Two Weeks in Africa

Day Six: Bophelong and AIDS Babies

2010-02-06T16:24:00.038-05:00

We returned on Thursday to the same school we visited on Wednesday, but had a bit more time in the morning to serve and meet with the students. In the afternoon, we went to the Voortrekker monument in Pretoria.

During our time at Bophelong school, one group washed and scrubbed the chairs the students used while the other group organized the books in the library.

Most of the guys worked on the chairs. Some of them wear their pants too low. No comment.

Many of the girls worked with Amanda in the library. She was grateful for the additional hands in organizing the school's books.

At break time, chaos erupted in the main area above. Students were everywhere. Americans tried to keep up. (We had a hard time.)

Duhann, being an African-American, had a clue what was happening with the boys before we did. Notice him running? (We didn't.)

Meanwhile, the girls were exceedingly sweet. Two latched on to Chloe and Ronnie and never left their side. Until we had to go. Seriously.

Notice the boy with the mohawk? Get ready. Apparently, he was beating some Americans up. (Yes, that means us.) When I came over with the camera, he was beginning to punch and kick Nate and Dylan. I had no idea what was coming.

Then it began. My beloved CHCA students sent him after me and I was bruised for life. Seriously, this child hit hard. For some reason, the boys found it fun to beat the living daylights out of us. I still have bruises. And no, I am not kidding.

Being intelligent, I quickly diverted the boys and sent them after Grady. And told them to pull up his pants. They didn't, but they did beat the crap out of him.

And then Grady sent them after TJ. At what point should we start hitting back? We wondered. I'm still wondering.

The girls, God bless them, played circle games and held hands. Punching, kicking, and leaving bruises did not occur to them.

We never found out Mohawk's name, so I think we finally settled on Mike Tyson. Seems fitting enough, but he is missing the face tattoo.

Grady finally put Tyson in a full nelson. That subdued him for about ten seconds.

And then TJ held him up by his ankles. He didn't like that, either.

Tyson.

Victoria was, I am certain of it, in heaven with these girls.

There were actually some boys who were not exceedingly violent. This was one of them.

Amanda with her students. Amanda Kuderer was one of my students when she graduated from a small school in Cincinnati called Christian Center Academy in 2004. I only taught there for one year, and was hired at CHCA the following year. Amanda is living in Mamelodi now and working for Pastor Titus as a teacher/administrator at Bophelong for one year. An inspiring story which, if more of us in the West would do, the world would be a better place.

Around lunch time, we went to the AIDS BabyHouse which is a ministry of Doxa Deo. Hanna is the mother of the house which currently holds 10 babies under five who have AIDS, HIV, or other life-threatening conditions. This was one of the most impacting parts of the trip for many of our students.

Karen spent some time with this child on the right who survived an abortion over two years ago. The trauma of her experience has caused damage to her brain and spinal cord. When you pick her up, her head must always be secured.

Nate Post with one of the more active girls at the house.

Paiten with Dineo, a boy who now has full-blown AIDS. Holding a child with AIDS is one of the most difficult-- and still beautiful-- experiences in this life.

Nate Flint with the boy who was born with just a brain stem. When he was born, he was given only a short number of months to live, but he just had his second birthday.

Me with Solly. When I visited in July, Solly had HIV. Now he has AIDS. My heart aches for these children and those who care for them. This is truly God's work.

Our group with the kids. In the middle of this pic is Gideon, our bus driver for the week. He was incredibly helpful and participated in whatever we were doing each day.

After lunch, we ventured to this monument (called the "Voortrekker Monument") which commemorates the Afrikaners trek from the Cape to Pretoria in the 1800s and their amazing defeat of the Zulus. On an opposite hill in Pretoria lies the new national monument of South Africa called the Freedom Monument.

The city of Pretoria from the Voortrekker.

Inside the Monument is an empty tomb on top of which a ray of light shines every year on December 16. There is a tiny hole in the highest ceiling which is aligned perfectly so that it only occurs on this date, the anniversary of the Voortrekker's defeat of the Zulu.

On each wall there are detailed drawings and depictions of the Great Trek and the wars that followed. Our guide described each step to us on our tour.

And then... began our interesting but slightly creepy adventure with some Chinese tourists. They literally pulled a few of our girls out of the tour to take a picture, and so the boys went over to join them.

A few of our group being photographed and recorded by the tourists. One of the men loved to say: "Welcome to China." We weren't really sure how to take that, but they loved us.

At one point, these guys were taking so many pictures that it felt like they were the paparazzi. In stubborn defiance, I started snapping my own photos of them. It didn't really work.

Our group outside the Voortrekker on 1/14/10. Another event-filled day.

Day Five: Mamelodi

2010-02-06T15:28:00.024-05:00

In case I have not yet mentioned it (which I probably have but since I haven't updated this blog in couple of weeks, I will mention it again), we had the opportunity during this trip to share some time with one of our local (Cincinnati) churches. By a twist of fate, Crossroads church sent a group of 33 mission workers to the exact same place in South Africa at the exact same time we were visiting, and all 33 of them just happened to be on our plane.

Crossroads has had a ministry in South Africa for several years, and a few of their former members have actually moved to SA permanently. On Wednesday of our first week, we met with the Crossroads group at their hospice in Mamelodi. We also happened to visit and serve on the same day as the United States Ambassador. On to the pics.

This was our arrival Wednesday morning. The building behind the buses is the Hospice, which serves the high number of Mamelodi residents who suffer from AIDS/HIV and other diseases. We had a brief tour of the facility.

Again, our group just before meeting our Crossroads contact. The Ambassador arrived at around 9AM, and I must say it was interesting to ride through Mamelodi, one of the poorest communities on earth, following a caravan which included the Ambassador. He arrived in a Mercedes. Touche.

There is a school attached to the church nearby the Hospice, and you can see it just behind the students in this picture. Another one of our contacts in Mamelodi was Amanda Kuderer (left). I'll speak more about her later as well, but suffice it to say that meeting her was, once again, amazingly coincidental.

The view of the Hospice from the school, called Bophelong Community Independence Primary School. We also visited and served this school on Thursday.

The students playing outside during one of their breaks. Our students enjoyed meeting them.

This building is an orphanage which is just behind the school and Hospice. It currently houses 12 children, but the community expects it to grow in number quite soon.

We walked further behind to the Kretch, which is a South African pre-school. At first they told us to just look at the students through the windows (as you can see), but we were eventually allowed in to see the children, seen below.

In the afternoon, we made the aforementioned fifteen-minute drive in the Ambassador's caravan to the tents stationed in the informal settlements of Mamelodi. Here, the Crossroads group works with medical professionals and interpreters from the church and neighboring community to provide health consults and medical services to the people in Mamelodi. We were blessed to assist for the day.

In the pic above the students have just arrived and were awaiting instruction.

It was difficult to get a good shot of the tents as a whole, but suffice it to say that it was a well-organized space. The tent to the right was used for medical procedures and dental work, and the tent to the left was for eyecare and vision.

A view from the tent which provides eyecare. Hundreds of glasses and supplies have been donated to assist with giving the people of Mamelodi the best possible treatment.

Left to right: Brian Tome, the pastor of Crossroads church, the US Ambassador and his wife, and Pastor Titus Sitole. Pastor Titus runs the Charity and Faith Church in Mamelodi and is the primary contact for the Crossroads group. Extra tidbit of knowledge: Titus speaks nine languages. Yes, you read that correctly: nine.

Our students hard at work during their consults and information. The line (or, as SAs would call it, the "queue") would begin here with some introductory questions and information before funneling the patients to the proper tent for treatment. Each student had an interpreter from the church to help with the language barrier.

Duhann and Alysse in the midst of asking questions and marking their forms. I was terribly proud of our group this day.

Victoria and Nate Post (with his trademark backwards cap) taking their turn. You can see Maria getting information in the queue in the background. Some of our students worked here; others worked in the tents at the medical procedures. Chloe actually pulled a tooth during a dental procedure, and I believe she brought it back to the States.

Karen Hordinski really enjoyed this day. Her heart for service, poverty and injustice inspires me.

We were told that Mamelodi is a community of over one million people. Everywhere we turned, we saw townships, shacks and informal settlements. It struck me later that the city of Cincinnati has only about 3-400,000 residents. Amazing that Mamelodi is well over double that amount, but not nearly as large.

In the afternoon, three of our girls had the opportunity to return to the school and see some of the new instructional techniques which are being offered. Thanks to a program which is very much like Skype, the students of Bophelong will be personally tutored by American and Canadian teachers online.

The system is still a work in progress. The man in the center with the blue shirt is Rob Seddon, our contact from Crossroads. It was kind of him to allow us to join their ministry for the day.

On the way from the school back to the tents, we got lost in Mamelodi. We could have sworn the directions were wrong and we would drive through the townships for hours, but somehow we arrived just as I was calling. It was an amazing and heart-wrenching experience to drive through some of the most abject poverty I have ever seen.

Our third day of service was perhaps the most impacting. Seeing the poverty which envelops Mamelodi and the reality of AIDS, HIV and other diseases was very difficult for many of the students. Our challenge to the students was not to be glad that our lives are not like this, but to see what we can learn and how we can benefit spiritually from such an experience.

More is coming. Soon.

New Post

2010-01-18T14:43:00.004-05:00

Yes, yes, yes, we know you are starving for new information. Let us say briefly that while I am able to access the internet tonight (or today, if you are in the USA), I can only do it from my host family's computer and not my own laptop.

That means I cannot post pics.

But here is what we will do: Our flight leaves for the states on Tuesday night. When we arrive back safe and sound (God willing), I will post the pics from all days to your heart's desire. By then your children will tell you how wonderful the trip was and will have probably shown you all of their pictures. But no worries, I will still post them.

South Africa teaches us about humanity. The very best and worst we have to offer. It teaches us to believe, to mourn, to celebrate and to cry. It teaches us how to look at our past, that we might right our wrongs, heal our wounds and extend our hands and hearts to each other. One way or another, we are changed.

I truly hope your children are changed. My heart is renewed. I do not know if I can post again until we return, but be assured, the rest of the trip is coming. Until we speak again, thank you for reading, and may God bless us all here in South Africa.

Days Three and Four: PopUP and Edendale

2010-01-16T08:43:00.024-05:00

On Monday and Tuesday, we went to PopUP, a community outreach program which stands for "People Upliftment Programme," and Edendale Independent School, a local private school mostly attended by black students. Both of these organizations we organized through Doxa Deo, the school in Pretoria previously attended by Duhann Jacobs (a junior at CHCA and a member of our trip to South Africa).

Monday's service consisted of hearing much about the ministry of PopUP. This program actually began as a homeless shelter, but over the ten years of its existence it has changed into a community service center. The goal of PopUP is to teach basic work skills so that people have a chance to get a job in the workforce. Amazingly, PopUP has an almost 85% success rate. We spent the afternoon at PopUP gardening and sorting clothing for the poor communities.

The girls on the bus on the way to PopUP. You can always tell that I do not snipe photos, because the girls are smiling happily. This is one of my favorite pictures of the trip.

This is our group after our morning program. Portia is the woman in the pink shirt in the front. She attended the PopUP program last year and offered her testimony to us in the morning.

Many of our students with the PopUP learners during the tour. This was a knitting class, and the teacher (seated in yellow) gained some valuable advice from our students about purses and clothing.

While I didn't get a good picture, the next class we visited was one of the highlights of our trip. The Africans in the class wanted us to sing for them, and the only thing we could think of was the National Anthem. Frankly, it bombed. Maria and a couple of the girls held strong, but we folded before the ending. After that, the group in the class sang the South African National Anthem to us, which consists of Zulu, Afrikaans, and English. It was an amazing experience to hear.

Karen Hordinski with Portia, one of PopUP's many success stories.

In the early afternoon, we had a chance to play with many of the children in PopUP's orphanage called Pop Kids.

Alysse and Chloe with the children.

After our day, we returned to Doxa Deo school to journal and reflect. This is our group sorted throughout the courtyard before meeting their host families.

PICS FROM EDENDALE

Mrs. Jacobs cleaning and sweeping outside. What a blessing she has been to us this week.

A pic I sincerely wish to have had a "before" and "after" shot. Suffice it to say that this room was an absolute mess before we arrived. The students cleared away the rubbish, swept, and mopped. Outstanding work.

The staff room at Edendale where we met in the morning.

This room had been an absolute nightmare. These desks and chairs were stuffed to the sides, filling the halls with dust and dirt. Mrs. Jacobs led the students in organizing and cleaning the room. Again, an outstanding job by our group.

One of the classrooms which was completely re-done by our group.

After a long day of work, the group is done for the day. This is a few of our students relaxing with colddrinks (a South African term) after a hard day.

Nate Post trying to snipe a photo of me. He didn't succeed. Also notice the Queen Sniper herself in the background. (She also didn't succeed.)

Dylan began playing this game after our work day. He would spin around as you see for ten seconds, and the try to run in a straight line.

It didn't work. He fell quickly. We who were watching laughed long and hard.

Then Victoria tried her luck...

Definitely running to the right....

And down she goes.

Overall, it was a wonderful two days of service to begin our trip's mission work. Our host church Doxa Deo heard from both PopUP and Edendale with wonderful reviews of our work over the first days. Over the next two days, we continued our work in Mamelodi.

Until then, cheers.

Day Two

2010-01-16T08:16:00.013-05:00

Yes, we are finally again up and running. I hope today to go through the week in photos. I will get as far as possible as we are now in Sun City and heading out for our safari later this evening.

It has been a wonderful week. The children are doing so well. On Sunday (Day Two), we left the Farm Inn early and ventured about an hour's drive away to a lion and rhino park. One of the first things we saw was the last still-growing cave in Africa. Here are some pics below.

Our group as we arrived at the park. We were waiting for the next tour of the cave.

There were about 100 steps down and then we took a lift about another 200 feet into the ground. It was eerie and dark. This is our group heading down the steps into the cave.

Darkness. These stalactites (or are they stalagmites???) have been growing in the cave for thousands of years.

This was one of the more spectacular sites in the cave. It is called Mother Mary, a natural-grown cut-out of rock which looks exactly like a woman with her child. Amazing.

After we left the cave, we drove to the lion and cheetah feedings. By the time we reached them, the lions had already devoured their prey and were laying far away. We did, however, get a good look at the cheetahs.

If you look closely, you can see two or three cheetahs next to the blue car in this pic.

Then they came closer.

And even closer. They eventually passed us by and headed to their feeding. Cheetahs are amazing animals, particularly because of the small whimpering sound they make.

Zebras right next to our bus. The lion/rhino park reserve has a huge amount of land, and we happened to get lucky and see some wildlife.

These two rhinos were right next to our bus as well. Rhinos are incredibly peaceful, and they're vegetarians. Interesting facts about animals with such weapons.

Back at the park, many of the students played with lion cubs. Didn't get many great shots of the students with the cubs but used many of their cameras. There were also hippos, snakes, and a cheetah race. You will be glad to know that Katie Jonas actually defeated a cheetah. She did get a head start, and the cheetah was tired, but she still technically won.

On to one of our jokes this week. Many of the students will try to "snipe" me with a photo when I am not looking. I would never partake in such immaturity. This is Ronnie sniping me. She didn't get a good shot, though. I did.

After we returned home from the park, we met our host families at Doxa Deo school. The students have had outstanding experiences with their host families, and many have already expressed the desire to return to South Africa again. Some have even been invited back.

On Monday, we started the service portion of our trip. While we had only been in Africa for one weekend, it already was beginning to feel like home.

Still Here

2010-01-13T11:40:00.002-05:00

Yes, we are still alive and kicking.

Sorry about the lack of recent updates, as internet availability here is scarce and unpredictable. I was secretly hoping that I would have a family with wireless internet capability. I was wrong. Suffice it to say that I am sitting here at an internet cafe in a mall while the students shop. That is what I have been reduced to.

But that's okay.

We have seen and experienced much this week. Much of it has been beautiful, but we are also struggling with some difficult questions about poverty and justice. Just spending a day at a health clinic in one of the poorest areas in the world (which we did today in Mamelodi) has taught us as much. And yet, we stay in homes which rival the wealthiest. It is truly a feeling of ambivalence.

And we are learning much.

So sad to say, it may be a few days on pictures. I am assuming I will have some capability for pictures and internet at Sun City, and most likely will post more then. I am at 700 pictures and counting. Not sure if I can post them all.

Until very soon, cheers. Keep praying for us, that we may see the world and learn its reality. And that we may continue to do it safely. God has been faithful so far.

Thank you all. We'll speak again soon.

The First Day in Photos

2010-01-09T15:38:00.035-05:00

South Africa is so beautiful in the morning.

I awoke at 7AM today to the sounds of chickens and roosters and lions roaring in the distance. In South Africa, the sun rises at about 530AM and by 600, it is like mid-day. As I walked out at 7, it was seventy-five degrees, sunny, and reminded me of noon at Coney Island.

And I think the students like it, too.

I have uploaded some pictures of our first full day. I hope you like them. Please rest assured that we are safe and sound, only 8000 miles away. We could not have had a better first day.

Enjoy the pictures. And the clever captions. We'll speak again soon.

These first two pics are of a group of South African from Mamelodi who were eagerly awaiting our arrival. They did an African tribal dance for us and welcomed us to their country.

Okay, that first caption was not entirely true. This group from Mamelodi was actually awaiting the Crossroads group, but we came in first and they mistook us for them. (Seriously, shouldn't they be able to tell apart twenty white people from Cincinnati?) We still enjoyed their dance, and the vuvuzelas. You will enjoy hearing these at the World Cup.

Our group on the bus. They were very cramped today. Beginning on Monday we will have a 22-seater. This one falls just short.

One of the coolest things we did today was visit Loftus Stadium in Pretoria. This is the site where the semi-finals of the World Cup will be played. And we were there.

The boys, being boys, in the stadium. The only thing our guide (left) asked was that we don't walk on the grass. No problem.

The ladies, and more stadium shots.

Our whole group at Loftus. And yes, I am wearing a Bengals jersey. Proud of it.

The Union Building of South Africa, where the offices of the President are located. The students had seen this on Wednesday during the movie Invictus, so it was nice to see it in person.

The view from the Union Buildings. The large soccer ball in the middle is near Loftus.

At the Union Buildings, there are various shops and places to buy souvenirs. This was one of the vendors. He was very nice, but DID make a joke about having more than one wife. Right after this picture.

After we returned, we had a game drive (mini-safari) at the Farm Inn. This is the group in the back of the cruiser. Fitting picture.

These are Wilda beasts. Not the most attractive animals.

This Cheetah was beautiful. While the large animals at the Farm Inn are kept in cages, none have been taken from the wild and placed into captivity. That makes me feel a bit better.

Our guide Benny went into the cage with the cheetah. He paid for it with a bite. Just kidding, he is not really getting bitten by a cheetah.

Benny then brought a lion cub named Jack Sparrow on board our cruiser. Jack was grumpy, but he was a real hit with the students. A beautiful white lion who will be deadly to humans in about four months.

This is Apollo. He is very large; about 600 pounds. We were lucky to see him move since he sleeps about 22 hours per day.

Awwww... I think Jack is holding Paiten's hand.

This was a nice move by our hotel. No, I don't know what Etvall is.

Victoria was very happy to sit in front of the cruiser on the way to our Tribal braai. Did I mention she was happy? And excited?

The survivor-like wooden area where we had our fire and cooked the meat for the braai.

Alysse, Morgan, Victoria, and Paiten just before dinner.

There is quite a story with this monkey. He was very unhappy with us and was jumping, screaming and threatening us for quite some time. He didn't like me at all. At one point, he threw something at me. Yes, I think it was that. Gross.

Our great dinner crew grilling above the fire at the braai.

Our girls with Mike, one of the dinner crew. An outstanding job. We were very appreciative of him and the staff.

Grady had his turn. And forced me to take a picture.

Overall, it was a wonderful first day! We will post more again soon. Pray for us.

Safe in SA

2010-01-08T16:50:00.002-05:00

Our flight landed this evening at about 5:20 PM South Africa time. We are safe and sound in Pretoria, South Africa this evening. Thanks be to God.

As I write, the students are nestled cozily in their beds at the Farm Inn, hopefully resting their bodies after a flight that was every bit of 16 hours. Wow. Even having made the trip before, it really takes your breath away.

We arrived to the sound of lions roaring in the distance. With any luck, we will see some tomorrow. Saturday we will see the Union buildings in Pretoria (where the President and the South Africa government resides), go on a mini-safari in the afternoon, and conclude the day with a traditional African braai. The children are excited. I know I am.

Hopefully tomorrow I will be able to post some pictures here, as our group seems to have an exorbitant number of Nikon and Canon cameras. Perhaps we can let you all see what we have seen through this medium.

The students have been wonderful. We are exhausted. Hope everyone back in the States is well, and I will update the blog as much as I can.

PS. Today was 77 degrees. So sorry to hear about the snow.

One More Day

2010-01-06T17:28:00.003-05:00

We leave tomorrow. We are now packing and preparing, and I may not sleep tonight. Somehow that's okay, though. I can sleep on the plane.

Meteorologists are calling for over 6 inches of snow in Cincinnati tomorrow. Of all days. Good thing they are wrong a good percentage of the time. Maybe they'll be wrong again. Probably not, but somehow we'll manage.

I cannot wait for the mountains, the plains, the hills, the soil. Alan Paton, in one of my favorite books, says it better than I ever could:

There is a lovely road that runs from Ixopo into the hills. These hills are grass-covered and rolling, and they are lovely beyond any singing of it. The road climbs seven miles into them, to Carisbrooke; and from there, if there is no mist, you look down on one of the fairest valleys of Africa. About you there is grass and bracken and you may hear the forlorn crying of the titihoya, one of the birds of the veld. Below you is the valley of the Umzimkulu, on its journey from the Drakensberg to the sea; and beyond and behind the river, great hill after great hill; and beyond and behind them, the mountains of Ingeli and East Griqualand.
The grass is rich and matted, you cannot see the soil. It holds the rain and the mist, and they seep into the ground, feeding the streams in every kloof. It is well-tended, and not too many cattle feed upon it; not too many fires burn it, laying bare the soil. Stand unshod upon it, for the ground is holy, being even as it came from the Creator. Keep it, guard it, care for it, for it keeps men, guards men, cares for men. Destroy it and man is destroyed.
Where you stand the grass is rich and matted, you cannot see the soil. But the rich green hills break down. They fall to the valley below, and falling, change their nature. For they grow red and bare; they cannot hold the rain and mist, and the streams are dry in the kloofs. Too many cattle feed upon the grass, and too many fires have burned it. Stand shod upon it, for it is coarse and sharp, and the stones cut under the feet. It is not kept, or guarded, or cared for, it no longer keeps men, guards men, cares for men. The titihoya does not cry here any more.
The great red hills stand desolate, and the earth has torn away like flesh. The lightning flashes over them, the clouds pour down upon them, the dead streams come to life, full of the red blood of the earth. Down in the valleys women scratch the soil that is left, and the maize hardly reaches the height of a man. They are valleys of old men and old women, of mothers and children. The men are away, the young men and the girls are away. The soil cannot keep them any more.

Until tomorrow. Remember your passports.

Back to South Africa

2010-01-05T14:32:00.002-05:00

It's been a long time.

Reading through this blog again, now six months later, is like coming home to a place you've always known and loved and wished you could see again. Suddenly I remember more vividly the sights and sounds and smells... and I know I will experience them all over. Again. And it makes me smile.

It is also a reminder of my near-famous ability to make promises and not always follow through. Goodness, how many times did I write "I'll write more soon" and not write any more soon? Too many. If you're wondering what I'm talking about, check the previous post and look at the date. Enough said.

The story of this trip, however, beautiful as it was in July and August, is not yet finished. It has just begun.

We leave on Thursday, January 7. Fifteen students. Two adults. And me. Not sure where I fit in there. Right now, it is ten degrees Fahrenheit in Cincinnati. It is eighty-five in South Africa. We'll take it.

At the risk of sounding redundant and too promising (and we all know how that goes), I hope to update this blog as time allows while we are in South Africa. More is coming in the next couple of days before we leave.

Until then, cheers. We will talk soon.

Back in the USA

2009-07-29T22:04:00.000-04:00

Sorry about the lack of updates, as I have had no time or internet whatsoever in past couple of days. Between the airports, long lines, seventeen-hour flight and connection, I have been flat worn out. I slept for about twelve hours yesterday, but I have returned, and have much to say.

I missed my family.

As I said, I have much to write about my experiences in SA, and will do so in the next couple of days. In short, this trip changed many of my thoughts about poverty, Christianity, race, education, and more. I look forward to sharing my thoughts with you over the next few days.

And parents of students on this trip in January: your children are in for a wonderful and impacting trip. I am looking forward to return in a few short months.

Thanks to all of you for your prayers and thoughts over this time. I'll write more soon.

More Pics from South Africa

2009-07-28T03:44:00.023-04:00

This is a view of our "cabin" at the game farm. An excellent place for braai's and seeing wild game.

At the crocodile park in Suncity. There were a few hundred of these lying around.

A place the students will love: an artificial ocean at Suncity.

You can see the large city looming in the background: it's called "The Lost City" and it is for exclusive members only. We, so sad, didn't qualify during our three-hour stay.

The entrance to the wave pool near the Lost City in Suncity. There were tourists everywhere, including me, I guess.

The Gary Player golf course. I took this from a lift (elevator) in one of the hotels. Great view.

An excellent pool at Suncity. Taken, again, from said lift. (I took about seventy-five pictures from here.)

"Said lift" itself.

A large baboon was roaming around Suncity looking through the "dustbins" (or, as we would call them, trash cans). Apparently these things can be nasty, so we didn't get any closer.

On our way back to Pretoria from Suncity, we passed through this one-way gate. Nice view. Also, there were many peddlers about as we waited trying to sell us stuff. It was hard not giving them money, since this is their primary source of income.

At the Lion Park (from my last post), this is the vehicle that took us around. Note the differences in this vehicle from the previous safari vehicle we took. Lions are the reason.

A small lion who stuck out her tongue at me.

Then she tried to scare me. I was sufficiently afraid. This would be my favorite pic of the lot if not for the chain-link fence.

A lovely giraffe with whom I became friends.

See?

On the lion tour. This is a young male white lion. Words cannot express how large and vicious these animals are.

This female started to "hunt" one of the passengers on our tour, a five-year old kid in the back seat. (The tour guide said that lions instinctively come after the young, the old, the weak, and the injured.)

The largest and most impressive lion at the park. The guide said he weighs over 300 kilograms. This is one of those times when pictures truly cannot do something justice, as I cannot write how impressive and spectacular it was to see this lion.

Just two more days left. I will write again soon, but I'm not sure about connections and internet at the airports. I'll do my best. This trip has been so exciting and wonderful and impacting; I will have several things to say and write in the upcoming days.

Please pray for me on my long trip home. Have a wonderful couple of days.

Off to See the Lions

2009-07-27T05:57:00.003-04:00

My good friend Heindrich booked a trip for us today to see a lion park. I cannot wait. It's almost noon here, and most of you are still slumbering.

Hopefully our trip this afternoon looks nothing like the pictures below.

I'll speak with you all again soon. I leave to return home tomorrow night, and will arrive in on Wednesday before noon. Hope all is well.

Sunday

2009-07-26T17:11:00.002-04:00

Woke up at about seven thirty this morning to the sound of lions roaring in the distance. An odd thing for American city-boy to hear while rolling out of bed.

Sadly, however, that would be the closest I would get to lions today, as our game drive in Sun City had to be postponed. We found ourselves getting behind this morning after a late breakfast, and it took us an indefinitely long time to clean up the kitchen. We then had to fill up the safari cruiser-- which, remarkably, gets only 2.5 kilometers per liter (Americans, that's less than six miles per gallon)-- and then clean it for the next group.

We then made the two-hour drive to Sun City, an African paradise casino-style family park in the middle of nowhere. I walked right by Gary Player's million dollar prize golf course but didn't have time (or a spare 5000 rand, which is over $600) to play. We saw some amazing experiences the students will get to have in South Africa at Sun City, most of which I will withhold my descriptions in order for students to tell their parents later.

This evening I experienced a church service which was entirely in Afrikaans. It was difficult at first, but interesting to see how some of the songs corresponded to the American melodies I know. Didn't get much out of the sermon, but I did listen intently. Amazingly, I met an American from Indiana after the service who was just as clueless as I was; turns out we both have South African connections who brought us there but neither of us understand Afrikaans. I had so missed hearing the American accent.

I wasn't able to mention it yesterday, but Saturday evening we went to a pub near our game farm to watch the most important rugby game in some time: South Africa, who is currently number one in the world, versus NewZealand, who is number two. The South Africans are named after their national animal called the Springbox (it's like deer) and the New Zealanders are called the "All Blacks" (not because of their race but because they wear all black uniforms). The electricity in the pub was as intense as any big NFL football game I have watched, and I really developed an interest in rugby; South Africa won 28-19. I would go on about rules and tries and kicks and scrums, but Americans aren't usually interested in that sort of thing.

Several things I have noticed about the South African people:
1) They care for their country and their people deeply, but there is still (much like America) a great racial divide between black and white. This is partially because of history (apartheid) but also because the blacks and whites do not interact due to language barriers. Virtually every black South African can speak English and at least understand Afrikaans, but very few of the whites ever learn the black languages, of which there are dozens.
2) South Africa has eleven official languages. Amazing.
3) These people value food much more highly than Americans. Probably because so many thousands in their country are starving. After a meal, every South African I have met makes it a point to either finish their food or find a use for it. Nothing is wasted. This morning when we were cleaning up the cabin, no one wanted the rest of the Fanta two-liter, so one of the men chugged half the thing instead of throwing it out. Also, one of the men I have met told me a story about how offended he was when he witnessed a "food fight" in America some years back. We could probably learn a lesson from the South Africans in this regard.
4) The South African press actually attempts to report on stories that are important: things like life, death, crime, poverty, and politics. They aren't as interested in sensationalist ratings-driven madness like we are in America. Probably why their front page this morning was about the slipping economy in Johannesburg while ours was about one "stupid" statement our President made during a press conference about healthcare.
5) South Africans have no idea what cold is. They put on their winter jackets and pretend to freeze to death when it gets into the 30s Farenheit. Right now is their winter, and it gets to 60 degrees in the afternoon. They still think it's cold. They're like those people in the South who complain when it gets to 50. I wish our summers were this dreadful.
6) Briaas (pronounced "brahies") are like barbeques in America, and the South Africans have them all the time. They love them. I have had three for dinner and have been here only five days. Not that I'm complaining; they're very good and tasty.
7) Most of these people have never heard of basketball.
8) Pedestrians beware. Cars have the right-of-way in South Africa, and if you do not get out of their way, you will be hit. Seriously.
9) South Africans actually call soccer "soccer." Weird, because I was positive every other country in the world called it "football." They do use the metric system, though, like every other country in the world. Oh yeah, except America. It's sad that I have to spend half my trip doing math conversions in my head to see how far we are from something or how fast we are driving.

Anyway, it was a wonderful day in South Africa. I am learning so much about these people, God, and myself, and we're putting together a great trip for our students. It is like I have been re-programmed, and much of what I have believed about life and love and this world has been turned on its head. God is here, among the poor and destitute of Africa, just as he is in the suburbs of Mason and the projects of Over the Rhine. If only we, too, could learn to live together and reach out to the desperate ones among us.

Have a wonderful evening. Until tomorrow.

Pictures from SA 2009

2009-07-25T20:02:00.001-04:00

One of the first photos I took when I arrived in South Africa. This is of Edendale Community School about which I have written. A wonderful facility and surrounded by the mountains and hills of South Africa.

Pretoria. A beautiful view from the Union Buildings. The hills always seem to surround you here.

Me and a Sitting Man overlooking Pretoria.

One of the main government buildings of South Africa in Pretoria, with the South African flag flying overhead.

A lovely gentle-woman selling merchandise outside the Union Buildings. If you look closely you'll see her wearing an Obama-Biden sticker, which is why I took the picture with her. (Note: I am not stating any current or previous endorsement of any political candidate in any previous election. My official position, as always, is neutral.)

The Voortrekker Monument in Pretoria, marking the Afrikaners' Independence Day of December 16. We went to the top. Nice view.

Me with dangerous stuffed animals at the Farm Inn. I told you it was tasteful.

One of my favorite but most heart-wrenching shots of my trip thus far. This is the slums (the SAs would call them "sqatters' camps") of Mamelodi. About three miles from here are some of the nicest and wealthiest estates in all of South Africa.

This little boy is just one year old and HIV positive, and last week I complained because I couldn't get a wireless connection at my house for an hour. God forgive me.

This is Hannah, the woman who runs the AIDS Babies nursery I have written about. One of the most courageous and kind women I have ever met.

This little girl survived an abortion. She has permanent brain damage and cannot hold her head straight as you can see here.

Hannah is saddened to see signs that this little boy--who currently is being treated for TB-- may be HIV positive as well. I held him for about twenty minutes, and when I put him down to see if he could sit up, he cried and begged for me to hold him again. I cried as I picked him up.

In Afrikaans, the word "thank you" is pronounced "Dankee" and sounds a lot like the animals you see here. I made my new South African friends laugh when I told them I was going to go for a ride on the "Thank You."

This is our safari cruiser, or as the SAs would say, our "Game Drive" cruiser.

A beautiful animal we saw on the safari. Can't remember its name, but check out the horns. I walked right up to it in the jungle and took this shot (I was told they are peaceful; this one was).

You can just see me here in the Game Drive cruiser on the red clay roads.

Zebras' butts. They must work out.

There is no Afrikaans word for "monkey"; they just say "monkey." This is a "monkey," and there were about eight of them in this tree.

This zebra walked right in front of us.

This is the best shot I could get of the giraffes, or as the Afrikaans speakers say, "Camel Horses." Interesting. I cannot tell you how awesome it is, though, to see giraffes in their natural habitat. It was a spectacular sight.

We're going to "Sun City" tomorrow (Sunday) to see the Big Five: Lion, Buffalo, Leopard, Elephant, Rhinoceros. There were rhinos and leopards somewhere within the game farm today, but we missed them. 7000 acres and we couldn't find two rhinos. What are the odds.

Anyway, the trip planning is coming along well. We are excited to bring the students down here and see the tremendous beauty, but also the great needs, of South Africa. I am humbled to be here, to be alive, and to be enjoying this beautiful earth God has given us. Please continue to pray for me and South Africa.

Our Safari on Saturday

2009-07-25T18:17:00.003-04:00

Kidding. My South African friend's group had this experience, and this is not our group in the cruiser. Thank God we haven't yet dealt with lions. (That's supposed to be tomorrow. Yippee.)

Notice the flat tire. These people are in a bad place. My friend assures me that they laugh about it now, but somehow I don't see them laughing at the time.

Pictures are uploaded. They'll be online in minutes.

Friday

2009-07-25T13:29:00.000-04:00

Wish I could have written yesterday, but we drove to the "bush" as the South Africans call it, and the bush is a place without internet access. We in Ohio might call it "the sticks" or "the country," if you will. "The bush," though, is an amazing place in Africa.

Africans call it a "game farm." As an American, I was wondering why one would play scrabble near some stables. Didn't make sense. But a game farm, as I have discovered, is a nature preserve full of animals in natural habitats. Awesome. I'll get to more of it later.

Friday began as my guide Chris and I went to a small private school in Mamelodi (the extremely poor area I mentioned earlier in the week) to volunteer our services for when the students arrive in January. 98% of the students, teachers, and administrators there are black, and it was interesting for me to see the guarded nature with which even the administrators took our presence at their school. Although I might have a better understanding of their position had my people undergone apartheid... Long story short, we're going to work together. They were wonderful people and we will most likely learn more from them than they from us. As usual.

Next, we ventured to a hotel called the Farm Inn where there are stuffed lions and deer-like creatures all over the walls. All tastefully done, of course. We are going to bring the students there near the beginning of our trip. Bonus: they can offer us time with lion cubs and a mini-safari. Can't wait.

After lunch, we journeyed to perhaps the most emotional place I have visited in Africa. Our partner school assists a small nursery for babies with HIV, TB and other congenital deformities. I spent an hour there holding babies with AIDS, watched a baby born without a brain in silent suffering, and saw the beautiful sadness of a one-year-old child who survived an abortion attempt. Once again, words cannot describe.

The pictures are coming.

Finally, we finished the day at the game farm. A safari. At night. We drove the cruiser on makeshift roads through the wilderness, shining a spotlight upon the night around us. We saw Kudu (a large type of antelope), monkeys, and even zebras. Zebras. I couldn't believe it. Once again, the pictures are coming. I hope.

At one point, we turned off the lights and looked at the night sky above, and I beheld the greatest single spectacle of stars these eyes have seen. For a moment, I saw and felt God in his stars, and the world of Africa and America stood still. It was beautiful.

I miss you all. I miss my family. But I am blessed, and I love Africa. More is coming.

Thursday in Pretoria

2009-07-23T18:02:00.003-04:00

My first full day in South Africa started bright and early at 1AM. Cincinnati time, at least.

Those who have made this trip tell me that the first night of sleep is difficult, and they are right. My night consisted of waking up every half-hour or so to see if the sun had risen yet. Sunrises and sets are very different here this time of year, as there is very little time for colors and changes and beauty. It is almost as if you look up one minute as the sun has somehow risen, but you don't remember when or how. It happens quickly here.

Today I visited Doxa Deo Christian school in the morning, where the principal introduced me to the student body as a special guest (gush). Then, he took me on a tour of the grounds, facilities, and classrooms.

When we entered each classroom, all of the students stood as a sign of respect. They wore nice, polished Harry-Potter style uniforms which are checked weekly, and they spoke English in my presence instead of Afrikaans. (Hmm.... Perhaps there's a lesson in there somewhere for our CHCA group. Not about languages or uniform checks, though, and certainly not about Harry Potter. I digress.)

From the school we traveled on through Mamelodi, one of the poorest areas in the region. I can still see the squatters standing by the road-side, begging for work in order not to have to return to their dilapidated living quarters which stretch on for miles and miles around the city. There are no roads within the slum areas, and so when one house is destroyed by fire or damage, everyone around it is affected as well.

Just driving by was enough for me.

We stopped then at Edendale Community School, a campus made up of mostly black students surrounded by barracks-style housing which supports and educates hundreds of what we might call "inner-city" people. It was here where I heard the familiar chant and refrain of the faithful: "We just don't have the money."

I heard this same message from several people today, always packaged in the kindest and most glancing of phrases like "budget shortage" or "re-allocation of funds" or "temporary closing" or "fundraising shortfalls." It is as if an entire army of God's people is waiting for the opportunity to do his work, but the money is still not there.

And so I walked the stretched and dried halls of Edendale, gently noting the patchwork paint and sunburnt walls. I wondered what our small group of sixteen students could do for them in such a short time in January, but the steadfast and excited reactions of hope from the mostly volunteer staff inspired me to meet them there, somehow, in hopes of making a difference.

From there we moved on to see the Union Buildings of South Africa, the government buildings where the president's office resides and Parliament is in session for six months of the year. Outside, I attempted to barter with some kind gentle-men and women for African-themed trinkets for the kiddies, but to no avail.

After lunch we headed to the Monument atop a hill in Pretoria where I learned about the history of the Afrikaners who founded South Africa in the mid-1800s. Normal South African history for any schoolboy in Pretoria, but profound and interesting for me. Had I more time and space, I will spill it for you, but I'm sure you'll want to see it for yourself one day.

Our final stop for the day was at a place called "Pop-UP"-- or People Upliftment Programme-- an organization began by Doxa Deo not long ago in order to assist the less fortunate and needy of the streets of Pretoria. Pop-UP provides full child-care for 65 children and at any given moment houses and puts to work dozens of "Learners," for whom they provide basic needs and train in basic skills and trades. They all maintain a nearly free vision, medical, and dental screening and treatment program for whoever needs it. Truly God's work.

It's been a long day. God is teaching me about myself and my culture, and how for too long we have been a "receiving" culture in a time when we have so much to give. It is my prayer that through times and trips like these we may learn and understand what it means to give our time, our resources, and our hearts and spirits to the lost and wounded souls who roam our streets, and the streets of our world.

Until tomorrow. Have a lovely evening.

And Finally... The Plane Touched Down

2009-07-22T16:17:00.000-04:00

It's been a long day. Two days. Whatever.

I left home yesterday (Tuesday) at 2PM to get to the Dayton airport and was shocked to get through security and to the gate within about 20 minutes. I ended up sitting outside gate B14 for several hours as our 450 PM flight was delayed until 545. I know, I have it rough.

We got into Atlanta by about 710, in just enough time to make the 805 flight to Johannesburg. The Atlanta airport is huge, so it took me until just after 730 to make it from gate A34 to gate E10, and the flight to South Africa was already boarding.

Sat in the same seat for nearly sixteen hours. I cannot write how long of a flight it was. No really, I cannot begin to write it. I am not going to try, except to say that it has become one long haze in my memory of sleep and waking and in-flight entertainment.

My journey began tonight, though. I met Carel Krige, our contact in SA who works at the school Doxa Deo with whom we will be working in January. We spoke about South Africa over dinner and I am beginning to understand the love these people have for their country.

I am now sitting in a spare room in a large house in Pretoria, South Africa, being attended to by a wonderfully kind host family. For so long this moment has been just a thought, an inkling of something far away in the future. But here I sit, in Africa, and I am full of wonder and hope. The future has somehow become the present.

Tomorrow and Friday will consist of meeting with several members of the school's administration and planning how to reach out in service to the South African community during our trip in January. This weekend I will visit the "game farm," which apparently is like a nature preserve, except it's filled with all kinds of awesome animals we do not have in the States. I cannot wait.

Thanks for reading. I'll post more once I get a chance. We're six hours ahead here, so much of my posting in the evening you'll have to read the following morning. My troubles now consist of finding an adaptor for South African power voltage in order to charge my laptop, camera, video recorder, and cell phone. Oh, the problems I have...

We'll be in touch soon. Thank you for your thoughts and prayers.

Welcome

2009-07-20T13:40:00.000-04:00

My life has been a journey toward Africa, and I am finally making my trip.

Thanks to so many of you, I have the opportunity to visit the continent about which I have read and studied so much. I will be departing Cincinnati on Tuesday, July 21, making the seventeen-hour flight southeast across oceans and jungles and deserts until I reach Johannesburg, South Africa on Wednesday, July 22.

I will keep you posted. Thank you for being a part of this journey with me.

Blessings to all of you. Welcome.