Sunday, March 25, 2012

God I Look to You

This week we continued service sites! I am loving it more and more each day if that is possible :) I don't even know how to summarize this past week so here is a little taste of what has been going on. 
  • At the HIV/AIDS support group we did crafts with them! We made jewelry, friendship bracelets, and some of them sewed and knitted. 
  • On Wednesday we got to visit the Drakensberg Boy's Choir. It is the #1 children's choir in the world! They were amazing and I am so glad I got to experience that. We also had a huge lightening and thunder storm that night!  It was the craziest lightening I have ever seen! Sometimes it would light up the whole sky pink or green. 
  • One of the girls at the creche has open sores all over her body.  It is so sad because her mom won't take her to the clinic, she will only take her to the sangoma (Zulu medicine man) and that is obviously not working. 
  • There is a boy at the creche, who we have given the nickname of Chunks. His is so cute and chubby and he seriously has the same facial expression all day, so we work really hard to try and make him smile :)
  • The nurses came to our site to do their community project.  They taught the kids how to wash their hands properly and how to brush their teeth. 
  • Another little girl at the creche is so precious and once you get her singing a song she never stops! It is so cute!
  • When we brought our cameras the kids LOVED it and they run up to you shouting "shoot me! shoot me!" haha 
  • Friday was our last day working at the creche because the kids have 2 weeks off of school now for easter break. It was very bittersweet. We had a great day with the kids, but it was so hard saying goodbye :(
It is crazy that we only have 2 more weeks of service sites. I feel like so much has happened in such a short time already. These kids and the women we work with are so inspiring.  Many times when I am playing with the kids I forget where they come from and what they deal with everyday- parents with HIV/AIDS, abusive parents, absent parents, having HIV/AIDS themselves, living in a small mud house, or getting only one meal a day. All I can give to them is my love, but there are times when even that doesn't feel like enough. I know this experience is going to be challenging- physically, mentally, and spiritually. Please keep me and my team in your prayers. We need strength and wisdom to get through these next few weeks. And personally for me, I am needing to constantly remind myself that it is not through my hands and my power that this work is being accomplished, but it is God working through me. 

Some song lyrics that have been on my heart lately and my prayer for the next 2 weeks:

God I look to you, I won't be overwhelmed
Give me vision to see things like you do
God I look to you, You're where my help comes from
Give me wisdom; You know just what to do. 
_____________________________________

Give me your eyes for just one second
Give me your eyes so I can see
Everything that I keep missing
Give me your love for humanity
Give me your arms for the broken hearted
The ones that are far beyond my reach
Give me you heart for the ones forgotten
Give me your eyes so I can see





Sunday, March 18, 2012

RivLife!

This past Thursday we started Service Sites! I am at RivLife which is located in the township of Cinderella. Their main focus is with the HIV/AIDS community and those affect by that (like children).  When we got there we split up into smaller groups to do different tasks.  My group first went to an HIV/AIDS support group at a community center nearby (the community center looked more like an abandoned house than anything else).  We met with 7 other women, varying in ages, that have been diagnosed as HIV+.  From the outside, they do not look sick at all, and some of them have been HIV+ for over 9 years. And their attitudes do not reflect this either- they are full of life and joy.


We all introduced ourselves and got to know a little bit about everyone.  Then we asked them a few questions about what it is like to be HIV+ and what is the hardest part about it.  One woman said it was really hard in the community because a lot of people do not believe she is HIV+ because she looks so healthy.  For a long time the government of SA denied that AIDS even existed. It was kept in secret for awhile and people were ashamed of it and would often leave their towns to go get tested.  It is becoming more and more acceptable now, but there are still many problems. For example, the sangomas (witch doctors/medicine mans) use to tell everyone that the cure for AIDS was having sex with a virgin.  This obviously made the problem worse. And eventually the lie spread that one had to have sex with an infant to cure their disease.  It is a very sad truth and shows the ignorance of this disease in SA, which has the highest population of people with HIV/AIDS than any other country.  Also, many of the men refuse to get tested. Now, one of the biggest problems is Sugar Daddies. Poverty is so horrible and devastating that young women will trade sex for a man to provide her with food and clothing.  It is so hard to hear these things and even harder to actually see the women who are affected by this. But I can see how helpful this support group is for these women- it is a safe place where they can be encouraged by others who are going through similar things as them.


The women in the group then started to ask us some questions too. The one that stood out the most to me was when a woman asked us if we were afraid of them.  This made my heart break because this is how they see themselves- diseased and untouchable- but all we want to do is love on them! So we all got up and hugged them! It was a touching moment. For the rest of the time there we sang songs and danced, and they showed us some of the crafts they do.  I loved my time we spent with them!


After lunch we went back to the main site and worked at the creche- the daycare. The kids are so adorable! But by the end of the day I was covered in dirt, snot, and pee. We play with them out on the lawn and playground and when the kids have to go to the bathroom they literally just drop their pants right there and go! It is definitely not something I am used to!


Near the end of the day we go to the dropping center across the road which is where the older kids come to hang out after school. It was fun to hang out and converse with them.  They were a little shy the first day but the second day we played net ball with them which was a blast! It is like ultimate frisbee but with basketball. And when we left the second day they were all giving us tons of hugs! It was great :) I really love working at my service site and I think it is the perfect fit for me! As Reg said before, I probably won't change SA while I am here, but SA will definitely change me.


Yesterday (Sat) we had a beach day at Durban! We went to the market first and then headed to the beach.  It was a really windy day and the waves were HUGE but I still enjoyed it very much! I think they were the biggest waves I have ever been in- it was kind of scary but exciting at the same time. Then in the evening we went to a rugby game!! That was so much fun!! The Sharks were playing (Durban's team) against the Reds (I have no clue where they are from).  I didn't really understand the game before but it is INTENSE and hilarious at times.  And they don't wear any pads or helmets! I highly recommend watching a game if you get the chance! It is really cool!!




Monday, March 12, 2012

Safari Week!

The past week has been packed full of fun adventures, good times with friends, and new experiences! We had just finished finals for most of our classes and so we had our semester break. Our cohort was split up into 2 groups- one half went to safari for the first two days while the others stayed back and did other activities and then we switched. I had safari first!! It was so amazing! I have always dreamed of going on a safari as a kid but NEVER thought I would actually be able to go on one. 


We left early Wednesday morning and had a 4 hour car ride to the Hluhluwe Imfolozi Game Park. When we arrived around noon we got into 3 different vehicles (which look like typical "safari" jeeps!). We had a 1/2 day out in the park and saw a lot of animals!! Impala, Wildebeest, rhinos, giraffes, kudu, zebras, buffalos, and elephants!! My favorite were the elephants!! They were so amazing! At first they were pretty far up the hill but then three of them came down right next to our car and played in the mud pit! They were so big and beautiful!! We even got to see one tear down a tree with his trunk! 


During the night we stayed at a camp site in tents. But, these are not your normal pop up tents. They are huge canvas tents that have 2 beds, a dresser, and it has a indoor/outdoor bathroom attached to it.  It was so nice! Also, the camp only has a fence to keep out elephants so other animals walk through the camp at night, mostly hyenas. But one night we heard that some lions came through the camp! After the sun set we weren't allowed to leave our tents until the cars came right outside to pick us up. It was quite the adventure! 


The second day we went out for 12 hours! I loved being in the car driving through the gorgeous landscape with he wind blowing! We went up to breakfast at a place called Hilltop that looked over all the beautiful scenery. The food was amazing! One of the exciting parts of that day was when we stopped to watch these rhinos right in front of us, then one stared at us for a long time then started to mock charge us!! Reg, our driver, sped up REALLY fast and then the rhino stopped! My favorite part was seeing a breeding herd of elephants walk right in front of our car! There was around 15 of them! And there were babies too!! They were so cute and precious!!! And they had the clumsiest and cutest little walk/run! It looked exactly like the baby in the elephant in the The Jungle Book!


We slept over one more night at the camp and then had a half day out in the park until noon. It was such a bummer we didn't get to see any big cats! We always missed them by a few minutes! But I still had an amazing time!!! 


We then switched with the other safari group and went back to AE on Friday. On Saturday we planned a trip to a little camp site by a river.  We had a braai (an Afrikaans barbecue) and went cliff jumping!!! I was so scared at first! It took me a while to gain the courage to jump, but I finally did and it was so exhilarating!


Sunday was our last day of adventure and we went zip lining in Karkloof! It was so much fun! There were 8 different slides and the longest one is 170 meters! We had the most amazing view going down, the beautiful African jungle below us! I just cant believe how blessed I am to experience all of these things! And to top it off, my psych professor took the 5 of us out to dinner that night! It was a so much fun and lots of laughing! 


Today we had to come back to real life. We are starting up service sites this week, but we also have a new class called Principles and Practice of Community Engagement. We have it for 8 hours during the day!! But it is actually not too bad because our professor is amazing!! I mentioned him before in the beginning, but his name is Francis Njoroge.  He is from Kenya and is famous worldwide for being a project coordinator for missions.  He does participatory surveys and evaluations for relief and mission organizations to make sure they are being successful and actually benefiting the people. He quoted a Catholic bishop, Dom Helder Camara- 
"May all of us who are involved in peaceful struggles for human promotion bear this in mind always; it is good that our hands help the flight of the poor, but may we never dare to take the place of their wings" 
His focus is really on empowering the people in the community so that they can grow and sustain themselves after "the whites" have left. He said the biggest cancer in Africa is dependency. They don't learn how to use the resources that are available to them all around. It is our job to encourage them to stretch their wings but we should not take the place of their wings. So much wisdom and it is only the first day!! 


We also had a great chapel today! A South African who has summited the highest mountain in every continent told us some of his stories. He started out as a videographer and got the chance once to go to the base came at Mt. Everest to take some shots.  He went back to South Africa after but was really inspired and motivated to climb Everest. So a FEW MONTHS later he went with a team and summited Everest!! That was the first mountain he had ever climbed... Everest! With barely any training! Now he has climbed all of the highest peaks in the world and also works as the camera man on the trips. It was so cool to hear what he had to share. 


I will be posting pictures soon of safari, cliff jumping, and zip lining! 

Sunday, March 4, 2012

Purple Hair and Finals

I have had a great weekend! Despite the fact that it is the weekend before finals :/ 
Friday night me and a bunch of other girls got together to bleach and dye our hair purple! Now I have a little purple streak in the back of my hair! It is my first time doing anything to my hair and I love it! I'm sure my mom does too hahaha


Most of Saturday was spent writing my term paper for Human Growth and Development, but I am finally finished! It was also my friend Michelle's birthday so we had a themed dinner (dressed up as little kids) and then a talent show and dance party! It was a lot of fun! I had a late night staying up and hanging out with friends in the spare 'oom (the extra room in our chalet where nobody lives, so we all use it as a hang out/homework/skype room, referencing the Lion the Witch and the Wardrobe). I just love everybody here! I have met so many great people and love getting to know everyone better :) 


Today, for a Zulu experience, we all learned how to play african drums and other percussion instruments! Then in the evening my D-group went out for dinner to a burger place! It has been so long since I have had a good burger! It was delicious and now I am in a food coma (which is really preventing me from getting any studying done- so I decided to blog instead). 


This week we have finals for most of our classes and then we go on Safari!! I cannot wait!! I have wanted to go on an African safari since forever ago!! It is a dream come true! There is a cyclone coming through KwaZulu Natal right now but hopefully we will have good weather and will be able to see lots of animals!