The First Full Day in SA

Monday, June 14, 2010, 2:38PM

Pneumatix Campus, Somerset West, South Africa

Yesterday I arrived in Cape Town! I was in transit for a total of 40 hours!  I got through security with no problem and saw Lourens and his wife Elsa as soon as I walked out the doors- it was such a relief!  They took me on a grand tour of Cape Town, stopping at a neat Fishers Wharf (picture 1), driving all around Table Top Mountain (picture 2), over to Signal Hill (picture 3), and finally to the water front where I met the other team members(picture 4).  From there we traveled to a Hillsong church plant!  It was a neat experience to see a similar style worship as Grace Community in CT.  Unfortunately, since I was so exhausted, I slept right through the sermon… it was a little embarrassing actually.

As we left the service, we were given free passes to view the Germany vs Australia game on big screens in a convention center below us.  Even though I was ready for rest, I didn’t want to miss this experience.  A huge hall, about the size of the Baltimore Convention Center, was set up with six giant projector screens, all showing the game (picture below).  Our group has about 20 and there were maybe 40 other people in this room (a Sunday evening game didn’t draw much of a crowd), so cheering with 60 people was rather exciting.  Germany scored four goals to Australia’s zero- giving us quite a bit to cheer about (even if the score was flipped we would have still be cheering, it was just the idea of the games and scoring goals that got us all excited).  We left the center to go back to the campus where we’re staying.

It is a very nice place, just off a highway.  It is not the place I originally was going to stay at because this place is where my team is actually staying.  It’s called Pneumatix (pronounced new-matix), and is more or less like a summer camp that we might attend in the States.  Each room has four bunk beds and one bathroom.  Somehow I got lucky (or unlucky- not sure which yet) and have a room to myself.  When we arrived here last night, I quickly unpacked and took a wonderfully hot shower.  It felt so good since the last time I showered was over three days before.  After, I made my bed and fell asleep.

I didn’t wake up until noon today, just in time to catch lunch.  All day today the team is preparing for the next two weeks of programs in Kayamandi.  Everyone but me is from a group called 13^th Floor- a traveling visual arts performance organization that uses the power of drama and dance to reach the hearts of the youth worldwide in an effort to plant, water, and sow the seeds of the gift of Jesus Christ.  The 13^th Floor crew is split up in several groups, one group is creating workshops on drama where they will teach the bare essentials of preparation for performing (warm-ups, tongue twisters, the power of pauses, etc).  Another group is doing a workshop on dance where they will teach some of the basics of jazz and hip-hop.  In between these workshops will be a drama performance and a dance performance.

And from what I’ve learned over many of the other programs and service trips, I will be sure to stay flexible.  These performances and workshops are going to have an amazing impact on the kids they are targeting.  I will keep you posted on whether they change or not!  Thanks for praying.

En Route to Cape Town

The prayers really helped over the past day...s... hours?... I've lost track since I left Dulles on Friday, June 11. I am currently in Singapore on Sunday, June 13 at 1:40am. Just an hour ago, I was thinking about how I was going to tell this story, and whether I wanted to share or not as my parents would not be very happy to hear it:

There a several "Free Internet" locations in the Changi airport. I stopped at the first one I saw, put my black pouch containing my passport, boarding passes, and cash on the counter and tried to email my parents. The internet didn't work well so I decided to just leave and check-in early. After walking to the other end of the airport, I found the gate was not open yet. I left and sat down at the complemetary foot massage station where a machine gently pushed the travel pains out. I got bored and decided to get my seat changed. On the way I stopped at Starbucks to buy an esspresso, and realized my black pouch was not with me. Panic struck.

I ran to the internet station where I last saw it- not there.  I ran back to the foot massage station- not there either.  By this time I broke out in a cold sweat and slightly wanted to throw up.  Philippians 4:6-7 kept playing over in my head so I thanked God for getting me to Singapore safely with no problems and then kept praying that the passport would show up.  After running around to different locations, a lady that I had spoken to several times finally said, "Sir your passport- is it in a black pouch?"  YES! Some random person had found it and turned it in, leaving everything in there untouched.  God totally answers prayers.  He also reminded me that I cannot do this on my own and must be walking (or running) in prayer at all times.

The Beginning of an Epic Adventure

Friday, June 11, 2010, 11:54AM

Dulles International Airport, Virginia, USA

Today is the first day of an epic journey to the other side of the world… literally actually- I refuel in Singapore on my way to South Africa, which is exactly 12 hours different than comfortable Glenwood, Maryland, USA.  Nonetheless, in about 20 minutes, I will be boarding the plane headed to Cape Town, South Africa.  Once I land there, Lourens Maritz will pick me up and we will drive to Stellenbosch, a city about 20min away from Cape Town.  For the next two weeks we will be investing our time in producing a sustainable leadership development program, aimed at giving the youth of this community a better sense of well-being, entrepreneurship mindsets, and cultural awareness.