Birthday, Burnt Tongue and Bumpy Roads

I've hesitated in writing this.  The only reason is that I know in doing so the trip becomes memory and it's no longer a present event.  But the time has come to share.

Birthday
I don't think I've had a better present than going to Africa on my birthday.  I look back a year ago to the same day and remember having a great party at the Deeter's.  Cheeseburgers, mac and cheese, ice cream cake...the works.  I was still a week away from going to Africa for the first time.  This year I was leaving for Africa.  Had a great morning with the parentals and found myself in Dulles airport and waiting for the other 3/4's of the team faster than I could have imagined.

I started to get a little nervous when it was nearly time for our flight to board.  Then I finally saw the ladies from Chicago coming down the terminal...then I heard them singing, "Happy Birthday."  Suddenly the folks I had been sitting around were all wishing me happy birthday.  With in a few minutes we were boarding and on our way.

The flight is as can be expected with being in the same little tube for 19 hours.  But soon that was all over (including the b-day,) and we were in Africa.  South Africa to be exact.  It was a much different trip from the beginning.  There were only 4 of us this time.  Last year there was 13.  This dynamic changed the trip in several ways.  With 4 we weren't going to be doing any major projects as far as being directly involved in labor.  To the positive side the smaller team allowed a lot more connection within the team.  In other words, we got to know each other a lot better.  Which was good since the 4 of us make up most of the BGC board.

While waiting for the rental car to be sorted out, I sat down and flipped through a newspaper.  There were a lot of things going on in South Africa.  One of the biggest things involved Eskom the utilities provider for most of South Africa.  There had been riots and issues, the nature of which I don't fully know.  But I read in the paper that there were riots in Soweto, a chancellor's house had been torched, and local shops were being robbed.  I only mention this because on of our leaders had done mighty battle with Eskom over the phone on behalf of Botshabelo, where we built the playground last year.

Soon we found ourselves crammed into our Toyota Avanza and on our way to Ga-Rankuwa and our family in Zone-7.  It was a tight ride, with virtually all airspace packed with luggage and people.  Arriving at the house and seeing our friends was a great ending to a long trip.  We spent some time catching up, laughing, talking and just enjoying each others company before turning in for the night.

Ang and the Ga-Rankuwa kids!

Burnt Tongue

Thursday morning.  That's right with all travel time we spend over a day and a half (including the time zone change) before even getting to our destination.  So, Thursday AM, probably around 8 or 9 in SA, which for the States would be about 2-3 AM Eastern time I find myself shuffling into the kitchen to make some hot chocolate.

There is this fabulous little electric kettle we use that heats up in just a few minutes.  I poured two packets of Swiss Miss into my new travel Thermos, ad the hot water, stir real good and let it sit for several minutes.  Then I take a sip.  Time seemed to go into slow-motion.  I realized as soon as I put my lips to the lid that it was going to be too hot.  But I couldn't correct the upward lifting motion of my arm and what felt like near boiling hot chocolate cascaded over my tongue.

Yes, we drink hot chocolate in South Africa.  I'm not a coffee or tea drinker.  And it's cold when we go there, at least at night and in the early mornings.  For those in the Chicago area, or Harrisburg area think October temperatures.  High 30's to Low 40's at night, and this trip I don't think it ever went over 70 during the day.

So, day one, burnt tongue.  No worries.  I knew I'd be back to normal in a few days.  But I learned my lesson about that Thermos mug.  It really holds heat well.  I would be mixing hot and cold water to get the temp just right for the rest of the trip.

Thursday was a pretty relaxed get adjusted day.  We went to the shops and got food for the house and some blankets for the ladies, and various other odds and ends we either planned on buying locally or just forgot to pack.  Like towels.  Later in the afternoon we headed out to Botshabelo to reunite with our friends there.

With in minutes of getting out of the car my good friend King was nearly knocking me over in excitement.  (He is one of the dogs there, and nearly climbed into our van when we left last July.)  A few moments later the giant Horatio was towering over me as I sat, equally excited!

King.  He's thrilled.

Botshabelo was a little different in attitude as it was there Winter Holiday from school.  So we weren't swarmed by children.  That's not to say there weren't dozens of kids eager to see us again, but many were doing other things, like playing on the playground.  There was a "vacation" feel to the movement of all there.  Except for the family that started the place.  The Cloete's always seem to have a dozen pots in the fire.  And they can all manage them too.

It was a great reunion.  Lots of stories and laughs shared.  Not to mention a several heart wrenching tales as well.  Plans were made for our time there and what we would participate in and contribute to.  Before long we found ourselves back in the car headed for Ga-Rankuwa.  Our adventure had started.

I have to say it was incredible to be back there.  It was as if a part of me was going home.  I know I had these feelings last year, and they came again this trip...that I could just stay there.  Help out, work and give my life to the kids there.  Perhaps that is as genuine as it felt to me.  Or maybe I'm just a silly American with delusions.  There is so much to see, learn, experience there, and to give to.  Give in all aspects.  Time, work, money, laughter, tears...joy, forgiveness...life.

Marion, Patsy,  Leigh, and Nicole

Ga-Rankuwa
During the time we spent with Bebo and family we were able to help make some repairs and improvements to the house.  20+ year old tile floor, that was peeling and missing was replaced with new tile.  The water geyser (heater) was replaced along with some plumbing.  Also their stove/oven combo was replaced with a brand new one.


It was great staying in that home again.  This year, because of the small team, I stayed in the converted garage alone.  In there were the 10 bunk beds that the teams used in previous years.  It was crazy thinking I was out there alone, while the 3 ladies from BGC, Bebo, Aniki, 4-5 kids shared 3 beds inside the house.  (That said, I'm sure they were warmer!)

Bebo's new geyser!

One day we took Bebo and the two teen girls to the Market in Brits and Hartbeespoort Dam.  At the market we got pizza in the same shop (different business) as last year.  They had a small pool set up with large balloons that people could get inside.  So Jen and Ang got the girls into them.  They had a blast.  It was hilarious watching them try to stand up and run in them like hamster balls...on water.  Then Jen, Ang and Bebo got in and had a go.  Even more hilarious.

The market hadn't changed a bit.  Everyone wants to sell you the best items in their stall.  Lesson:  If you don't have money, no one wants to sell to you.  My only defense was I had limited cash, and I was saving it for the airport (lesson learned last year) so I didn't have any money with me in the market.  Otherwise it would have been gone in the first 30 seconds.  For anyone who thinks the folks at Best Buy are "pushy," remember it's a different culture in the Market.  I actually got to appreciate more of the pieces this time because I turned into the bag holder for the ladies.  They would engage the vendors, and I'd just look around.

After that we headed to the dam.  A sight we missed out on last year.  It was really something to see.  There was a little platform that overlooked the falls side that hung out over the wall a bit.  I got over my fear of heights and climbed up there for some great photos.  It was a simple but incredible thing to see.  The dam itself has a one lane road over it, that would allow one side to cross at a time.  Like a permanent construction zone.

We took the girls, Bebo, and Bobo on another adventure...but that comes later.

The team at Hartbeespoort Dam

Bumpy Roads
Wednesday the 13th we got up early.  I don't think the rooster was even crowing yet.  We loaded up, Bebo went with us, and set out on a 2 day road trip.  First up was the annual 5 hour trip to Bergville in the Drakensberg mountains of KwaZulu-Natal.  There is a World Vision office there and Jen and Ang sponsor a young boy through them.  In past trips they would go to the school and visit him amongst his classmates.  This is where we saw the dancing last year.  However, since it was holiday, they were able to take him and a friend to lunch at a lodge near the town.

Everyone had a blast.  Since it was a smaller group the conversation wasn't as divided and it just felt like a big family meal.  I had a Porterhouse steak.  Good stuff.  There was a playground complete with an "in-ground" trampoline.  Everyone had a go on it and some funny photos were snapped.  It was good for Jen and Ang to have a really personal visit with their sponsor child.

Ang, Spe and Jen with some friends!

As evening approached we had to go back down the mountains to the main road and head for our next destination, the landlocked country of Lesotho.  From the main road to our final destination that night it was another 6 hour drive.  Four hours to Lesotho, a border crossing, then 2 hours on roads with no lighting.  The drive to Lesotho was gorgeous.  We drove for hours through mountain roads.  Cliffs, ridges, caves, valleys and wildlife dominated most of the trip until the sun went down.  Then the night was illuminated by a nearly complete full moon.

KwaZulu-Natal

Getting to Lesotho and through the border was no problem.  Even the first 45 minutes of driving weren't too bad.  Then we get to a Y in the road where our directions merely said, "stay left at the Y, dirt road with lots of potholes.  Stay left."  Now after hearing that description, and seeing what the "main" roads looked like, I had a pretty vivid image of what the dirt road would look...and feel like.  Unfortunately our driver, Ang (who did an amazing job driving everywhere the entire trip and never complaining!!  You rock Ang!) she didn't have the same visual as I did.  And a few dozen feet onto the dirt road (in all but moonlit night) she was convinced it was the wrong road.  Until we saw a rough hand painted sign that condemned out little vehicle to the torture of that road.

Now, I make jest in the following section.  If I was in my right mind I probably would have been in the same state as the 4 ladies in the car.  But you all know I'm not so...

This road was barely wider than our vehicle.  And if you didn't "stay left," you'd be educated about gravity in the school of hard knocks.  Meaning we'd have plummeted down into a ravine, or down the side of a sheer mountain cliff.  I won't name names, but J*n was screeching a kind of sound that wants to make you think it's a laugh, but only cause she's so scared.  There were all sorts of other gasps and muffled cries.  Ang didn't want any of it because she was so focused on driving.  I was loving every breathtaking moment of it.  From the back seat I could see the valley, gorges, cliffs etc as the bright moon bathed the landscape.

Sure there were a few moments I was thinking we might die, but I was excited about how cool the trip was.  We crawled along at snail pace up, up, up, over this dirt, pothole ridden mountain road for what felt like hours.  Then we see another sign, "Gates of Paradise 200 Meters."  Which prompted the best quote of the entire trip...which I'll not reproduce here.

We passed through a wall of sorts wasn't sure if it was natural or man made.  The car was going up...so that mean the headlights were going up.  When we started to angle back down...the lights landed on nothing.  It was like going over the first drop of a roller coaster.  Eventually the lights came back to the dirt road.  It felt like we'd just driven over one hump of the McDonald's M.  In front of us the valley expanded to the right and the mountain face to the left.  It was beautiful...or so I thought.  Again it was really dark...but it looked like it might be beautiful.  We eventually made it to the lodge and got into our rooms for the night.

The sights that I saw the next morning made my visions of the night before pale in comparison to what I really saw.  A massive valley with huge mountains all around us.  Then I see some peacocks up in a massive pine tree.  Then one by one they glide down to the grass in front of me.  It was photo time.  We explored some of the lodge area and had some tea and hot chocolate before meeting our contact.  Marion.  We thought that was fitting because we had a Marion in Botshabelo.  Very different ladies, but sharing a common spirit.

View from the lodge.

Marion in Lesotho at Malealea Lodge works for a Trust that was set up about seven years ago.  She's been there a year.  This village is very remote and takes determination to get there...in case you missed that in the previous few paragraphs.  There aren't really any jobs up there.  There is farming.  But not like we imagine it here in the States.  There's no big equipment.  It's cattle and horses pulling plows.  There's no electricity except at the lodge.  And that is only available four hours a day.

Villagers near Malealea Lodge.

Marion works with the community around the lodge to determine what projects need done.  When teams come in with money, supplies and man power, the community decides what will be done.  We got to see a road way that a team from Ireland had repaired.  Mountain streams had flooded the road and washed it away.  With the local community they repaired it and it looks great.  Now this road is still a dirt road, but I can imagine what the water had done to it.

She also showed us a few other projects including a greenhouse made out of empty glass soda bottles.  After our walk through the village we loaded up in a pick-up and drove to a spot in the road, then hiked up the mountain to the school.  Looking out from the water fountain that stood above the building was breathtaking.  The valley stretched out like an ocean and the mountains surrounded in every direction.  It's hard to really describe and I know the photos don't do justice to the scale and scope.

The BGC team in Lesotho.

After our ride back and a few conversations we loaded up and set out for the long 8 hour drive back to Ga-Rankuwa.


Adventures
Once again the advantage of a small team allowed us to explore a few other things.  One thing we all instantly agreed upon doing was a balloon safari.  On our way to Botshabelo we would pass one such place.  So we popped in one morning and got some info.  A few mornings later we were up again at the crack, and on our way to a sunrise balloon safari with Bill Harrop's "Original" Balloon Safari.

Straight down!

This was a breathtaking trip.  I highly recommend it to anyone.  Even if you have a fear of heights like I do it is well worth going.  I felt safe the entire time.  It was such a relaxing and awe inspiring event.  Once again the photos will not quite capture how amazing the trip really was.  We got to see Joburg off in the distance and it looked like a city in the clouds, like something out of a movie.  I'm sure other balloon safaris are nice, but this particular one was fantastic.  Our pilot, Nick, was informative and hilarious.  After landing, we were bussed back to the launch site for a wonderful breakfast spread and great stories from the staff.  (Don't ask Nick to go anywhere near a horse...apparently they don't like him!)

Up!

We also went to the Pilanesberg Game Reserve in Pilanesberg National Park.  This was an amazing place to visit.  The 2nd link here is to the Wikipedia entry.  There is a lot of interesting things in that article about the place.  We spent hours driving through the bumpy roads and saw giraffes, rhinos, all manner of herd animals, huge variety of birds, hippos, and even some wild dogs (that somewhat resemble hyenas at first glance) and some zebras.  (Make sure you say that with a short 'e' not a long one.

Zebra in Pilanesberg.

While both of those were fantastic adventures, the one that got me the most was at the Rhino and Lion Nature Reserve.  There was a game drive here too but not as extensive as the one in Pilanesberg.  Though it was equally fascinating because we got to go into the enclosures for the predatory animals.  Except the lions.  The pride was camped out a few dozen yards from the entrance gate, so the attendant couldn't let us in.  But we did get into the leopard area and caught sight of two of them lazing about in the sun.

Sleepy rhino.

The best part of this place was, for a small fee, you could go into 4 enclosures with the animals and pet/play with them.  The first was very young lion cubs.  These guys were only a few months old and about the height of a large cocker spaniel.  Got a chance to hold one of these guys.  The next one was for older lions.  These guys were pretty big.  They were pretty lazy too.  One didn't like the way Ang was sitting when we tried to get a group shot.  And another snagged Jen's NorthFace jacket.  Then we got to go into the grown cheetah pen.  This cat was really cool.  She was just laying there mellow as can be.

The last one was for lion and tiger cubs somewhere between the younger ones and the older ones.  These guys were pretty playful.  With us and each other.  I didn't make it very far before a lion cub flopped down on my leg and decided my Nike was his new favorite chew toy.

Fact: Lions love Nikes.

That's right.  A lion cub was chewing on my foot.  They have strong solid teeth too!  It didn't puncture, and they weren't sharp...at least the way he was chewing.  But they were strong.  He bit down a little to intensely and It was like getting your toe caught between two screwdrivers.  I can't imagine having a set of full grown jaws crushing down on you...yikes!  The time went too fast and we had to move on.  Fortunately there were plenty of other things to see.  A juvenile rhino, a full grown tiger, hyenas and other wild dogs, more lions, another cheetah, and some cool looking birds.  There was even one (a stork I think) that was like a troll out of a Grimm's fairytale who stood on a little bridge almost taunting folks to dare to cross it.  He got very involved in a random bit of wire for some time.  It was humorous.

Rafense and Kotsofalong and a tiger cub.

This was the other park that we took the girls and Bobo to.  They seemed to have a great time.  We had a great meal at the park's restaurant and even spent some time on the playground.  Trampolines again.  And ice cream.

Botshabelo
This place is incredible.  The Cloete family and all the people there do amazing work.  They are inspiring, encouraging, and humbling.  It's an orphanage, school, college, and there is a village here too.  It's unlike any orphanage I've ever seen.  The kids don't live in dormitory housing.  They are part of the family.  Theirs is an incredible story.  You can go to their link, rent or buy Angles in the Dust, or email us at BGC for more info.

The girls model dresses that US students made for them.

We didn't have a major project this year, but there was still a lot done.  We helped sort a mountain of donated clothing, purchased food for the several hundred kids in the orphanage, purchased supplies for projects, assisted in setting up the beginning stages of the college's kitchen class room.  A kitchen/living area is getting transformed into 5 cooking stations so the students can continue to learn various portions of their Hospitality courses.

The college students and the BGC team in the new Kitchen.

The day we went to Pilanesberg we also visited two prisons.  I can't go into detail about what that time taught me, not yet.  But I will eventually.  Let me just say I saw examples of forgiveness and encouragement that humbled me.  It's always a knock in the head when you see other people blow you away and show you deeper levels of things you didn't even know existed.  Taking a hit to your pride when you assumed humility was in it's place is not something you take lightly.

It was difficult, sad, infuriating to learn that in South Africa a prison sentence almost certainly carries a death sentence.  Not one carried out by the legal system, but by HIV/AIDS.  A prison sentence could almost come with a guarantee of infection.  Heartbreaking doesn't begin to cover it.

That will be a visit I will carry with me a long time.  If you pray, pray for the guys we visited.  Pray for Botshabelo, and South Africa in general.  Just pray.  Powerpoint, songs and sermons aren't needed.  Something deeper and more real is.

Back in the village...

While the ladies went shopping for the groceries...which took 5+ hours, I got to wander around the place with various guides.  Shanna (one of the Cloete's) took me around to all the projects BGC had a hand in, be it physical or financial, as well as a tour of some of the projects they hoped to do down the road.  Con (the patriarch) took me to a piece of property two plots over to show me the land, and house they hope to buy to help expand their college students education and practical application, as well as the fields that are ready for crops.  This would help further develop Botshabelo's goals of being self-sustaining.

David (one of the college students) and a few of the other boys took me on a hike back through the village and fields to the graveyard.  Last year we had a hand in the burial of two members of the village.  It was again a surreal experience being up on that hill.  He took me to a grave, then pointed to one of the younger boys with us and told me it was that boy's mother buried there.  Next to her was his uncle.  It it so different to be there with the kids like that than being in a cemetery here in the States.

Hike to the graveyard.

The long walk back led to a bunch of photos.  I also go to take plenty of the kids in the playground, and just what life looks like there.  All the animals, the food prep in the now functioning bakery (which was a storage shed last year) a birthday party, lunch served from a folding table in the middle of the playground, and the amazing kids.  Take a picture of one, and five more jump in, and all call out "Let me see, let me see!" as soon as you look at the display.

Lunch time.

We spent a few days between the adventures, road trip, and work in Ga-Rankuwa at Botshabelo.  And time went way too fast.  For everything.  The afternoon following our trip to Rhino and Lion, we took part in making firebreaks.  That is, they intentionally burn certain portions of the dry grass around buildings incase a real fire breaks out.  That way there is a "break" or border around the structures.  This was an interesting experience.  Kids of all ages were there "helping."  Some great photos resulted.

This time, we did start the fire.

One night, near our time to depart, we heard calls that there was a fire up on the hill leading to the graveyard.  We made our way in the dark to the village.  We could see the tops of the flames, and the red glow lighting the sky.  Before we made it, some of the college students and men were on their way down saying they had put it out.

Ang and Patsy went to the store, but this time to the supply store for fencing and other things.  I stayed again and took photos and tried to help with some computer/tech stuff.  That was abruptly ended when the power went out.  This on the day Jen went with Con to Joburg to meet the people at Eskom that she'd been speaking with on the phone back in the States.  When she finally got back to the village there was nothing but good reports...and the power came back on.

Before we knew it the trip was over.  The last day we helped put some shelving together for the college and sorted out a bunch of supplies to get the cooking stations set up.  The night ended with the kids presenting us with some posters they made (Jen if you're reading this I would love one of those!) and some songs.  This was followed but a slew of photos being taken, goodbyes said, and lots of hugs and smiles.  Once again we loaded up in the dark, various dogs chaperoning, and we said farewell to Botshabelo for another year.

BGC and Botshabelo.

The final day was spent finishing up some things in Ga-Rankuwa for Bebo and her house.  Then we said our farewells to Zone-7 and made our way back to Joburg and the airport.  Here I finally got a few souvenirs and gifts with out harassment from vendors.  Seriously if you ever visit, save your money for the airport shops.  You can find most of the items you'd want to buy here.  We grabbed our last meal in SA, and headed for our gate.  Twenty some hours later we landed back at Dulles. 

Separation
Here my tale comes to a sad but funny end.  As we were filed into lines for customs I got separated from the ladies.  I had some carry-on luggage that was supposed to go with them.  I thought I was ushered differently because I had lost my baggage claim slip.  No.  It was because I was at my final destination and they were going on to Chicago.  So there I was with the video camera.  I made it through customs and baggage claim in record time.  I don't think I've ever gone through even baggage as fast as I did both.

All the while plans were constructed to get the bag to security for the ladies.  Then I got a special pass to go to their gate.  Only by the time they cleared customs, and I had gone through security and about to que for the metal detector...I got a text saying their flight left in 10 minutes and there was no way to get the bag.  So I said my farewells via text.  My last images of them for the trip was not in fond farewells and all that camaraderie...it was expressions of "what's going on?" as we were sorted into different people movers.

But hey, nothing ever goes exactly according to plan on an Africa trip.  Just remember the Gates of Paradise.

Jersey, kids, and dogs.

And so concludes my 2nd journey to Africa.  I know in my heart there will be more.  And longer ones too.  Thanks for reading!  I'll have some more to write in the days ahead that go a little deeper into my own thoughts and reactions to the things we experienced.

For now...farewell, and good night (or morning, afternoon, whathaveyou) and thank you for all the prayers and thoughts for me, the team, and all those we encountered in South Africa and Lesotho.

-Jersey 

There...and Back Again

This time tomorrow I'll be over the Atlantic nearing the west coast of Africa. 

And I'm stoked.

I can't believe I'm going back.  Almost literally twice in one 365 day year.  Going with BGC again.  It's a great organization, and I'm blessed to be part of the board.  If you'd like, follow that link above to see updates from the trip.

Looking forward to the journey (not necessarily the flights) that we will go on while there.  The things we'll see, the places we'll go, and especially the people we will encounter.  It's going to be amazing.  Mainly because South Africa and it's people are amazing.

Can't wait to see my friends in Ga-rankuwa and Botshabelo!

So, for now, see you on the other side of the World...

BGC - South Africa

Hi there.

Wanted to take a few minutes to write about something very close to my heart.

Africa.

Specifically South Africa and a little place called Botshabelo. It is a home, an orphanage, a place where people reach out and help each other. Founded by Con and Marion Cloete in 1990, it is now home to about 1,500 people.

"Botshabelo and the Cloete's are dedicated to improving the lives of the economically challenged, especially children who have been orphaned by or exposed to HIV/AIDS. Using the traditional African village (and its inherent ubuntu values of cooperation and joint responsibility) as a model, the community works together to break the cycle of poverty and bring hope, safety, education and sustainable growth to all residents. Botshabelo has worked to become a self-sustaining community and, more importantly, a place of safety and family to South Africa's AIDS orphans and economic orphans." (from BGC's website)

But they need help. If you are willing, they need your help.

Some can go and help. Others can give to help. Please visit http://www.buildingaglobalcommunity.org/ it is an organization dedicated to helping Botshabelo and other places like it. I've personally gone to this village and have seen first hand the growing hope and the seemingly endless need.

I know there are lots of organizations and causes out there to give your time, money and talents to. This is one I have chosen. Africa has been in my heart since the mid '90s when I saw the movie "The Power of One." It transformed my outlook on life. Last year, I finally read the semi-autobiographical book that the movie was inspired by. A few weeks later I myself was in South Africa for the first time.

It was a trip I will never forget. Not long after returning home I was asked to join the board of Building a Global Community. I happily accepted.

If you visit BGC's site, please consider donating. There are several projects they are a part of. If you want funds to go specifically to Botshabelo, indicate that on your check or via PayPal. I can assure you that the money goes right to help the lives of those in need.

If you are of the documentary viewing sort, check out "Angels in the Dust." It's all about the Cloete's and a few of the children living in Botshabelo. [link]

Thanks,
-Jersey

My Eyes Have Seen

Never Enough

I can't even begin to think how to describe this trip to people. I've been home just over a week and I'm still reeling from the experience. At church and work people ask me how it was. And it's hard to answer. "Great." "Amazing." "Incredible," don't seem to do it justice. It was truly an experience you'd have to take for yourself to understand.

So while words and descriptions may not be enough...they can be something else. I can reach out with words and stories and convey some ideas or impressions of what the trip was like. To share that little piece of Africa that has grown in my heart like elephant.

Chrysalis

In the Western World, particularly the USA, we have wrapped ourselves in a cocoon of self-service and entertainment. Oh, we're connected to the outside world, in that we feed off their suffering to reassure ourselves that we're O.K. (Granted I'm speaking in broad strokes about our society and culture at large. I know there are many good people out there doing good things.)

It makes me think of my favorite line from Watchmen (graphic novel or movie.) Nite Owl and the Comedian are breaking up a mob of civilians in New York:

Nite Owl "...What's happened to America? What's happened to the American dream?"

The Comedian: It came true. You're lookin' at it.

I'll spare you from where my mind wants to go with this right now and relate it back to the trip. My point is that in America we don't fight for anything any more, we don't really work for it. (Again this is generalization, I know there are many people who work very hard every day) By that I mean we don't have to hack a living out of the wilderness. We can have everything delivered to our door, or the palm of our hand.

Proverbs 12:11 "He who works his land will have abundant food, but he who chases fantasies lacks judgment."

We've filled ourselves up with the fantasy of convenience. We're in a chrysalis of laziness and selfishness. And I am terrified of what we will become when that shell starts to crack open.

Bricks

I used to think so many things about who I was, what my goal in life was and on and on. But I've come to learn a few things about myself. Over the past 4-5 years I've been on a rediscovery of who I am. Where I belong in life, and most importantly who I am in Jesus. I know I've got a lot of problems and I'm far from perfect. I'm about as far from perfect as a snake is from the clouds. I knew going to Africa would be a major life changing event for me. But I had no idea how much, I'm still sorting through all of it.

That first day at Botshabelo we started work by learning to build. Anyone who knew me when I was younger know I loved Legos. I still do. If I had money to spend on toys I would most certainly be buying Legos to this day. I loved building the designed playset, learning how to fit pieces together then taking them apart and making my own design.

So getting to learn how to use real bricks to build something that could sustain more use than a Lego castle was exciting. We were to build a brick wall surrounding a sidewalk, and turn it into a giant sandbox. So that first day we learned how to scoop the mortar with a trowel, plop it on the ground, lay the brick, check levels, tap it, remove apply more mortar if needed, then lay it in. Then start over with the next brick.

There was something to holding that trowel in one hand, grabbing a massive grey brick with the other, and putting on the mortar that just felt...right. No job or work that I had ever done felt as whole and real as that. Brick by brick we built that wall. For half the time there I was able to help with the construction of that wall. Layer upon layer, mortar, brick, level, mortar, brick, level. A kind of rhythm set in, and the pit walls began to take shape.

Building this wall spoke something into my soul. I love to create things. I think that's why I love writing so much, and stories. Building this wall was a form of creation. It told a story of our labor as we worked to the final covering. So over the course of 11 days it transformed from a sidewalk, to a plastered wall, painted white with hand prints, names, and designs all over it. Where once nothing had been, a long sand box now rests, and is climbed in, jumped over, played in and filled with the sounds of laughing children.

And to know my hands, sweat and labor helped make that thing a reality...I've never known a comparable experience.

Grave

There is nothing in the world that compares to digging a grave by hand. I didn't know the people who died from Adam, but their passing will forever be a part of my life. Two people I had no knowledge of before I learned they were waiting to be buried. Their existence in my life started with learning of their deaths. It is a strange way to meet someone.

It was Tuesday the 20th of July. For us it was 12:30 PM. So here on CST it was 5:30 AM. The men of the village, including Raf, Steve and myself, started back from lunch up the long hike through the village across fields of tall, dry brown grass, to the charred fields and eventually arriving at the graveyard. The guys hung their jackets or shirts on a tree with massive thorns and set about the dimensions of the graves.

Then, with pick and shovel the digging started. We all took turns. Never have I as emotionally "off" about a physical task. To know we were digging a hole in the packed red soil of Africa to inter two people was surreal. I never anticipated that being a part of my life. It was so unusual, but so natural at the same time. It made sense in a way that I can't describe. At least not in this format.

One of the guys with us streamed dance tunes from his cell phone as we dug. Little by little we made our way down. Eventually the three of us headed back to the playground to go back to building. The other guys continued on digging until almost 8:30 that night. Apparently after we left the ground got "hard and rocky" and we were nearly halfway done when we left only 2 hours into digging. So they spent 6 hours digging about 3 feet in each grave.

The next day was the funeral. I won't go into a full description of it again, but once over, the graves were immediately filled and rimmed with big stones. The 8 hours of digging quickly filled with the casket, and red dirt. Red dirt mounds surrounded by stones and at the moment charred black earth. To have been a part of the final resting place for those two bodies, to have stood in their grave as it was being dug...it moment I will not lightly forget. I know that all that went in there was the bodies, and what made them who they were in life was long gone.

It was all simple, and to the point. No elaborate mausoleum and pricey headstone. No backhoe or machinery. Just men with shovels and picks, bent backs, and sweat. And I know that the people of Botshabelo will be back on that hill, with shovels, songs and prayers much sooner than we could hope. There, death is quite literally a part of life.

Level

If working on the sand pit wall was satisfying with each brick, creating the foundation of the kiddie-pool was utter frustration. This was my second task to focus on in Botshabelo. The sand pit was moving nicely, and other guys were working on finishing the construction while the ladies plastered it. A few of us started on the new pool.

We started out in a slightly sunken 'pit' on the edge of the playground. We set stakes in the four corners and tried to make them straight and 6 meters each side. Then we set to clearing the grass, and excess dirt to level the ground. Next we started with a row of bricks. We didn't have the foundation of the sidewalk to work off so we had to make it level, and 90* angles in the corners. KU (our friend from Ga-Rankuwa) worked tirelessly on digging and removing the soil, Christie would go before me and clear out loose earth and rocks and get the gap between the ground big enough for a brick. Then I came a long, placing the brick, leveling it, adjusting etc.

It was mentally exhausting. And it was slow going. So when the other team memembers finished plastering, or building a swing set, or whatever they were doing, the three of us could look at the pit and say, "we got 6 bricks level." It was tedious and slow going. I had a lot of time to think and examine things.

Sitting in that pit, moving a brick into place then checking the level was not hard work physically. But it tolled on my mind. I'd wait and watch as the little greenish-yellow liquid and bubble would bounce around before settling into place just a pen's width away from center, and then remove the brick. Add some loose soil, replace the brick, check level, tap the right spot to flatten the new earth, and...almost level. Repeat. Repeat. Clear away some earth cause there was too much..repeat, level, repeat.

At last the brick was in place! Shuffle my seat over that red dirt, and start on the next brick...repeat, repeat, repeat.

Tedious. But necessary. Anyone who knows anything about building, or drafting, or co-ordinates etc will tell you that a little bit off here, means a huge way off at the other end. And Con made sure we were aware of that concept, even on the sand pit construction.

It's a lot like life.

We set everything in place, and it looks level...but something is just a little off. And if we're not careful we don't see it until we reach the end of that line and realize we are nowhere near where we expected to be.

Choices we make, exceptions, lapses in judgment...indulging into that moment of complete selfishness...pushes us a little farther off the line. If we are out of level enough at the beginning we may not even recognize ourselves at the other end.

Matthew 7:13-14 says this, "13 Enter through the narrow gate; for the gate is wide and the way is broad that leads to destruction, and there are many who enter through it. 14 For the gate is small and the way is narrow that leads to life, and there are few who find it."

I think God has a plan for all of us that He wants us to choose to be on. He won't force us to it. It's a choice we make. A path we have to walk ourselves. We may have help from time time, or others accompanying us in different periods in our lives, but it is our walk with Him. And it's so easy, so very easy, to divert from that path.

Just like it was easy to say a brick was "close enough" to level. It didn't cut it. I'd say that out loud, and move onto the next brick, and then something was off. So I'd go back to the previous brick and correct the "close enough," before returning to where I thought I should be.

I don't want to be like that in life. I don't want to have too much dirt under me to make me go over the level line. To be so full of stuff, things that aren't necessary that I'm bloated with life and can't be used properly.

Or to not have enough in my life. To be so restrictive to what I don't rise to the line that I'm supposed to be at. To fall short. I'm not into that whole concept of universal balance or yin/yang and that sort of thing. I do believe we can fill our lives with too much stuff, too much distraction, and not see what we should. Or the opposite where we don't learn enough, we don't seek enough and come up unable to reach the goal.

I also believe that with out God, Jesus, that it doesn't matter how perfect a life I live, I'll never be enough on my own. And the more I think about it, I don't want to be enough on my own.

Leaving a Piece Behind

I know I've left a piece of my heart in South Africa. The days, the work, the events we participated in, sliced off a piece and left it in the red dirt of the kiddie-pool, the mortar of the sand pit, the silence of the graveyard, the fur of the dogs and the laughter of the kids.

Not my heart.

I see now that it wasn't really "me" that I left behind. Though I think I will long to go back all the days of my life. But it's a piece of the heart of God. Regardless of what you believe, it was God who called me to go on this trip. If He had not, I personally, wouldn't have had a reason to go. I would have been none the wiser of my chrysalis, had I stayed home. I'd have spent the two weeks visiting with friends, watching movies, going to church and thinking I was an ok guy, living a good life, doing the best I could.

But I've seen something now.

I've been blessed with the opportunity of traveling to Africa. To see the hills around Botshabelo. To hear the laughter and cries of the children. To see Marion and her family going to and fro in the village checking on everyone and everything. I've seen the sun rise and set on a different continent. I've breathed in the air of Africa, listened to the songs of a funeral, hear the drums of the Zulu in the mountains. I've locked eyes with a lion and was terrified and amazed in the same instant.

I pray more than leaving a piece of my heart, the love that God gives to me, that I could bring Africa back with me. To carry a piece of that place in my heart. To retain what I learned and experienced, and to know that I am forever changed, not because something left me, but because something was added to me. The Township, the Village, the Mountains, the animals, and the People have all given something to me.

I pray that I will honor that, and live a better life than I did before I went. To open my eyes when I think I see. To open my ears when I think I've heard it all. To talk less, and participate more. To see the world around me not as my home, but where I'm blessed to be in that moment.

So there it is, my first real reflection over the trip. It's not everything. But it's where I'm at now. I'd love to see where tomorrow takes me, but I'm here today, and today will be enough for me.

Dirty Socks, Granola Bars, and a Dog named King...

So here I am. 3 weeks later, almost to the hour, when we left for South Africa. I'm not the same person. I may have only spent 14 days in the continent, but those 14 days have forever changed my life.

The trip there was exhausting and uncomfortable. But that didn't matter. I was going to Africa. Many reading this who know me, understand that is something I've wanted to do since I was about 15. The adrenaline was pounding through me like a freight train. When the plane finally landed and we disembarked, Jen looked at me and said, "Jesse, you're in Africa!" A phrase that would be repeated many times on the trip.



After all the airport hullabaloo, we headed out to our vehicles and I got my first deep breath of African air. It didn't have a smell that I was led to believe it had. If anything it felt alive with hope and posibilities. The fact that it was winter there wasn't lost on me. I loved it. Knowing I would be working in temps over 100 F was comforting. But it was chilly, and there was an energy an expectation with every breeze.

First Impressions

We arrived at our host homes a few hours later. It was a blitzkrieg of names, smiling faces, unfamiliar hand shakes and lots of laughter and familiar greetings for those who were not a newbie like myself. We settled in and got some good shut-eye.

4:30 AM – some harebrained rooster is declaring dawn. The sun wouldn't come up for at least another 2 hours. Eventually getting up and realizing, I'm in Africa!, I got ready and headed out side. The guys from our team, and the guys in Ga-Rankuwa (a township of Pretoria) were starting a match of football. So of course I joined in. It wasn't long before the thin air (slightly over Denver elevation) and my lack of physical fitness had me hacking up one of my lungs. But it was fun. Some of the girls eventually joined in before we set to the business of the day.

We sorted all our supplies and things for the days to come, then headed to the shopping complex. It was a small, mall-like place with a big grocery store, a chemist, some clothing stores, furniture stores, eateries, etc. We later went to Charlene's Place of Safety, which I didn't quite understand exactly what it's goal was, but Louisa and her team help children who are physically disabled through personal care and education. She has an amazing story, and could warrant an entry blog or several on her own.

Botshabelo

The next day we headed to Botshabelo in Magaliesburg. It was about a 90 minute drive from Zone 7 in Ga-Rankuwa where we stayed to Botshabelo. I believe Botshabelo means "place of refuge." And I would come to learn over the next 2 weeks that it really was. For the people living there, and myself.

Being winter, the landscape looks like something from a dry wild west movie. And pulling off the road onto their drive way (a bumpy, packed red dirt road) we saw the village and residences for the first time. It was exactly what I expected from the documentary (Angles in the Dust – available on NetFlix) and previous trip photos I had seen. But I couldn't have anticipated the reality of it.



With in moments of arriving the kids were everywhere. We had a quick introduction session with Marion, then settled into our "HQ." Then we were out with the kids, who wasted no time in starting some singing and dance games and pulling all of the team into them. Soon after that most of the girls were sitting on the dry grass having their hair braided. One thing I couldn't overlook was how happy the kids were. Smiles, laughter and joy everywhere. Also everywhere were the dogs. One particular stood out, a great behemoth of a creature that looked like a species that modern dogs had descended from. His name was Horatio, and I later learned he was a Great Dane. But he still looked primeval. If I were to sit cross-legged on the ground, and he stood next to me, he would have easily cleared my head by a hands breadth or 3.



We soon were taken to the area we would be spending most of our time in. The play ground. It was mainly an open area amongst some trees that had a few rusty jungle gyms and a dilapidated wooden play fort. It looked like something out of Dr. Seuss, only with out the fun bits. The first task was to turn the path (concrete sidewalk) into a sand-pit for the kids to play in.

This took the better part of the first week to construct. We got a hands-on crash course in building (aka brick laying) and leveling etc. And we just got started. The guys worked on this, while the girls were recruited to line out the eventual fencing, and start digging post holes. As evening approached and the sun started to fade, we packed up the tools and made way to the volleyball court. At Botshabelo that is how the adults unwind at the end of each day. And as I'm typing this, they are probably finishing up the games for the day now. We would play until we couldn't see the ball anymore, and perhaps just a bit longer. It was a great first day in the village.



Another 90 minute drive home, then dinner, group discussion, and rest. The next day started all over again.

And when I took my shoes off at the end of the day, my brilliant white, brand new socks were as red as the dirt we were working on.

And that is how the week progressed in general. Up early, eat, drive, work, eat, work, play, drive, discuss, rest. But there was so much between each action. The kids would come out during school breaks and help, or play. I know I got to have many great conversations with Con. The kids were amazing. Sometimes sitting and just watching. Other times helping, then being a welcome distraction from the building, or digging or painting that was to follow.

Every day we all worked hard, with out complaint, and till the last minute we could. We would welcome lunch when it came, 30-45 mins of rest eating PB&J, chips, some fruit, and probably a granola bar. Those became a staple for me everyday, granola bars, apples, and the amazing water. Their water out of the tap, or hose faucet was better than anything I drink here in Illinois. Even better than bottled spring water. It reminded me of the well water from home in PA.

So that was the "basics" of a day.

The dogs would also lie about all day as we worked. Some just snoozing away in the sun. Others looking for a belly rub or an ear scratched. In the first few days another dog, King, became a close companion. He followed us on our lunch break, and to the van at night. Like a silent guardian he was usually right near by.

Funeral

The first Tuesday of the trip, Steve, Raf, and I were invited to join the men of the village in digging some grave in the cemetery on the far side of the property. It was chilling to walk out under the noon sun up through the village into the hills across fire scorched fields to come to the graveyard. It wasn't the organized, manicured green lawns we're used to in America. Nor was the digging like home. We had about half a dozen spades and a few picks to excavate the six foot holes.



We were digging two graves. A man and woman. One died about 30 days before our arrival, the other about 20. BGC was able to pay for their release from the mortuary and allow the burial to occur.

So there were were, under the Africa sun, digging graves. Something I never thought I'd do in my life. For me, it was surreal and haunting. For the Africans, it was sad, but far to common. The men streamed music through a cell phone as we dug. First picking the soil, then others shoveling it out. Pick, shovel, pick, shovel. We only stayed about 2 hours. The men finished at about half past 8 that night.

We were to have a vigil that evening after working, but the bodies hadn't arrived yet. So we continued on with the volleyball until dark.

The next morning started with the funeral and it lasted until lunch time. We went to the homes of each of the deceased where songs, and dancing occurred and a message from one of the pastors (I believe she was also the grade 4 teacher.) Then we followed the procession though the village, up the hill, across the burnt fields to the charred graveyard for the burial. Another sermon was given that I couldn't understand. I stood taking photos or video, just taking it all in. Once done, the graves were quickly filled and mounded and surrounded with large stones. We proceeded in relative silence back to the village to wash our hands in aloe water, to remove the dead from us.

After a somber lunch with the team, we went back to work.

Drakensberg

The Dragon Mountains. A mountain range in Kwa-Zulu Natal. Homeland of the Zulu people and background for many battles in the tumultuous history of South Africa. This is where we went on Thursday. We loaded up 14 people in a 10 passenger van, and drove about 5.5 hours West/South West. Foggy and cloudy most of the way, the veil broke as we got near the mountains, and we were able to see them in their glory on the drive up. We saw baboons along the road, just doing their baboon thing. Everyone seemed quite excited at the wildlife in that moment. We even stopped to help push a truck up the road.



Here, in Bergville (Berg – Mountain) is a World Vision office. Jen and Ang (our team leaders) sponsor a boy, and Christie (another team member) sponsors a girl. We drove from Bergville to Okhahlamba (as far as I understand it, Okhahlamba is kind of like a county to us) to the shcool in which Sphe (Jen and Ang's sponsor child)attends. We passed out goodie bags to the students. We also go to see some traditional Zulu dances when school let out. It was thrilling to say the least. To hear that drum in mass back in the days when the Zulu's would do those dances before going to war would have been chilling. Just one drum gave me goose bumps.

After only a short stay we made our way back down the mountains. We stopped at a Western US themed restaurant for dinner where they featured Rib and Prawn, or Baboon Backside as an entree.

Askari

The game drive will stand out for me as a special event. It was on Sunday after a morning in the market and shops (which I would advise, save your money for the airport gift shops! You won't get pressured there, and can take your time and actually look at what you're buying.) Don't go in alone, and stick with your buddy. But it was a fun cultural experience. We had a great lunch of pizza in a kind of touristy spot next to the market.




But the game drive that afternoon was spectacular. We loaded up into a big open sided truck, almost like a converted military type vehicle and drove through the fields and hills. First we stopped in the lion's area. Here we eventually found 3 lionesses basking in the near evening sun. Just before we left, one locked eyes with me and followed my every move. Apparently one was doing the same to our guide, which he said meant it was time to go. I felt a genuine thrill of excitement and fear when her golden eyes locked with mine. I could have stayed in that moment forever, or at least until she decided it was time to eat. Me.



The rest of the drive was also exciting but that moment with the lion will stay with me for a very long time. We saw Rhinos (so close the driver had to clear the air brakes to chase them away from the truck) Buffalo, a giraffe, different herd animals, some hippos, a croc and eventually...as a special treat (as it was late and they were in their stable) we got to see the elephants. That was also an incredible moment. Walking into their stable, and having to press up against the wall so they wouldn't try to find food on us was so amazing. Seeing them right there 10 feet away. Huge! and only half their full size at the time. Another moment that won't be leaving me soon.



Nigh

The end was approaching as we only had 3 work days left at Botshabelo. We finished the sand pit, plastered it, filled it with sand, and painted it. The chain link fence went around the entire area, 5 new wooden swing sets were erected, the rusty jungle gyms were sanded and painted, the Dr. Seuss play fort was shored up, and painted, a balance beam, and tire monkey bars were put in also. A kiddie pool was started, but between lack of supplies and time it wasn't finished (and I anticipate seeing photos of it finished, cause I spent half my time in pit leveling the foundation brick with Christie, and KU.)

I was feeling kind of sick that day, so I missed a lot of the work. Con took me to the doctor and I got another round of conversations in with him. Also had a long talk with Marion and Leigh doing the Pin Code. Which was quite an interesting experience.

As the Sun passed it's climax, we finished up the last day of work and just played with the kids. There was face painting, nail polish, balloon animals, beads and the like going on, along with the standard volley ball. Con told us we did a good job, but the true complements came from the laughter and shouts of joy as the kids used the swings, played, and enjoyed the new play ground.



Darkness fell, a bonfire started and we began not our good-byes, but see you laters. I think every one on the trip intends on going back. Maybe not next year, but I'm sure we'll all return to Botshabelo at some point. As a group or individually.

Leave Taking

Leaving was hard. The people, the kids, even the dogs and sheep (who got out everyday and several times I got the chance to herd them back to their kraal,) were hare do to leave. Especially Horatio and King. King even tried to get into the van as we closed the door for the last time. I'll miss that guy. Along with everyone and everything else.



The next morning we packed up, loaded up and said so-long to our host-families. It was bittersweet. To have been so welcomed and loved with out question was heartwarming, and to leave it was heartbreaking. We swung by Charlene's Place to see Louisa and the kids one last time before making our way back to Joburg and the airport.



Sadness, confusion, joy, uncertainty, hope among many other flavors of life and human emotion swept over me as we made our way through the bustle of the airport, the shops and gate area. It continued on in the flight, the wait for the canceled flight in DC, the final hop from DC to Chicago and the bus ride to Minooka.

Return

Driving back to Theodore Crossing with Steve, I felt as if I was in some dream. That this life I left here in the US was some false reality I was waking back up to. I realized then that the dirty socks, granola bars, and a dog named King were now intertwined in my life. That with out them, and Botshabelo, the Cloetes, the kids, Bebo, Aniki, KU, Scramble, and all the rest...I would be less of a person. They had all gotten under my skin and become part of me in a sense.

And a portion of my heart will always be in South Africa.

I'm learning to live without out it while I'm not there. It has been a lot more difficult coming home than I could have imagined. Not the jet lag or any thing like that, but the emotional hurricane that has been raging in my head and heart for near on 5 days now. It's slowing down a little bit but there is still much to ponder and pray over.

This post is by no means all inclusive. There is so much more to say, and feel. But I would be naive to think I could convey that in a blog or even one conversation.

Ke a leboga (Tswana for "Thank you")

Friends and Family - to all of you who supported myself, and the team with finances and prayers, thank you!

Ga-Rankuawa – Zone 7 peps, what can I say, your hospitality and friendship will remain in my heart for many years to come. I will see you again! Until then, keep the beats flowing, don't let the fire on the roof go out, and keep surviving!

Botshabelo – Marion, Con, Leigh, Nicole, Shanna, Lefe, Lucas, David, Michelle, Alex, and all the kids, Horatio, King and all the Dogs, Sue, Tim and everyone else in the village, thank you. I can only hope what we were able to build lasts as long as what you have given our hearts and spirits. You are all amazing people, and that is hardly enough to say about you!

BGC Team 2010 – Tania, Mel, Raf, Steve, Jess, Maria, Ang, Patsy, Kristin, and Christie, thank you for putting up with my many failed attempts at humor, the cameras being in your face, and just being such an awesome group of people to have shared this experience with. You, like all the folks in South Africa have made an impact on my life.

Jen and Ang – thank you for being great leaders and teachers on this trip. Your example for starting BGC, and all that you do is a great inspiration!

Jesus – not to sound like an award show, but honestly, if I didn't have Jesus in my life, I never would have had a desire to go to Africa, I never would have met Jen and Ang, and I wouldn't be writing any of this right now. Thank you for your life, death, forgiveness, resurrection and simply everything...even the dirty socks, granola bars, and a dog named King.