1st week

Hello :)

I didn’t think I would have a hard time writing this thing. But apparently it’s a bit hard to know how to start.

I’ll begin by giving everyone my most genuine thanks. Though I have traveled internationally quite a bit through my 18 years, I had never realized the preparation and nervousness that comes with it. One of the biggest obstacles was to get all the paper work done in order to submit my Visa application. Thanks to His grace and all your papers, I received my passport with the confirmed Visa acceptance on Wednesday, October 21^st, four days before my departure on the 25^th. Although it should have been a stressful situation, I had a hard time pretending to be worried so the parents wouldn’t lecture me about my irresponsibility. I knew there was the possibility of the application not being accepted or to not get to me on time, but through my and your own prayer, God’s will was done so that I could leave on time. For that and so much more, I cannot thank you enough.

As happy, relieved, and excited as I was to receive my passport with the Visa stamped in, it really dawned on me that now that I had it, it was actually time to go; very weird feeling. I eventually began to pack away what seemed like my whole life. I didn’t have much experience packing for 9 months, so that was definitely a fun challenge.

In between the packing and the chaos that it entailed, I was also having to say all my goodbyes. Again, a very weird feeling knowing that I wouldn’t see everyone for a little less than 9 months. It did feel a bit like people were mourning my death. I’m not sure they realized that I was coming right back. But I couldn’t complain. The support and love I received from everyone was a direct representation of Christ’s immense love for me. It seemed almost greedy to pray to Him for more when I was already experiencing His Grace more than some people do in their whole life. I had said during service that the whole experience of preparation was strong enough to stand on its own, and it really was that powerful.

After being accompanied to the airport by my family and two close friends, my Southwest Airlines flight left at 12:32 PM. It would only be an hour and a half flight to Detroit where I would then board to Amsterdam. Always having enjoyed flying, I wasn’t too nervous about being on a plane for that short a time. I happened to sit next to a 20 year old girl who was returning to Green Bay, Wisconsin. After talking to me about the misfortunes that come with living in a town like Green Bay, we got to talking about what and why I was going to Cape Town for a whole school year. It was a great opportunity to revise that myself but more than anything, for her to tell me a bit about the struggles and decisions she had faced as she had begun her college life. It was a wonderful opportunity to see how someone who lived hundreds of miles away faced the same struggles that young adults faced in North Carolina, and everywhere.

I arrived at Detroit having 4 hours to spare. I made my last phone calls, checked my soccer news, looked at my emails, and skyped a few friends. I left the country at 6:30 that evening on an 8 hour flight to Amsterdam, Netherlands. Having never flown outside of the Western Hemisphere, I was SO excited to be flying over Belfast, Manchester, and the English Channel. It was also time for the sunrise over the clouds, a sight I will never forget. I couldn’t help but be in awe of God’s amazing artistry. It was unbelievable.

I arrived in Amsterdam at 7:15 AM, completely thrown off by the time difference. However, my extreme tiredness was completely overpowered by the excitement that came along with seeing all these Dutch people speaking their weird language. It was AWESOME. By the time I had to leave though, 10:30 AM, I was barely alive. I hadn’t slept at all in the flight and it was now 5:30 in the morning for my Raleigh time.

My three hour break in Amsterdam was followed by an 11 ½ hour flight to Cape Town, South Africa. My butt was felt like it was missing after all those hours sitting down, but it was well worth it. After going through customs, I walked out to meet Casey. It was really nice to see a familiar face waiting for me after all those hours on my flight adventure. We drove to his house about 30 minutes away. It was definitely an educational ride. Besides all the information being thrown at me by Casey, I got to see in just that short drive, the enormous disparity that engulfs this beautiful country. The first sight was one of Cape Town’s biggest and poorest black townships, followed almost immediately by heavily secured white neighborhoods with beautiful homes and barbed wire on top of the 3 foot thick walls. We then crossed one of the city’s many mountains to find another distraught black township. Not even the darkness of the night could hide the terrors that haunted these people. And apparently they live directly across from the home of many baboons; my first sign that I really was in Africa. I got home to a beautifully welcoming room with a note from Sarah saying just that, “Welcome.” It felt good to finally be there.

The next morning I woke up at 7, something which I hadn’t done in over 5 months. I ate some good Kellogg’s breakfast and took a 10 minute walk around the block. Casey, Sarah, and Kieren live in a mixed township called Ocean view. It has a large Muslim population, an infamous and dangerous Rastafari population, and mostly colored families. There are more children in a block than ants in an anthill. Teenagers and adults walk around with a toxic bag that doesn’t leave their nose, fuming a terrible smell of glue, paint, or thinner; it’s a sight that I’m still struggling to deal with. There are many boys and ‘men’ with long dreads, known as the Rastafari. For those of you who don’t know, these are the drug dealing, violent, uneducated desperate followers of the Rastafarian movement. I know pretty much nothing else about them other than the fact that Bob Marley was one.

On Tuesday I also got to go on a run with Casey. Though running has always been a dreaded requirement for me, it was a whole different experience to run to the top of the hill where we went. If only you could be there. When running up hill it seems like your body just wants to torture you, yet when you get to the top, you cannot believe your eyes. As you lift your sight to see the pavement slowly crouching down, the waters of the Atlantic Ocean open up, accompanied by two majestic mountains that curl around the sandy beaches. If you weren’t a believer, you would definitely re-consider after witnessing His majesty through nature. Casey had told me not to look back where we had come from because he had a surprise. The surprise didn’t let me down. When running back up the hill from the other direction, I was met with an almost exact replica of the previous view. Again, the splendor of the Atlantic greeted my eyes. So whether I chose to look left or right, I was met by God’s artistry at its best.

On Thursday, I got to meet the man who I would be working with the first few months. Nash (whose name I’m sure I misspelled), is a friendly, Christ-driven man whose ambitious drive to save young men one by one has led him to go out to the lowest of the low. When at his house, we got to meet two men who had been saved by His grace through Nash. One was a former Rastafarian drug dealer, his missing teeth had rotten off his gums. The other, also a former Rastafarian who had been clean for two years, was delighted by the fact that I was from Argentina, to which he greeted me with a big hug. It should also be said that Nash’s son is named Diego, after the Argentina soccer legend Diego Maradona. I will definitely be telling people where I was born more than where I live J. The effects of heavy drugs were clearly visible in both these men and the way their brain had been damaged; something which not many people really get to see in person. Nash told us about his ministry, the terribly violent and drug-afflicted society that was the Rastafarian movement, and some of the people which he had brought to Christ. During my whole time there, I couldn’t help but feel overwhelmed. What could I, and 18 year old who had just graduated from high school in Raleigh, be teaching these murderous men? Literally murderers. I can tell them of nothing but the love of Christ. It was a good reminder that I myself am nothing, but by His side, I can do anything, despite my youth. I must admit I felt dismayed at the moment. One of Tini’s favorite verses reads: “So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.” I will be keeping this verse as my prayer over the next 8 months, and would ask if you could do the same.

The Princes live in a 3 bedroom house on the Methodist Church’s ground. It has a beautiful yard with wonderful grass; used as a parking lot during service. As Casey’s attempt to begin playing competitively once more, I was volleying some balls into his arms, testing his reflexes and hands. After about 5 minutes of this, two boys showed up, asking if they could play. Taking the opportunity, a 2 on 2 game broke out. We played for about 20 minutes before another 5 kids showed up. We then turned the game into a 4 on 4. Casey and I had to go meet this family with whom I may be living the next 8 months. When we returned an hour and a half later, approximately 20 kids had organized themselves into 5 different teams, switching out every two goals. I jumped in and tried to show them some tricks so they would validate me as a player. The only thing was that I felt like I wasn’t working. At first I felt like this was bad because I had traveled thousands of miles and here I found myself just playing soccer and having a blast. Then I remembered that this was what I had set out to do. I feel like I’m being lazy just playing, but that is my work. I am so blessed to have this opportunity. The kids seemed very excited that I was there, telling me about their favorite teams and players, and asking me if I could do certain things with the ball. It really feels like this is what God intended me to do.

I also forgot to say that I drove a manual car on Friday. While you may think that there isn’t anything too special about it, you should know that I drove on the wrong side of the road, and wrong side of the car. I’ll admit to having swayed over to the right lane twice, but I’m still alive. I also got to eat a Gatsby for the first time. One of our friends here in Ocean View makes these delicious, HUGE sandwiches with sausage, home-made fries, fried chicken, cucumber, lettuce, and tomato. It’s about 2 ½ inches tall and over a foot and a half long. It was enough to fill up all three of us and it only cost 35 Rand. Equivalent to less than 5 DOLLARS!!

I hope you got to read this all without getting bored. It’s a bit hard to say everything I need to in a short enough time that it is convenient for everyone. Reason why I have now written 3 pages single spaced. I can’t promise that the posts that follow will be this long but I do hope to keep you updated. I will be posting pictures up soon so that you may better understand what I am living.

I would also like to request your much needed prayers. Prayers that I may not be overwhelmed; prayers that I may find myself useful and worthy of His work; prayers for the progress of Ubuntu; prayers for the Princes as they continue to adapt to a new life style; prayers for me being away from home and coping with all that it entails; and most of all, prayers that His will be done in a country where the scars of racism and apartheid are so fresh and deep.

I thank you for all your love and prayers and hope that you all continue to do well. I am praying for everyone as your lives take new and old paths.

Love,

Andy