blessed life, and I have some amazing relationships!

This is the slideshow; many of you are in it! :)

Homelessness, Hostels in China, Massive "Queus",and the amazing family of God

**DISCLAIMER** This post will be ridiculously long, as I let a very filled week go by before having time to update it. Feel free to skim, not read, or leave open for a few days. I'll try to do better on more frequent and thus shorter posts. For those who don't want to read it all, I'm alive and well, so you are good to go :)
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Sorry for the lack of blogging! You'll understand why after this post. Let me catch y'all up to speed on my first week here:

-Saying goodbye was incredibly hard. It took alot of courage and God giving me strength to say goodbye to everything that I knew and loved. I was excited, but also really sad. It was great to be at Mobilise that last weekend and be close to everyone. I had about 16 letters from friends to read on the plane; I felt incredibly loved and supported.

-Tuesday morning we went to UWC. We, including the UM professor who went with us and had been there before, were all under the impression that we would be able to live on campus for a week or two while they helped us find somewhere off campus to live. None of us wanted to live on campus, because it's away from everything. Obs is an area where loads of students live, and coincidentally, where Jubilee is located. We all wanted to live there. We found out upon arrival, that we could live on campus for a week, but would be charged for the whole semester, and that they didn't have any housing leads for us. We, with all our luggage, were then place in a random room with a really slow internet connection to find for ourselves. Finding homes in a foreign country is just a little difficult, fyi. The director showed us a website with a hostel in Obs we could stay in on Wednesday-Sunday, but it had no openings for that night. We then used that website to find a hostel for that night in Obs. We found one for really cheap, reserved it, printed it off the website, showed it to the lady. At 6 our driver came to pick us up. We showed him the reservation and he said," I...can't take you here." Thinking it was really unsafe or something, we asked why. He said "Because its in China man!". China. CHINA. We booked a hostel in CHINA,and the lady didn't even point it out! At that point we all started laughing because it ws ridiculous. He took us to this other hostel that we roughed it out for a night. Unbelievable first night, and there were guys and girls in our room in this hostel, so I didn't sleep very well.

-Wednesday was orientation, but none of us could pay any attention because we were all preoccupied with trying to find a house! The one useful part was the tour of campus, which we had to miss to go view a house, which turned out to not work out.

-Thursday was registration, which we were warned would be a nightmare. Student formed a queu (which is a line here, we had to ask) that went out the main doors down the streets! We got to bypass it, and we were all still in line from 10-5. At one point they gave me another girls student number, then said my account didn't show I had paid, so I had to wait for the same lady to clear my account; it was nervewracking. They then registered me for a whole year! I didn't bother to correct them; on Monday I'll go find the place to drop classes. We went back to our hostel, exhausted. We went to a Braii ( a South African BBQ; very popular here) with students from Norway and the Netherlands and other countries that night. By Thursday, I was so weary and overwhelmed and nervous about the house thing that I wasn't enjoying myself at all.

-Friday morning I woke up and explored Obs a bit. I found Jubilee, and went in and met a few people! I got to see Lex briefly, which was really neat. He said "Oh you're so pale, we must get you in the sun--she's coming from winter in the states!" We then went to a house showing. Not ideal, but in Obs and we could move in the following week,so we took it. It's by the train, so it will be loud, but its alright. It was weird that the first lease I've ever signed was in South Africa! I was incredibly relieved and thankful to God for providing, even with no help from the university here. Later on Jo Loizedes picked me up and we went to their place. Lex taught me to play cricket with him and his son, John. They were very easy on me, and I managed to win the second game, which Lex was nonplussed about..but then again, they held back alot :) Had dinner, then Lex and Jo showed me all around Cape. It was BREATHTAKING. Nothing I can say can describe it; I fell in love with it all immediately. After dark we went to Mount Nelson, a very fancy English hotel, and chatted over wine for a long time. It was the best thing since arriving!

-Saturday morning I went with Jess Loizedes to Kids Club. It's a ministry of Jubilee for kids from very poor areas. We played with and loved on about 65 African kids. Complete chaos, but so fun. We fed them waffles on ice cream (don't ask me, it was good though). That afternoon Jo and their kids and I went to Simon's Town, on the inside of the Cape, where I saw the Indian Ocean for the first time! Again, gorgeous. I spent the evening with them again as well; I am so thankful for them!

Today I went to Jubilee--it was SO SO neat to go to a church on the otherside of the world and feel like family!! We sang songs that had Xhosa, French, and English all in them. Tonight they meet again, and lots of students go to that meeting, so I'm going to go as well. Classes start tomorrow, which I'm sure will be disorganized and crazy again. :)

That's a summary of my first week. It started off pretty bad, and at some points I was terrified, but this weekend has been awesome. I'm so excited that I live so close to Jubilee, and for making some friends and getting involved. Again, sorry for such a long post; I'll keep them shorter next time! If you want to see pictures and videos, I have some on Facebook.

Last post from this side of the world..

Well, the never ending prep work is finally done. All that's left to do now is pack, which will be a huge undertaking as well, because I leave in SIX days! That's right folks, on Sunday I will be boarding a plane to Cape Town. My emotions are everywhere, but in between the ups and downs God has given me an excitement that has been steady. I'm nervous, yet excited. I'm sad, yet excited. How that works, I'm not entirely sure, but I'm going with it. This weekend I went back to my parents house to leave my car with them, and found my "Nation Notebook" that I did when I was in the 6th grade about South Africa. The past week or so I've just been really struck with the kindness of God towards me. As I packed and left my school, where I've been for the past 2 and a half years, I was grateful for such the fun college experience He gave me. And now, He's provided this incredible opportunity for me that I've dreamed of since I was a little girl. He really does give us the desires of our heart!

That's not to say, however, that I haven't felt really nervous and scared about the whole thing. I really don't know what to expect about alot of it, and it's this great big unknown. Leaving everyone I love and going some place completely on my own has given me a new awe in the fact that the God I worship here is the same God over there. In admist everything changing, He is the same. He's going with me and holding me hand, and I am so grateful.

Wrapping up this post, I do have some specific items that I would really appreciate prayer for:

1) Living situation: I don't know anymore if I will be on campus or off. I'll start off on campus, but it's my strong desire to live in Observatory, an area of town that is close to Jubilee. If I'm on campus, it will be difficult for me to get involved in Jubilee. However, living on campus is more convenient and cheaper, as renters will want to up the rent once they know it is American student who will be living. It's hard for me right now not knowing where I'm going to live, and knowing I'm going to have to figure that all out when I get there, in addition to being a new country and figuring out life there.

2) Classes: I've gotten several of their classes pre-approved for credit at UMSL, but I don't know how many, if any, of those classes will be offered this semester, and once again, won't know till I get there. If they aren't, I have to figure out classes that hopefully will count towards my degree, but won't know until I get back home! Like the living situation, somewhat nerve-wracking, but an awesome opportunity to learn a greater dependance on God :)

3) Adjusting to life there: protection from the enemy's lies and feeling of loneliness is huge for me. Also that I could really hit it off initially with some people from Jubilee and begin forming relationships with them there. I know that will really help me feel like I have family away from family here.

"But let ALL who take refuge in you be glad; let them ever sing for joy. Spread your protection over them, that those who love your name may rejoice in you. For surely, O Lord, you bless the righteous; you surround them with your favor as a shield."-ps. 5:11-12

You'll hear from me again when I'm on the other side of the world!