Yesterday we got to spend the day in Jo-Burg. (Okay, well outside the city in the safe parts.) It was the same 3 hr drive back into the area... but really cool to do the drive in the daylight. SA is crazy because it is so diverse. It is considered a 2nd world nation because it is full of both 1st world and 3rd world regions. The drive to Jo-Burg shows you pieces of both. We also drove along the "Danger! Lions Region" where double electric fences lined the interstate. Kind of creepy.
Our main stop was the Apartheid Museum. Some of you might know the history and some of you might not... Apartheid (separation of whites and blacks) ended here in 1994. There is still a ton of separation and racism that exists here, and it is very evident in the stories we hear from locals, personal interaction, driving through towns, etc. There's black areas and there's white areas. Black people are really surprised and excited when we are friendly and ask how they are doing.
The museum was huge. (It took us 2 and a half hours to go through the 60's-80's time period. We didn't even get to the end.) Very interesting stuff, and I'm not normally the captivated type at museums. ;) About a half hour into things, I noticed our group was slowly gathering in a circle of "oh my gosh. no way. get out. are you serious!!" So I'm thinking there's more than just a cool picture to look at. I walk over to find out someone has overheard Nelson Mandela is in the building. And he is. Actually, just around the corner in a golf cart with security guards. Turns out there was a hush-hush honorary dedication of a new exhibit at the museum. We started a small pauparazzi with the 10 others at the museum and I got video of him driving by in his cart. So yes, we got to see Nelson Mandela. How crazy is that!!!
Tonight is our last night here at the farm for a bit. Tomorrow is our first day "on the field" and the end of our training. We're driving a few hours to an orphanage where we will be spending the next week. I'm so excited to start interacting with the kids here. I will probably be out of internet for a week or two now, so I will send out an update after that! Thanks for your notes everyone, it is so great to hear from you!!
Two Sidenotes. A monkey went through our room during dinner tonight, it ate some pretzels and left a small present. Earlier today I was proposed to in Autozone (yes, they have those here too). It was very romantic. Our team found it quite humorous that the only thing I could think to say was "oh, um, maybe next time". We always stay in our groups, so no worries, it wasn't going anywhere beyond an innocent question. But it sounds like it is not uncommon for Americans to get marriage proposals here, so we are practicing our no thank you's.
Wednesday, February 18, 2009
Monday, February 16, 2009
Howzit from South Africa!!
Hello!!!! I'm finally here!! And can I say it is amazing here in Africa. I'm taking in every minute. The land is beautiful. Some areas are grassy plains scattered with what I call "flat trees". Some areas are straight up African bush. We are staying on a game farm with 2500 acres of land -- stocked with 35 kinds of "mammals" I'm told. It was a 3 hour drive from the J-burg airport. Still getting used to driving on the other side of the road.
The farm ranger took us on a farm safari the other day where we saw giraffe (with her 3 month old baby), warthog, hyena footprints, and kudu. The food has been great, although they have been babying us with American food. After church yesterday we went to a local restaurant where we were forced to eat an entire native meal. We had chicken (a lot like what I had in Belize), squash (which I hid under my chicken bones, yuckyyyy!), and pap (pronounced pop). It was a TON of food. In South Africa it is extremely rude and insulting if you do not eat all that is in front of you. So our leaders are making us get used to eating everything, regardless of whether we like it or not. We will be having many meals with host families while we're here... and we will be expected to eat everything. Tonight I ate lamb. It was actually really good! There are rumors of meats like cat, zebra, and giraffe being served. Please pray for me. ;) Another big culture thing here is tea time. Every day at 10am you take time to drink tea. Some days you have up to 10 cups of tea because, again, extremely rude to reject a cup.
This week we are learning dramas that we will be presenting in African schools while we are here. The dramas are very creative and engage kids with topics like self-esteem, love, HIV... etc. We will share short personal stories from our own lives of times when we too struggled with different things or experienced tragedies... and relating them back to the hope we have found in our best friend, Jesus. School sizes will range from hundreds to thousands of "learners" (students) I am told. Some areas will use translators-- probably for Afrikaans (language used among the white people) or Zulu/Kosa depending on the area. Many of the kids living here on the farm speak Afrikaans, it is so cute because they interchange English and Afrikaans in the same sentence. I'm exciting to hear Kosa, as it is a "clicking" language. All schools we visit have granted us permission to share in their schools, and BoH has local coordinators that follow up on the work we do.
I have been learning so much about HIV/AIDS. It is fascinating and devastating all at the same time. By 2010, 1 in every 4 people in South Africa will have HIV. I'm sure I will be blogging about it more in the future.
And I cannot leave this out. I was laughing as I packed my flashlight last month. I quickly found out why we needed it. We got in from the airport last week late Wednesday night after a two day travel journey with Delta. (Do NOT recommend the beef dinner, sick!) It was storming and turns out the power at the farm was down. No big deal. We unpacked a little with a flashlight and went to bed on the note of "and do not freak out if you come across big flying bugs or beetles, they live here too. Welcome to the farm". The next morning we woke up and the water pump had burst, so a shower was out of the question. Needless to say we went a few days without a shower. It truly was team bonding at its best. On the fourth day I took a water bottle shower with ice cold water (suppressing squeals) and never felt better. I've never appreciated water more. Now everything's back up and running, no worries. So yeah, when in Africa, right?? ;)
The farm ranger took us on a farm safari the other day where we saw giraffe (with her 3 month old baby), warthog, hyena footprints, and kudu. The food has been great, although they have been babying us with American food. After church yesterday we went to a local restaurant where we were forced to eat an entire native meal. We had chicken (a lot like what I had in Belize), squash (which I hid under my chicken bones, yuckyyyy!), and pap (pronounced pop). It was a TON of food. In South Africa it is extremely rude and insulting if you do not eat all that is in front of you. So our leaders are making us get used to eating everything, regardless of whether we like it or not. We will be having many meals with host families while we're here... and we will be expected to eat everything. Tonight I ate lamb. It was actually really good! There are rumors of meats like cat, zebra, and giraffe being served. Please pray for me. ;) Another big culture thing here is tea time. Every day at 10am you take time to drink tea. Some days you have up to 10 cups of tea because, again, extremely rude to reject a cup.
This week we are learning dramas that we will be presenting in African schools while we are here. The dramas are very creative and engage kids with topics like self-esteem, love, HIV... etc. We will share short personal stories from our own lives of times when we too struggled with different things or experienced tragedies... and relating them back to the hope we have found in our best friend, Jesus. School sizes will range from hundreds to thousands of "learners" (students) I am told. Some areas will use translators-- probably for Afrikaans (language used among the white people) or Zulu/Kosa depending on the area. Many of the kids living here on the farm speak Afrikaans, it is so cute because they interchange English and Afrikaans in the same sentence. I'm exciting to hear Kosa, as it is a "clicking" language. All schools we visit have granted us permission to share in their schools, and BoH has local coordinators that follow up on the work we do.
I have been learning so much about HIV/AIDS. It is fascinating and devastating all at the same time. By 2010, 1 in every 4 people in South Africa will have HIV. I'm sure I will be blogging about it more in the future.
And I cannot leave this out. I was laughing as I packed my flashlight last month. I quickly found out why we needed it. We got in from the airport last week late Wednesday night after a two day travel journey with Delta. (Do NOT recommend the beef dinner, sick!) It was storming and turns out the power at the farm was down. No big deal. We unpacked a little with a flashlight and went to bed on the note of "and do not freak out if you come across big flying bugs or beetles, they live here too. Welcome to the farm". The next morning we woke up and the water pump had burst, so a shower was out of the question. Needless to say we went a few days without a shower. It truly was team bonding at its best. On the fourth day I took a water bottle shower with ice cold water (suppressing squeals) and never felt better. I've never appreciated water more. Now everything's back up and running, no worries. So yeah, when in Africa, right?? ;)
Monday, February 9, 2009
One last thing!
I left my mom for Africa the day after her birthday! So we made it a little special this year. Here's my mom's surprise party from last week. What she thought was an irresponsibly passed on dogsitting job of her daughter's turned out to be her friends and family wishing her a very happy birthday.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VEtMRb2W2nw
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=leScPgC8HMU
That's all! Lots of packing left and 4 hrs of sleep last night... Oops!
12 hours left!
99.9% excited to death
.1% dreading the flight
See you there!! :)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VEtMRb2W2nw
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=leScPgC8HMU
That's all! Lots of packing left and 4 hrs of sleep last night... Oops!
12 hours left!
99.9% excited to death
.1% dreading the flight
See you there!! :)
How to Use Blogger!
Several people have mentioned not being able to post comments.... So hopefully this will help you out!
Posting a Comment:
Click on the pencil below the post you wish to comment on. If you have a gmail account, enter your email and password. If you don’t have gmail, click on “create an account now” in the bottom right underneath the google log-in. Enter your email address, and whatever display name so your comment can be identified. Maybe add your last name or at least an initial just so I’m sure I know who’s talkin!!
Follow the Blog:
If you want an email notifying you when the blog is updated, you can become a follower. Click on “follow this blog” on the right column of the page (above everyone’s pictures). If you don’t have gmail click “sign up” beside ‘New to Blogger?’. This should be an easy way to know when I’m updating the blog since it may not be consistent.
Email me if this doesn't help. Goodnight!!
Posting a Comment:
Click on the pencil below the post you wish to comment on. If you have a gmail account, enter your email and password. If you don’t have gmail, click on “create an account now” in the bottom right underneath the google log-in. Enter your email address, and whatever display name so your comment can be identified. Maybe add your last name or at least an initial just so I’m sure I know who’s talkin!!
Follow the Blog:
If you want an email notifying you when the blog is updated, you can become a follower. Click on “follow this blog” on the right column of the page (above everyone’s pictures). If you don’t have gmail click “sign up” beside ‘New to Blogger?’. This should be an easy way to know when I’m updating the blog since it may not be consistent.
Email me if this doesn't help. Goodnight!!
God's Word. Every Child.
Hello! Hope this finds you well. It is getting to be the end of our training week here in Fort Lauderdale and we are gearing up to leave Tuesday afternoon for Johannesburg!! One more day here at the office~ We are all very very very excited. :) This week has been pretty full. Our days start around 8:30am with breakfast and usually end around 9pm.... followed by some hang out time. So yes, it has been quite busy, but I'm still enjoying every bit of it.
Yesterday we got a tour through the BoH home office where a little over 100 employees work in your typical office-cubicle environment. I was surprised to see how similar BoH is structured to your average company.... HR, Finance, Global Relations, Communications, etc. The office is full of pictures telling the story of BoH~ from the very first child impacted in El Salvador, to the 100 millionth child, to the 250 millionth child, to the 500 millionth child. This year BoH is gearing up to touch 70 million more lives with the Word of God. I'm excited to play a role in reaching this goal!
We have been meeting with many Book of Hope leaders- hearing stories, experiences, and learning the heartbeat of this organization.... sharing Jesus with children around the world. Probably my favorite part of this week so far was a night out with the BoH Pres, Rob Hoskins, and his wife. What an amazing couple! Not only were they inspirational people - but also genuine, down-to-earth, funny, normal people. Rob had me cracking up most of the night... while his wife Kim wanted everyone's email addresses and was jotting down notes to herself during dinner of things we enjoyed (in a non-creepy way- haha). It was precious. I asked Rob how many countries he had traveled to and he answered that he stopped counting after 150. So yes, we heard quite a few incredible stories.
Well Tuesday is the big day. We fly out of Miami to Atlanta where we will board a 19 hr direct flight to Johannesburg. Yikes. Once we get to South Africa we will have remote internet access, so my updates may be spaced out. So please don't worry if it's a week or two in between. If you're in Fort Wayne, take my mom out to Starbucks for me. She is such a trooper!!!! :) Love you Mom & Dad!
Lastly, I just wanted to say a big thank you! One of our leaders yesterday spoke at length about her supporters... how thankful she was that she had a team praying, encouraging, and financing the work she feels called to do. The entire time she shared her appreciation I was holding back tears. I could not be more grateful for each one of you. You have encouraged me with notes (which I brought with me), emails, hugs, prayers, gifts, borrowed books/swimsuits/video camera!, and graciously given financial support of this mission. I truly could not be here without you all. Thank you.
Now let's go to Africa, shall we??? Awesome. See ya there!
Yesterday we got a tour through the BoH home office where a little over 100 employees work in your typical office-cubicle environment. I was surprised to see how similar BoH is structured to your average company.... HR, Finance, Global Relations, Communications, etc. The office is full of pictures telling the story of BoH~ from the very first child impacted in El Salvador, to the 100 millionth child, to the 250 millionth child, to the 500 millionth child. This year BoH is gearing up to touch 70 million more lives with the Word of God. I'm excited to play a role in reaching this goal!
We have been meeting with many Book of Hope leaders- hearing stories, experiences, and learning the heartbeat of this organization.... sharing Jesus with children around the world. Probably my favorite part of this week so far was a night out with the BoH Pres, Rob Hoskins, and his wife. What an amazing couple! Not only were they inspirational people - but also genuine, down-to-earth, funny, normal people. Rob had me cracking up most of the night... while his wife Kim wanted everyone's email addresses and was jotting down notes to herself during dinner of things we enjoyed (in a non-creepy way- haha). It was precious. I asked Rob how many countries he had traveled to and he answered that he stopped counting after 150. So yes, we heard quite a few incredible stories.
Well Tuesday is the big day. We fly out of Miami to Atlanta where we will board a 19 hr direct flight to Johannesburg. Yikes. Once we get to South Africa we will have remote internet access, so my updates may be spaced out. So please don't worry if it's a week or two in between. If you're in Fort Wayne, take my mom out to Starbucks for me. She is such a trooper!!!! :) Love you Mom & Dad!
Lastly, I just wanted to say a big thank you! One of our leaders yesterday spoke at length about her supporters... how thankful she was that she had a team praying, encouraging, and financing the work she feels called to do. The entire time she shared her appreciation I was holding back tears. I could not be more grateful for each one of you. You have encouraged me with notes (which I brought with me), emails, hugs, prayers, gifts, borrowed books/swimsuits/video camera!, and graciously given financial support of this mission. I truly could not be here without you all. Thank you.
Now let's go to Africa, shall we??? Awesome. See ya there!
Wednesday, February 4, 2009
Fort Lauderdale! Day#2
Hello! I'm finally here!! We just finished our second day here in Fort Lauderdale. Here's the run-down so far. Yesterday I was relieved to arrive in Fort Lauderdale in one piece. It was quite the adventure all the way from security in Fort Wayne (peanut butter and bug spray confiscated, huge bummer) to almost losing my curbside baggage (long story), and a few other random events.... There are so many things you pick up on when traveling alone. I sat right behind the Delta credit card sales team in my layover and thoroughly enjoyed people watching.
Today was our first day of training. We were in a lot of meetings and I have loved it ALL! It's been so cool to get to hear Book of Hope staff and leaders explain the vision of what the organization is about and why they are a part of it. BoH is passionate about reaching every child in the world with the hope of Jesus Christ. So far they have touched over 500 million children from over 75 countries... using teams just like mine. They use culture-specific dramas, testimony, personal interaction, and the Book of Hope to engage children with the message of the gospel. The Book of Hope is a small book (like a magazine) that is culture and age-specific. Each culture has unique struggles, and teams are equipped to address these particular areas. My team will be learning quite a bit about HIV. Book of Hope partners with local ministries to ensure the longevity of our impact... which I think is so important. It's not about how many people hear the message; it's about how many lives are changed.
The people here at Book of Hope are wonderful. They have been incredibly welcoming, and not to mention a ton of fun. Every night this week we have a different staff member hosting dinners for our team at their house.... we've had great home-cooked dinners and I even got to watch American Idol tonight. It's been so much fun getting to know the people I will be traveling with. There are 3 girls (myself included), and 2 guys (Giovanni is a guy for all that voted, haha). Our leaders are Ryan and Vanessa. They have been all over the world and have so many cool stories.
The Book of Hope home office is where we are staying. There are hotel rooms in the same building, so I have zero complaints about living accommodations. That's all for now! Much love. Renee
Today was our first day of training. We were in a lot of meetings and I have loved it ALL! It's been so cool to get to hear Book of Hope staff and leaders explain the vision of what the organization is about and why they are a part of it. BoH is passionate about reaching every child in the world with the hope of Jesus Christ. So far they have touched over 500 million children from over 75 countries... using teams just like mine. They use culture-specific dramas, testimony, personal interaction, and the Book of Hope to engage children with the message of the gospel. The Book of Hope is a small book (like a magazine) that is culture and age-specific. Each culture has unique struggles, and teams are equipped to address these particular areas. My team will be learning quite a bit about HIV. Book of Hope partners with local ministries to ensure the longevity of our impact... which I think is so important. It's not about how many people hear the message; it's about how many lives are changed.
The people here at Book of Hope are wonderful. They have been incredibly welcoming, and not to mention a ton of fun. Every night this week we have a different staff member hosting dinners for our team at their house.... we've had great home-cooked dinners and I even got to watch American Idol tonight. It's been so much fun getting to know the people I will be traveling with. There are 3 girls (myself included), and 2 guys (Giovanni is a guy for all that voted, haha). Our leaders are Ryan and Vanessa. They have been all over the world and have so many cool stories.
The Book of Hope home office is where we are staying. There are hotel rooms in the same building, so I have zero complaints about living accommodations. That's all for now! Much love. Renee
Monday, February 2, 2009
Here we go...!
It’s GO time!
Tomorrow morning ~ ok, more like 4.5 hrs from now, I'm waking up for my first big day!! My bags are finally all zipped up, within weight limits, and ready to go! I'm not headed to Africa quite yet-- I will be doing training for a week down at the Book of Hope home office in Fort Lauderdale, FL. Tomorrow is a big day as I will meet the rest of my team (5) and team leaders (2)! I am the oldest on the team (besides the leaders), with teammates ranging from a recent HS grad to sophomores in college. They are from all over the US. I can't wait to meet them!
Ok I have to get some sleep or everyone will think I'm super scary tomorrow!! ;) Thanks for everyones support, prayers and love. I feel incredibly blessed.
Tomorrow morning ~ ok, more like 4.5 hrs from now, I'm waking up for my first big day!! My bags are finally all zipped up, within weight limits, and ready to go! I'm not headed to Africa quite yet-- I will be doing training for a week down at the Book of Hope home office in Fort Lauderdale, FL. Tomorrow is a big day as I will meet the rest of my team (5) and team leaders (2)! I am the oldest on the team (besides the leaders), with teammates ranging from a recent HS grad to sophomores in college. They are from all over the US. I can't wait to meet them!
Ok I have to get some sleep or everyone will think I'm super scary tomorrow!! ;) Thanks for everyones support, prayers and love. I feel incredibly blessed.
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