I am here!!

I am officially in Cape Town — Fish Hoek to be exact — with Peter and Barbara De Beer (my new parents). They have two dogs. Their Yorkie, Munchkin, is the cutest thing I’ve ever seen. They were at the airport waiting for who knows how long and have been incredibly open, generous and giving in their first few nights housing me. They love photography and cycling. They help out at the radio station where I’ll be working, which is just a train stop away from Fish Hoek. The beach is within walking distance and the train station is at the end of their street. I will be taken care of fully so please do not worry (*cough* mom and dad). I have a cell phone that they are letting me use. They have many people that come through their doors proving how generous they are.

Yesterday, I met with the Belmont group who arrived the previous evening (with only half of their luggage). It was incredible to be back at the Team House. To everyone who went last year, Mandy says hello!! Catherine is out of town and no longer working there, but lives in Cape Town so we’ll all meet up for tea and biscuits sometime soon! I went with the group to take the updated Living Hope tour and we toured the townships as well. We first went to Masiphumelele and it was quite interesting experiencing it as a veteran with all my peers being there for the first time. They have a great group this year. I helped answer questions and act as a sort of guide in our combi. We then went to Ocean View, the spot where I realized for the first time last year I’d be back again. What wonderful memories. It was so surreal being there. We then stopped by Capricorn briefly before returning to the Team House.

After lunch, the group split into groups. They’ll be working at the after-school kid’s clubs for about 4 or 5 days staying each day in the same township. I went back to Capricorn. The one orange container has been replaced with four gray containers. Each has locked windows and doors and are enclosed in a barbed wire fence. Still very primitive, but much better than what was there only a year earlier. There were twice or three times as many kids as I remembered. They were all incredible. I was immediately drawn to a boy that looked familiar. I asked him his name and he replied “Basil.” He’s a 13-year-old bright, gifted singer. He actually sang beautifully for us last year and when I reminded him of it, he got incredibly embarrassed. He’s now a year older and more mature. By far the smartest of the older kids. He has to walk 30 minutes to school both ways everyday. He wants to be a pilot. He wants to be the first in his family to finish University. He has dreams. He tried to commit suicide last week… “There is such hell at home. Maybe it would be better to not live at all than to live in hell.” He fights with his parents often, but I’m sure there’s more below the surface than just arguing with his mom and dad. I gave him my phone number and told him to call or SMS (South African for text) me anytime. I told him that he’s very bright and has a chance to live out his dreams. He just needs to be strong and occasionally get away to regroup and reflect. I made a new friend. I told him I’ll be here for the next three months and that put a big grin on his face. I told him we could go into town and to the beach and anything he wants just to get his mind off life at home. We went separate ways, but hopefully he knows he has someone he can talk to. If that was the only good thing to come of this whole trip, the only reason why I was supposed to come over here, then it was worth every penny. I get to be here for three months and nourish that relationship instead of just leaving as quickly as I arrived, like last year. Thank you, Lord.

That was just yesterday. Other incredible things have happened and I’ll get to them eventually. More to come…

First two were from Ocean View. Last two were in Capricorn, containers in the back.