I haven't been in the office until now and I have not had a decent internet connection, so blogging has not been possible. Today, I was able to get on my laptop in the office and to catch up I decided to paste parts of my journal. I apologize if it seems like rambling or for the overwhelming amount of information. I expect that maybe only my parents take the time to read it, and that's fine, but it is available for anyone who has a few moments to waste.

January 23, 2009
I arrived in Cape Town this afternoon. I’ll admit I’m somewhat nervous. I spent the descent on the plane reassuring myself of God’s promises and His ability to protect and watch over me. The time I believe will go quickly, especially as God shows me where and how He plans to use me. It will be good.
What of I saw of Cape Town from the air was beautiful. I didn’t have much of a tour from the ground. We drove straight from the airport to the house where I am staying. We drove past some of the townships outside of Cape Town, they are small shacks made of tin panels, and are known for their crime and gangs. I was told that the South African government is going to put up billboards or walls along the highway to hide them from sight before the World Cup is played here next year.
The area where I am living is called Wynberg, I don’t know yet where I am in relation to Cape Town, but it seems like a fairly quiet street for such a big city. I am in a house that Ambassadors just took over 2 days ago, so it is pretty meager at this point. We have beds, but no other furniture in the bedrooms (there are 2 rooms for 3 of us, at this point I will be sharing a room). The living room has one borrowed love seat and the kitchen has a table that came from the AIS office with 2 office chairs, which is supposed to be replaced with an actual kitchen table soon. We don’t even have a fridge yet, which I guess is okay, because I don’t have any food, nor have I had a chance to exchange money yet to buy food.
One of my roommates arrived Wednesday, the other is to arrive sometime next week. Lesley is from Scotland and just left the British army (she’s called me mate about 20 times in the last 5 hours, which sort of makes me laugh.) Simonae is from South Africa, but she is the one who I have not met yet.
There is a house 2 doors down where two other girls who work with AIS live. They are both South African and grew up in Cape Town. They stopped in this evening to say hello, but we were just sitting down to our two seat table for dinner, so they left and we went to see them a little later. I think it will be nice to have them close by. The neighbors seem friendly as well, but we do have bars on our windows and padlocks on all the doors. A little different from living in Butler or Harmony. I have to work really hard to understand what people are saying when they speak, their accents are thick.
I was told that I was put on a team to play in a tournament tomorrow. I know I am not in any sort of game playing shape. It will also be weird playing with a completely unfamiliar team and style of play. I don’t know how much playing time I will get, but I might be happier with very little until I figure things out. I just hope I won’t collapse in the heat; I haven’t been in weather this warm in 5 months.
My plane flight was uneventful once I was out of the US. But on my flight from Pittsburgh to JFK, the plane was ready to taxi when the ground crew overflowed our toilet. They pumped in 23 gallons instead of 2.3, and the chemicals poured out of the bathroom in to the cabin. They had to reroute us on an American Airlines flight that took off 2 hours later. Thankfully, I was supposed to have a four hour layover at JFK, because once I landed, it took me 45 minutes to get from one gate to the next, and they were just beginning to check visas when I got there, so I got right in the front of the line. That gave me just enough time to stand in line for 20 minutes to get a bagel and then board the plane. It was a long flight, 17 ½ hours on the same plane with a stop in Dakar, but I had two seats to myself the entire way, so I was able to spread out a little and even lay down in a ball to get a bit of sleep.
I pray for God’s sustenance and peace. I have always been an independent person, but God may be using this time to make me fully dependent on Him.

January 24, 2009
I experienced major jet lag last night. I laid awake all night, and nothing I did could make me tired enough to fall asleep even though I was very tired. My body just kept telling me that it was the middle of the afternoon and it was not time for a knap. So after not sleeping last night, or much the “night” before on the plane, I spent all day outside in the heat and the sun playing in a soccer tournament. I can only hope that I am now tired enough to get a good night’s rest for the first time in 57 hours. It was also pretty noisy here last night, which didn’t help, and it seems to be even worse tonight. Last night there was a dog that barked almost non-stop until 1 AM and then started again around 6. There was also some foot traffic outside, and then a Muslim mosque blasting its prayer at 4:30 AM. The walls are very thin and everyone has metal gates and gated doors, so anyone coming and going within a few houses away can be heard. Tonight there is a party going on somewhere, it sounds like it could be next door, but I think it is actually a few houses down.
I met about 8 of the girls today who play on the AIS Ladies football team, which is the team I will most likely be playing on or helping out with. Most of them were very friendly and I will look forward to getting to know them. They seem to be pretty close, so it may be hard to break in to their relationships, but I pray that they will accept me and that I will have the opportunity to disciple some of them. I think most of them are still in their teens, so I hope I am able to fit in with a younger generation within a different culture.
I pray that God would show me who is in need and how I can be used to offer help and healing. I pray also that God will allow me to be used in the lives of my roommates, who I will have even greater opportunity to interact with (although they may not be completing their internships in Cape Town).

January 25, 2009
I slept last night, very well, probably about 7 hours, and woke up this morning for church wanting to sleep a couple more. I wouldn’t let myself nap today though, because I just want to get good sleep at night. I went to church with the other interns this morning and two staff workers. The sermon was simple, but fine. The pastor, who I guess was not the head pastor, talked about Bush and Obama at the beginning of his sermon. It has nothing to do with the sermon, but it was interesting to hear what a foreigner had to say about American politics, even though I believe his opinions were a bit skewed. The church was a little charismatic, but nothing carried away (although I wonder if it is ever otherwise). It may be difficult to find any church around here that isn’t a little charismatic. I did get in touch with an MTW missionary before I came down who recommended the Church of England in South Africa though. I was told that we would be taken to six churches that have a relationship with AIS and then could decide which one we wanted to become a part of, so I don’t know if going to a different church will be an option or not.
One of the staff also invited two of us over for lunch and then took us for a drive and a walk down at one of the beaches. She has been here since 2003 and now has 3 foster girls and 2 American students living with her. It was nice to have lunch with them; I enjoyed the hospitality and hearing a little more about South Africa from her perspective.
The trip to the beach was interesting as well. We drove past some fairly poor areas and then through the rich white areas, very close together, but so very different. Even the beach was divided. It was only about ½ a mil long, but one side of the bay had rich houses up the hillside, and they looked straight across the bay at a very poor fishing community. I don’t know how people can live in a place where they are literally flaunting their wealth to people who barely survive on hard labor. Even the wealthy houses don’t compare very well with houses in the US. From what I saw, the wealthy houses compare more to middle class or may be upper middle class in the US. I don’t think people realize how wealthy and how well off the US really is. I’ve already felt rich a couple of times. I find myself thinking about the exchange rate and how cheap things like food seem and then I realize what I consider to be small change, the people here view as considerable.

January 27, 2009
It is very frustrating not having a car, because we can’t get anywhere and have to rely on other people all the time.
We went to the office for the first time this morning and all of the interns met and got an introduction to what we will be doing. I think there are 13 interns, but only 11 were there today. I think the first 10 weeks will be very busy and fairly intense hands-on training. After that, we sort of choose the area where we want to focus our attention and are more on our own to pursue ministry opportunities. Depending on what we choose, there could be a full-time staff focused on that as well, so there would be someone to oversee and give direction. Without having seen or experienced anything yet, I think at this point I would lean more toward the homeless/orphan shelter or the women’s prison. I don’t know what doors will open or what the possibilities will be, but it gives me something to think and pray about.
The interns all seem very nice and I think it will be a good group. There are about 4 from England, 1 Scotland, me, and the rest from South Africa. I don’t know how long most people are doing the internship, some just the first 10 weeks and others up to 2 years. It will be good to see every person’s passions and gifts and how they fit in to the ministry.

January 28, 2009
I went to my first practice yesterday for the ladies team. I think I should do okay. I am a little out of practice and my touch could be better, but I think I should be able to compete with them. My clearances that I sent a few weeks ago never arrived though, so I’m not sure what happened there, but was hoping that had all been taken care of. I hope it does not cause any delay.
I went to a supermarket today. I bought a 1 kg bag of plums for 69 cents, and my groceries totaled $8.26, including 2 big bottles of water. I’ve spent $35 in 5 days on food, but I have to buy more expensive items at little corner stores because I don’t have a refrigerator, and I still have some extras in the cupboard. Things seem so cheap to me, but I know they are expensive to locals. Tonight we bought a large pineapple and chicken pizza for dinner, for $6.10, and it was enough for 4 of us. My Scottish roommate and I split the cost and shared it with two other girls who could not have afforded to pitch in for it. Then, when we were done eating, we were talking about the townships, and one of the local girls was telling us how we just couldn’t understand the townships. Here I am feeling so good about getting a great pizza for so cheap, sharing it with two girls who couldn’t afford it, and they are telling me about people who are so far worse off than they; people who have nothing. She was very distressed as she was telling us how she wants to work with them, but they can’t afford soccer balls or shoes, so unless she is supported from elsewhere, she can’t get those things for them. She doesn’t work, and I think she believes that she cannot get a job if she tries, so she hasn’t. I had a conversation with her last night about what she wants to do in life and she says she just doesn’t know. I asked her what she liked, what she was passionate about, and what her gifts were, and she said she doesn’t know. I have started to believe that it is hard for people here to be motivated to do anything. They see hopelessness in their situation and resign to it. Not everyone; there are people who are very motivated and work hard, but I think others really need to be pushed to make something for themselves.
My second roommate moved in yesterday. She is 21, but this is the first time she has been on her own, so she has admitted that she has been apprehensive and nervous about not having someone to depend on. She finished high school this year and was the first one in her family to do so. And I think that was with a lot of support, as she was previously living with her principle, which seems to be common. If someone shows potential, but does not have support from their family or anyone who can help them with academics, they are sort of taken on as foster children to get them through school.
There is great need here; I think I have only begun to glimpse a small part of it. I feel small and insignificant in my ability to make any sort of impact, but if I just reach one person, it will make an impact, and I know God is great and mighty and He can do great and mighty things.

February 2, 2009

We have been attending TREC all week (Training, Resourcing, Equipping Churches/Coaches), which is similar to what I did in Cleveland in July, but this time it is with different people and a different culture. I think I got to know people better this week; it was much more relaxed and comfortable socially than it was in the US (which may just be the African people). There were leaders from the different offices in Africa; it was nice getting to know them, because they have passion for what they do and where God might use them as they start from grassroots. It was a hot and busy week, but I think it was a good first week, getting to know people, as well as getting things moving at a good pace.
I stayed up to watch the Steelers game last night, it ended at 5:15AM, so I am falling asleep writing this. The Steelers won, so that’s all that matters. But, I will go to bed now if it is not too noisy outside.

February 4, 2009
The last two days have been pretty slow. We didn’t do much yesterday, except spend about 2 hours at the internet café looking at car options, without finding any good ones. I played in a friendly last night against one of the best teams in the league. We lost 5-0 (I don’t think the score very accurately reflected the game), and I think I played okay for my first game in over 8 years. I played holding midfield, which was new or me. Playing with a new team in a country with a completely different playing style may take some getting used to as well. The players tend to get the ball and dribble forward, rarely slowing down and looking around for the best pass to make. The work ethic of the team seemed a little low; girls did not move up and down the field as much as I would have anticipated. I often felt like I was passing the other two midfielders in both directions in order to be where I thought I needed to be. They have been waiting for months for their season to start, but keep getting the run around from the league, so attendance at practice has been way down, which probably accounts for the fitness and lack of motivation as well. There are a lot of areas I know I can improve on and will continue to work as hard as I can to contribute what I can. My pray has been that I concentrate on how I am playing, not focusing on others and not focusing on what others think about me, and that whatever I do, I will represent God well and bring Him glory.
We wanted to go to the beach today, but the battery in the car we borrowed was dead, so we are waiting for the mechanic to call and let us know that he got one and can install it. It is almost 2:00 now and we have been waiting since around 9:30. It looks like it will be yet another day without making it to the shore.
We also found out today that our refrigerator, which the office just bought for us secondhand, is a dud. The lines in the freezer section we cut and patched and the gas has all leaked out. It would have cost just as much to fix as a new refrigerator. So, it has been almost two weeks and it seems we are back to square one, except that one of the wives said she would go out herself to look for one and not rely on the guys to do so. We still don’t have any other furniture either, so may be it is to be a lesson in humility and being thankful for God’s blessings and abundance that I have taken for granted in the past.