Somewhere Over the Rainbow...

Hello from the most beautiful place on earth!

After 36 wonderful travel hours and 17 hours in the same flying metal tube, we were descending into Johannesburg with an absolutely beautiful full rainbow arching across the sky. Although I am yet to find the leprechaun and pot of gold in South Africa, it was an amazing greeting Monday night that brought to me a great sense of peace! Making this even better is the fact that rainbows are by far my favorite part of nature. I can't help but think of the rainbow in reference to God's promise to Noah never to destroy creation again and the formation of a covenant of partnership, love and dedication. Needless to say, the rainbow was quite the blessing! This was a sure sign of my God's kindness and compassion!

Daily breakdown...
Tuesday: After a significant amount of sleep and some unpacking, Maryna (Pneumatix's hospitality director) took me around Cape Town to pick up a few supplies and to see the sights. Most people are either mountain people or beach people. In Cape Town you don't have to decide! There are breath-taking mountains that go right up to the edge of the sea. It is hard to find the words to capture it's true beauty and a photo doesn't come close to doing it justice.

Wednesday: I spent the day at Kuyasa in Kayamandi township which is an after school program of sorts. They do an incredible amount of work in the township through a sports program teaching the skills and rules of basketball and soccer while incorporating life skills, a feeding scheme for about 250 pre-schoolers to third graders, a learning center to supplement the community school, a dance team...just to name a few. They knew nothing about me except that I am American so when I first introduced myself I tried to give the basics...I graduated with a degree in chemistry and I like sports. Jenny, the director, got all sorts of excited and told me they are in desperate need of a chemistry tutor/teacher, a female soccer & basketball coach and someone who can organize and create a database to keep track of the progress of their 450+ students. Funny how my interests and training are needed in South Africa, of all places!

Thursday: I visited Ubuntu House for a couple hours. It's a half-way house for newborns to 3 month old babies who are being adopted, are orphans or were abandoned by their mothers. This couple hours was really a challenge for me considering I've spent most of my life purposefully avoiding kids that are too young to walk and talk! I've declared on more than one occasion that I would be happiest when I had kids if I gave birth to 3rd graders :) But these babies need to be loved on and I've got 2 very capable arms to hold them. They deserve to know they were created on purpose and just because their mothers threw them out, does not mean they are worthless.

Friday: The day was spent at Agape in Grabouw. Agape has a lot going on with a house & school for special needs children with everything from autism to non-functioning legs and a separate creche for 2 to 5 year olds. I spent my time at the creche in the 3's & 4's room coloring, counting, playing outside (getting sunburn) and having a couple meals. These kids were adorable!

Early next week I will determine my weekly schedule. I would love to spend the majority of my time at Kuyasa as I feel that my passions and gifts will be best combined there. But I also had a ton of fun at the creche and am needed at Ubuntu, so we'll just have to see where I'm led!

Every day consisted of going up into the mountains or to the beach purely because it's too beautiful not to. Since Pneumatix is an arts school my eyes have been opened to the intricacies of our surroundings with the very specific colorings, shadings, placement and organization. We live in a very amazing place! Everyone's also been trying to teach me Afrikaans and my lack of language learning abilities has not helped the situation. Afrikaans originated as a Dutch & German combo but has turned into a crazy throaty language requiring a lot of phlegm to pronounce anything correctly and my nasally west Michigan accent seems to be getting in the way. Needless to say, I'm not learning too quickly. Cois (the director of Pneumatix and my original contact in South Africa) asks me everyday if I still feel American and has made it his goal to turn me into a full-fledged African! I've also spent a lot of time trying to explain why America is the way it is and that there is more to it than Obama, Iraq, cowboys and skinny celebs. It's funny because I feel like I've spent a good amount of time trying to break down American's African stereotypes and now I'm trying to break down the American stereotypes found in Africa.

All in all I'm doing well and have really enjoyed my first few days in Cape Town!

P.S. I also just found out I was accepted into the University of Michigan School of Public Health to complete a Master's beginning next fall!