Lesotho!

Early thursday morning my Human Growth and Development class left for our field trip to the country of Lesotho! (which is in South Africa, but still its own country) We drove for about 2 hours and then stopped for breakfast then got into our ride to drive another hour and a half up the Sani Pass, which is basically driving on the edge of a cliff in beautiful scenery! AND we were in an open air truck with the wind blowing and feeling even closer to the edge! it was so much fun (even if we got scared at points!) we kept reminding ourselves our driver had done this MANY times before (its his job-so dont worry mom i was safe!)

The view was INCREDIBLE and the pictures do not capture the beauty! we kept taking more and more pictures trying to capture it, but none of them do it justice! we were driving up the mountain into Lesotho, which has the highest elevation point in South Africa, so it was definitely cold! (which was a nice change from the hot weather in Pietermaritzburg!)

Once we got into Lesotho (and got another stamp on our passports!) we got right onto our horses for our day of horseback riding!!!! it was incredible! My horse's name was "Rob" and was beautiful! we had two Lesotho guides, one in back and one leading the way. we started out on the open field next to the lodge and made our way up many hills, some VERY steep and rocky, to the highest elevation there! it was breath-taking! the whole way there we saw lots of yellow flowers everywhere, along with flocks of sheep and their shepherds in their traditional Lesotho clothes, which consisted of rain boots, a face mask to keep warm, and a blanket wrapped around them! The view from the very top was gorgeous and completely worth the COLD weather and sore butt from riding from so long! :)

As we started heading back down (and had stopped a few times for lunch and snacks/ the horses would EAT SO MUCH!!) the horses were A LOT more comfortable than us going down the steep hills! but it was a fun adventure! the horses were also going alot faster on the flat parts, instead of trotting they would canter, which was scary at first but SO MUCH FUN! and a lot smoother than trotting!

After we got back we put our stuff in the lodge and went to dinner at the highest pub in africa! it was adorable and the people there were so nice :) the food was good (especially the soup which was DELICIOUS probably because we were all so cold!) and we all sat around the fire on couches afterwards and hung out :) it was so much fun to all be together there!

The next morning we had breakfast there again (after sleeping in our lodge without electricity, so we had to use candles and gas lights-which was fun!) and then got to have a tour of the town with Edward, a local, who showed us the inside of one of the houses and we also got to meet 3 of the women there who performed some of their traditional dances for us in their house. their houses are made of stone with a layer of mud inside and branches as the roof, and usually cement or mud floors, they were SO warm compared to outside and they build fires inside their houses, so the tops have ash all over them, but it keeps them warmer especially in the winter when it gets even colder there! it was an incredible experience to be there in their house with them, and meeting the people there. We were amazed at how they dealt with the cold (especially because it is summer here right now, and it was still soooo cold!) and how they used the resources they had to survive. the children walking around were adorable and so fun to play with also!

Driving back down the mountain on friday morning was another experience! we were in the open air truck again, and it was even colder AND so much fog! we were basically driving through a cloud, down the mountain on the edge, CRAZY! we unzipped the sleeping bags and used them as blankets, which came in handy because it started RAINING so we used them to make a fort in the back to "stay dry"! we were all laughing at the situation and making it fun :) the group was the perfect group for the trip, we all embraced the experience and enjoyed it! all together the two days was incredible and i loved it!!

Service Sites, Here We Come!

Yesterday at lunch we all found out what service sites we will be serving at starting in two weeks! We are all looking forward to what God has planned for us at our sites and how we will be able to see Him working there! It is such a great opportunity for us to be able to do this, and I couldn't be more excited to end classes and start going to my service site, RivLife!!

RivLife is a community center, based in Pietermaritzburg, to help those in the community around it who are living with HIV and Aids. While at this site (with 7 other AMAZING girls - Alyssa W, Daniele, Nicole, Bianca, Sarah M, Emma, and Staci!) we will get to work alongside the women in the community that surround the site, be a part of their support groups, plan activities for the kids after school (most of whom are HIV positive) and have the opportunity to hear their stories and be blessed by the people there!

Here is the website if you would like to see it! :)

http://www.rivlife.com/index.html

Last night I had D-Group (our small groups here) and we all shared what we've been through in our lives and where we are at now. It was so great to hear from everyone and have them supporting me while sharing, I feel so lucky with the group and how we are all there for each other. And that we all share a love for chocolate :) The name of our group is the "Dark Chocolate Divas", and we always have some chocolate with us! Our leaders are Kayla Reid and Emily Gann - and the other girls in the group are Sindy, Alyssa W, Daniele, Bianca, Nicole and Rachel. They are all so sweet and genuine and a blessing to me while being here!

Tomorrow morning I leave for my Human Growth and Development Field Trip, where we get to go horseback riding the highest elevation in South Africa, in Lesotho. We will get to meet the people in a small community and stay there for one night. I am really excited for it and can't wait to see the beautiful view from the top!

Thanks for reading!! :)

its a long one....but a GOOD one :)

Sorry it has been so long since my last blog! it has been getting busy here!!

At the beginning of the week i got sick....which was not so fun. i slept for most of the day on Monday, just wanting to be at home, being sick while in another country is not the ideal situation, but i had lots of people checking up on me and giving me meds :) on Monday i got to skype with my mom and wesley in the morning before i slept the day away, and then my mom again at night. i had never been so grateful for the internet! hearing their voices and having my mom pray for me over skype to get better was just what i needed while so far away from home!

Despite not feeling well at the beginning of the week i was still able to visit the fifth service site to see what it was like, and it is getting me excited for classes to be done and for us to start our time at our sites! we let our leaders know which ones were our "preferences" and will find out soon which one we get to serve at! :) but before that i need to TACKLE three more papers, two finals and get to go on a 2 day field trip horsebacking riding to the highest elevation in South Africa!

Wednesday i spent most of the day doing homework for a presentation with Melissa, but still had fun cause we were doing it together and she is just wonderful! The group here surprises me every day at how everyone gets along so well and is there for eachother. it has been so great having good, meaningful conversations with people and being encouraged by how they are seeing God and sharing with me. I am so thankful for the friendships that are being strengthened by being here and the new ones that are forming and becoming strong! I am so grateful for Hilary being here (who is basically like family from doing alpha together!), whenever i am feeling confused or lost we are able to talk about everything and she is such an encouragement to me! God is so generous in how he blesses me with the people here, and it makes me excited for the more great conversations i know i will get to have :)

Thursday some of us from our Human Growth class went to go practice riding horses for our fieldtrip - especially me because i have never ridden one before! but since we left late....possibly got lost on the way there..twice, we got there late and were not able to go and had to reschedule, so we went out to lunch at an adorable cafe in a garden! it was SOO cute and fun to be there with them :) it was a very hot day so we of course got double-thick chocolate milkshakes and some delicious food!! we ended up being able to go horseback riding today with the whole class, and it was SO MUCH FUN! riding a horse is easier than i thought it would be, but still nerve wrecking when the horse starts to trot because they are such big animals, but it definitely got me excited for our fieldtrip thursday!

Friday morning i went on a walk with some of the girls into the reserve and we all brought our journals and bibles to have quiet time :) then most of the girls went back for breakfast and me, hilary and bianca stayed. that morning i had been feeling distracted and not able to focus, i knew i was supposed to just listen, my pen even ran out of ink so that i couldnt journal, but i still could not just be still and listen. hilary and bianca prayed for me and it was such a blessing to be there with them that morning. we all talked for a while about what were feeling while being here and realizing the different things weve been learning, it was so great to sit and talk about what God's doing in our lives and such a calming experience.

We also went and visited a witch doctor on friday, which was a strange experience. they are called "sangomas" (if thats how you spell it....haha) we got to see all of his spices and herbs that he uses for spells, and even though it was a strange experience looking into his eyes and being there, it was a good experience.

Friday night we all had a bonfire and everyone made it so much fun!! we all did trust falls, having to confess something before we did (like in mean girls haha) and just hung out around singing and having s'mores :)

Then saturday we went to the Drakenburg Mountains to hike and see bushman paintings (paintings done a long time ago by the mountain people? ...we learn about it in our history class) but it was the most beautiful place i have ever been! i felt as if i was walking through the lion king with simba!! the drive there was fun with everyone and we hiked up to the caves and had fun exploring and seeing the scenery :) here are some of the many pictures we took that day!

The drive there, SO beautiful with the color of the sky and grass :)

Some of us girls on the hike back down!

enjoying the view from the top of a huge cliff!

me and Hilary standing on the edge :)

the view from the caves - beautiful!

It was such a fun day! Today (Sunday) I went to church at the same church i've been going to and had so much fun seeing the people there and meeting some more of the members there :) i love going to church there and getting to know the people of the church. Now im off to do some more homework since i have TONS to do before my field trip, but i hope you enjoyed reading this - sorry it was so long! i miss you all and think of you often!!

Mom- i saw a white butterfly and thought of you! :) its not the same one that the family used to see but i saw it and got a picture of it!

Home Sweet Home :)

Sorry it's been so long since my last blog! this past week was BUSY with homework, and this one looks like it will be just as busy! Tuesday we visited two more possible service site locations, which gets me excited for classes to be done and service sites to start! it was a VERY hot day, driving with the windows down through South Africa makes it all better :)

i had my first D-Group on Tuesday night, it was fun for all of us girls to get together and talk about what we want our group to look like (a D-group is like a small group) We did a work out video together and then of course, had some chocolate :) i'm excited to see how God is going to work through all of us being in the group together! they are all such sweet girls and i cant wait to get to know them better!

On Wednesday we had Ladies Night at the Keg and Hedgehog down the street from campus. It was fun for a bunch of us girls to go out to dinner and just hang out! All the girls in our chalet wore dresses that day, making it a "Mo-Jo Dress Day" (Mo-Jo short for Mojalefa, our chalet name). They are all so much fun and i love living with all of them!!

The rest of the week was working on papers pretty much and hanging out when we wanted a break :) One morning some of us girls from Mojalefa went to go walking in the reserve, but when we got there the EVIL monkeys were at the gate! there was about 5 of them, so we opted not to go in. Once we started walking away, literally 25 more monkeys started jumping out of the trees at the reserve entrance, right where we would have been if we had gone in! We could not believe how many there were and that we COULD HAVE been standing there! The monkeys have been crazy this week, always waiting outside our chalets and everywhere on campus making noise and messes of the trash cans. Thankfully there is usually a boy around to scare them off, or we get the paintball gun :) We also did star tripping one night, where you look up a star and spin around as fast as you can for 30 seconds and then someone shines a flashlight in your face and you fall over, sounds weird but it is so fun and HILARIOUS to watch!

Saturday was DURBAN DAY! We went shopping at a shopping center near the beach for a few hours, it was fun to see all the jewelry and fun paintings! Then we headed to the beach which was INSANELY hot!! first thing we did when we got there was get some ICE CREAM! :) it was delicious and exactly what we needed to cool down!

Then we all just laid on the beach tanning and going in the water, which was so refreshing! It was so much fun to be at the beach and all hang out soaking in the sun and seeing the people around us.

Then we all packed up and drove home, and it started RAINING! which turned into a THUNDERSTORM :) which i love!! the lightning here is beautiful because it turns the sky purple! we were all singing along to music and enjoying being together on the drive home, it was a good ending to a fun day!


Everyday i am blown away at the place i get to stay and that i get to be here for a whole semester! God is SOOO good and is showing himself to me in so many ways each and every day! I see him in his creation here, the scenery, the culture, and in his people. When i get to go in the reserve and see the sun shining through all the plants i just can not stop smiling and being cheerful that i get to be here!
We see zebras a lot in the reserve now, and they have definitely become my favorite animal! their patterns are so intricate, and they are such peaceful animals! they always travel together like a family and pose for our pictures :) seeing them in the morning is such a gift from God and a reminder of how creative and fun God is with his creation!

On Sunday I went to the church that i went to two weeks ago again. It was so good to be there again and be welcomed into their church! When we got there they seated us, and they seated me with no one else from our group next to me, which my initial reaction was wanting to be with people from APU, but once i got to my seat the lady sitting next to me greeted me with a warm hug and smile. Then i started worshiping with all the people in the church, lively music, so much energy and a lot of dancing and clapping! It was an amazing experience to be sitting next to someone i had never met before, yet feel so comfortable and close to her after worshiping with her! The pastor then started preaching, telling us that he had prepared 4 sermons for that day and had only decided which one to preach when he was sitting there worshiping, it was an awesome experience because the sermon he chose fit so closely with what God has been teaching me! God is working in ways that i never even thought of and showing me so many things about myself that i need to give up to him so that He can fill me up to be able to pour out to others! I cant wait to see what else he is going to show me and teach me, but He does it in his timing :)

So for now, South Africa is my "Home Sweet Home" away from home, and even though it is hard to be away from all of you, i know this is exactly where i need to be :)

Durban for the weekend!

This weekend we went to Durban for our intercultural communications class for a field trip! but before leaving for that on friday, I had another week of classes and fun!

On Tuesday we visited two of the service sites that are options for us when we start going in about 4 weeks, they were both really great sites and I cant wait to see the other three this week! its exciting to think about being able to spend so much time at the sites and getting to know the people there!

When we got back we headed straight to class, and in my Human Growth class that night we saw a HUGE spider that after spotted crawled under a desk, so of course we had to find it! after 5 minutes of searching (and all of us girls standing on our chairs screaming) we found it! it crawled up on top of the desk and we all SCREAMED because of how big it was! we caught it between a bowl and a girls notebook and all just stood around it looking at it under the bowl! it had such long legs and fangs!! but we definitely bonded as a class and laugh about it now :) after class a bunch of us played cards in my chalet and laughed until we went to bed! they are all such fun people!

while going running in the mornings we still are seeing zebras almost every day! and every day its EXCITING! they get so close to us and on wednesday we were on the road in the reserve and two zebras passed right by us SO CLOSE and we were all amazed! and then on friday when walking through on a narrow path we got to a point with a zebra standing on the trail eating and waited till it made its way off the path so we could pass, but it was awesome to see the zebra so close and so calm! sadly I didn't have my camera though :(

on wednesday night we went to dinner at the Keg and Hedgehog (a group of about 8 or so) it was a lot of fun! we met some locals there and they were nice and really funny, telling us OUR accents were funny! and they told us a bunch of places we had to visit and see while here! it was fun to meet them and to be out to dinner with friends :)

On friday we left for our field trip to Durban! the trip there took a lot longer than expected due to MANY malfunctions on the way! a trip that should have taken an hour and a half took over 5! but we made it bearable with some good music and fun people :) once we finally got there and got our room assignments we went to our chalets there and were given pizzas to cook with our chalets because they all had their own kitchens! it was a really nice place and we all just sat around eating pizza and hanging out :)

Saturday morning we woke up at 4:45 and headed to the beach to see the SUNRISE! it was SO pretty and i was so excited to see the Indian Ocean! we were all so excited to see the ocean finally and put our feet in while watching the sunrise! after we stayed for about an hour we headed back to camp and most of us went back to bed till breakfast. then after we all ate, we headed out for a driving tour of Durban and then went to the market place there. it was so busy and VERY hot but really good to be there and walk around. we didnt buy anything but some ice cream! which was delicious! Rolo ice cream bars are my new favorite and make a hot day so much better :) then we went back to camp for lunch and while waiting for lunch we all jumped in the pool there and swam for a while.

after lunch we headed to the beach! and went in the water in the Indian Ocean!! we all were like little kids a candy shop! the water was so warm and we all just ran in! it was so fun to go swimming and it was the perfect weather by the time we got there!

after we got back from the beach we made dinner and for our intercultural communications class we had a group of Indian college age students (South Africa has the highest Indian population of any country outside of India) that live in Durban come for dinner as well. we ate some good Indian food and hung out outside eating and laughing. :)

Today we all woke up early and got to go to an Indian Church. we were all split up into smaller groups and my group went to Umzinto Christian Ministries Church. it was a very charismatic church and all the people there were so welcoming and giving. they made us lunch and we ate at the church with them once the service was done. it was nice to meet them and talk with them while eating some good AUTHENTIC indian food :)

pretty much the rest of the day was getting back to camp, packing everything up and driving back home to African Enterprise! yes it now feels like HOME :) which feels so good to say! the drive back was nice and a lot quicker than there but had some good conversations and love getting to know everyone here better! once we got back we had dinner and then went on a walk in the reserve! and yes of course we saw some zebras, my favorite animal! but i am definitely tired from this weekend, but it was SO fun and really good to hang out with everyone not worrying about homework, but now this week we have to get to work and write papers and do lots of reading! :(

TIA - This is Africa.

i finally saw zebras on friday morning! :) we went running in the reserve in the morning like we have been doing and then we saw them! it was so incredibly exciting!! there was a bunch of us taking pictures, so it was crazy that they let us get so close, but so fun!

we had another mall run on friday where me and some of the girls on the birthday committee, yes i am on the birthday committee :), got some stuff for the birthdays here! then i went to the mug and bean with hilary and we got coffee, which tasted so good with our mint and chocolate bars!

when we got back from the mall it was raining, so naturally a group of us went and played rugby in the rain! it was SO much fun :) i had never played before but learned quickly the best thing to do is just run or tackle! we played up until a little before dinner so we had to hose ourselves off outside and then shower quickly to get to dinner. it was a lot of fun though, and although we started out freezing in the rain, by the end we were having way too much fun and running around so much that it was not cold at all!

on saturday we went to a show called "birds of prey" where before the show we got to walk around and see a lot of different birds and then during the show they had them flying to the workers where they were fed. watching them eat their food (which were baby chickens) was not the most pretty thing to watch, but the show was overall really fun just to see the birds so up close and watch them fly so quickly and near us.

we also went on a driving tour of PMB (pietermaritzburg) and then drove up to a look out over the city! it was foggy but still SO pretty up there and a really cool opportunity to be able to look out over the whole city!

saturday night a group of us went to dinner at the Keg Hedgehog that is about a 5 minute drive from campus. we got dropped off by our wonderful student life coordinators and had dinner there! it was so fun to go out and the food was delicious! and although we waited for about an hour for our food we still had so much fun just talking and hanging out!

sunday we all got to choose from 3 different churches which we would like to attend. i chose to go to "God's Family Life Center" and really enjoyed it! it was a very charismatic church and very lively! when one of the songs that was in Zulu came on, all the people in the church got so excited and started dancing in the aisles, it was so fun and a blessing to be able to be there and meet the people there. they were so welcoming to us, greeting us with hugs as we walked in and even giving us a "shout out" in the service! and after the service we met a lot of the members of the church, which was so fun and exciting because i cant wait to form friendships with the people of the church in the weeks to come!

after church we went and got ice cream at McDonalds! it was a VERY hot day so the ice cream was extra good! we all sat around and talked about what we thought of the church and the service, it was so nice to just be with everyone :)

after lunch on sunday i went swimming in the waterhole with some people to avoid our homework! :) we then played some games and hung out till tea time, then the dreadful homework had to be worked on so we all did homework together in a side room of the dining hall after dinner.

i am having so much fun here even with all the classes and homework because of the place i get to be in and also because of the people here! our group is all so fun and it is such a blessing to have such wonderful people to get to share this experience with!!