This will be the last blog I write from South Africa, though I may write one or two more once I’ve returned!

July has been an exciting and busy month despite the fact that my time here is winding down. I am thankful that I have been able to remain fairly busy and invested in my work and community here. Here are the highlights of the last three weeks!

At the beginning of July I traveled down to the tiny town of Rhodes (permanent population: 23), along with 5 other Boksburg runners. We traveled 8+ hours in Neil’s VW bus, making our way to the southern border of Lesotho so that we could take part in the Rhodes Trail Run. Though the Maluti Mountains had not received much snow this year, it was below freezing at 7am when we began the 52K race!

This race was quite different than the road running I’ve been used to – though we began with almost 2 hours on a dirt road, we then ran through the ‘kloof,’ the long winding valley between mountains. There was not much of a path through the 8K of kloof, and it involved a lot of rock hopping, trail finding, and thorns! It felt like a mixture of running and really intense hiking! There were excellent water points/feeding stations that offered everything from chocolate to soup to schnapps! At the end of the Kloof section you arrive at Mavis Bank, where you basically turn and run UP the mountains that you’ve been running between. What followed was 25 minutes of constant uphill hiking that sometimes required you to pull yourself up with your hands! That was one heck of a hill – oofda! From there we ran along the Border Road for about 9K. This section was difficult because at that point we were at 3000m (9200 feet) above sea level and the altitude was really noticeable! Neil and I reached the next water point at about 5 hours, at which point Neil encouraged me to go on and see what I could do with the last 22K. The toughest section, perhaps, was still to come: “Hooggenoeg ” (if you don’t choke while saying it, you ain’t saying it right!), meaning ‘High Enough,’ was a 7ks of crossing and climbing through mountain fields. The ground surface was so tufty and uneven with grasses and rocks and mounds of dirt that was nearly impossible to run on without fear of breaking an ankle. As a result, an hour of walking was necessary! Finally I descended back onto the road and was glad to be able to actually run again – even if it was running downhill for 45 minutes! Now, downhill seems like it would be easier right? Nope! The last 12K were on a windy dirt road that took us from farm to farm in some of the most gorgeous country I’ve ever seen. There were long periods of time where I saw no one else and I just enjoyed the quiet beauty and felt thankful for the chance to have such an adventure. I finally crossed the finish line at 7:58:21, completing my longest distance/race ever! There was a lot to celebrate that evening – Boksburg runner Trevor Tourein, who rode down with us, won the race and Neil received his permanent race number for completing his third Rhodes. So even though the power was out, we managed to have a great time! Certainly an experience I will never forget.

A view down the Kloof!

Neil and I on top of Mavis Bank!

My music classes continued through the school holidays and I really had a lot of fun with the Wattville and Vosloorus kids. We played Frisbee, made friendship bracelets, colored, made paper airplanes, sang, learned more recorder songs, and played soccer. I had my last class with Vosloorus on Tuesday and will have my final class in Wattville tomorrow. The goodbyes are a bit hard, as is trying to find an answer when the kids ask ‘who is going to teach us now?’ There will be another YAGM volunteer working in the East Rand next year, but whether or not she will be able to fit music classes into her schedule is not yet known. Whenever you start a program like this you of course hope that it can be sustainable, so I struggle a little with the fact that it is unlikely that the classes will continue next year. However, as the Dean, Brian and I discussed, ‘sustainable’ doesn’t only have to mean ‘continued in the same way.’ While there may not be music classes after I leave, I am hopeful that we have planted seeds in some of the children and that they will be able to seek out musical opportunities!

I have enjoyed my mornings at the crèche as well. I spend most of the time working with Teacher Sandra’s class. They are the oldest kids and we work on writing letters and numbers. On Thursday I had a great time walking around encouraging students and helping them trace and draw the letter ‘a.’ It is beautiful to see those moments when a child finds sheer joy in accomplishing something. After working for several minutes, Kayla drew a perfect ‘a’ and was so thrilled that she kept calling me over to look at each new one she created!

Kayla, Shaunita, Chandre and Tequinne at the creche

I’ve also spent a lot of time at the orphanage in the last few weeks, including a Saturday morning when I went in and discovered a party in progress! A young girl from a family in Boksburg decided to ‘donate’ her birthday party to the St. Francis kids, which I thought was a fabulous idea. The kids ate way too much food and opened soccer ball and plush toy presents, but the bouncy castle was by far the best part. Siphesihle and I had a great time jumping and sliding down the slide! I also met the newest resident, a little boy named ‘Gift.’ He had arrived the night before so he was pretty shocked and dazed. When I returned on Wednesday I was concerned because he was still glassy-eyed and unresponsive, even if you held or tickled him. Finally I sat him on my lap, gave him a crayon and held a coloring book for him and he proceeded to color carefully for about half an hour. I know that the preschool at St. Francis employs art therapy, so I hope that Gift will be allowed to have sessions to help him with this huge transition. Of all the places and kids I’ve worked with, I think it will be most difficult to say goodbye to the ones from St. Francis. Even with the best medical prognoses, it is hard to know how or where these children will end up and it will be nearly impossible for me to know what happens to some of these beautiful children that I’ve come to love.

These babies know how to party!

Siphesihle and me

After many months of intending to get to together and enjoy some music, Papa Harry (Aunt Audrey’s father) and I have now spent several afternoons playing music. We’ve sat for hours singing and playing hymns on piano and trumpet. Though Papa Harry hasn’t had formal training, he is a fantastic pianist. He plays almost completely by ear, which I find incredible. He wants me to teach him, which I am trying to do, but honestly, he is so much more advanced on piano that I am! I try to pick out hymns or play sheet music, though my already dubious piano skills are rusty after 10 months without playing! I have taught Papa Harry ‘Here I Am Lord,’ which I believe I quoted in my very first blog to you. I thought about that as he played piano and I played trumpet, and was amazed to think how much has happened this year and how much I have learned.

Felt It! It Was Here!

As the final whistle blew at the end of the World Cup Championship Match I breathed a huge sigh of relief. Not because Spain won – actually, I was dressed in orange! (Let’s face it, I don’t look remotely Spanish but I can pull off Dutch pretty well!) No, I was relieved because the World Cup was finally over and could now be labeled a success!! South Africa has every reason to be proud of its achievement in hosting such a fabulous event! Thanks for making it AYOBA South Africa! Now, anyone want to buy a vuvuzela? Just kidding, I’m keeping mine!

The 'Hup Hup Holland-ers'

Yesterday I had to say goodbye to my friend Neil, who is leaving today on a business trip for two weeks. To celebrate, he and Anne helped put together a group to go running on the mine dumps one last time together. I was really touched that so many people – 15 or so – turned up at 6:30am on Saturday in below-freezing weather to come and run with us. Since Comrades, many people have been resting and enjoying extra sleep with the result that I hadn’t seen many people (and not all together) in quite a while. We ran our usual route and then came back and had a party in the parking lot. There were more baked goods than you find at a church potluck! I was also given a badge with my official South African name: Hannetjie (‘Hanna-key’) Van Der Merwe, which is just about as Afrikaner as you get!

Sunrise on the Mine Dumps

Partying in the garage parking lot! It was freezing!

As I sit writing this I am also counting down the hours until I leave to pick up Jacob Dalager at the airport – 14 to go! We have lots to do and only a week to do it, so I hope he’s ready to hit the ground running! Tomorrow we will go to the crèche and class at Wattville, as well as visiting my grandparents here. On Tuesday we depart for Pietermaritzburg to spend an evening with Brian and Kristen Konkol, followed by two days in Durban! I am REALLY hoping for warm weather and some beach time. I did not expect such cold weather in Gauteng! We arrive back in Joburg next Saturday and will attend my last church service in Reiger Park. On Monday we will go to the orphanage and then finish last minute packing! We both have flights out on Tuesday and arrive at O’Hare on Wednesday, though we are traveling separately! I am looking forward to this week and to getting home to my family. At the same time though, it is not easy to say goodbye to this place or the people to whom I’ve grown so close!

So. I will be seeing many of you very soon! You can just ask my nephew Matias how many days – he’s been counting down, as have I!

God bless you!

With love,

Hannah

During music class in Wattville on Wednesday our entire class spontaneously burst on in the following song:

Give me freedom, give me fire, give me reason, take me higher
See the champions, take the field now, you define us, make us feel proud.
In the streets our heads are lifting, as we lose our inhibition,
Celebration, it surrounds us, every nation, all around us.

Singing forever young, singing songs underneath that sun
Let’s rejoice in the beautiful game,
And together at the end of the day
We all say:

When I get older I will be stronger
They’ll call me freedom, just like a wavin’ flag
So wave your flag, now wave your flag, now wave your flag!

As someone who has always loved the idea of spontaneous, coordinated singing and dancing (I grew up watching musicals), this moment was beautiful and precious to me! This song, written for the World Cup and performed by K’Naan, is EVERYWHERE – on TV, on the radio, hummed by my host father, sung by school kids, and danced to by the other YAGMs and me at the Cup game! But despite the catchy rhythm and inspiring lyrics, I feel a little guilty about my love for this song. Why?

It is the Coca Cola song for the World Cup. A corporate empire ad campaign. Sigh.

And it is really working – after all, the kids in my music class knew every word! This phenomenon has brought into sharper focus an idea that I have wanted to write about for a while – the presence of western corporations and goods, especially food goods, and their impact on the nutrition in South Africa. Whoa. I bet you didn’t see that coming!

I think I have mentioned in other reflections that companies like Coke, KFC, and McDonalds have a huge presence in South Africa. They are not only present but downright aggressive in their advertising! The real giant of the three is Coca Cola. Prior to moving here, I thought that Georgians were the biggest Coke fanatics in the world, but South Africans could give them a run for their money. Coca Cola is very much more that simply a ‘cool drink’ here (‘cool drinks’ being the name given to any fizzy, on-alcoholic beverage). Coke is cultural capital. Coke is valuable. Coke is a way of life. While it is readily affordable to many citizens, I believe that is retains a value that is higher than its monetary price. I don’t know how to explain it really. While it is a part of daily life for many people, it has not lost its importance by being common. When it comes to hospitality, offering a glass of Coke is a warm welcome – and as a result, I have drunk a lot of it this year!

I think we would all agree that the Coca Cola Company is a genius when it comes to advertising and product placement, but in South Africa Coca Cola has also managed to become a huge presence through sponsorship and charity. In any given township you will find one or more ‘tuck shops’ sponsored by Coke – with huge, red signs advertising Coke and the shop’s name in white writing. A ‘tuck shop’ is a small convenience store type of place often run out of a home or a small tin shack. I have also seen many schools that have been sponsored by Coca Cola, their charity boldly advertised on school signs and billboards.

Personally, I am torn between appreciating Coke’s generous involvement in the community and detesting the way that it inserts itself into the conscious of young and old South Africans alike. After all, what is Coke but a sugary, fizzy, caffeinated, cavity-inducing, nutritionally-void, addictive liquid? So while Coca Cola splashes its name around as the saint-like sponsors of schools and small businesses, it is soaking South Africans in calories and caffeine-highs.

Then there is KFC – another western company that has truly found a home in South Africa. Were you to poll South Africans, I fear that few could tell you what “KFC” actually stands for, but it matters not – KFC is possibly the most popular fast food restaurant here. KFC is especially present on TV, with commercials running all the time. They sponsor or advertising almost every sporting event I’ve seen on TV – ironic, really! Their World Cup campaign has been especially clever, as they coined the term ‘fangaea’ – a combination of the words ‘fan’ and ‘Pangaea’ to capture the idea of fans from all over the world coming together just as the continents formed Pangaea. Well, it made me smile anyways.

So far I’ve only been talking about chains and companies that come from overseas, but I have found plenty of nutritionally questionable food to be popular here (and yes, I realize this is NO different than in the States!). One thing I’ve noticed is people tend to snack a lot here, especially kids. This is facilitated by tuck shops and milk-crate stands that can be found on most corners in townships. For one or two Rand you can purchase nic-naks (kind of like cheetos or cheese-puffs) in a variety of flavors that promise to stain your fingers, sweeties, chappies (gum), and ‘ama kip kip,’ a form of colored, flavoured popcorn. I see children eating this fare ALL the time! Additionally, at many tuck shops you can buy Kota (or the similar ‘slice’ or ‘bunny chow’). Kota is a hollowed-out quarter of white bread stuffed with a combination of chips (fries), cheese, tomato sauce (ketchup), polony/viennas/hotdog-type-meat, fried egg, achaar (spicy pickled mango), and anything else you can think to add! While delicious, cheap (basic Kota can cost as little as R7, or $1), and incredibly filling, Kota are not what I would describe as a ‘healthy’ meal! While Kota is not necessarily an every-day meal, it is a common treat it indulge in.

I am not writing an indictment of South African food. Far from it – I have had wonderful meals here and have enjoyed the availability of fresh fruits and veggies. My real interest in the subject is looking at the way that western products and companies have taken on a very potent presence here in South Africa. Companies like Coke and KFC that developed slowly over time in the USA, evolving along with capitalism and commercialism, have dropped into South Africa (all of Africa for that matter) as fully developed, efficient, powerful companies. As a result, they effectively saturate the market – and the minds – of South Africa. Other fast food companies have to keep pace by delivering similar products in a similar manner – quickly, predictably, and cheaply. Chains like Nando’s Chicken, Steers (Burger King-ish), and Debonair’s (fast-food pizza) do very well because they operate like the original masters – McDonalds and KFC.

So, just as in the US, we find that many citizens end up consuming foods that are less than ideal in terms of nutrition. As a result, obesity, heart disease, diabetes and other weight- and diet-related illnesses are prevalent and on the rise. I really do fear for the future health of South Africans – especially the kids of today, many of whom are developing poor eating habits and may already be dealing with obesity. Just as in the US, it remains to be seen whether or not South Africans can get back on a healthy track.

Well, the World Cup fever continues here, despite the tragic elimination of Bafana Bafana – though really, they played fantastically and with such heart during their last game against France and only missed out on advancing due to goal difference, not point difference. Also, as you all know, Ghana knocked out the US. Though I was sad t see them go, I was impressed by and excited for Ghana – the only African nation left in the Cup!

The World Cup has changed my schedule, mostly because there is no school during the entire competition! This actually works to my advantage, as I now get to teach my music classes in the morning. On Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday mornings from 10-1 I teach a music/art/games class. So far at Wattville we’ve played a lot of soccer, worked on recorders and learned many new songs. In Vosloorus we’ve also done a lot of art, including putting on a fashion show of outfits made out of black and purple garbage bags – pictures below! I am having a blast and am really enjoying the chance to get to know the children better! The class in Wattville has especially stolen my heart – it is made up mostly of 12 year old boys who don’t mind when I attempt to play soccer with them, and who enthusiastically belt out any song I teach them!

My time here continues to dwindle at an alarming rate! I have only 4 more weekends here, and I intend to make them count. Next weekend I set off on a last great South African adventure – the Rhodes Trail Race. The 50K race is run in South Africa along the southern border of Lesotho over mountainous terrain. The race coordinators warn all runners to expect run through snow, wind, and icy mountain streams. I will be running with Neil, and I’m just hoping I can finish within the 9-hour time limit!

As the Fourth of July weekend approaches, I wish you all wonderful summer barbecues and parades. I admit that my heart will be with the Barrington Community Band that day!

Peace to you all – and now, go enjoy some Coke and fried chicken!

Love,

Hannah

As I am sure that most of you not living under a rock are aware, we are 10 days in the 2010 FIFA World Cup! I write to you this evening from the cozy armchair in front of the TV which is, of course, tuned to the Brazil vs. Ivory Coast match – a much anticipated game! And if we’ve learned anything this far in the World Cup, it is that it is almost impossible to predict what will happen! Serbia beating Germany? New Zealand drawing with Italy? The French team rapidly imploding upon itself?

And I have been fortunate to get to experience some of the World Cup first hand! I will try to give you some of my impressions from the match I attended– the USA vs. Slovenia!

On Friday I, along with 6 other SA YAGMs and our coordinator, Brian, made our way to downtown Joburg. We started off our afternoon in true American style – by eating at McDonalds! After feasting on the familiar fare of burgers, fries, and chicken mcnuggets, we walked the dozen or so blocks to Ellis Park stadium – vuvuzelas in hand! We were also bundled up, as it is definitely winter here in Jozi. I wore tights, jeans, three shirts, a jacket, two pairs of socks, gloves and a hat! (At night it has been below freezing!)

We made a brief stop at KFC to apply face-paint and deck ourselves out in all our patriotic gear, including matching t-shirts, designed by YAGM Kristen Opalinski, that say ‘ Red White & Bluevuzela!’ and feature the FIFA logo soccer player wearing a stars and stripe top hat and blowing a vuvuzela! I believe pictures will give you a better idea than words alone:

Walking to Ellis Park - Usually we try NOT to look American when we walk around, but this was a special day!

Elliott and me with our tickets!!

We arrived at Ellis park Stadium 2 hours before kick-off and were impressed by how smoothly we were able to enter the stadium grounds – our tickets were taken, bags briefly searched, and entrance was granted without a hitch. There was a lot going on outside the stadium – music, venders, etc. Coke had a huge presence, as it does all over the place. We got to sign a giant soccer ball, and were interviewed by a South American TV station (I’m hoping we got to be on TV and dubbed into Spanish!) Our enthusiastic appearance made us very popular – everywhere we looked people were snapping photos of us, including a press guy from Getty! Despite the huge crowd, I ran into Neil and his daughter Rose and by chance I even met three 2008 St. Olaf grads! Talk about small world!

We are PUMPED!!

We found our seats and watched the warm-ups, warming up our vuvuzelas as well! I was sitting with Heather, Lauren, and John on the ground level in the corner behind the goal that Slovenia defended first. One of my favorite moments was right efore kick-off when the four of us belted out the national anthem as loud as we could – something none of us has done in a long time! It gave us all goosebumps and I felt a sort of patriotism that maybe you can only feel when you have been away from your country for a long time.

John and me in our seats (the other seats filled up too)

Our view of the field

<BRAZIL JUST SCORED>

For those of you who watched the US game, you’ll know that the first half was really scary! Slovenia put a bullet past Tim Howard early on – and the block of Slovenian fans sitting around the corner from us grew even louder. A second Slovenian goal sent us into half time with a disheartening score of 2-0.  Fortunately, the US players that took the field in the second half looked like a different team! The first US goal set the crowd going wild – we screamed and blew our vuvuzelas for all we were worth!

After we scored the second time - HAPPY!!!

I would like to take a moment to give you my opinion on the vuvzelas:

They. Are. AWESOME.

We’ve found it really funny to hear about all the controversy surrounding the vuvuzela, especially considering that in South Africa we’ve been hearing vuvuzelas at all hours of the day for several months! As a trumpet player, I may be slightly biased to enjoy loud, blasting noises, but the atmosphere that they create in the streets and in the stadium is electric! Not only does playing a vuvuzela save your voice (because you can cheer without screaming), but it also lets fans interact with each other. One person would blast out a rhythm and other fans would echo it. Several times we got all the fans around us doing a call and response. I LOVED it. So a solid two thumbs up from this fan!

Now – as for the ‘third’ US goal. People have asked me just how insane people went when the goal was called back. The truth is, we had NO IDEA what happened or how controversial it would become. When the goal was scored, we all went crazy again. It even said GOAL on the big screen! But then the next thing we new, there was a goal kick and the players were still playing.  We were all disappointed, but as there are no replays, slow-mos, or announcers in the stadiums, we had no way of knowing that there wasn’t a foul. We held our breath until 90 minutes, and then through the stop time play. The game ended oddly – a Slovenian player went down and was carried off on a stretcher and, just moments later, the ref must have blown the whistle. We were confused as to why the stop time of the injury was not added on, but were even more confused when the US players swarmed around the referee – who is now infamous! It wasn’t until we were leaving the stadium that we began receiving texts from friends and family telling us just how HORRIBLE the ref’s call was! Our excitement that the US had battled back to tie the game was slightly dampened by the frustrating knowledge that we actually should have won!!

Our trip from Ellis Park was as easy as our trip to it – we caught the train at a nearby station, where we could ride for free by showing our world cup ticket. We rode to Park Station where a friend of Elliott’s picked us all up and took us where Elliott stays in Alexandra Township. That evening we enjoyed hospitality at Elliott’s friend Lucky’s house. We ordered fabulous pizza and settled in to watch the England vs. Algeria game. We even managed to look up the ref and read the famously vandalized Wikipedia page before it got fixed! We had trouble finding much about the call, however, as FIFA managed to keep most videos off the web. We were thrilled with the 0-0 draw between England and Algeria, and are anxiously awaiting the US/Algeria game!

While there have been a few mishaps – including South African ticket-takers walking off the job because they weren’t getting paid – I think South Africa has done a fantastic job so far, and I believe that this World Cup will be a huge success and will make Africa – and Africans – proud. Now if Bafana Bafana could just pull out a miracle and beat France by 3 goals – with a little help from Uruguay – maybe the South Africans will have even more to cheer about!

I admit it – when it comes down to it, I’m cheering for Bafana first, US second. But barring those two moving out of group play, I think I’ll throw in my lot with Argentina or the Netherlands! I would love to see an African nation move on to the round of 16, but it is looking less likely by the minute!

There is so much more I would like to share – in the last two weeks I also travelled to Pietermaritzburg for our final YAGM retreat of the year. It was a wonderful week with my YAGM friends and we spent a lot of time sharing and reflecting on our year as well as talking about the major transition of moving home – which is coming up soon. On July 19th Jacob Dalager will join me in South Africa. He will get a whirlwind tour of South Africa before we fly out on July 27 and arrive at O’Hare on July 28^th! It is hard to believe that my time here has dwindled to a mere 38 days. I am not quite ready to leave here yet and saying goodbye will be a difficult thing. However, I am looking forward to returning home and getting to see my family – especially my niece, Violet!

Below I am including an article written by Andrea Roske-Metcalfe, former YAGM and current Country Coordinator. The Global Mission staff has encouraged us to share this with our friends and family. I think it is helpful, and may be helpful in relating to other friends or family members who have been working or studying abroad.

More to come soon!

<BRAZIL SCORED AGAIN – COME ON COTE D’IVOIRE!>

Peace and ‘AYOBA-NESS!’

Hannah

<BRAZIL SCORED AGAIN – SORRY IVORY COAST, BUT IT’S OVER!>

________________________________

An Open Letter to Friends and Families of Young Adults in Global Mission

My name is Andrea Roske-Metcalfe, and I’m the Country Coordinator for the Young Adults in Global Mission program in Mexico. During our second-to-last retreat this year, I asked my volunteers to write a letter to their friends and family back home. I asked them to write about how they felt, given that they only have a couple months left here. I asked them to write about how they’d changed and what they were afraid of in returning home. I asked them to write about what they had discovered about themselves, and what they were looking forward to in returning home.

I asked them to write it raw. I asked them to be as honest as they could. Sure, I told them, you can send it if you want to. You can make it part of your final newsletter or blog post. But you can always go back and edit for that later.

Write this one raw.

This might seem like a strange request, but I wish that someone had asked it of me. Reverse culture shock is nobody’s idea of a good time, and I’ve gone through it enough (including after my own YAGM year) to know that it doesn’t only affect the person returning home; it affects everyone around them.

So I wish someone had asked this of me. I wish someone had asked me how I really felt, because I only rarely admitted that to myself. I wish someone had asked me to write it down, so I could go back to it later and process it. I wish someone had asked if there were parts of it I wanted to share with friends and family before I returned; something that might have, at least in part, prepared all of us for what would be a bumpy landing.

But no one did, and so I didn’t.

Maybe I’m projecting my own needs onto my volunteers. Maybe they’re all so perfectly well-adjusted with such uber-functional families and uber-supportive friends that everyone will sail through this transition without even blinking.

Then again, maybe they won’t. Either way, I figure it can’t hurt.

The funny thing is, when I asked my volunteers to write a letter, I didn’t exactly expect to write one myself. My husband and I aren’t returning home for good for at least four years, so that transition isn’t exactly looming over my thoughts. Hindsight is 20/20, though, and I know what I would’ve said had someone asked.

And so, I wrote a letter (or a list, as it may be) to you, in case your very own Young Adult in Global Mission doesn’t get around to sending theirs:

10 Suggestions for Helping your Young Adult in Global Mission (YAGM) Return Home

1. Don’t ask the question, “So how was it?” Your YAGM cannot function in one-word answers right now, especially ones intended to sum up their entire year’s experience, and being asked to do so may cause them to start laughing or crying uncontrollably. Ask more specific questions, like “Who was your closest friend?” or “What did you do in your free time?” or “What was the food like?” or “Tell me about your typical day.”

2. If you wish to spend time with your YAGM, let them take the lead on where to go and what to do. Recognize that seemingly mundane rituals, like grocery shopping or going to the movies, may be extremely difficult for someone who has just spent a year living without a wide array of material goods. One former YAGM, for example, faced with the daunting task of choosing a tube of toothpaste from the 70-odd kinds available, simply threw up in the middle of the drugstore.

3. Expect some feelings of jealousy and resentment, especially if your YAGM lived with a host family. Relationships that form during periods of uncertainty and vulnerability (the first few months in a foreign country, for example) form quickly and deeply. The fact that your YAGM talks non-stop about their friends and family from their country of service doesn’t mean that they don’t love you, too. It simply means that they’re mourning the loss (at least in part) of the deep, meaningful, important relationships that helped them to survive and to thrive during this last year. In this regard, treat them as you would anyone else mourning a loss.

4. You may be horrified by the way your YAGM dresses; both because their clothes are old and raggedy and because they insist on wearing the same outfit three days in a row. Upon encountering their closet at home, returning YAGMs tend to experience two different emotions: (1) jubilation at the fact that they can stop rotating the same 2 pairs of jeans and 4 shirts, and (2) dismay at the amount of clothing they own, and yet clearly lived without for an entire year. Some YAGMs may deal with this by giving away entire car loads of clothing and other items to people in need. Do not “save them from themselves” by offering to drive the items to the donation center, only to hide them away in your garage. Let your YAGM do what they need to do. Once they realize, after the fact, that you do indeed need more than 2 pairs of jeans and 4 shirts to function in professional American society, offer to take them shopping. Start with the Goodwill and the Salvation Army; your YAGM may never be able to handle Macys again.

5. Asking to see photos of your YAGM’s year in service is highly recommended, providing you have an entire day off from work. Multiply the number of photos you take during a week’s vacation, multiply that by 52, and you understand the predicament. If you have an entire day, fine. If not, take a cue from number 1 above, and ask to see specific things, like photos of your YAGM’s host family, or photos from holiday celebrations. Better yet, set up a number of “photo dates,” and delve into a different section each time. Given the high percentage of people whose eyes glaze over after the first page of someone else’s photos, and the frustration that can cause for someone bursting with stories to tell, this would be an incredible gift.

6. At least half the things that come out of your YAGM’s mouth for the first few months will begin with, “In Mexico/Slovakia/South Africa/etc…” This will undoubtedly begin to annoy the crap out of you after the first few weeks. Actually saying so, however, will prove far less effective than listening and asking interested questions. Besides, you can bet that someone else will let slip exactly what you’re thinking, letting you off the hook.

7. That said, speak up when you need to! Returning YAGMs commonly assume that almost nothing has changed in your lives since they left. (This happens, in part, because you let them, figuring that their experiences are so much more exciting than yours, and therefore not sharing your own.) Be assertive enough to create the space to share what has happened in your life during the last year.

8. Recognize that living in a very simple environment with very few material belongings changes people. Don’t take it personally if your YAGM seems horrified by certain aspects of the way you live – that you shower every day, for example, or that you buy a new radio instead of duct-taping the broken one back together. Recognize that there probably are certain things you could or should change (you don’t really need to leave the water running while you brush your teeth, do you?), but also that adjusting to what may now feel incredibly extravagant will simply take awhile. Most YAGMs make permanent changes toward a simpler lifestyle. Recognize this as a good thing.

9. Perhaps you had hopes, dreams, and aspirations for your YAGM that were interrupted by their year of service. If so, you may as well throw them out the window. A large percentage of returning YAGMs make significant changes to their long-term goals and plans. Some of them have spent a year doing something they never thought they’d enjoy, only to find themselves drawn to it as a career. Others have spent a year doing exactly what they envisioned doing for the rest of their lives, only to find that they hate it. Regardless of the direction your YAGM takes when they return…rejoice! This year hasn’t changed who they are; it has simply made them better at discerning God’s call on their lives. (Note: Some YAGMs spend their year of service teaching English, some are involved in human rights advocacy, others work with the elderly or disabled, and at least one spent his year teaching British youth to shoot with bows and arrows. The results of this phenomenon, therefore, can vary widely.)

10. Go easy on yourself, and go easy on your YAGM. Understand that reverse culture shock is not an exact science, and manifests itself differently in each person. Expect good days and bad days. Don’t be afraid to ask for help (including of the pharmaceutical variety) if necessary. Pray. Laugh. Cry. This too shall pass, and in the end, you’ll both be the richer for it.

Feel It! It Is Here!

We are just one week away! On June 11^th the World Cup opens in Soccer City in Johannesburg. Hard to believe that after months of waiting and anticipating, the World Cup is actually here, is actually going to be played on South African soil.

This event – the biggest sporting event worldwide – is going to be quite a show. Watching top teams compete, seeing the elite of the elite show off their skills, and enjoying the South African flare that will surround the games; indeed, it promises to be exciting. But while World Cup celebrates the top athletes in the world, this past weekend saw an event that is arguably even more South African and celebrates all people, not just the elites.

On Sunday, May 30, the 85^th Comrades Marathon was run from Pietermaritzburg to Durban, with 14,500 runners completing the marathon. This grueling 89.9Km (56.2 mile) race was first run in 1921 to commemorate South African soldiers – comrades – who died during World War I. It has been run every year since, except during World War II. The race is run, in alternating years, from Pietermaritzburg to Durban (a ‘down’ run) or from Durban to Pietermaritzburg (an ‘up’ run). In reality, both the ‘down’ and ‘up’ runs are replete with ups and downs. In fact, the first 42k of the ‘up’ run is considered to be one of the hardest marathons in Africa – and then you have to run another one! To qualify for the Comrades you must run a marathon in 5 hours or less within the five months leading up to the race. The final cut off time for Comrades is 12 hours – TWELVE HOURS! A majority of the runners finish between 10 and 12 hours.

I was privileged (honored, really) to have the chance to accompany several of the Boksburg runners down to Durban to be part of the support crew that made it to several points along the race to cheer and supply extra rehydrate, sunscreen, numbing spray (!?), anti-inflammatory meds and water.  We rose at 2:30am to prepare and drive to Pietermaritzburg for a 5:30am start. After dropping our runners, we immediately drove off to Camperdown, 25k into the route. There we watched for nearly two hours as thousands of runners came through. The lead athlete went flying past with incredible speed, but even more impressive were the huge ‘buses’ of runner who stick together, aiming for a specific time (sub-9 hour, sub-10 hour, sub-11, etc.) Though it was cold at the start, most runners had shed their ‘throw-away’ tops and gloves by this point, though as spectators we stayed wrapped in our blankets! Once our runners had gone through, we hopped back in the Jolly Green Giant (Neil’s VW bus) and sped off to the halfway mark – Drummond Hill. As we cheered our runners, we could hear the commentator announcing that the first several runners were finishing – in blazing times of 5:29! Meanwhile, our runners were still running strong and looking great (you know, for having run 45K!).

We stopped again in Kloof and continued to cheer loudly as the runners, visibly tired by this 70K mark, ran, jogged, or walked by. By the way, for most runners, walking is part of the game. Very few runners will do this race without walking. Estelle even follows a specific formula – run 5K, walk two minutes. One of the most important keys for Comrades is DO NOT START TOO FAST. Sure you may feel great at the start, but you need to use your head and run smart.

What was truly magical about Comrades was, as the name suggests, the camaraderie of all the runners. In games like soccer there can only be one winning team, but in road running there is no such distinction. Sure, the man and woman who cross the finish line first ‘win,’ but the runners who cross the finish line at 11:59:59 also win. (Even the runners who tragically miss the 12-hour cut off – some by just a few seconds – are to be commended for their incredible efforts!) The support I saw along the road was extraordinary. First, spectators and supporters lined miles and miles of the route to cheer the runners on. I, along with the rest of our group, cheered loudly (obnoxiously, even!) for the Boksburg runners in their blue and white stripes club kit. And when there were no Boksburg runner nearby, I screamed for whoever was nearest. Runners’ first names are printed on their race numbers, so you can even yell the names of people you don’t know – this I did, even trying to brave some of the trickier South African names like Mthokizisi, Nhlanhla, Siphamandla, and Lindokuhle!

The runners also support each other – running together, encouraging each other, sharing their race supplies, and caring for one another. The race can be quite an emotional journey, so I am told, and may friendships are made and strengthened over those 90K. Even amongst the elite runners, you hear stories of guys supporting each other – even literally pushing one another up hills or running back to encourage someone who falls off the pace. As Neil explained to me, anyone who has run Comrades has to appreciate every other runner, and there is a mutual respect between even the fastest and slowest runners. While running ability and speed may vary, the mental challenge posed by Comrades is the same for all who attempt it, as is the joy in accomplishment of finishing. And Neil should know, because this year he finished his 20^th Comrades in a fantastic 10 hours 50 minutes. His daughter and nephew also ran.

The stadium at the finish was an extraordinary place to be, watching runners completing their final 200 meters after a full day on the road testing their endurance to the max. Some crossed the finish hand in hand with teammates, or family. One man ran the whole race with a prosthetic leg. Two guys ran in Batman and Superman suits, another in a Rhino suit, and another in a full dress suit! And of course, many, many ran with South African or other flags pinned to them, or even tied as capes! I saw sons running with fathers, mothers running with daughters, brothers and sisters, friends, strangers, whites, coloureds, Africans, Indians, Americans, Germans, Russians, Australians, skinny, heavy, young, middle aged, old…all kinds of people. If you want to see a glimpse of the ‘Rainbow Nation’ of South Africa, watch Comrades. This extraordinary event celebrates so much more than just the ability to run – it celebrates humanity. As the slogan goes, it is the Ultimate Human Race.

Lorna, Neil's Mum, and I at Camperdown, waiting to cheer on the runners!

Estelle & Marlene at 25K - Looking good ladies! That is the Boksburg kit - I felt like I was playing Where's Waldo all day, looking for Boksburg runners!

One view of the runners - and this is just a small portion of the race. Truly an incredible sight!

And yes, I’m thinking about running it – 2012?!

We also found time to play around Durban and to visit the Moses Mabida Stadium, Durban's World Cup site!

I have much more to share but I will save it for a later blog, rather than continue now – I owe you another soon anyways!

Peace and Blessings!

Hannah

Though I have told you a lot about what I have been doing in my ‘off’ hours of volunteering, I suppose it is about time I bring you up to date on how things are going within my volunteer placements!

The highlight of my week is spending Wednesday morning at St. Francis Care Centre Orphanage. This is in part because it is such straightforward volunteer work – play with the children, show them love, encourage their development and change a few nasty diapers. Walking into the playroom is a wonderful feeling, as half a dozen children yell ‘mommy!’ and run towards me, arms outstretched. It would melt the most hardened heart! These days it is even more fun for me, because I have been at the Centre long enough to know the children really well and to appreciate their incredible improvements. So many of the children are healthier, stronger, and happier. One of my favorites, Nkosinathi, is practically a different child than he was in October. He used to be skinny, weak, and cried constantly. Now he smiles, plays clapping games and, most astonishing of all, he walks! It is an absolute miracle to me. I am also excited for two other children, George and Mapitso, who are in the process of being adopted! A wonderful family with two daughters just slightly younger than I are adopting both kids. While the adoption is not final, George and Mapitso often spend nights or whole weekends with their new family. While I miss these two – especially George, for whom everyone has a soft spot – I know that their adoption gives them a better life. While the orphanage does a great job in caring for the children, nothing can compare to one-on-one attention and the love of a family. It is especially interesting to talk to the woman adopting the kids, as she discusses the newfound difficulties and tensions of the adopting, especially in this situation where the family is white and the children are black. For instance, the mother told me laughingly that she had no idea how to do Mapitso’s hair! It will be interesting to see how the adoption procedure continues.

My music classes are also continuing nicely! I still hold classes in all three congregations, and the kids are making some great progress! We are busily preparing for concerts that we are presenting May22-23. I’m nervous! It is going to be a busy weekend with three concerts in two days. I hope my voice holds out! I will share more after the concerts, but I have to say we have a pretty sweet program that includes vocal works such as ‘Pharaoh, Pharaoh,’ ‘Awesome God,’ ‘Amazing Grace,’ and ‘A Pizza Hut,’ and recorder masterpieces such as ‘Praise God from Whom All Blessings Flow,’ ‘The B-I-B-L-E,’ ‘Walk in the Light,’ and the South African National Anthem, ‘Nkosi Sikelele.’ Booyah! (Thank you, years of Christian camps!) Your prayers would be appreciated on that weekend! In truth, I’m very proud of my students and I know they will be fantastic!

During two weekends in April I got travel to the Diocesan Center in Soweto with the Dean. He, along with the Dean of the Soweto Circuit, are conducting a Ministerial Formation program that helps to prepare self-supporting ministers-to-be for ordination. The students are adults who have independently completed theological certificates at universities and are now training to be self-supporting pastors (this means that they will be ordained, but will have other employment, and that their pastoral work will be done in a volunteer capacity.) I got to be a fly on the wall (a note-taking fly) during sessions on Liturgy, Homiletic, Pastoral Care, and Gender & the Church. It was fascinating to hear more about how ELCSA defines its mission and Lutheran faith. ELCSA is in the middle of a time of great change, and just how to encourage and enact change is a frequent topic of conversation. It is especially interesting for me because it does not apply only to ELCSA, but to the ELCA and to life in general. How do we change things – especially things that have become comfortable and traditional? How do you determine what to change and what to leave, how quickly to push for change, and how best to explain changes to congregations? To answer these questions, you have to examine the mission of the church, and what the needs of the congregants are, as well as examining the creeds of our faith. I find is admirable that the Lutheran Church here is committed to examination, reflection, and growth.

The next few weeks will be busy ones. In addition to the music classes, next weekend I hope to visit Natalspruit parish to spend some time with them. Then, in three weeks I will be traveling down to Pietermaritzburg and Durban to visit volunteer Kristen Opalinski and to witness Comrades, the HUGE 90 kilometer race that over 20,000 runners have entered. I’m looking forward to cheering on my Boksburg friends, especially Neil who will be running his 20^th Comrades! I’ve been told that even the manliest men can be brought to tears just b witnessing the finish line at Comrades, so I plan to take lots of tissues! I’ve also been warned that once you witness Comrades, you’ll want to run it – and I’ve been told that I have plenty of people I can stay with if I come back to visit and run it someday! Perhaps in a few years…oofda!

Once June hits, the World Cup will be upon us! 33 days and counting! World Cup Fever has swept the nation. Every Friday, across the nation, is soccer Friday and it is almost a requirement that you wear a soccer jersey or shirt. Even schools relax their uniform policies so that children can support their teams. I was recently given the gift of a Bafana Bafana (SA’s Soccer Team) shirt, so now I can properly participate in this national celebration. As YAGMs, we are getting very excited for our final retreat, during which we will celebrate the opening of the World Cup! Then, the next weekend, several of us will be attending the US vs. Slovenia game in Joburg while another groups goes to Bafana Bafana vs. France game in Bloemfontein. Excitement ahead!! Now if only that blasted volcano will refrain from disrupting the huge flow of tourists during the Cup, things will be great!!

Blessings and peace to you all as the school year finishes and the weather warms up!

Oh, and Happy Mother’s Day! Especially to you Mom – I miss you!

With love,

Hannah

It has been an eventful and interesting two weeks since I last wrote you!

I first want to share some words from both Howard Zinn and Vaclav Havel, found in the book “The Impossible Will Take A Little While” compiled by Paul Rogat Loeb (incidentally related to one of my sociology professors – this book was the Sociology Department’s gift to the majors).

Zinn gives a list of advice for how to stay engaged, active, and hopeful in the face of world challenges. Two of my favorites:

“Don’t look for a moment of total triumph. See engagement as an ongoing struggle, with victories and defeats, but in the long run slow progress.”

 “What leaps out from the history of the past hundred years is its utter unpredictability…we forget how often in this century we have been astonished by the sudden crumbling of institutions, by extraordinary changes in people’s thoughts, by unexpected eruptions of rebellion against tyrannies, by the quick collapse of systems of power that seemed invincible.”

Vaclav Havel describes hope thus: “Hope is not prognostication. It is an orientation of the spirit, an orientation of the heart…Hope, in this deep and powerful sense, is not the same as joy that things are going well, or willingness to invest in enterprises that are obviously headed for early success, but, rather, an ability to work for something because it is good, not just because it stands a chance to succeed…It is not the conviction that something will turn out well,  but the certainty that something makes sense regardless of how it turns out.”

When I look around at the often detrimental power structures of the world – the way that the U.S. acts unilaterally or the fact that the non-democratic International Monetary Fund, World Bank, and World Trade Organization wield more power than most or all developing countries combined – or inequalities in resources and power within countries such as South Africa and the United States, I tend to feel overwhelmed. The entrenched two-party system of the U.S. that demands that re-election be the main objective for politicians and the juggernaut that is the African National Congress (the ruling party in South Africa) just seem insurmountable and permanent. Zinn reminds us that so many regimes, systems, and ideologies have transformed or fallen suddenly. Events like the fall of the Soviet Union, the end of segregation in the South, the opening of China, and the independence movements across Africa, all mark the crumbling and transition of regimes or attitudes that seemed destined to go on forever. Even though it can feel like things will never change or get better, we can look at history and see that even when things seem bleakest, the possibility for transformation remains. Hope remains.

As I read the words of these famous activists, I reflect on the families living in the field in Putfontein, whom I have written about previously. I was fortunate enough to go visit them again and share in a Solidarity Service held in the field on Easter Monday. Pastors from three or four church denominations came together to conduct a service for the people living there. It was a very powerful mornings. As pastors preached and prayed and community members got up and told their stories, there were many tears shed. In the front row, several grandmas cried silently or aloud. But as far as I can tell, most of the tears were not of self-pity or anguish over their circumstances, but tears of meaning and joy about the fact that we could come together and hold this service.

I have often wondered what ‘solidarity’ means in application. It sounds like a nice idea – standing together with people, letting them know they are not alone. But practically, what does it accomplish? My common sense says, these people need shelter, they need money, they need bread! But man does not live by bread alone.

Oh.

During the service we shared communion, accompanied by the strong voices of the men and women singing in a language I did not understand but sang along with anyways. After we take communion, the big mama next to me made me laugh by whispering, ‘Hey, I want some more!’ After communion, a pastor stood up and said that we are truly brothers and sisters through our communion together. The dark clouds overhead began to let down the rain. Umbrellas popped up here and there, with community members moving to the front to hold umbrellas over the pastors. Two ladies noticed me and moved to make sure that their umbrella covered me (but no longer covered them). My first reaction was to think, “No! You stay dry! I can get in the car and go home to my house, take a warm shower, put on dry clothes. You have to stay here all day and then sleep in a makeshift tarpaulin tent!” But people want to give, want to share, want to provide for others. The people in Putfontein received us as guests and would never think of staying dry while we got wet. The little that they have they shared; generously, unreservedly, and uncompromisingly without a thought to their own comfort. That is solidarity. Sharing your time, your gifts, your possessions, your laughter, your passions, and your love with one another. Receiving is as, if not more, important than giving.

Oh.

In the past week I have also had another experience in solidarity and support. On April 11 I completed my very first marathon! I ran the 42.2K (26.2 mile) Slow-Mag marathon in Benoni and it was incredible! For the past month and a half I have been helped in my training especially by Estelle, who wrote up my training schedule, and Neil  (and his dog, Don Diego), and I also had the support of other Boksburg runners. In the week leading up to Slow-Mag, people were asking me about it, wishing me well, and telling me how excited they were for me. One of the runners, Erica, is also a massage therapist and she arranged for me to be picked up and brought to her place for a free leg massage! Talk about sharing your gifts – I had no problem being on the receiving end there!

On the morning I was really nervous but also feeling confident that if I just put one foot in front of the other and kept moving forward I would have to finish! The race, consisting of more than 5000 runners, went off at 6:30am and I settled in for an expected 4 hours and 30 minutes of running! Sometimes I ran with other Boksburg runners or runners from other clubs, and sometimes I ran on my own. The first 21k went by comfortably and Estelle met me before I began my second loop to give me some rehydrate packages and encouragement (and to tell me to slow down!!). For the next 10K the kilometer markers slid by surprisingly quickly! I went past the 28k and smiled because it was the farthest I had ever run! I hit the 32k (20 mile) mark still feeling great. All along the way I chatted briefly with strangers and was given encouragement by runners and the volunteers at the water stations. Later, I was told that the 32k is really the halfway mark in a marathon – and that rings pretty true for me! By the time I got to 34k I was feeling completely different, having hit that much-talked-about ‘wall.’ I realized I needed a strategy to get through the last 8.2k. I decided that instead of numbering them, I would dedicate each kilometer to my loved ones and thus embarked on my MattK, HelenK, HeatherK, HansK, JacobK, DadK, MomK, MatiasK and my 200 meters for Violet. HansK and DadK had water stations! MomK had a hill. I walked three or four times, but always managed to start up again. I came around the final turn towards the finish line chanting ‘Vi-o-let, Vi-o-let’ and crossed the line grinning in 4:21:26. I was met by Estelle who gave me a huge hug and helped me (ok, half carried me) to our gazebo. I have never felt that sore and exhausted, but I have never been prouder of my own body either!

During the run, I remembered a quote from Chariots of Fire – “When I run, I feel the pleasure of God.” The race was a wonderful reminder that our bodies are gifts, and to use and enjoy their capabilities is to celebrate that gift. I tried to remember that on Monday and Tuesday when my legs would give way periodically and when I had to walk down the steps backwards. Even climbing onto my bed hurt to lie down was painful! I am now pretty much recovered, and starting to run a little bit again. And I admit it – I’m already looking for my next race! Overall, it was a fantastic experience!

In both of the experiences – the Solidarity Service and running the marathon – I found what Howard Zinn described as not total triumphs, but moments of victory in an ongoing struggle. The Solidarity Service did not solve the problem of the community there, but our coming together made an impact on their community and also a huge personal impact on me – and that impact reverberates, spreading awareness outwards from its source (through this blog!). During the marathon, I definitely had moments of victory and defeat, but the key was to stay engaged, to keep moving forward in that ‘slow progress.’

Activism, fighting for justice, agitating for change, reaching out to people, raising awareness, standing in solidarity – these are not sprint events. These are marathons. These are ultra-marathons. You run. You walk. You pause to rehydrate, to renew. You encourage others and receive encouragement. You occasionally feel like you have to stop, and yet you find reasons, you find inspirations to keep you going. Along the way you must pause to take in the view, appreciate your surroundings. You find joy in your ability and in that of others. And, hopefully, you keep moving one foot in front of the other.

I have posted some pictures from the service and the marathon on my media page – I will try to attach them to the actual post, but I usually have trouble doing that!

The shelter in Putfontein, where maybe more than 50 people will spend the night. Hopefully this one will not be torn down!

Sing at the Service

Dean Barends giving the Communion Prayer

Standing and Singing

Still walking, still smiling!

A big hug from Estelle, who helped me prepare with a great training program and rides to early Saturday long runs!

Yes, she is pretty much holding me up!

Neil and I after finishing! (Yeah, I got a medal! Ok, all finishers did...)

My major award bag, medal, and my stopwatch (4:21:26)!

Blessings,

Hannah

I hope you had a blessed Good Friday and took the opportunity to reflect on the suffering that allows for Easter Sunday to be so joyous!

I will keep this short; I just want to share a short reflection!

The first thing I want to do is rescind some comments from a two blogs ago when I was talking about the ELCSA and ELCSA-NT church split. While it is true that there is a sharp division between these and that much more could be done to form a partnership between these two Lutheran, South African churches, I was incorrect to identify ELCSA-NT as a ‘white’ church. Ironically, the very Sunday after I wrote that, the Dean encouraged me to attend church with friends of his – and they just happened to attend an ELCSA-NT church in Joburg!

I really enjoyed the service – which is not surprising because it was incredibly familiar. We attended their contemporary service, and I knew about 80% of the songs by heart from Leadership Lab and Atonement. I was surprised – maybe even shocked – at the diversity of the congregation. I attended with a coloured family, but the congregation included white, coloured, African, Indian, and even an Asian family (I have not seen any Asian people since I was in Malaysia!). This was possible because we were more in the city where greater diversity exists. I really enjoyed some of the ways they conducted their service, including standing in a circle and communing each other at communion time and taking offering at the door at the end of the service. They also had a praise band made up of adults and youth, whites and Africans. It was a personally uplifting service, and it was fun to be a guest for once, and not a ‘volunteer.’

The church that I attended is clearly well funded and able to support a lot of activities and services. For me, the comparisons were interesting. In Reiger Park we have recently been using an overhead projector – brand new technology for us. At the church I attended on Sunday, they had a fancy movie projector and the Pastor even used a Power Point slide during his sermon (I suddenly had the urge to take notes!). The musical equipment they had – keyboard, guitars, drum set, microphones – made me imagine what I could do with a keyboard in my music classes! They are also blessed with several wonderful spaces at the church, including a fellowship hall and classrooms for Sunday School.

The calendars in their bulletins (bulletins – hadn’t seen one in a while!) showed that the church was really active, both for their congregants and in their community. This really made me feel good, and a little guilty for having come down so hard on ELCSA-NT in my last blog. I guess this is an example of it being important to experience something before you judge it – clearly I did not! I was speaking from perceptions that had been formed by second hand information, which was irresponsible. So consider my perceptions changed!

All that being said, there is no reason why ELCSA-NT and ELCSA could not both invest in a better partnership – a mutually beneficial and uplifting partnership. I intend to ask more questions and find out more about the relationship!

I do not have much to update about the homeless families in Putfontein, but I will be attending a church service there on Monday, so I will let you know what is happening!

Yesterday in church we read my (new) favorite Bible verse:

“I give you a new commandment, that you love one another. Just as I have loved you, you also should love one another.” John 13:34

For me, these are Jesus’ most important words. There is nothing particularly ‘Christian’ about them – nothing that says only Christians can do this; indeed, many other religions come to essentially the same conclusion. They words say nothing about divisions in the church, in our communities, or in the world. Nothing about countries and nationalism, nothing about languages or education level, nothing about income or materials goods, nothing about gender or sexual orientation, nothing that separates any of us from anyone else. Jesus only says that we must love each other. Imagine if this were our Foreign Policy. It would take the ‘Foreign’ right out, making it simply our Policy.

Love one another. Let’s make that our Policy.

I wish you all a blessed Easter!

Love,

Hannah

Two post in one week? How does she do it? Actually, I want to warn you that this post, like the last, is depressing. Please read it anyways – it deals with an intense experience I had yesterday. And I promise to write about the good stuff in the next blog. Thanks!

On Thursday I began reading Jeffrey Sach’s book, The End of Poverty. The following is an excerpt from the foreword, written by Sach’s student – and famed singer – Bono.

Sachs helps us make sense of what senseless really means: fifteen thousand Africans dying each and every day of preventable, treatable diseases – AIDS, malaria, TB – for lack of drugs that we take for granted. This statistic alone makes a fool of the idea many of us hold on to very tightly: the idea of equality. What is happening in Africa mocks our pieties, doubts our concern, and questions our commitment to that whole concept. Because if we’re honest, there’s no way was could conclude that such mass death day after day would ever be allowed to happen anywhere else. Certainly not in North America, or Europe, or Japan. An entire continent bursting into flames? Deep down, if we really accept that their lives – African lives – are equal to ours, we would all be doing more to put the fire out. It’s an uncomfortable truth.

On Friday my supervisor, Dean Barends, picked me up on the way to an important meeting. This meeting did not take place in a boardroom, an office, or a church – it was not even inside. This meeting took place in a field. The Dean received a call Thursday night from an NGO asking for his help in arranging a pastoral visit to a group of about 75 families that had been evicted from their plots a month ago and who have been living in a field on the side of a road for the last three weeks.

Exiting the highway, we looked for the Sasol Garage that was the landmark we’d been given. There, in a field bathed in warm morning sunshine, I saw mounds that I took to be tents at first. Upon closer inspection, these mounds were merely foam mattresses piled high with blankets, pieces of plastic tarp, and cardboard. Around a fire, sitting on plastic chairs, were a dozen adults. We walked up and the Dean introduced us and we met with William, who has taken a leadership role in this makeshift community. I was offered a chair as William explained their story.

The surrounding areas are made up mostly of farming plots of varying sizes. Until recently, all these families lived on various plots; indeed, many of them had lived on those plots for two or three decades. Then, six months or so ago, many of these plots were put up for sale. The exact legal dealings confused me, but the end result was that the sellers followed the money, resulting in new owners that evicted these families. At first they moved into some unoccupied government housing in the area, but they were quickly evicted from there. So for the past three weeks, they have been living in the field. The night before, it began pouring around 4am, and all the residents had to get up and try to put their blankets into plastic bags to keep them dry before going to huddle around the fire to stay warm. Feeling both angry and helpless, I sought something to do with my hands – anything to feel like I was doing something. I began to help some of the men and women laying out dozens of wet blankets on the grass.

I met Simon, who continued the story. Up until yesterday, they had had a tent pieced together out of tarps and wires. Then, yesterday, the Red Ants – a group employed by the Housing Department of the government, as I understand – arrived and said that the field residents were not allowed to put up structures. The Red Ants proceeded to tear down the tent, taking the tarps and leaving short lengths of sharp wire scattered all over the area. Now these people have no shelter to speak of. Simon explained that most people had gone off to work for the day, and the children were at school or a nearby crèche.  Those who do not have jobs will simply stay in the field all day. Among those present were two young babies, one of which was only 3 weeks old. He had been living in the field since he was four days old. Another lady had had a stroke two weeks ago. They took her to the hospital but now she has returned, and will spend the day sitting around in the sun.

As I listen, I go through the mental checklist of basic human necessities: shelter, water, food, healthcare, sanitary ablutions, clothing, and safety. These people have no shelter. For a while they were getting water from the Sasol station across the road, but Sasol has stopped them because the water bill was rising too much. Simon says that they are not starving, but they never really have enough food for so many people, and what they do have is cooked over a fire. They do not have a first aid kit, let alone medical care. They go to the toilet and wash in the field. While they do have clothing, they are cold at night and too hot during the day. William also explained that being out in the open is incredibly dangerous, especially for the women who are at a greater risk of being harassed or raped.

These aren’t just necessities. These are the minimum standards set down by the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. Yep, the very Human Rights that we celebrated on Monday. And what I do not get is where the government is expecting these people to go. Where the hell are they supposed to go? It seems clear that the people in charge would prefer for these ‘vagabonds’ to disappear. But people do not disappear – at least not over night. But given time, I guess these people may disappear, picked off by illness, danger, exposure – in short, by the trappings of poverty.

After talking for a while, we had to leave for another appointment. Standing there as we were about o leave, I felt both sick and angry. Despite the fact that I have seen a lot of poverty here – shanty towns made up of shacks, single porta-potties shared by dozens of families, children walking barefoot on streets covered in broken glass – this is the most extreme poverty with which I have ever come face-to-face. Somehow, I still find myself expecting that people who are homeless must not be intelligent or skilled. But in speaking with William and Simon, I realized that I was wrong. These are intelligent men and have not always lived like this – up until now they have at least had houses or shacks.

I also felt unhelpful. The NGOs getting involved will, hopefully, bring media and political attention to the plight of these people, as well as provide some basic necessities. While I am tempted to run out and buy loaves and loaves of bread, that would be giving the proverbial fish to the man. But the fact is, these people need both fish, and the skills to fish. In fact, as a professor of mine used to say, these people need to be granted access to the pond!

We asked William about what they think will happen next. We received a shrug. They really have no way of knowing. Thinking about the future is low on the list of priorities, after all the tasks required for basic survival.

I do not really understand all the political aspects of this case, so I will not point to one level or another of government with blame. But someone who knows more than I needs to do just that. All I can say is that no one should be made to live like this. Ever.

I will keep you updated if (hopefully when) I find out more about how the situation develops. As I write this it is raining, and my thoughts go out to those people who are sitting around the fire, trying to soak up warmth to keep them through a potentially rainy night. Please keep them in your thoughts and prayers. I am not asking you to feel guilty about your house or food or bed – that accomplishes nothing – but please pray for them, especially during this Holy Week.

Simon said they would celebrate Good Friday right where they are. Two thousand and ten years later, the very people for whom Jesus died are still poor, still outcast, still mourning his death in a field.

Blessings to you this Holy Week

Hannah

Today, March 22, is Human Rights Day, a day that celebrates the adoption of the Declaration of Human Rights. Yesterday, March 21, South Africa commemorated the 50th anniversary of the Sharpeville Massacre of 1960, when 69 Black South Africans, including 18 women and children, were shot and killed when the nervous police force opened fire on a protest. Unarmed but for rocks, many of the victims were shot in the back as the fled.

South Africa has come an incredibly long way in 50 years. In fact, South Africa has come an incredibly long way in just 15 years. South Africa has what is generally agreed to be the paragon of democratic constitutions, which extends the vote to all South Africans and forbids discrimination.

Yet the government is struggling. There are frequent strikes and protests over poor service delivery, referring to the many promises that the ruling African National Congress (ANC) party has not been able to uphold. Among the services desperately needed are more housing (lots more housing), reliable, safe, and affordable electricity, clean water in informal settlement areas, jobs, adequate health care and improved education. And yes, it seems like every week another politician is in trouble for corruption. As you may have heard, the President, Jacob Zuma, has four (or is it five now?) wives and at least 20 children. He has also escaped conviction in two corruption trials and one rape trial. Shocking.

As my running friend Neil reminds me, it is easy to point to South Africa and say, ‘shame on you,’ as so many Western countries did during the Apartheid years and continue to do today. I believe the word ‘barbaric’ was thrown around in an article in a prominent British newspaper recently. But when you think about, much of what I have been describing is not unfamiliar to those of us from the United States. Certainly we can recognize the fact that politicians, no matter where they are from (and golfers, for that matter), seem to be challenged in the area of keeping their pants on! At least the South African president is marrying his ladies!

It is a fact that both racism and poverty are major issues in the States today. When did Dr. Martin Luther King Junior deliver his famous speech where he expressed the hope that not he, but at least his children or his children’s children, would live in equality in the United States? When were the race riots? What about the women’s liberation movement, and the gay rights movement? Civil rights happened in the States in the 1960s and 1970s – just 40-50 years ago. And hey, South Africa had a black president 15 years before the U.S. did!

Today in both South Africa and the U.S. we have de facto segregation that is enforced not by laws and police, but by history, socio-economics, geography, and education.

We also have segregation in our churches. Call it demographics, call it cultural preference, claim that it ‘just happens’ that way. It is still the case.

I have been learning a lot about the challenges faced by the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Southern Africa (ELCSA). It is currently a shrinking church, which is not a good sign, considering that about 90% of South Africans identify as Christian. I have heard from many people that the Evangelical and Pentecostal churches in SA booming, pulling members from more traditional protestant and catholic congregations.

Also, ELCSA is a primarily pastor-run, leadership heavy church. ELCSA is structured into 7 dioceses, which contain circuits, which are in turn made up of parishes, made up of congregations. In many places, pastors must serve three or four congregations at once. In addition, pastors must also handle a lot of the administration and politics of the church, beyond their pastoral care and preaching duties. I have seen first hand how overwhelming the work of the pastor can be here, and it makes me dizzy! Actually, I have been impressed with how much ELCSA does accomplish, in spite of the obstacles of financial, communication, and overburdening difficulties. While I hear complaints about the difficulties, I also hear hope for the future. The pastors and the laity are still making plans, still hoping to grow, still serving South Africans as best they can.

One struggle that I still have difficulty wrapping my head around is that the Lutheran church here is segregated in a significant and formal way. ELCSA is mostly the church for non-white South Africans while ELCSA-Natal/Transvaal (ELCSA-NT) is the white Lutheran church. This separation stems from apartheid years, but has been maintained in many ways since apartheid ended. There have been attempts to merge, to share a seminary, to encourage partnerships, but overall, the churches are still separate. I cannot claim much knowledge about ELCSA-NT, since the ELCA’s partnership (and therefore my own) is with ELCSA, but from what I have heard and seen, ELCSA-NT has resources that ELCSA cannot even dream of. I have not attended an NT service (by choice as much as happenstance), but I would be fairly surprised if there were many, if any, non-whites in the congregation. I find this frustrating, sad, and a bit angering. From a theological standpoint, I just cannot get past how un-Christian it is! Never mind the fact that Jesus was non-white – what about just plain old loving thy neighbor, whoever they are, however far away they are?!

Now walk with me a bit further – and it may get uncomfortable. It is not with blame but with a sense of honesty and curiosity that I want to explore this. As I reflect on the state of ELCSA and ELCSA-NT, and I cannot but reflect on ELCA and my own home congregation. How many non-white members does Atonement have? How many people that I could even identify as being ethnically different from myself? I’m struggling to think of names and faces. The reasons for this are many and varied, from the sheer fact that I live in the mid-west, to the relative affluence of my town, to the style of our church services. But while Barrington tends to be classified as a white, affluent suburb, it is incorrect to paint the whole area with the same brush. There is diversity. I saw it some in school. I do not see it much in my church.

At least, I do not see it on Sunday mornings. But I am reminded with joy that my home church is partnered with Holy Family, an inner-city Lutheran church and school. In fact, it was through this partnership that my older sister came to know about and work at Holy Family for four years. In the fourth year, Holy Family moved into a brand new school built with huge support from my church and four or five other suburban churches. My church is also involved in mission work, supporting projects in the community, on a national level and internationally. And hey, they’re supporting me, and by extension ELCSA, for which I am very thankful!

I am hopeful that as the ELCSA and ELCSA-NT move forward, there can be more partnership, collaboration, and resource sharing. It seems logical to me that, n the face of shrinking membership, both churches would want to turn to each other for support, but I do not know when that will happen or what form it will take. Currently, ELCSA’s most prominent partnerships are with overseas churches, especially in Germany. Yet, as pastors here have expressed, these partnerships are all too often one-directional: money and people sent from Europe or the US to South Africa. I am a missionary here in South Africa – but are there South African missionaries in the U.S.? If not, why not? For if there is anything that I am learning here, it is that being a missionary is not so much about giving, but learn to receive. And I can tell you that South African missionaries would have both a lot to give and a lot to gain from the experience of working internationally.

I have no way to really finish this blog, because these questions (my questions, your questions, the churches’ questions) are ongoing. In an organization that is founded on principles of equality, justice, and love, how do we address inequality, injustice, and division within? These are difficult questions to ask, and answering then can be hard, embarrassing, and upsetting. But what I am learning, as so many activists and world-changers realized before me, is that it is the hard questions, the ugly questions that help us to move forward.

This blog begs for dialogue. Therefore, if this interests you, or if you have questions or comments, or you want to point out something that I (surely) missed, please do. My email is hannah.griese@gmail.com. I’d love feedback, positive or negative.

Thank you!
Blessings,
Hannah Griese

Welcome to March – already! These last three weeks have simply disappeared in a whirl! But they were absolutely wonderful! Last time I left off just before the Midmar Mile weekend, so I will begin there are try to bring you up to date. This will be a combination journal and reflection!

My weekend at Midmar was just fantastic. On the morning of Friday, February 12, Neil, his mother Lorna, an Afrikaans couple Adele and Herman, Joanne, and I loaded into Neil’s green VW Bus and headed down to Pietermaritzburg to the Midmar Dam. The ride was a lot of fun – I spent most of it eating homemade shortbread and working on crosswords with Lorna, who at 86 is still sharp as a tack and full of stories! When we arrived we set up camp (I even got a camp cot – the luxury!!), and dined at a nearby hotel – a good choice, as they had their Valentines Buffet out. I ate so much I thought I would surely sink the next day!

In the morning we awoke to a perfectly sunny day. We browsed around the craft and food stalls set up at the finish before changing into our suits and getting ready for our 11am start time. We were each issued swim caps with colors corresponding to our starting order, which was done in shifts. This was necessary because there were about 2000 swimmers in my race. Eight races were swam that weekend, with about 20,000 participants overall! After wrestling into the swim cap, adjusting my goggles, and writing my race number on my arm and leg, I waited nervously with Adele until we were allowed up to the start line along with everyone else in green caps. The race was timed with microchips which we pinned to our suits, and the course was marked by buoys. It was also lined with dozens of lifeguards and rescue boats, which I found comforting. The gun went off and suddenly there were legs and arms flailing everywhere, churning the water into choppy waves! Though I got pummeled a few times, I feel that I gave as good as I got! I really enjoyed the race, swimming almost exclusively breast stroke as I found the water a bit to choppy for my beginner freestyle! Forty-one minutes I was walking up the spillway and through the chutes, feeling a little tired but extremely happy! I was met by my country coordinators, Brian and Kristen, who drove out from Pietermaritzburg to see the race.

Lorna finished the race accompanied by Neil and Adele, and was immediately interviewed about her accomplishment of being the oldest women to compete at Midmar. This is her 12^th Midmar swim! She was even awarded a trophy, and people were literally stopping us to congratulate her. It was very inspiring and I found it very touching. It is great to be able to celebrate the accomplishments of a person who has reached an age at which society does not expect much from her. I can only hope that when I am 86, I am still going out and doing the things I enjoy, blissfully ignoring the expectations of society!

The rest of the day was spent with my companions, eating, relaxing, and finally enjoying another wonderful dinner at the hotel. That night the weather turned wild, and I fell asleep to the glorious sounds of rain on the roof of the tent and wind whipping around the rain fly – I really missed camping! In the morning we packed up, briefly giving thanks that we were not swimming in the races that morning since the weather was considerably colder and the water much less inviting! The ride home was only slightly eventful – at times we had to push the VW Bus to get it to start. All I could think was ‘I’m in Little Miss Sunshine!’ but no one else had seen the movie, so no one appreciated the hilarity of our situation! I am incredibly grateful to Neil and Lorna for taking me along to experience this event, and I know it is an experience I was always treasure!

Back in Boksburg, the week fairly flew by. I was getting so excited for my parents’ arrival that I found it hard to sleep! I spent all of Saturday wondering how I could possibly wait 8 more hours for their arrival! At last I was standing in the airport and after 15 agonizing minutes I saw my parents for the first time in 6 months! Needless to say, it was a wonderful reunion that makes me teary to remember!

Without describing every moment of our visit (which I could happily do!), I will tell about some of our highlights. For me it was such a joy to get to share my new friends, placements, knowledge, and views with my parents and also to receive some much-missed advice, counseling and comfort! It was also such a relief to spend time with people who know me and my history so well. While I have gotten close to some people here in South Africa, no one can ever know you like your own family and I had missed being around people who understood me so well. I also reveled in our own brand of family humor – every family has it, I think, and I certainly missed my own!

On Sunday morning we attended church at Reiger Park and spent the afternoon eating and sitting with my host family. My parents loved that they could where shorts and sit by a pool in February! It was fun for me to see my parents and my host-family meeting and interacting. It was also the perfect activity for getting over jet-lag, since no one minds if you fall asleep in your chair by the pool (Dad!). My parents told me they were up for doing anything that I normally do, and I took them at their word! Monday morning I went for my run and then my parents walked around the corner to meet my running club friends when we got back! We enjoyed cookies, brownies, and orange juice (with peraps a splash of champagne) at 6am! Next we walked 3 miles to Reiger Park Creche and they met the kids and helped me supervise playground time. Immediately I found it gratifying to have my folks there, because they can really see both the joys and challenges of working at the crèche. The kids were also pretty excited about them, which was fun! At nap time we left and I showed them around Reiger Park a bit. We then stopped by Mama Juffrou’s for some tea and biscuits and a chat. Music class followed, where my parents assisted me in teaching the kids how to sing rounds. Then in the evening we went out to dinner with Neil and his wife, and Estelle and Phillip – running friends. I think we had one of the best and most entertaining dinners that I have ever had, and I think my parents agree! Truly a delightful evening – I even discovered I like sushi!

On Tuesday we went to the orphanage where my parents were in their element. There grandparent skills really came in handy as they cuddled, tickled and played with 26 rowdy kids Te preschool teacher was gone, so all the kids were together all day – it gets hectic on days like that! Next we took a taxi ride to Vosloorus where we again had music class. That evening we ate with the Dean and his wife, and had the chance to discuss a lot about the Lutheran Church in Southern Africa. It was fun for me because much of what my parents were learning was new, and that helped me to re-evaluate what I have been learning here.

On Wednesday we spent the morning at the Apartheid Museum, which is one of the best museums I have ever been to. Though this was my third visit, I still didn’t have enough time! My mom found it surprising to learn about all that was happening in the 1980s and 1990s in South Africa, especially since she felt that she heard very little about it during that time in the United States. I think this points to a wider gap between the U.S. and countries all over – there are so many things going on in other countries that we hear little or nothing about in the U.S. And it is certainly a struggle, because while it is important to stay informed and to learn about what is happening in the world, there is also just so much going on that it is hard to know where to focus! Also, it can be difficult to get beyond the U.S. media to find out how other countries view and respond to world events.

We then hopped a plane to Cape Town, whereupon we rented a car and Dad bravely drove while Mom navigated. It was not too bad, considering it’s been several years since Dad drove on the left side of the road! We arrived at Sunny Cove Manor, the most picturesque bed and breakfast I have ever seen. It is located south of Cape Town in Fishhoek, right across the street from the Indian Ocean. One of the rooms in our suite (my room!!) had a huge, wall-sized window the looked out on the Ocean and surrounding mountains. After several months in suburban East Rand, the view was simply glorious! Not only that, but Sunny Cove is owned and run by Pieter and Solveig Kjeseth who happen to be St. Olaf graduates! We knew we were in the right place! That evening we ate at the most authentic Italian restaurant in South Africa, run by Bernardo who insisted that water is not a drink (dis American girl wants to drinke water? Water is no drink – wine, wine is a drink!), and made delicious pizza.

Over the next few days we went to Cape Point, saw the Jackass Penguins in Simons Town (yet, these penguins live on the beach – they must move to South Africa when they retire!), took the cable car up Table Mountain, walked around the V&A Waterfront, and spent time at Fishhoek beach. We also got to take a tour to Robben Island, where political prisoners, including Nelson Mandela, were imprisoned during the Apartheid struggle. The tour was led by a former prisoner, which was incredibly interesting. Altogether, it is a powerful place to see, especially after what we learned at the Apartheid Museum. On Saturday my parents consented to wake up at 4:30 so that we could drive an hour north of Cape Town to a 15K race I wanted to run. Probably the only race that I will run where I can see Table Mountain, the ocean, and zebras all at once! It was fun, though incredibly hot and shade-less! On Sunday we headed up to Stellenbosch where we spent two days touring wineries and tasting all manner of delightful liquids! After a hard day’s tasting we would return to the Stables Guesthouse and sit by the pool. Rough life! Altogether, it was truly a wonderful vacation for me and my parents! Eating out, touring sites, and getting to relax in the company of family are not things I do often here, so it was a real treat.

It was certainly difficult to say goodbye to my parents as they headed back to Chicago. I was lucky in that the very next day our YAGM retreat was starting – and we were staying at Sunny Cove as well! It was a tearful goodbye, but at least it will be for shorter this time! I spent the night at Stephanie Anderson’s house (the YAGM in Cape Town) before we took the train together back to Fishhoek.

Our second YAGM retreat was as good if not better than the first. In true South Africa YAGM fashion, we managed to stay incredibly active. On Thursday we went to Cape Point and hiked from the Point to the Cape of Good Hope and back. Then we went to Khaylitscha, the largest township in South Africa, where we got to visit Africa Jam, a group that Steph works with once a week. The program is really well run, teaching drama, dance, and singing to youth five days a week. We were given a performance that simply blew us away. The way these children could dance – 8, 10, 15, 20 year olds – was astounding. One group put on a haunting drama and dance about the realities of life in the township. That will definitely stick with me.

On Friday we climbed Table Mountain! It was an intense hike, nearly straight up the whole time with stairs, bouldering and even ladders. We were richly rewarded at the top by a wide dam of water and it took but a few moments to don swimsuits and plunge in! After a picnic lunch, we began the even more difficult hike down. I would rather climb up twice than climb down! By the time we reached the bottom all of our calves were twitching and for days afterwards there were groans and winces as we attempted to do simple things like sit down or walk! But I wouldn’t trade that hike for anything!

On Saturday we went into Cape Town to Long Street and Green Market Square here we were tempted by all the wonderful artwork. We also happened across a Gay Pride Parade, which was a lot of fun, and not something we expected to see in South Africa! Many of us also fulfilled a persistent food craving by going to a Mexican restaurant for lunch – burritos, nachos, joy!

Sunday morning we attended St. George’s Cathedral, the Anglican church over which Archbishop Desmond Tutu presided for many years during Apartheid and scene of many anti-Apartheid church meetings during the struggle. I especially enjoyed listening to the organ and the incredible diversity I saw in the church. I will write more about this experience in my next blog. In the afternoon we had some beach time – sand castle! – and then had a braai (barbecue). ELCA missionary Philip Knutson and his wife Lou came out and we spent the evening hearing stories from Pieter and discussing our perceptions of how South Africans feel about the current political situation here (which I will also discuss soon!). It almost felt like being in a university class again, and I loved it! We spent our last evening walking on the beach under the stars, and it was there that Lauren’s parents found us when they came to surprise her. Though Lauren knew her parents were arriving in Cape Town that night, she was not expecting to see them until Monday. It was a precious scene, one that I had experienced so recently myself, and it made us all so happy for them!

The next morning we began to say goodbye to each other for another few months. It feels like a long time, but I know it will fly by all too fast! I boarded a plane and arrived back in Joburg in the afternoon, feeling a bit sad to leave but also re-energized and full of ideas about how to spend my remaining time here in Boksburg. And as for those ideas, well, I will discuss them with you soon. But I’m approaching four pages here, so I will give you a break!

Peace and Blessings to you all! I look forward to hearing from you!

Love,

Hannah