The Epic Continues

*UPDATE* Please tune in for the special “iReport for CNN” program aired on CNN International at the following times:

Saturday, June 7th @ 7:30 AM ET and 6:00 PM ET

Sunday, June 8th @ 6:00 AM ET

Tuesday, June 10th @ 1:30 PM ET

I will be making my global media debut and hope that someone catches it because I won’t. We don’t have CNN. How did all this happen? Read my previous few blogs. It’s really exciting, but it’s even better that the refugee camp is now getting international news. *UPDATE*

I continue to get busier by the day. I apologize for not having the chance to take many pictures lately (it saddens me too), but I have truly been going all over the place. I was at the radio station 4 times yesterday, the church twice, Paul Bothner music store, Capricorn, and the Team House visiting Dr. Gwaltney. I rode two trains, took two kombi rides, one taxi and drove the rest myself.

Dr. Gwaltney is the Dean of Belmont’s School of Religion. He set up the first study abroad here last year, the one I journeyed on. He continues to be an integral liaison between Belmont University and Cape Town. As a school, we are unofficially partnering with two universities here. We’ve had a total of three study abroad trips (2 undergrad, 1 grad), he’s been twice on his own, I’m currently back on my own and a mission team from our University Ministries is coming next month. All of this has happened in about a year’s time. Quite exciting.

An update on the academy:

• I distributed surveys to the four main communities in Living Hope’s reach. Capricorn was the first to finish. I handed them 25. They gave me back well over 200. Once I get the others, we’ll have a good grasp on the current music situation in each area.
• Paul Bothner music chain and CCFM have teamed up in the past and are teaming up again with an enormous instrument drive happening at the end of this month. With our radio advertisements reaching over 130,000 listeners and emails to our entire database of contacts, plus them advertising in 5 locations and emailing their entire database, we should reach an enormous number of musicians all of Cape Town metro. Those stores will become the drop-off locations.
• I have put together a framework for the academy (mentioned in my entry “Surf. Success. CNN”) and we have begun exploring possible locations and teachers in Capricorn where it will launch.
• 2 local guys have expressed great interest in taking the reins once I leave.
• Incredible people and contacts continue to come my way.

I know this is a lot of information all at once, but I told myself all of YOU would be a major part of this and I was incredibly serious. I want you to see how things progress just as I have done. It’s been quite the adventure and it has only just begun.