Reality

HELLO ALL!

 

I have officially been here a month and a week! :)

 

While I am so happy to be back in beautiful South Africa and out of the stage of waiting and waiting and more waiting on my visa I have to be honest and say that my transition here has been much harder than anticipated. On day three I basically broke down in tears because everything was extremely overwhelming. I got here and stepped into the middle of a 10 week summer internship for college students. I wanted so badly to jump 100% in but I had to take a step back and realize that doing that the first day I got here was not the healthiest way to transition into life in Africa. So after breaking down to my team (which are wonderful and supportive people) I decided it was best for me to stop putting so much pressure on myself to immediately step into everything around me. Who was I kidding?!? I need to get my life sorted out here. I need a car, insurance, internet... all the basic things that you need to live life.

 

So, just this week I finally have internet in my room and I have the ability to be my introverted self and go into my cocoon. :) I have also been trying to get a car for about 3 weeks and it is just taking a little while to get sorted out. Oh and I still don't have a TV license. Ha I will figure that out hopefully this week!

 

But, here are some things I would LOVE prayers for:

- Impact (The summer internship) will be over August 1st. Please keep all of the students in your prayers as God continues to shape them these last weeks.

- Pray for after Impact and for my team! After Impact is over is when we can finally begin focusing on our house church and discipleship.

- Please pray for my personal guidance and clarity from God. I have some personal things going on that I need His wisdom in.

- Continued transition into life here in SA.

- Pray for the hearts of those the Lord is calling me and my team to disciple.

- And you are more than welcome to join in with me as I praise Him daily for the incredible blessings He is bestowing on me!!!

 

And here are a few things that have been goin on around here:

 

This past week we had a camp for kids. I was in charge of the lovely "Chubby Bunny" station where I was spit on quite a bit. :)

And this was a game which involved eating M&Ms out of a pan of powdered sugar.

 

And these are just some of the awesome Impacter's here this summer (also known as SA's winter).



 

Blessings!

Tv License?

Hello from South Africa!

 

It is great to finally be here. So far I have just been trying to settle in to my new home and get everything that I need. It has been a tad rough transitioning but the Lord is faithful and He is sustaining me. But here's a little story of what it has been like so far...

 

So, this past Monday I was determined to get things done. So I borrowed a car and went to the mall alone for the first time. I decided I needed to buy a TV because watching movies is how I relax and I have no way of watching them right now. I went into the store and picked out a TV and told the sales guy that I wanted to purchase it. He looked at me and told me it was a great choice and then said, "Now here comes the hard part! You have to have a TV license." I say, "I am sorry! What exactly is a TV license?" He then goes on to explain that in order to purchase a TV you have to go to the post office and pay for a license. He also said, "But the good news is that once you get one then you have it for life, you just have to pay an annual fee." .... (I have a blank stare on my face) I asked him what would happen if I didn't want the license eventually and I didn't want to continue to pay the fee. He then proceeds to explain that it is actually a difficult process getting rid of the license and you have to prove to them that you no longer own a TV. Needless to say I left the store frustrated.

 

After leaving that store I decide I would buy some groceries so I go into the store and pick up a basket. I thought I would get some kiwi so I get a plastic bag and then remember that you have to weigh all your fruit here before you go to the check out. So, I put down the bag and walk out because I just can't handle it.

 

Then I head to my car. Well, here when you first come into a parking garage you get a ticket and before you leave you have to pay for the ticket. So I pay and get in the car. Well, I am leaving and the machine does not accept my ticket. Then I have to call for help.... It was rough.

 

So, I get home and Ashley (my teammate) and I decide we are going to try and figure out if my internet will work. I haven't been able to get internet in my room yet so it's on my list to figure out what exactly to do. So Ashley and I proceed to try to fix the internet for the next two hours and well.... I still don't have internet in my room.

 

This may sound like extremely minor things to you but when you have just moved to a new country these little things are huge and cause incredible frustration and disappointment. So the day started out with me being optimistic that I would have things done by the end of the day and I got to the end and there was nothing done.... :(

 

 But, the next day I was able to go shopping with Ashley and I bought a ton. AND today I got a car! It is not yet in my possession but it should be in a few days. So YAY!!!!!!! Pictures will come later.

 

So here are a few pics of my new home and other stuff...

 

So I am finally with these wonderful people.

 

When I came home for the first time there were a lot of people from a summer internship we do here every year waiting at my new home. They made me signs! It was a great surprise. :)

 

 My bedroom

 

 

 

 

I have two closets. :)

 

 

The backyard

 

 The interns at Impact did a whole day of kids games.

 

 We all went to Cape Point which was so wonderful because that is near where I lived in 2012.

 

 Oh Hout Bay! This is just around the corner from where I lived before. I cried when I say it again.

 

And we also did our first annual "real talk" girls conference. Ashley and I hope this is the first of many.

 

That's about it!

 

:)