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.
Monday, March 29, 2010
Sunday, March 28, 2010
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!
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!
Thursday, March 18, 2010
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!
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!
Friday, March 12, 2010
"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
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!
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!
Friday, March 5, 2010
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.
Tuesday, March 2, 2010
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!
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!
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