This past week in Cape Town, we volunteered 2 days at Home of Hope. Tuesday we spent all day at the home and played with the toddlers and babies in the morning. There are about 4 girls from Ireland currently serving at the home so we were able to help them and get to know them in our brief time at the home. When the older kids got home from school, Carlie again spent hours with them helping with their homework. The babies were sleeping again so I played with some of the other kids outside. We spent the day just mainly hanging out with the kids and getting to know them. The cracked us up and we had a great time just playing with them.
Wednesday was spent with Kelly and Vuyo (2 of our friends from the Table View church) as they took us around Cape Town. We started off by going to the Origins coffee shop, which has been rated as the best coffee in Africa. The barista brought us 3 different kinds of coffee so we sampled them all before deciding which coffee we liked the best. Carlie and I both purchased some of the coffee too, because it was really good (their house blend is voted number 6 in the world). Afterward they took us to Camps Bay which is the richer area of Cape Town along a really nice beach. The week before we arrived in Cape Town there was pretty bad flooding from the rains, so there were still some remnants from the flooding. It was still a gorgeous beach though. We also stopped at Sinful for some ice cream. Several people had mentioned the ice cream shop as a must-see while in Cape Town so we had to get some. After seeing Camps Bay we briefly stopped at the Fire and Ice hotel, which is a themed hotel. For instance, there's the stage fright bathroom where you're surrounded by mirrors and pictures of people gapping and pointing at you. The long drop bathroom appears like you're on scaffolding with the city below you. It's really hilarious and really well done. Afterwards we stopped at another coffee shop in town to get some coffee and scones. Kelly and Vuyo were shocked to hear we had never had a scone with jam and whipped cream before so we had to get some. The day was a day full of sight-seeing and eating and it was really fun to spend the time with them. Wednesday evening we went with the de Klerks to Jason and Nicole's school for a talent show. There were probably over 40 acts who did different dances and singing. The kids ranged in ages from elementary to the high schoolers and many of them were really talented. It was a really good time and we were surprised to see a lot of the church kids there, as well as some performing.
Thursday morning we were able to help with SALT's women's ministry. They open the church for 2 hours every Thursday and women are able to come and get help in getting jobs. The volunteers open a file on each woman and write down their basic information. Once a month the women are able to receive a food parcel and the following week they receive a bag of clothing. Each woman is followed for 3 months and the volunteers counsel them and help them to get employment and such. Kind-of like implementing the whole idea of rather than giving a person a fish and feeding them for a day, teach a person to fish and you feed them for a lifetime. Carlie and I mainly observed the interviews and it was heartbreaking to hear their stories. I was surprised to see that the majority of the women coming in were younger than me with several children of their own. One woman was 23 and broke down crying because she was unable to provide for her little sisters. It was really hard to see all this. In a place like Cape Town, where there is so much affluence, it's hard to see the poverty. And there really is a lot of it. I found a big difference in seeing the poverty in Zambia versus in Cape Town because in Zambia you expect it and most everyone is like that. However, in a place like Cape Town it doesn't seem like it should be that way when so many people are well-off. Table View AOG, however, is doing amazing things to help those who are struggling. I've been so encouraged at how committed the church is to help those in need. They're truly doing amazing things in Cape Town and God is definitely at work in might ways!
Following the women's ministry, Carlie and Joel took me to the airport and I caught my flight home. I spent the next day and half traveling back to the States. It got to be really boring traveling all by myself, but it is good to be home (I must say that I was excited to get back to warm weather after freezing in Cape Town for a week). It's wierd not spending every moment with Carlie, though. She will be remain in Cape Town until Sunday morning and then spend two days in Johannesburg with a friend before coming home on Tuesday.
I want to share part of an entry from my journal in closing:
This trip has been so much more than I ever dreamed. I told a lot of people that I had thought this trip would be the hardest thing for me. Being away from my home and comforts for so long seemed so difficult. However, it has been nothing of the sort. The first 2 days were a little rough, however, going to bed one night while lying on my cot I had prayed that I'd enjoy my trip to the fullest. God answered that prayer in a way I never could have imagined. The past 6 weeks I have not been homesick at all. I was genuinely happy and enjoying life every moment. That could only be attributed to God. He is doing amazing things in Zambia and South Africa. And it was exciting to be apart of it for a time. The people I've met, despite many of them in their youth, are so genuinely passionate about God. They are earnestly desiring to seek and serve Him in everything they do. They have inspired me more than they'll ever know. I hold them all in my heart. My life has forever been changed.
The trip never would been the same without Carlie. She balanced me and encouraged me. She inspired me with her faith. She was the best teammate I ever could have asked for and I am so thankful for her. Despite having only met her twice prior to the trip, we became instant friends and I know we will remain that way. I miss her already and will forever love her.
Thank you to all for your prayers and support for both of us. Continue to pray for Carlie as she finishes her journey. Thank you! You all are amazing!!
The amazing Victoria Falls! To the locals it's known as Mosi O Tunya, or the Smoke that Thunders.
The beautiful Cape Town with views of Table Mountain and from the top!
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