My Little South African Adventure: Springtime in South Africa

It is indeed spring here in the Southern Hemisphere and everyday is just perfect! Everything has transformed into a brilliant green, which lights up every place. The flowers here are beautiful, and spring showers are the best. It's 10 at night here and I am currently laying on the grass of the lawn on my kitty blanket (thanks Sarah Knaapen) and looking up at the stars/Jupiter and listening to frogs, locust, and a waterfall. I had a great day of rest today and just feel so content. God has blessed me far beyond what I deserve!

I can't believe I have to leave this place in 12 days... I honestly don't even want to think about it. I have grown so attached to this place: the people, the land, the environment, and my new South African friends. I can't believe I have to leave Pietermaritzburg so soon. (We leave next Saturday to begin our weeklong trip down to Cape Town, where we'll be for 2 weeks.) Don't get me wrong, I'm excited for Cape Town (and for home for that matter), but it's just different knowing that when I leave, I'm leaving for good. I know I can come back here someday, but it just won't be the same. I'm trying so hard not to think about the small amount of time that I have left here, but it's hard. Please pray that I would get cherish every day here and just get everything out of these last couple weeks in Pietermaritzburg that I can!

My service site is going AMAZING. I can't even begin to describe the things we're doing. We do so much every day that it's hard to remember.

Some highlights:
- Meeting the induna (mayor-type guy) of Sweetwaters
- Meeting the KING of Sweetwaters (well, that's tomorrow actually)
- Getting a completely new outlook on forgiveness after having a Bible study with some teenage boys of the community during a thunderstorm
- Understanding the HUGE importance of education after talking with several teachers here and visiting many schools.
- Learning how a little extra amount of attention can change a child completely as I saw with this precious little 4 year old, Pilah.
- Learning that smiling/laughing is a universal language :)
- Visiting the preschools
- Bonding with my 6 other wonderful teammates
- Gathering four grocery bags full of HUGE avocados (I have learned how to make awesome guac and I plan on bringing that skill home)
- Realizing the myth of inadequacy of our youth today
- Visiting a plant pathologist to learn how to keep the garden that we will cultivate alive and healthy

I also learned this week that there is a difference between me as a white American visiting the black community of Sweetwaters versus the white South African community visiting Sweetwaters. NO white people go into these black areas. It's so sad. Apartheid worked, and that's something that I'm beginning to understand. It's a big deal for us as white people to come visit these people of Sweetwaters and that means a lot to them, but it is a whoooole different story if a white SOUTH AFRICAN were to do the same. This would be an even bigger step of faith. This is why we are trying to get the youth of the Sweetwaters/Hilton area, black and white, together for a day of fun and a day of worship this coming Saturday. It's called Teen's Day and we have a lot of great things planned to make it lighthearted but also tied into the biblical fact that we are all different and each have our own unique gifts and talents. It will be a day of encouragement and we are praying that it brings together the youth to somehow contribute to a more integrated future for them. PLEASE PRAY FOR THIS SATURDAY :)

Well, that's all I have for right now. Here are some pictures for your enjoyment. Side note: I'm going to a soccer game on Wednesday night!! Yessss... Rugby game and soccer games - Check! No cricket sadly... I guess I'll just watch it on youtube sometime.

Me and Pilah- such a goof! I love that kid