Day 1 in Cape Town

Hello! I apologize for not updating my blog previous to this time. I overestimated the availability of the internet while here in South Africa  I hope you are doing well! Even though communication is not as frequent as I would have hoped, I am still thinking of you and praying your summer is warm and rejuvenating. South African winter is unfortunately snow-less here, but the rain is plentiful! You know what that means? Rainbows almost daily! I love it!!
Honestly, I don’t know where to start. So much has happened and what I have heard, and seen is vast. My mission/service learning trip, which was the first two weeks of my time here in South Africa:
19 May 2010 Wednesday
A day of travel, wow, it truly was an on the go day. At 3:20, Dave our trip leader with Jenn came to pick me up at the Ribar’s where I had stayed the night at Waynesburg. Tom woke up to make sure I made it up and was kind to help me with my bags to the van picking me up. What a lovely and genuinely kind family. Each one was so warm and inviting to me as an addition to allowing me to stay the night with them. I believe it was aunique way to start my journey- trusting God as my parents dropped me off with Jessa at the Ribar’s. It was the beginning of making new relationships on this 11 week adventure.
My Baggage…ok, ha ha maybe I need to back up to when I was packing. I realize I have much to learn in this area. Much about others, about necessity and humility. Even with the much needed opinion and persuasion of my friends and family, I still left my house Tuesday (on my drive to Waynesburg with my parents) with a 9x15x22 carry-on bag, and 2 checked baggage (one of which was a half my size in dead weight duffel bag.) At the time, I could think of nothing which I could have taken out, for I convinced myself that I should bring all that was packed “for just in case”. Partly I found it difficult choosing how much of what to bring because I had no idea what to expect weather wise, or what I would need to wear for my Internship.
After picking up Julie and Danie we proceeded to drive, at what was now 3:37, to the Pittsburgh International Airport- that doesn’t fly out international flights . When we arrived, I had already silently deemed myself “That one girl who brings her whole life on a trip.” It was helpful for me to somewhat justify my situation with the fact that I was staying nine weeks longer than the rest of my group. We went to check our baggage and get our boarding tickets, and it was then I started to grow slightly nervous. 50 pounds per bag. I did not actually know to the pound ho wmuch my baggage weighted, I was soon to find out… Bag 1- The duffel- 60 lbs- “What!” I thought, “ how am I going to lower that! But before I could ask how much it was to pay for the extra weight, the Airport employee asked to weigh my other bag, saying to take my duffel back. Bag 2- 51 lbs- “gasp” they kindly and quickly let it through! “Praise God!” I thought, back to the duffel, the idea was to take the clothes I had in ziplock’s and distribute them to other trip members bags whom had not checked their bags yet. About half had put their bags through halready, so my alternatives were not vast, although thankfully, everyone who could take on a ziplock of mine did so with out hesitance. Wow. What a blessing! I weight the duffel again-52lbs- and they let it go! Oh Thank you, Thank you, I told everyone. And we were off to security check. Of course, rarely do I not somehow make a scene when going through a process that at that time was being executed hastily. The security guards then checked my carry on for explosives. (I found out because I asked the swab-man, he first told me it was a magic (and- yes I am 12 again) Lesson learned: Take out not only your laptop when going through the check, but also power inverter, fuse, and any batteries you have.
Then our team of 9 precceeded to play leap frong! Starting at 6:16 (and they were on time!) we went from Pitt to Dullas and Dullas to JFK. We met up with team member #10, Julie (Juls). With haste we made it in enough time to take some pictures and say a prayer (with our new friend from Zambia). Upon board the plane we all breathed out (especially Dave).
Oh how could I forget to say= while we were jumping trains to get to terminal 4 @ JFK, we noticed there were others around us who had the same destination. Nina, who is a graduate student at the University of MD (yeah Maryland!) turned out to be in the seat next to me on our South African Airways flight. I was glad to have the chance to get to know her more. She was traveling to S. Africa for the final course in her graduate program- studying and working on advertising and marketing involved with the World Cup! After a short time I realized we had much in common and was even more so looking forward to the flight. She has been to Israel for 3 weeks, we had many good conversations exchanging memories of that experience. It was nice to chat over dinner, it made me feel at home as I love the conversations around my families dinner table.
Lunch was not possible today_ why? Because upon entrance to the plane we were told we were now on South African time, which is 6 hours ahead. “Dinner is served.” The flight then began sometime around 5:20 pm ( it is currently as I write 10:23p). I decided to watch a movie, since sleep would not come after putting down a book. I decided to watch “Invictus.” This film tells the inspiring true story of how Nelson Mandela joined forces with the Captain of South Africa’s rugby team to unite their country in the wake of apartheid. Tears streamed almost regularly down my face as I watched the struggle and fight for reconciliation and forgiveness. That man spent 30 years in a Jail cell, and then was released. He was elected President and then with all that was in him worked to encourage forgiveness to those oppressing him. I can’t get it off my mind. The movie was very inspiring and opened my eyes a little more to the post-apartheid society South Africa Faces today… May the Deep thought and humbling experiences continue.