Throw up, Zip Lines and the Von Trapp Family

What if I was throwing up from up there?

I am writing this in my bed which is the first step of a bad sign because it means that I am sick. I have had a cold for the past week here that has caused slight complication, on top of that I started throwing up. I have never thrown up with a stuffy nose and let me just tell you, it’s an experience I hope to never have again. Needless to say, for the past few days a 24 hour bug has ripped through our campus where someone has intense vomiting and diarrhea and after a day of rest stops. There are a few exceptions with this 24-hour rule, Kat had it yesterday so I was bound to get it today.

Our team!!

Dodging the tree

This weekend was a great weekend of zip lining! It was a more than terrifying experience, but nonetheless great. We were able to rip across a mountain. To start it they took us to the top of it in the trees and there was a series of 8 zips to get to the bottom. It was INCREDIBLEY high and also had an incredible view that looked very similar to the Coastal Range Mountains in Oregon. I shared my screams as I zipped across trees, waterfalls and even at times we had to avoid trees (like in my picture). I think my legs were shaky from the experience for just about the next hour, but it was amazing and I wish that it could have continued forever!

The Von Trapp Family

After an exhausting day at zip lining we finished the night by having a bry with a bouncy castle! IT was the final game for the sharks rugby team that ended up winning the championship. It was an exciting game and win and made much more sense this time.

Our course

Sunday we celebrated our own kind of “costume party”. In South Africa Halloween has a very different meaning and therefore we changed our celebrations a bit so that it was more appropriate for the community we are in. My chalet dressed up as the Von Trapp family and learned the “So Long Farewell” and “Do Re Me” songs and dances so that we could perform. It was a very fun Halloween that included a party where people got to eat disgusting mixes of foods. Thank goodness for my lactose intolerance so that I could NOT participate in this part, but instead watch as they ate disgusting contractions.

Oh Africa...

This week was my first week at Walk in the Light. After three days of being in class with Francis our instructor for Community Engagement we FINALLY got to go on site. It’s been interesting being there. I love being on site, but it always fascinates me how differently things work in different non-profit organizations. Essentially, Walk in the Light is on the outskirts of the township Haniville. It’s a township with about 10,000 residents but does not look nearly so packed. Supposedly, it’s a dangerous area which I have seen very little evidence of. It’s been greatly affected by drugs, alcohol, AIDS and poverty which is a tough combination. Walk in the Light is a community center who’s main goal is for every morning to take people from Haniville to the clinic early in the morning. Part of the difficulty is that people who need help are not receiving proper care and so every morning a team member takes those from the community at 6am. Tuesday and Thursdays there are meetings with the “Go-Go’s” (Grandma’s) where we lead a bible study. Friday afternoons there is a time for senior youth group with people who are very close to my age. On top of all these activities there is a dream to create a church/community center which has been drawn up but at this time they do not have enough money and resources to start the project. There is one “head” guy named Bruce who comes in the morning to do devotionals with us and then heads to his farm which is the funding for WITL and his family. This creates some difficulty for our team in having and knowing what to do and how to take the things we are hearing in our community engagement class back into the community.

It amazes me that it is already November and that I am coming back to the United States quicker than I am ready for. I am holding onto everyday at the work site and will be sad when it’s over. It’s nice to get college credit to work hard physically. We have three more weeks here and then will head to Cape Town for the final part of our trip.