hello from Johannesburg! It's Thursday night, around 8 pm, and I have officially been here a week. :) I'm sorry that this update has been such a long time coming. We have been extremely busy, and I've been a bit sickly. Don't worry, I'm fine. :) Anyway, I want to update you all on what I've been up to. My later posts will be a bit more witty, this one might feel a little like a news article. :) Just bear with me. Alrighty then, from the beginning...
We arrived in Dar Es Salaam, Tanzania, on August 2nd. I was sick from about halfway through the journey, so I wasn't exactly super excited. I stayed sick for a few days, but did most everything anyway. :) We stayed in a hostel in the city, and spent most of our time there. We had orientation with all of the people in our 'group,' 37 of us between the ages of 18 and 26. :D I made amazing friends, who inspired and encouraged me from the get-go. The majority of our time was filled with meetings and classes; we had worship and prayer everyday. We also spent four days with our Tanzanian friends, who helped us reach out to the community. We met several Swahili speaking women, and were able to engage with them. It was an amazing experience. :) I'll probably think of more to tell about my first two weeks later, and if you have any questions please ask! But for now, we're going to move on to South Africa.
But first, a quick Swahili lesson. :)
Mungu yu mwema = God is good.
We arrived in Johannesburg, South Africa on Thursday evening, after only a four hour flight. One of the many lessons I've learned being here is that flying makes me airsick. :D haha. Anyways, the first night was very low key. We did get moved in and unpacked pretty quickly though. :) It was nice just not to be living out of a suitcase anymore! Our place is fantastic; a pretty little three bedroom flat with two bathrooms, a living room, and a sweet little kitchen. I won't give you the day by day rundown, but since being here I have been out to breakfast at a cute tea garden, been to two malls (a huge one and a teeny one!) and met many new, friendly faces. I am still a bit sickly, but I think it's just adjustment issues. Keeping me in your prayers is all I need! :D Yesterday, we spent the day at an AIDS orphanage, where we will be volunteering once a week. Thirty children, eleven under age two, all abandoned or orphaned and all facing challenges most of us cannot even imagine. It was a sobering experience, and the scope of hardship here is absolutely staggering. Please continue to pray for everyone here, those dealing with violence or illness or abuse or death; and most especially, those facing these challenges without the hope of Christ. Philippians tells us we can do all things THROUGH CHRIST, who gives us strength.
As for my first impressions of my new home, this city is BIG. Eight million souls in one place. Just huge. Our hot water heater (aka geezer, spelled geyser) makes water hot enough for tea. We have sporadic blackouts, sometimes as long as six hours, two since I've been here. I have a space heater in my room, which has to be turned on before I'll step out onto the 55 degree tile floor. :) Taxis here are little buses, which of course are on the other side of the road- something that still is a bit of a shock at times. :D Traffic lights are 'robots,' french fries are 'chips,' and the country has eleven official languages. Most people speak at least two, many more than that! :D Grocery stores are in the mall, and I've been to one here that's twice as big as the one at home! I'm sure I have more to tell, but for now I'm drawing a blank. :)
Hmmm, anyways, I want to thank you all for your encouragement. I have been so blessed to have such amazing friends in my life. Thank you especially for the cards and packages; please know just how much I appreciated your thoughtfulness. I will update again as soon as I get the chance. Tomorrow morning, we are leaving for a spiritual retreat near the coast with around 50 other mission folks. I'll be back in town sometime Monday afternoon. Again, thank you for being so spectacular and I love you all. Talk to you soon!
Cheerio,
Sarah
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