All My Love, Gennavieve

Initially, when I heard that our class would be going on a township tour, I assumed to experience something similar to my service sites in Hanniville; however, when I stepped off of the bus, the first things I noticed were the paved roads and the plans for future hope in community development. Welcome to Langa, where suburbia meets culture, a township in the Cape flats. The population of Langa is about fifty thousand and the primary languages spoken are English, Afrikaans, and Xhosa. The tour through this area was led by Mike Zuma, a man born, bred, and raised in Langa, he directed us through the streets of the township to nine different destinations, each offering new educational experiences. Several of our stops were places of significance to the community well being. For instance, St. Louis Primary school was our first stop and is important because it reveals the value of education and recognition of it as a blessing to the community. Although the school was shut down due t

Ma and Pa remind me a bit of my own Nana and Papa, which makes me feel at home. Pa's sense of humor is similar to my Papa, whose whitty jokes always make me smile. He has a teasing side that shows his affection to others, the more mischievous he plays, you know the more he loves you. Pa is similar he was reading jokes from the newspaper (with his magnifying glass that he keeps in his pocket because his eyes are bad and he refuses to wear his glasses) and he read this joke about a son who asks his father what kind of breasts there are. The father responds, "Son, there are three types, Women in their 20s Melons round firm, Women in their later years have Pears-still firm bit droopy Onions you see them and they make you cry." Ma is similar to my Nana in that she uses nicknames that make me feel loved. Terms like, "My baby" and"My darling." It is funny how much I miss the little things of my family while here. Counting down the days to return to

Or should I say King and Queen! Driving with these two is like driving with royalty because they are constantly waving from their seat to those they know. We cannot step outside of the house without Ma or Pa warmly sending a hello. They know their community very well. This morning Marcela and I woke up to make Ma and Pa breakfast. We fixed them an egg scramble with toast and fresh avocado. We then received a wonderful visit from Althea, their oldest daughter. Althea brought her three children and we enjoyed a relaxing conversation, still in our pajamas. Soon Marcela’s eyes got heavy and she was asleep next to me. Althea had to be on her way and Ma woke Marcela and told her to take a nap upstairs on our bed. So up we went, and took an early morning nap. We woke up before noon and got dressed to visit Kim, Ma and Pa’s youngest daughter. Monkey is the nickname of the youngest grandson, who is a wild maniac with an energy that makes you exhausted simply watching him. When lea

Call us “Ma and Pa!” Meet Lucy and Clive, Marcela and my home-stay parents for the week in Oceanview! They are an elderly couple in their sixties, who live in a small home and have opened their doors for many to stay. At dinner they were the first to greet us with an excited hug and they rushed us home after the meet and greet banquet. We pulled up to their home and dropped our luggage in the middle of the small living room floor, sat down and chatted for four hours. We learned many things… We learned that Ma and Pa met when they were seven and eight years old. They grew up together, best friends and live together today as best friends. This adorable pair has generously opened their home to countless students and persons who have needed a place to stay, so they had several interesting stories to share about various individuals. We also learned some simple facts about Ma and Pa. For example, Pa cannot pray out loud, he only manages to utter a few words before he tears up and ha

The scene was set for the perfect day to explore the streets of Capetown: with a crystal clear blue sky, Table Mountain as a magnificent backdrop, and the busy hum of downtown city buzzing in our ears, we were ready to begin our tour. Each destination point was predestined and we walked with an excited eagerness to each location. The day held many fascinating sights such as the museum, the Green Garden, and of course the food bazaar, which collaboratively inspired an eagerness to return and experience more of this city in all of its fullness. We boarded the train and sat on third class and I noticed some interesting things. First, we were the only white people there. Second, the inside of the train was lined with advertisements for abortions and walking venders selling "sweets" and "crisps," or candy and chips. So much to observe inside one train. Our first stop was the slavery museum, where we viewed a short clip about the history of the slave trade in Capet

The day before I left the campus of AE, where I had spent the past 46 days studying and living, I went on a hike to discover a rumored third waterfall. I went with three of the guys, starting at a jog to begin our trek towards the goal of finding the final waterfall. Our mission was accomplished and God blessed us with even more. We ventured up the hill and off of the cement path, through mud sliding steps we came to a fence, which didn’t stop us, we simply army crawled right under the wires onto different property. Casey warned, “Alright, if anyone asks, we’re dumb, lost Americans who are staying at AE and we just got lost.” “Okay!” We chimed and continued on our way on foreign territory. We heard it before we saw it but the waterfall was just around the corner. It was not as majestically gigantic as the previous falls but it was taller. We reached the side and decided the only way to continue was to climb up the side of the falls and so we did. Initially, I looked at the s

Cue Christmas music (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8t_forzHXzE -No, seriously! Click on this link and listen to this as you read my words, go on! Please click away.), which should be titled Holiday Music , after Halloween and decorations after Thanksgiving, everyone should abide by this principle. Thus I have been listening to Holiday Music and, although I have not a place to decorate or means to decorate, I have been fantasizing about Christmas. So here is a little post to say, Here's to the song I'll be home for Christmas , I have never sang this song with such fervor before... I'll be home for Christmas You can count on me Please have snow and mistletoe And presents on the tree Christmas Eve will find me Where the lovelight gleams I'll be home for Christmas If only in my dreams Christmas Eve will find me Where the lovelight gleams I'll be home for Christmas If only in my dreams ... I am dreaming about Christmas with my loved ones. I'l

Yesterday I took a taxi. Praise the Lord I was with Phindele and Grace because taxis in South Africa are extremely dangerous and now I understand why. From the moment the driver pulled over he expressed a disturbing interest. We loaded into the taxi and he said, "So can I have you?" I quickly switched my ring to my left hand and apologized, saying I was already taken. Yet, he continued with just plain nasty remarks, asking for my other hand. And so I decided to pull some Jesus on his ass (Although that failed miserably last time in Durban at least it was worth a shot) I began talking about how Jesus tells us to have one man and one wife and His word was the one I listened to, guiding my steps. Instantly he got defensive and impatiently barked, "You don't need God. Enough of the Jesus talk." It is amazing how much the darkness flees and fears the light. So I stopped, smiled and got off of the taxi. Thank you Jesus, You're my man! May you call on

This is the name of the organization where I am located for service sites in the town of Haniville.I have grown to love and appreciate the joy filled individuals and learning opportunities here. When choosing preferences for our areas of service I put, "Place me wherever," and I was incredibly rewarded by God because He provided me with an incredible team that has filled my heart with laughter and many great memories. I would like to take the time to offer a brief bio of each member. CASEY A man of God who embraces life with a "Go for it" attitude. He is easygoing and consistent. You can always rely on him to be laid back and up for adventure. He adds a depth to our group because he offers a very different perspective from others. Casey is like a monkey, always climbing trees and exploring. He embraces Joshua 1:9, "Be strong and courageous. Do not be terrified, do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go," d

Today I learned a cultural lesson through my daisy chain making. I was just being typical Gennavieve, frolicking in the fields between the rose geranium and picking daisies. I decided to make a chain and, before long, I had quickly assembled a round daisy necklace. I held it for a bit and then one of the workers, Mikeal, came up to our group and I decided to give it to him, so I put the flower garland around his head and it plopped on his neck. Little did I know that my actions meant much more than I had intended. Mikeal's eyes lit up and he screamed in Zulu to his coworkers, proudly showing off his chain. I giggled at first and then after the eruption of laughter from the workers, I realized that I had done something unusual. I swiftly found Pendele, one of the women who I've grown to trust and love who also translates for us, and asked her to explain why the men had been laughing. She began to laugh herself when I told her and after she regained composure she sai

I have recently been missing the sweet comforts that home brings. Living in South Africa has been an incredibly eye opening experience that has revealed breathtaking waterfalls, unfathomable living situations, and a thriving hope. I have been blessed to learn so much but I must be honest and confess that I miss the comforts of home and the familiar season change of autumn that bring me much joy. There are little things that cause me to reflect on the luxuries I am blessed with at home. Tings like... The changing colors of leaves and the smell of cinnamon and pumpkin spice in the air. An insulated, warm home, we have a family of bugs that takes pleasure in occupying our chalet with us, some of the biggest bugs I have ever seen. Oh, and lizards too. My Momma's bed where my sister and I sleep, all three of us snuggled together. The bed here is permanently U-shaped because I sit in the middle of it to do my homework and the mattress has an eternal dent. Home cooked meals, bla