I hope everyone reading this is doing well. We have been having an incredible time here in Cape Town. It does not seem like 2 weeks have passed since we first arrived. I feel like I have known some of the people on this trip for years, not just a few days.

Today we went to Sir Lowry’s Pass. For most people, it was the first time they had the opportunity to go. A small group of us had the opportunity to go on Saturday to prime the wall for painting and to try to meet some of the older youth. Just as when we went Saturday, the kids were extremely happy to see our group. Mrs. Cheryl, the “soup mom” that helps us organize our service in the township, told me that some of the kids say that the time when we visit is their favorite time of the year. My back and shoulders were sore Sunday from kids climbing all over me and constantly having at least one on my shoulder. I am sure I will be sore in the morning too as I had a kid about my size hop up my back and climb onto my shoulders.

After about an hour and a half of running around in the primary school with the children and getting to meet the soup moms, we ran through the monsoon to the home of our designated family. This was a very moving experience. Ms. Anna was our soup mother and head of the family we had supper with. She welcomed us into her home with open arms and a smile. We walked into about a 10’x10’ room that served as the kitchen, living room, and bedroom. Ms. Anna had 5 grandchildren and a daughter there to meet us, making a total of 12 people in a very small space. Some of our group was kind of awkward at first, but everyone quickly warmed up as we introduced ourselves and sparked conversations. Chase, one of our TAs, and I did the cooking. Ms. Anna seemed to be impressed that the only two guys in our group were the ones who volunteered to cook. I did not realize that cooking spaghetti could be such a task, but it was rather difficult as Ms. Anna’s stove would short out the electricity in the house if more than one eye was turned on. Chase and I had to cook noodles, brown the meat, and warm the sauce all at once on one eye. I am not sure how good our meal was, but everyone pretended to like it. Having the opportunity to hang out with Ms. Anna and her family was a very moving experience. They did not have a lot of material things, but yet they were so happy. I am not sure exactly how to explain it, but I guess the best way to put it was that all the joy in that little room was really heart-warming. I am very appreciative we had the opportunity to hang out with Ms. Anna and her family, and I am looking forward to getting to know them better.

I figured I would end this by giving a list of my highlights so far: meeting new friends and getting to know others better, going to Sir Lowry’s pass, winning trivia and the wine-making competition (Chris Ramanauskas, Michael Boynton, Tim Rood, and I have not lost yet…), hiking Table Mountain, visiting and exploring Cape Point, stalking the Eland at Cape Point, relaxing at Café Caprice in Camps Bay, bargaining for a really cool table, and Tim sitting on the table and breaking it a few hours after I got it. (The table was really unique. A lot of the items here are interesting and look hand-made, but can be found at every corner. I have not seen another table, though. If mom and dad are reading this, the table was going to be a surprise present for y’all…you can blame Tim for getting it in a few pieces.)

Oh and we’ve been doing school here too!

Cheers eh! - Brooks Pennington

Today was Bafana’s first day of Service week! It is crazy to think that we all signed up for Global LEAD for its adventures and community service, and it is just now starting. Our group went into Sir Lowry’s Pass today for three hours to meet the wonderful families and the children we will get to know during the week. When we first got off the bus, a few kids swarmed the bus but the rest of the welcoming crowd was waiting in the community center building. We walked in and immediately children and Global Leaders were hitting it off. The children were so excited to see us and had quite the energy to play as well. The ‘soup moms’ who will be our moms away from home for the week were also there to greet us at the door. The agenda for today was to play with the children and meet the moms for an hour and a half, and then break into groups of four or five and eat with a family in the community. While we sang a few American songs as well as a few in Afrikaans, the kids opened up to our presence and the energy ignited. All of our boys turned into living jungle gyms for the kids to climb over as the girls started up a game of Little Sally Walker. After goofing off with the children, we split into our groups and headed to our group home. I was included in Ms. Emily’s home for dinner with her sister and brother-in-law and their three children and friends. We cooked for the family and made spaghetti with meat sauce. I felt slightly under pressure because I wanted the meal to be great for them. The three girls cooked while Michael shared different stories with the family. We were able to hear their story and learn about their family dynamics. We watched an African Gospel video while we ate our dinner with one another. We sat on the floor with the children and asked them random fun facts. I learned that one of the boys favorite colors is clear- who knew clear was a color. We ended the night with a Dr. Suess book read by the middle child, as well as a prayer said by the father, who is a member of the African Gospel choir we had listened to earlier. The afternoon was a very humbling experience and ignited a desire for more service in our whole group. We all look forward to returning to our new friends tomorrow and anxious to learn from them while we aid in their after school programs.

I am sorry I have no pictures to post. We kept all of our cameras at home for the day, but pictures are soon to come.

Madeline Stivender

Robben Island

Maybe one of my favorite days so far: we went to Robben Island and visited the prison where political leaders were imprisoned during apartheid. Literally right after we got off the ferry from the tour a group of us sprinted to catch a cab to go to Signal Hill to paraglide! It was an awesome mixture of history and adventure.

At Robben Island, we learned not only about Nelson Mandela but also about the unjust treatment of all the prisoners. Our guide, Thulani Mabaso, was also a prisoner at the same time as Mandela. Mabaso’s story was one of great suffering and injustice as most of the prisoners’ were. He was convicted of terrorism when the police found out he was part of the opposing organizations and sentenced to approximately 20 years in jail (I don’t remember exactly). He said he was beaten (broken ribs, shocked with electric volts, and used as an ash tray) before he was sent to prison. While In prison, Mabaso told us of the many injustices he suffered there and about the racism even with in the camps. The black prisoners got a watery porridge for breakfast while the colored and Indian prisoners got a thick and meaty porridge; for lunch the blacks got another watery corn meal and water soup while the other prisoners got bread, butter, and jam; and for dinner the blacks got 5 ounces of meat while the others got 6 ounces. Even the uniforms were different -the Blacks got shorts and a shirt while the colored and Indians got pants, a shirt, a vest, and a jacket. Mabaso did tell us that the conditions did improve while he was there and eventually all the prisoners got the same food and clothing and even were upgraded to real beds and not just mats on the floor. While the prisoners were allowed to have visitors after a certain amount of time, applying to visit someone in jail could have consequences. Mabaso’s father applied to visit and was scheduled to come. When Mabaso went to go meet his father, he was informed that his father would not be coming as he had been shot 8 times the previous day (by the information police) and was in intensive care. Mabaso did tell us some of the positive things about being a prisoner: the prisoners formed a very strong support group and shared everything. They even took classes from one another and many prisoners went in with very little education and came out with almost a college degree. Economics, English, math, politics, and other subjects were all taught there by the other highly educated prisoners. I found it interesting to learn that many of the political prisoners of Robben Island are now holding major positions in the government.

We also got to visit Nelson Mandela’s cell, it was no different than any of the other cells: very small with a bed, a bucket, and a cup. It was extremely hard to imagine anyone living there for 27 years. Mabaso explained that Mandela was very highly respected by the other prisoners in the jail and even won over many of his guards. It was a very moving day, as we heard so many stories of injustice as well as support.

Sarah Beatty

This is Africa!

I can’t even believe it’s already been two weeks since we arrived in the most beautiful city in the world. This has been the most amazing two weeks of my life and I couldn’t imagine a more incredible group of people to share these experiences of a lifetime with. Although I feel like we haven’t been in Cape Town for two whole weeks already, I do feel like I’ve known the people forever. And the best part is, we haven’t even had the two weeks I initially wanted to come to Cape Town for which is the service and adventure weeks. I’m never leaving!!

Yesterday was an exciting day in Cape Town. AnnaBeth, Madeline and Darby are the four best roommates ever and we had a bonding day yesterday. First, we started off by going to the Old Biscuit Mill. Last weekend we slept too late to make it like the rest of Global LEAD so this was our first time. It’s a precious market with lots of good food, wine, clothes and random things. Meg Gheesling and I had the Belgium waffles and it was quite possibly the most delicious food I’ve ever had. We saw the most adorable child ever. He was wearing a Fedor and the most precious trousers and we little almost kidnapped him. The Old Biscuit Mill is definitely a MUST if you come to Cape Town.

Afterwards, we went to the pick n’ pay and got the stuff to make a nice home cooked meal for the roomies! We got chicken and pasta and the lovely AnnaBeth cooked for us. Besides the fact that we made a huge mess and spilled all of our pasta sauce all over our floor, it was a perfect dinner. We have yet to clean our kitchen since, I’m guessing we should get on that.

After dinner we all hung out in the guys’ room and then went to our first African concert! The band was called Goldfish and they were awesome!! It was kinda like a techno concert but it was so awesome to see it! All of the guys dressed up in rave-type clothes and we gelled their hair up. I’m gonna have to give the best dressed award to Mr. Jack Konas for his African/Mexican shirt, haha! Last night was amazing and such a great time! So THANKS TO DUSTIN HARRIS for letting me have his ticket so last minute! Today has been full of hearing stories from last night and starting our papers that are due in the morning! Tonight we have our 3^rd (I still can’t believe that) big group dinner and tomorrow Bafana Bafanas start our service week! It’s going to be a great week!!!

So long America!

Megan Lentz

Appreciation

These past two weeks have flown by. I don’t like it one bit. I can only imagine how quick the next three will fly by. My heart is already breaking. I have officially fallen in love with this beautiful place.

I think what I love most is the sense of ease I feel when I walk through Cape Town. I feel at home. I’ve always been a wanderer and go with the flow on pretty much everything in my life. I can never stay in once place for too long, but CPT feels like home to me (cue that Chantal Kreviazuk song that we all heard on bid day walking into our sororities, cliché but true). I literally love everything about this place and if I had it my way, I would spend much more time here than just a mere five weeks. (My parents shudder at the thought).

This morning I was drinking a cup of coffee while listening to Wild Horses by the Rolling Stones (one of my all time favorite jams) and there was a hush all around me. It was almost like time had stopped and God was just telling me to slow down and appreciate this moment that I will never have back again. Why do we always have to be in a rush? Why do I get one thing done and it’s on to the next one? Why can’t I just sit and just be?

So I am making that my mission for the final weeks here. To just appreciate this moment. To appreciate this time in my life. Because you never know what life will bring and when you’ll be able to live this dream again.

- Megan Gheesling

What a Week!

Hello Followers! I believe I can speak on everyone's behalf in saying this weekend has been a very exciting and eye opening one. We woke up early Friday morning and began our day with a brief overview of the Robin Island Prison where former South African President Nelson Mandela and many other political activists were imprisoned during the near century of Apartheid. Before arriving to South Africa I made the effort to educate myself on the country’s history. After this small bit of research I thought I had an understanding of the hardship South Africa faced and the wave of change it experienced--however upon my arrival to South Africa I discovered this notion was naive. It was not until Friday afternoon at the Robin Island prison that I truly began to understand the level of adversity this country endured. We spoke with one of the political prisoners who served an eight year sentence at Robin Island for the non-violent bombing of a government building, and his words were almost unbelievable. His time there was marked by physical and psychological abuse, ranging from broken ribs to eating his own feces to sleeping on cold concrete floors. This abuse came from the white Robin Island guards-- men who were never reprimanded for their unlawful and inhumane actions; men who were later sent into lucrative careers as CEOs of world-wide corporations and the like; men who violently murdered this prisoner's father. Mandela endured this same treatment during his 27 year sentence on the Island. However, the guards and heads of the prison recognized his ability and his influence, and in turn made efforts to deaden his potential and keep him from stirring the masses. They offered him a bed, a commodity that no other prison would receive, but Mandela in turn rejected this gift only until every other prisoner on the island was provided the same comfort as he. That action alone is a strong indication of his genuine character and his ability to to work a system. After touring the prison and learning much about the conditions and abuse, our eyes were opened to the Apartheid and the unbelievable racism that drove it. Blacks and coloreds were not treated as people; prisoners were shipped to the Robin Island on cargo ships. They rode the waving, rocky ocean dressed in chains, shackles, urine, and vomit, and 45 minutes later they were entered through the gates of hell. This experience at Robin Island and the unhappy education it provided me made they boat ride back to the city much different from the ride there, and I am very thankful for that fact. But aside from those morbid hours friday afternoon, this weekend was a lot of fun. Friday night a lot of us went to dinner and a club in Camps Bay--an extremely affluent area of Cape Town. We ate dinner at Cafe Caprice, a place where celebrities like Leonardo Dicaprio, Paris Hilton, and Jared Leto have dined while staying in the city. The food and the drinks were amazing. Afterwards we went to the place named Tin Roof with a big group of people and got an opportunity to meet and speak with local Capetonian students. Saturday morning we woke up and went to the Old Biscuit Mill Market, which is probably one of my favorite places in the world. It is packed with culture. It houses hundreds of gourmet food vendors, local breweries and vineyards every Saturday from 10am to 2pm. A lot of us saw our first celebrity here, Jonathan Ryes Meyer--the lead role of the HBO series The Tudors and movies like Match Point, August Rush, and Bend It like Beckham. Ladies, unfortunately his was not as cute in person...he looked like a shrimp and was wearing some sort of straw jacket? Bummer right? We all thought so. Last night was probably my favorite night of the trip thus far. About 80 or so of us went to the Goldfish concert and a nice club in the city. It was incredible. They're a blend of jazz, rap, electronic, and indie music.--thus they are awesome. Myself and a few others actually conned our way backstage and got to hang out with the musicians after they played. We were all very surprised how nice and down to earth they were and we really recognized that they truly love playing their music for their fans. They were awesome. I recommend checking out the song "Fort Knox" and "Hold Tight," those are my favorite two songs by them and they actually played them as their encores...I was basically freaking out when they came on. Well, we have an eight page paper due tomorrow, and the Springboks and I are depart for our Adventure Week at 5am tomorrow morning, so I think it is about time to get this thing in motion. I hope all is well wherever y'all are right now! Mom and Dad, if y'all feel like shipping me some tortilla chips and queso and some Texas BBQ, feel free.

Adios Friends and Family!

Abbie Phillips, UGA

Foot Prints of Africa

Saturday before even stepping out of the van a swarm of children had already converged on us. They ran after us all the way from when they first spotted us driving down the narrow dusty road. The older ones, maybe eight or nine, held the hands of younger ones; some look as young as two or three. They were all dressed for winter in jackets and long pants, but if you look down you notice some wear sandals and others don’t have shoes at all; even though it had been raining earlier that day.

At first they just watched from a distance running after us as we made our way to Miss Cheryl’s house. The bolder ones are the first to mix into our group. They start by giving a high-five or a wave. Some of the kids talked to us, while others shied away when you stop to ask their name. As we walked and talked with them they would grab our hands or jump on backs. I don’t think I’ve ever seen kids so affectionate. I loved the attention from these sweet, caring children.

After we entered the place where they have pre-school, a big building with concrete floors and a stage, we began to play games with the kids. The most amazing thing to me was how much fun they were having playing with a pink balloon one of them had found. Things so simple that we take for granted provided joy to these kids. From across the room I noticed a little girl standing on the stage. She was not much older than three and the way she looked up at everyone so wide-eyed, timid, and beautiful melted my heart. She was dressed in an old green sweater and no shoes. She had a runny nose and a smudge of dirt on her face, which only added to how precious she looked. We made eye contact and I walk over to ask her name, she wasted no time, but jumped right into my arms. She wrapped her arms around me and buried her face into my neck. We were attached at the hip for the next three hours. I would let her down for a couple minutes to let her run or to pay attention to some other kids and within five minutes she was back tugging on my sweater. She didn’t speak very much and I kept trying to ask her name, but she didn’t respond. I asked other kids if they knew her and no one did. No one knew who she was. I finally found out what her name was, Tombey (I’m sure I’m spelling that wrong) and that she only spoke Afrikaans. I’m now looking into learning some phrases so I can talk to her.

As we were leaving, she took another little girl’s hand, who was not older than 5, and they walked off together. I watched them walk down the street, hand and hand, wondering about where they were going and hoping they’d make it there. I can’t wait to go back and see her, to hold her and play with her again.

Afterwards I was talking to Brooke Harris about how so many of the kids didn’t have shoes. She mentioned how amazing it would be if we could get Toms to partner with Global LEAD or just to donate some shoes. I am going to pursue her idea, I’ve written to Toms looking for some information. I’m sure they get thousands of requests a day, but if I never try I will never know.

-Emily Choquette

Week 2 Recap: Dooleys, Cape Point, Winelands, Robben Island & More!!

Week 2 was filled with important leadership lessons and experiential education across the Cape! We kicked off the week with a full Monday morning lesson about different leadership theories and styles. Monday afternoon, most students chose to take advantage of Global LEAD’s optional “Museum Activity” and visited several museums including the Slave Lodge, District 6, and the Gold of Africa.

Tuesday morning we had the amazing opportunity to hear from two SEC legends, Hall of Fame Football Coach Vince Dooley and his incredible wife, Barbara Dooley! Coach Dooley talked to our LEAD students about Leadership P.R.I.D.E. – Preparation, Risk, Integrity, Drive, and Everybody! Ms. Barbara talked about her experience overcoming obstacles and gave advice to our students about overcoming the obstacles that we will likely face during our lifetime. Attitude is key!

On Wednesday and Thursday our students experienced more of the South African Cape! One half of the group travelled to the magnificent Franschhoek wine valley for a cultural vineyard tour, while the other half spent the day travelling to the tip of South Africa, the Cape of Good Hope. Along the way, they stopped at Boulder's Beach in historic Simon's Town to see African Penguins. Boulder's Beach is one of the few places where this vulnerable bird can be observed at close range, wandering freely in a protected natural environment. Once at the Cape of Good Hope, the students climbed and explored the grand rock formations that make up the coastline. The cliffs tower more than 200 meters above the sea and provide an amazing, picturesque landscape like no other. The history of the Cape and its impact on trade routes in the 1400s is fascinating, and we are excited that all our students had the opportunity to see this spectacular place.

The week ended with a group trip to Robben Island where Nelson Mandela and many others were held as political prisoners during the Apartheid. We heard a firsthand account of life on the island from one of Mandela’s prison mates, Thulani Mabaso. He shared with us the intimate details of the struggles he and other political prisoners faced during apartheid and how he stayed motivated during his imprisonment.

This next week the Springboks program group will head up the South African coast on adventure week while the Bafana Bafanas begin service week in Sir Lowry’s Pass!

- LEAD Cape Town Staff

How 'bout them.. biscuits?

Today I finally woke up in time for the Old Biscuit Mill! Anyone who knows me, knows that waking up early is NOT my strong suit. Megan, AnnaBeth, Madeline, Darby and myself missed out on Old Biscuit Mill last week due to a series of unfortunate circumstances including most of which we all slept till noon. After finally seeing it today I was so sad that I couldn't drag my bloodshot eyes out of bed sooner last week! I started the morning off with a Belgian Waffle. It may or may not have been the single greatest breakfast food on this planet... whipped cream and chocolate sauce on top, loaded. Calories in South Africa are called "Energy" so I shouldn't feel half as bad about what I'm eating, right? After walking around with Madeline and Taylor we found a few others and decided to look around.

Even though it had been misting that morning, and wasn't pleasant weather outside the Mill was still packed with people from all over! Including a boy I met from Hampden Sydney, a small all-male liberal arts college in Southern Virginia that my Aunt happens to teach at - and he even knew her! The world can't get any smaller. Myself and a few other students also ran into our Adventure guide - Gavin at the Mill, proving even locals love it!

145 Rand later (don't worry Dad, that's only $20..) I had finished off an embarrassingly long list of food - Belgian Waffle sent from Heaven, strawberry smoothie that I actually SAW real live strawberries go into, a Greek Chicken Gyro with Tstazik sauce (I have no clue what this was, but I'm interested and definitely getting it again), Coffee not from a Jittery Joes, and the most delicious double chocolate chip cookies I've ever tried. Sorry Bolton, but I have a new love.

On another random tangent, the people and the families we've all seen at biscuit mill are incredibly good looking and put together. You think I'm joking, but even their children wear ties! I felt so underdressed after seeing this little baby sharply dressed from head to toe. He was too cute for words! I can't even dress myself that well, let alone myself as a child. I need to start asking 3 year olds for fashion advice, oh South Africa.

Tomorrow I'm going to St. George's church off Long Street and I'm excited to see the culture! St. George's is where Desmond Tutu served as Archbishop before receiving his Nobel Peace Prize, and where Nelson Mandela formally accepted the nod himself. Evidently its the "Vatican" of South Africa, more details to come next week! To keep up with my South African adventures you can follow me at observationsinjumanji.wordpress.com !

Brangelina's baby? No. Just someone at the Mill.

The most AMAZING Waffles in the Cape!

all photos credit to the wonderful soon-to-be-famous Meg Gheesling!

Happy following!

-- Carrie Deal

Busy Busy Week

The past week has been pretty hectic as you might can tell from my lack of blogging. The last time I wrote was on Sunday and now it is Saturday. We went to the Old Biscuit Mill today and had some wonderful food and drink, then tried to go see The Hangover 2, but it wasn't playing until later. Hopefully soon we will be able to check it out.

Our week has been filled with great things including Coach Dooley and Barbara Dooley speaking to us, visiting a local vineyard, seeing penguins, and a visit to Robben Island.

The Haute Espoir (meaning High Hopes) vineyard was a beautiful place and we were able to attempt to make our own blend of wines.

Rob stands about 6 feet 7 inches tall, 310 pounds, trains and fights in the art of Mouytai and owns his own vineyard. Certainly not the man you expect to be greeted by at the front gate of a vineyard in South Africa, but sure enough he walked us from the gate up to his winery. He loves what he does and loved teaching us about the things he loves.

Thursday was spent at Cape of Good Hope, Cape Point, and Boulder Beach. Boulder Beach is the home of hundreds of African penguins. They are everything you would imagine just in relatively hot weather.

After our trek with penguins we got back on the bus, ate lunch, and headed to Cape of Good Hope. We were able to climb on the rocks and just go exploring.

We climbed up one mountain went down the other side, back up another, and then made it down to the beach on the far side of the area.

After exploring Cape of Good Hope we headed across the way to Cape Point, the second most southern point in Africa. On the way we saw ostrich, baboons, and more dassie. When we arrived we climbed to the lighthouse then went on a short walk to the lighthouse that was built later for better visibility.

This has been a crazy week and I hope you enjoyed this post and there will be more to come about Friday and our adventure on Robben Island.

-- Ben McDougald

Robben Island

Today we went to Robben Island to see where Nelson Mandela was imprisoned for twenty-seven years. We have all been highly anticipating this visit to see where Mandela spent his time. We woke up very early for this adventure because we had to be in class by eight am. Dr. Wolfe taught us about some of the history of South Africa and struggles between the races. We then had a great lesson about leadership taught by Mallory, one of our TAs. After we were finished with the lecture part of morning, we boarded the buses and drove to the Water Front where we took a ferry to Robben Island. The ferry ride was a pretty bumpy forty-five minute ride but we made it safely. When we got to the island we were split up into two groups. I was in the group that went on a bus tour for the first half. On the tour our guide pointed out things like churches and the high security prison. We also went to a point where you can see the best view of Table Mountain which was beautiful! When we moved on to the walking portion of the tour we were led by an ex-prisoner. He had been imprisoned from age nineteen to thirty-seven. He told us lots of stories about how he was tortured and a very sad story about how when his dad came to visit him the guards shot his father eight times. It made us realize how corrupt and inhumane some of the guards were. He took us to see the cell where Mandela spent his time, which is a 2 meter by 2 meter cell. I am very glad we were able to speak with him because it was interesting to hear the point of view from an insider. That concluded our tour and we got back on the ferry and headed back to the Water Front. Tomorrow we are headed back to The Old Biscuit Mill for good food and shopping!

Morgan Roberts

Every little thing is gonna be alright

Today my roommates and I woke up bright and early and headed to the greatest place on Earth, THE OLD BISCUIT MILL! It is what we might call a farmer’s market in the states except for it is ten times better. You can find everything from crepes to locally brewed beer there. The food is so amazing that we went for breakfast and stayed long enough to have lunch too! This morning I had a crepe with Nutella and bananas. For lunch I had a thin crust pizza with, well I am not really sure what all was on it, but it was delicious. There is also a tent at the Biscuit Mill that has clothes and accessories. You can find some really unique pieces for good prices there. After we ate lunch, the student leaders for service week had to come back to the hotel to meet up and go to Sir Lowery’s Pass.

Before we left Courtney, Leasa, and Preston told us about our goals for the day, one of the most important being to connect with the boys and girls around our age in the township. We need to start relationships with the 18 to 22 year olds so that we can partner with them in helping provide positive role models for the younger children. Global Lead is only in the township for two weeks, so it is so important that we instill values of leadership into the older kids so that they can keep the work going once we have to leave. When we arrived in Sir Lowery’s Pass the children just started to flock to us. They are so precious! I just wish I could spend time getting to know each and every one of them. Ms. Cheryl, the soup mother who is close with Global Lead, lead us to the Cresh. The Cresh is a building where primary school for the children is held. All of the boys started playing sports and the girls gathered in different groups and played games like Little Sally Walker and other hand shake games. I found a group of girls who loved to dance, so I taught them the Cupid Shuffle and they taught me some of the dances that they learned at school. We tried to find the teenagers to get to know, but there were not many around. After a while, we left the Cresh and went to the school nearby to play and help prime the wall for the mural that we are going to paint during service week.

The hardest part of the day was trying to leave. The girls I got to know (Eberline, Callie Anne, Mary Jane, and Renee) wondered why we had to leave them. It was so hard to say goodbye, but they were excited when I told them that there would be a big group of us here for the next two weeks to play with them after school. I cannot wait until service week. I know most people go into something like this thinking that they will be doing all of the giving, but I know that will not be the case for me. I feel like I learn so much from the children and community when I am there. It reminds me to take pleasure in the more important things in life like family and friends. These children have next to nothing, but they still find the strength to wake up in the morning and put a huge smile on their face. Today was a great day, but I am exhausted! Time to get some rest and wake up to another beautiful day in Cape Town, South Africa!

Hallie Major

Somebody’s on our side…

How else would we have been THIS fortunate to have such unbelievable weather?? The Springboks, including myself, traveled to the Cape of Good Hope and Cape Point today. All I can say is that the views are absolutely unreal. Let me try and paint this picture for you even though I KNOW I can’t do it justice: Bright blue water stretching as far as you can see, majestic cliffs everywhere you turn, and unbelievable wildlife all around us. It was perfect.

What I’ve quickly learned from every experience I’ve had here so far is that this is exactly where I’m supposed to be. I had a lot of doubts about coming to a place I knew absolutely nothing about with people I didn’t know very well for 5 entire weeks. I love to travel but I get travel anxiety when I’m put in positions that I’m not familiar with. But I have to say, on our very first day when the clouds cleared and sun came out right as we drove to the top of Signal Hill and we got our very first view of Table Mountain, I knew that was my sign it was all going to be okay. Every situation I’ve encountered here has ended with the same result. There hasn’t been a night where I’ve gone to bed with anything but a smile on my face.

There is a reason all of us are on this trip. There is a reason we are here. It’s all part of a plan. And let me tell you this, from the girl who gets travel anxiety, it is so good to know God’s got me covered.

-- Emily DeJarnett

LOOK MOM! NO HANDS!

Today most people are going to write about going to Robben Island so I’ll leave that up to them. I, on the other hand, am going to write about abseiling off of Table Mountain. When I woke up this morning I had no idea I would be repelling off of the highest commercial abseil in the world in just a few hours, but before we got on the bus to head to the Robben Island ferry, Dustin said to make sure I was wearing proper abseiling clothing. Skinny jeans and Toms were probably not the most suitable attire for repelling off a cliff so I ran upstairs and changed to something a little more comfortable (and safe).

When the ferry docked back at the Water Front after our day at Robben Island, a group of ten of us rushed to the adventure van. First we had to drop off eight paragliders at Lion’s Head, but then the only other abseiler, Anna White, and I were dropped off at the cable car to head up Table Mountain. We got off 1,084.6 meters later at the top of the mountain and walked right up to the abseiling guy. “Alright here’s your gear, off you go. Cheers!” the guide said and handed us our harnesses and helmets. We just stood there, thinking to ourselves “Oh crap. What did we get ourselves into??” But then he starting laughing launched into a short, but informative, lesson on abseiling. The guides were really helpful, nice, and obviously liked to joke around so we weren’t getting too nervous as we prepared for our fall.

Suddenly, they were telling us to position our bodies on the left side of the rope, grab the clip with our left hand, the trailing rope with our right, and walk backwards towards the 112 meter drop. I kept lowering the top part of my body, without moving my feet so when it got to the point where my legs were so bent that my butt was below my feet, my guide said “You know you’re going to have to move your feet sometime.” So I stated climbing down. It was not near as bad as I thought it was going to be. Honestly, they were doing most of the work up top, lowering us down, but we still had to do the whole climbing part. I know most people wouldn’t look down, but if I kept my eyes on the rock in front of me, I would have missed the awesome views of the mountain and Camps Bay. Suddenly I feet started to feel not as sturdy and when I looked directly below I realized the rock just stopped. I now knew what the guide meant when he told us “Oh and there’s a little surprise waiting for you at the end.” This “little surprise” was a 60ish meter free fall to the bottom. “Well, here goes,” I told myself and pushed off with my feet. It was one of the coolest feelings I have ever experienced (and not to mention one of the most awesome views I have ever seen), as I descended to the bottom. I guess looking back on abseiling after bungee jumping, will seem like child’s play but if anything it was a great warm up.

Carey McKay

Ubuntu on Robben Island

Today when I step on the boat headed to Robben Island all I could think about was whether or not I should eat my sack lunch of chicken salad, because of the looming possibility of getting motion sickness on the boat. It never crossed my mind that I was going to see a museum full of living breathing people who were actually apart of the history that was created.

Robben Island from its birth was a place of banishment. Lepers, the mentally ill, and political outcasts were all sent to the Island. The prison that was created later was the home of Nelson Mandela for the 27 years he was imprisoned. Walking through the halls you could not help but feel trapped by the tiny rooms and high walls that surround compound A, the compound were all the influential political prisoners were kept.

The most moving part of the tour, however, were not the small segregated living conditions, or even the racist way in which the prisoners were feed or clothed but was our tour guide. Thulani, at the age of 19, was imprisoned at Robben Island after being found guilty of terrorism and sentenced to 18 years in prison. He described the life he lived in the prison; he painted a picture of the cramped living conditions, the secret political lessons that went on, and the horrible food.

At the end of the tour he related a story to us, I am having a hard time finding the words to describe what he told us because even know the description was so moving that I know it’s retelling will not have the same effect that it had on me. At the very bare bones of the story a white man beat Thulani severally.

“My ribs were broken, my body was picked up and slammed against the ground repeatedly, and then my privates were used as an ash tray,” Thulani said. If that torturous account was not enough he then came to find out that, that the same white man who beat him, shot his father eight times paralyzing him for life. Thulani went on to say that during the trails put on by the truth and reconciliation committee the man was pardoned and is now like many others a successful businessman.

I was stunned, I could not imagine what it must be like to work in a place that imprisoned you, let alone live knowing the man who abused, hurt, mutilated, and destroyed you and your family was alive and well. That kind of forgiveness is unreal. He admitted that he still does get angry but that his anger passes away with his prayers. He then closed by thanking us for coming. Asking us to tell others about his country, our country he said. I was left speechless. I think this is the perfect example of Ubuntu plain and simple. I am human because of Thulani.

--Anna Kathryn Sanford

A Day to the Cape

Yesterday, we traveled down the coast to the Cape of Good Hope and Cape Point. Going into the trip, I did not really know what to expect. The only image I really had was friends who had been before taking their picture with the well-known Cape of Good Hope sign and scenic background. As we made our way to the cape, we drove through a long winding road in which we saw baboons and ostriches. Little did we know we would be meeting some ostriches and other wildlife much closer than expected. As we drove our way through the country, it was one of those moments when you truly realize you are actually in Africa.

When we first got there, I decided to pass the line to take a picture with the infamous sign and hike the breathtaking mountains of rocks. These mountains overlooked what looked like forever. When standing on the top you truly left like you were staring at the end of the world, you could see forever. Putting my camera aside and taking in the view was probably that moment I realized how small we are and how big the world truly is. Climbing around, taking pictures with friends, and just taking in your surroundings was one of the best moments on this trip for me thus far. Knowing that this land was found so many years ago and how we are here today, it’s truly remarkable to think how much change there has been in the world, and again, how big the world truly is.

As I made my way down the mountain to have my turn to take a picture with the infamous sign, I ran into more wildlife and of course, freaked out a little bit. It’s not everyday that you are about a foot away from a dassie. Also, I still cannot believe it is a member of the elephant family, bizarre. As I waiting in line with others to take a picture with the Cape of Good Hope sign, it allowed me to realize how famous and special this area was. Listening to so many languages around me, it demonstrated that we were in a spot that people travel to see and how lucky we are to be spending so much time in such a prime destination for travel and history. Lastly, before getting on the bus to head up to the lighthouse, we ran into a group of ostriches, which was an experience to say the least. They are much larger than expected and much more feisty, you could say. One got in a little fight, for lack of a better word, with a dassie, which was scary and hilarious at the same time. We were all back on the bus and ventured off to see the lighthouse, which was a great place to end our day. The breathtaking views and landscape was amazing and a great place to relax. At the top of the lighthouse there was a large rock in which many people who have traveled to this spot had signed. It was remarkable to see how many people have traveled to the same spot I was standing. This was another moment that allowed me to realize how large the world was and how many people there were in the world. Yesterday was a beautiful and breathtaking and allowed us to see amazing scenery and learn much history that this country has to offer.

Adams Paschal

This week has been a fun week of field trips. So far we have been graced by the presence of the Dooleys, visited Cape Point’s beautiful coast, and wandered through vineyards and wine tastings. Today my group, the Springboks, went to the vineyards. We entered Franschoek, South Africa and were greeted by the owner of the Haut Espoir vineyard and his son, James (who was adorable!). We walked up a long winding path stopping along the way to see the beautiful vines and the mountains in the background. We were taught about the different vines and how all leaves differ. Also, certain wines, such as merlot, need more or less sun, so they are strategically placed around the vineyard--which I thought was interesting. Our walk came to an end as we entered the wine preparation area, where our tasting began. We split ourselves into 6 teams and separated to tables. Each table had an assortment of 5 wines plus their signature wine- The Gentle Giant. We learned how to properly taste, smell, and look at wines. Then, we mixed our own wine and entered a competition for 12 wines. Our team came in second by half of a point, but it was a fun process! We learned how wines could balance each other and come together appropriately. Afterwards, we played with James and Izzy (the kids), took more pictures, and returned to the bus. We ate lunch in the cute little town at a French Restaurant, but had to split up tables so it wouldn’t take as long! We’ve learned here that checks can take almost as long as you wait for your food to come, so it’s easier to ask for it early and begin dividing it up. They do not split checks for you, so it’s been an obstacle to learn to split it amongst us. They will use separate cards, though, which is nice. Lunches and dinners, however, can be a long process, so we have learned to set aside time to be able to accommodate our groups and enjoy ourselves. Tomorrow, we are visiting Robben Island, and I am excited to see where Mandela was imprisoned and meet his cell mate!

Ilyssa Hanner

Well, the days just keep getting better and better and better!

This morning, we got to sleep in, which was really refreshing! My roommates (Darby, Madeline, and Megan) and I got up at about 9 to get ready and then we went to met with everyone in the downstairs lobby of our apartments at 10:00. We all piled into the bus and headed to the first stop, Boulders, where we saw African Penguins!! We walked down a boardwalk that allowed for us to get so close to them (almost touching distance!) They were so fun to watch. They waddled around in groups of 3 and 4 up and down rocks and frolicked in the sand. I wanted to just pick one up and carry it back to the bus with me! They seem like such happy animals and I love that they look like they’re always ready to party wearing their permanent tuxedos. After we snapped lots of pics with them, we all got back on the bus to head to the Cape of Good Hope. We were given sack-lunches to eat on the bus ride because we were informed that if we ate food, or even carried it in our backpacks once we got to the Cape of Good Hope, baboons would attack us! What!? Yes, wild baboons just roam down the streets and are apparently very forceful and extremely dangerous when it comes to a battle for food. Definitely didn’t want to risk loosing my face over a turkey sandwich.

After about a 45 minute swervey and bumby ride, we arrived at the Cape of Good Hope. Oh and may I add that as we pulled in, we saw a pack of baboons and OSTRICHES just taking an afternoon stroll beside the road. So crazy! We were all so shocked to see the wild life truly at its finest. We all got off the bus and scattered around the landscaping. Some of us climbed to the top of the rocks and others stayed near the water. The scenery, the ocean (Indian AND Atlantic all in one eye’s view!), the rocks, the sky, the plants….everything was so surreal! Its so incredible that mountains so tall can stand next to an ocean so deep! We could see for miles and miles all the way to the horizon. We took lots and lots of pictures! Some of us being dare-devils walked out on pointy risky rocks and some of us hung out on the baby pebbles at the bottom. The view was absolutely beautiful, incredible, breath-taking, unbelievable, wonderful, amazing, gorgeous… Can I just say that God was totally on his A-game when he created this place!

We headed back to the bus after exploring for about an hour and a half and then drove on to Cape Point (another southern-most point of Africa). Here we hiked up to the lighthouse that is a landmark to ships looking to make the curve around the tip of the continent! Once again, took lots of pics, and then stopped for a Coca-Cola classic and some bonding time at a little café on the way down from lighthouse. (Had to be on the look-out to make sure the baboons didn’t sneak up on us…seriously though.)

The bus ride home was kinda a long one. About 2 hours. I put those 2 hours to use and rested my eyeballs. What a day, what a day! Right now I’m topping it off with watching the most prettiest sunset on our balcony with my roommate and best friend, Megan Lentz. I am so beyond blessed and am having literally the time of my life! Life is so good!

AnnaBeth Vice

We Become Better Leaders When We Learn To Overcome

Leadership, as simple as it may seem, is marked by complexities that are unique to each individual. I truly believe that though there may be commonalities amongst leaders, each leader is unique because of his or her experiences, backgrounds, and beliefs.

Today, I had the opportunity to be inspired by two individuals who have displayed courage, determination, integrity, and perseverance in their own way – Mr. and Mrs. Vince and Barbara Dooley (an integral part of the Georgia Bulldog Nation J ). This vibrant couple (married for 51 years) spoke with vigor and vitality and left me inspired to continue to live my life fearlessly and with purpose. In particular, Mrs. Dooley’s stories of ‘Overcoming Obstacles’* were so powerful that she left me pondering on the fact that we have no control over our life – no matter how seamless it may seem. I cannot imagine battling cancer, surviving an accident or resolving family issues but as we all know, we have no control over the inevitable.

The point that resonated most with me from Mrs. Dooley’s speech is as follows:

“ One thing solves an obstacle: your attitude”

“ The only thing you can control in life: Is your attitude”

Attitude, as simple as it may seem determines relationships, leadership effectiveness, and may even influence your actions. Mrs. Dooley definitely put this into perspective and for that, I am grateful.

Equally as inspiring, Vince Dooley shared the following word/acronym:

Preparation

Risk

Integrity (Remember the ‘Golden Rule’)

Drive and Determination (These are more important that talent)

Everybody (Teamwork)

I believe that we should all consider how this acronym may play a role in our lives because (in my opinion) it touches on some of the fundamentals of ‘happiness’. In particular, ‘integrity’, which is also my most important value, is something that I believe that we should all strive to possess. I truly believe that without integrity – we have nothing…

I challenge you to overcome your obstacles and find that inner leader within you!

*The picture above illustrates me overcoming one of my greatest obstacles: ‘Climbing Table Mountain!’

- Teneil Salmon

Sorry for Winning

This trip has been an unbelievable experience so far and we still have 3 and a half weeks left, i've met a lot of really cool people and have become really good friends with them. We are split up into 2 big groups, Springboks and Bafanas, and today we Bafanas went to the winery where we leanrned about the area and say how they made the different kinds of wines, we tasted a lot of wine and we also had a competition on who coud make the best tasting wine. We were in groups of 8 give or take a couple and we had to mix the different types of wines, such as merlot, cab, and four others. We had to right down the measurements of each type that we used to mix and we also had to name it, ours was called "Elephant Walk". After talking with the group we decided how much of each to mix into our bottle and w gave it to the judges, they tasted every groups wine and talked it over for about 10 or 15 minutes and came out and told us the winner, my group ended up winning because we are just awesome wine makers. The prize we won was an entire case of the winery's "Gentle Giant" red wine which we had already gotten to try a bottle of and it was really good. Rob, the guy who owned the winery was a moster of a man, 6ft 6in and 300 lbs, and he was a MMA fighter and you would never know that unless he told you because he doesnt look like it at all really. He was very nice and told us some pretty cool things and also showed us his gym which he trains his students MMA and also trains himself and it was a pretty nice gym.

Gabe Tognietti

Slave

We’ve had the most wonderful weekend full of adventure and culture! I’m obsessed with South Africa! Reality crept back into to the forefront of my mind upon entering the Slavery Museum today. A display defined slavery in very basic terms stating that, “Slavery is a form of domination of one person over another,”. I can’t shake what was exhibited there. Here are the five most sobering facts I either learned or was reminded of today:

1. If my memory serves me correctly, a display in the Slave Museum said emancipation took place in Niger in 2003. 2003? Eight years ago, that’s after 9/11, after we invaded Afghanistan, after I came to know the Lord Jesus Christ, after I got my braces off. It went on to say that slavery was still there “illegally”.

2. I saw a model of how they would squeeze hundreds of men, women, and children into a slave ship that would put any sardine can to shame. Every square inch was efficiently utilized. “If a slave at the bottom of the ship breaks his chains, what else is there to do but break his arms and legs before throwing him overboard in the presence of the entire ship? There is of course no privacy; you can just wallow in your own waste, too.” Ubuntu was nowhere in sight.

3. After being bought or sold, slaves would usually be given a new name by their owners. These usually were derived from a certain feature, month, person of the Bible (which disgusts me with irony) or some other origin. This took stripping them of their family and culture to a new level, leaving them with “January”, “Aap” (for Ape), or Moses instead. As someone who has been storing up baby names for a couple of years, this breaks my heart. They had no surname to be proud of, no first name to stand out. Furthermore, does the Lord not call us by name?

“But now thus says the LORD, he who created you, O (insert your name), he who formed you, O (insert your name); ‘Fear not, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by name, you are mine’.” Isaiah 43:1

4. Okay, okay, so that’s only history. Or is it? Our breakfast table conversation revealed otherwise. How many would honestly believe that segregation still exists in the United States? Even openly? There are towns where the KKK still runs rampant as well. What’s more, we are no longer dividing ourselves by race, but along every other line imaginable.

5. Finally, human trafficking, namely sex trafficking. It exists everywhere with Atlanta, Georgia being one of the top cities for the trade. Girls usually enter the sex trade around four years old. I cringe at the thought of what my father would do to the man that even glanced at me wrong today, not to mention at four years old. I believe I hadn’t even entered my Winnie the Pooh or softball phases at that point. They are so enslaved by men and fear that they resist rescue. They think no one will love them in a different atmosphere, they are ruined or perhaps they fear the voodoo that has been placed on them and their families. It’s sick. It’s real. It happens today.

Now that I’m sufficiently depressed, I now turn to the only hope. I read Isaiah 61 and I delight in the words that were written long ago but couldn’t be more true or relevant to what I saw today. I’m so thankful for today. I’m so thankful for our staff that is committed to change the status quo. I’m so thankful that men and women have stood up throughout history to better humanity thought promoting equality and freedom. Clearly, there is still work to be done. I think of the people that are on Global Lead and I know the world is about to be rocked! Don’t just go, LEAD!

Sadie Lambert