The Life I Live: South Africa
So I have much more to write about this month, but I may as well start at the easiest place.
Here is what some of the touches of daily life looked like in South Africa:
The main mode of transportation in South Africa in a city area is Kombi. It is essentially a 15 passenger van that gets filled with passengers and the driver will make stops offloading you wherever you agreed to be dropped off.
At our ministry sight, we drove around in BarnaBus. He was legit.
The seat broke one time, staying collapsed for about five days with no signs of revival. We spent time praying for it to return to its upright and locked position for fear that our team would have to pay for it and we attempted multiple times to figure out a way to physically help it to be unstuck. To no avail. One day while climbing in, I simply said, “Dear Lord, please fix this seat.” And He did. Seriously, I cannot describe to you the importance of this moment, not only because it likely saved our teams money and stopped comments from being made about it, but also because Papa likes to love on His children. It’s a big miracle in my book.
The World Cup resulted in several grand stadiums and job opportunities. For the most part, I only heard good things about what the event did for the nation.
Hearing the word, colored, was shocking and it felt strange all month to say it. The apartheid ended segregation years ago, but there is still overt racism. I assumed there would be similar attitudes in certain areas as there can be found in the American South still. Either, I was more conscious of it, or it truly is more rampant and obvious.
My squad mates and I heard on more than one occasion throughout the month statements like this:
“You’re staying where? The flats! Are you safe?” “That part of town is no good.” “It’s not wise for us to be in this area at night. You never know what they will do.”
There are three main races in South Africa, blacks, coloreds and whites.
The cars drive on the left side of the road, making it the 5 month on the race I have had to force myself to look right, left, right before crossing the street.
The currency is South African Rand and 10 rand is roughly equal to a dollar.
Durban has the highest population of Indians outside of India.
There are over 70 languages spoken in South Africa. Afrikaans is an official language alongside 10 other languages.
In the town where I spent three weeks of the month, another common language was Xhosa. It is pronounced similar to Kosa except it has some cool clicks in it. Yes, an African clicking language!
Xhosa and Afrikaans are the number two and three most commonly spoken languages.
The month in South Africa was often like being at home in the U.S.
I drove cross country and saw many landscapes similar to the various regions of the U.S.
The views from atop Table Mountain were stunning. The day I got to hike it was probably one of my most favorite days on the race.
We could find anything we needed or wanted in stores. South Africa also had prices like America and then some. It was the most expensive month for our squad by far, surpassing Northern Ireland.
And the teams’ location I stayed in near Capetown was in a typical vacation town. We stayed in a grandparents addition to a garage with indoor plumbing and an option for bucket showers in a bathtub while a shower was being remodeled.
We cooked our meals on propane burners outside.
Ministry involved walking dogs at a local animal shelter.
We lived with a family of five, two alumni world racers and two foster children under the age of three. There were 13 of us. It took lots of coordination for our group this month.
When sharing a room with 12 other women, be prepared for messy messy messiness. Especially when everyone sleeps on sleeping pads and you can’t move from one side of the room to the other without stepping on one.
I changed several diapers this month.
I also got ringworm from kids at a preschool we worked in. It left a scar.
We walked dogs, and God used this to bring people encounters, played with kids at a preschool and cared for two munchkins 24/7 for ministry this month. We also did landscaping work to help prepare for a future baby house.
I got to play soccer this month on the beach for ministry, at my third location for the month with some random guys on a blacktop and on a grass field at an adult summer camp through Hillsong Church. It helped me blow off some steam.
Attending Hillsong Church was a great experience to have. I always struggle to not be cynical when I see mega churches and the typical flashing lights and pumping music and gourmet coffee shops in the lobby. This church had that, but the message the weekend I was able to attend I was blessed with hearing a great message and I was encouraged and grateful to be welcomed there.
I lived 500 meters from the ocean, but I did not spend anytime in the water or on the beach because all of my free time I spent at a local coffee shop trying to sort through emails, communicate stateside and get time away from everyone. On the days when I was clear to go to the beach, everyone else was wanting days at the coffee shop. I don’t regret not going. I was getting what I needed at the time.
Favorite candies from South Africa – Astros, and Fizzers.
That reminds me that my favorite sandals broke one day in Durban.
Jesus Loves You in Afrikaans – Jesus is lief vir jou
This month is South Africa was a difficult one. From the outside, and externally from so many emotions I still have from it, it was a month of choosing in and choosing joy. I was able to travel cross country by car and bus and see so many beautiful things. I was able to go to a church service and church camp where there was nothing expected of me. I simply was able to attend and be poured into myself. It was a blessing.
I spent a week in Durban with my co-squad leaders and was able to have a few fun days hanging out with Dan, a co-squad leader, before he traveled home. I did life messily with two very strong women’s teams. I learned so much in those three weeks. And while looking back on it at debrief about a week ago, I would not take those three weeks back, but I don’t think I would ever choose to live them again.
I was able to hike up Table Mountain, a natural wonder of the world. And I met so many beautiful and kind souls during my month in South Africa. But I still battle the idea of ever wanting to go back, because right now, it may be far too soon.
