Hey Everyone!
So lots to catch up on! On the 14th I got really sick and I had to go to the ER. I had some digestive problems, but I got better by Monday. Just pray for me that I don't get sick again and that my body gets used to the food here.
Last weekend, on the 20th, my Human Growth Class and I (which is only 5 people +our prof and 1 extra student) went to Lesotho, a country that is landlocked by SA. We traveled there by small truck, up the scariest, most beautiful mountainside road I have ever ridden on. This road has never been attempted to be paved and it takes about 1 1/2 hours to get up. The road hugs cliffs that drop miles down and you have to drive over boulders and 4 foot crevices up a windy steep road. For 1 1/2 hours, maybe more. I prof got us up and down safely though!
Lesotho I believe is the only country that is all over about 2 miles above sea level. When we traveled up the Sani Pass we finally got into Lesotho and arrived at the lodge we were staying at. The lodge is nestled in a Lesothoan settlement. It's basically a tribe. The people there have no education, no churches, no hospitals and very little money. The money that they do get is from tourists like us. We put our bags away in our rooms and waited outside for our horses to be saddled up. That's right, we horseback rode in Lesotho! In fact, we horseback rode around the mostly unpathed countryside for 6 hours! 6 whole hours! Needless to say I was hurting when we were done...but it was the experience of a lifetime.
The country is the most beautiful place I have seen in my whole life. It reminds me of pictures of the himalayas. Everything is green with rolling hills and mountains. The people are friendly and hospitable. They love where they live. They love their people. It was amazing to see a society like that.
We ate that night at the highest pub in Africa! It was delicious! We fell asleep early that night, both because we were tired and the whole place ran by generator and candle light. So we didn't have much light to work with. We left the amazing country of Lesotho after breakfast that next morning.
That Saturday night we joined the rest of the gang in Durban for the Sharks vs. Lions rugby game! It was intense. It's like football but with no padding and a harder game. It was crazy to watch, and it was an awesome game. I LOVE RUGBY! GO SHARKS! haha :)
On Sunday we had two masseuses come to the campus to give massages. Me and Jess (the other girl who went to Lesotho) got first pick because of our rough trip. :) It was absolutely amazing...full body aromatherapy! So good...and I could definately use another one! LOL
Since then I've been taking it easy. A big group of us went out to a resteraunt to hang out and get off campus tonight. It was fun and good to get away.
Classes are done next week and we start community service soon! YAY!
P.S. If you want to see pictures of my adventures, please follow this link to my Facebook page. There are a TON of pics there! http://www.facebook.com/home.php?ref=home#/profile.php?id=1038120078&ref=name
Tuesday, February 24, 2009
Friday, February 13, 2009
The fairy tale continues...
Last weekend I fulfilled one of my goals of being here in SA...I learned (attempted) to surf! And I did it in the Indian ocean no less! It was really fun, but also very hard and I came away with SERIOUS board burns that I am still recovering from. I hope to try again in the future and get all the way up on the board.
After surfing, Ashleigh and I went to the local market and got all sorts of cool souvenirs. The sellers have beautiful, handmade things that are so inexpensive they are hard to pass up. My favorite thing that I got is a painting of a sunset and elephants moving across a plain. It's gorgeous.
On Sunday I visited a local church and it was absolutely amazing. The preacher was so convicted and everyone was incredibly welcoming. When we got back to AE we all prepared to go paintballing!
I have never been because I have always been very scared, but I thought, what the heck?! I might as well get over my fear in SA! So I did, and it was soooo much fun! granted it did hurt, but it was fun none-the-less. I have some major battle-wounds on my legs....my brother would be proud. :)
This week has been a good week, but also challenging. I had to turn in my first term paper in Life and Teachings of Jesus. But now that is done and I can enjoy my weekend!
The D-group I joined started up this week. My leader is the amazing Megan Goeman! She is absolutely fantastic and such an incredible woman of God. I can't wait to be challenged by her and her love for God.
Tomorrow we are taking a field trip to Shakaland, a replica of a traditional Zulu tribe. I am very excited about this. It is supposed to be very interesting. I will tell you all about it in my next post!
Love you all and Happy Valentines Day!
After surfing, Ashleigh and I went to the local market and got all sorts of cool souvenirs. The sellers have beautiful, handmade things that are so inexpensive they are hard to pass up. My favorite thing that I got is a painting of a sunset and elephants moving across a plain. It's gorgeous.
On Sunday I visited a local church and it was absolutely amazing. The preacher was so convicted and everyone was incredibly welcoming. When we got back to AE we all prepared to go paintballing!
I have never been because I have always been very scared, but I thought, what the heck?! I might as well get over my fear in SA! So I did, and it was soooo much fun! granted it did hurt, but it was fun none-the-less. I have some major battle-wounds on my legs....my brother would be proud. :)
This week has been a good week, but also challenging. I had to turn in my first term paper in Life and Teachings of Jesus. But now that is done and I can enjoy my weekend!
The D-group I joined started up this week. My leader is the amazing Megan Goeman! She is absolutely fantastic and such an incredible woman of God. I can't wait to be challenged by her and her love for God.
Tomorrow we are taking a field trip to Shakaland, a replica of a traditional Zulu tribe. I am very excited about this. It is supposed to be very interesting. I will tell you all about it in my next post!
Love you all and Happy Valentines Day!
Thursday, February 5, 2009
This is my address until early April:
API Education Foundation
P O Box 13870
CASCADES 3202
Pietermaritzburg
KZN, South Africa
Please send me letters or a package if you want! Just don't send anything worth $50 or more. I would have to go to the post office with my passport to pick it up.
I would really appreciate a letter or piece of home! Love you all!
API Education Foundation
P O Box 13870
CASCADES 3202
Pietermaritzburg
KZN, South Africa
Please send me letters or a package if you want! Just don't send anything worth $50 or more. I would have to go to the post office with my passport to pick it up.
I would really appreciate a letter or piece of home! Love you all!
Tuesday, February 3, 2009
Waterfalls, monkeys and love
Walking on this campus is like a fairy tale. Sometimes I wonder if I am really here. Can I really be here? Can this be possible? I wonder if I'm really trekking through the forest searching for Zebra. I wonder if I'm really sliding down a natural water slide at a South African watering hole.
In another sense, I look back on my life and my struggles with Crohn's disease and I just can't fathom that I'm actually studying abroad half way across the world. A year ago this life changing trip would not be possible. Thanks to medicinal advances I can travel with all the necessary tools to keep me healthy. All I can say is WOW. Thank you God that you have created such smart people who can make life so much more liveable for me and so many other people. Thank you for allowing me to fully and completely achieve my dreams.
Anyways, the campus here is beautiful. We are living in Pietermaritzburg, SA in the region of KwaZulu-Natal. Our campus is at the African Enterprise Center, a Christian non-profit organization that has graciously accepted the challenge of housing 35 college students every semester. APU has hired our professors directly from South Africa and they come and teach us at AE.
Next to our campus is a Nature Reserve that actually contains wild zebra! The only time I have visited has been at night, so I have yet to see them. Outside my window I can hear a waterfall that is just outside our "chalet" which houses 6 girls, whom I love!
In our free time we hang out in the "Cougar's Den - South Africa." We do home work in there, play games, there's a pool table and a TV too. Just down the street a little is a trail to go to the watering hole, where we can swim and be merry. There is also a natural water slide that is so much fun!
We eat our meals at the same time everyday and they are all home-made by our wonderful cooks! The South Africans are amazed at how much peanut butter we can eat because they only eat it on toast. They were amazed to see us eat it with fruit, on sandwiches, with chocolate...I can't imagine a world without Reese's!
Last weekend we visited the African Bird's of Prey Exhibit and toured PMB (Pietermaritzburg). We got to see where Ghandi started his violence-free revolution at the PMB railroad. This weekend were are going to Durban, a beach city an hour away. There I am going to attempt to fufill one of my goals of this trip...learning to surf!
In another sense, I look back on my life and my struggles with Crohn's disease and I just can't fathom that I'm actually studying abroad half way across the world. A year ago this life changing trip would not be possible. Thanks to medicinal advances I can travel with all the necessary tools to keep me healthy. All I can say is WOW. Thank you God that you have created such smart people who can make life so much more liveable for me and so many other people. Thank you for allowing me to fully and completely achieve my dreams.
Anyways, the campus here is beautiful. We are living in Pietermaritzburg, SA in the region of KwaZulu-Natal. Our campus is at the African Enterprise Center, a Christian non-profit organization that has graciously accepted the challenge of housing 35 college students every semester. APU has hired our professors directly from South Africa and they come and teach us at AE.
Next to our campus is a Nature Reserve that actually contains wild zebra! The only time I have visited has been at night, so I have yet to see them. Outside my window I can hear a waterfall that is just outside our "chalet" which houses 6 girls, whom I love!
In our free time we hang out in the "Cougar's Den - South Africa." We do home work in there, play games, there's a pool table and a TV too. Just down the street a little is a trail to go to the watering hole, where we can swim and be merry. There is also a natural water slide that is so much fun!
We eat our meals at the same time everyday and they are all home-made by our wonderful cooks! The South Africans are amazed at how much peanut butter we can eat because they only eat it on toast. They were amazed to see us eat it with fruit, on sandwiches, with chocolate...I can't imagine a world without Reese's!
Last weekend we visited the African Bird's of Prey Exhibit and toured PMB (Pietermaritzburg). We got to see where Ghandi started his violence-free revolution at the PMB railroad. This weekend were are going to Durban, a beach city an hour away. There I am going to attempt to fufill one of my goals of this trip...learning to surf!
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