LEAD Cape Town

The reason I smile

2011-06-18T13:46:00.002-04:00

One word to sum up these past five weeks in Cape Town, South Africa… there isn’t one great enough so I will settle for WOW since we HAVE redefined it now.

It all started back at our own schools, walking through the student centers when something about that bright blue sign that read L.E.A.D. caught our eye. For most of us, we were immediately sold before we even knew what L.E.A.D. stood for and it was the best decisions of our lives.

To my fellow “classmates”: Somebody once told us, “Don’t just go, LEAD!” I think it is safe to say, we came and we led and now we are ready to GO home and LEAD. We each know more about ourselves than we ever thought was possible; we have been encouraged by our own strengths but each other’s as well. We left our mark everywhere we went whether it was in the cage in the Atlantic Ocean, at the green market, or at our favorite restaurant. We have laughed so hard we nearly wet our pants. We ate enough Wang Thai to keep that place running for 13 more years. We made a purchase at every single vendor at Old Biscuit Mill, every single Saturday. We became better bargainers at the green market. We got bruised rear ends from riding those elephants. We got to see EXACTLY how an Ostrich gets rid of waste. We cheered for the Stormers more than we have ever cheered for our own SEC football teams that we love so much. We have been the reason for hundreds of smiles in Sir Lowry’s pass. We have touched the Indian Ocean. We now have a vision. We have hiked Table Mountain. We have crawled from pub to pub. We have seen the best sunset in the world. We have bungyed off a bridge. We have developed a great obsession with a cab driver. We have 100 new best friends. I could go one for years but the moral of the story is, we have done it all, and done it right. Always remember: “You can’t go home again.”

To our parents: Thank ya’ll for allowing us to leave you for 5 weeks and come to this place we now adore. For some of us, without y’all’s support, we would not have had this opportunity of a lifetime. I am still trying to decide exactly how I am going to show my thankfulness and repay my sweet parents. I will go ahead and thank ya’ll in advance for the encouragement to keep leading when we return.

To the Global L.E.A.D staff: Robbie, Court, Jo Jo, Dustin, Preston and Matt, y’all are simply incredible. Y’all are clearly doing something right. You have pushed us, making the sky our limit. You have encouraged us and loved on us like you have known us our whole life. Y’all are the reason that we have become better leaders, better friends, better lovers, and better servers. My prayer is that others will notice a difference in us so that in return we can point them to Global L.E.A.D. For y’all as well, I do not know how I will ever repay y’all. Thank you for working so hard for a year to prepare for us.

To the prospective student that is unsure of where to study abroad: If you had the opportunity to not just go but LEAD, why would you consider anything other than? My best advice for you is to do it like us, don’t ask questions, and most importantly GO and LEAD. Even if you have to start saving up now, do it. Go Global L.E.A.D, or don’t go at all.

I am ecstatic and anxious to be the change I wish to see in my community back home. I cannot wait to light another candle and fill more buckets. I have seen the indescribable reward in “doing for one what you wish you could do for all”. I am thankful. I have a permanent smile on my face because of this life changing opportunity in Cape Town, South Africa.

To Cape Town: I won’t be gone too long.

-Shelby Ausband

Bringing it Back Home

2011-06-18T13:45:00.001-04:00

As I think back on the last five weeks, I see snapshots of everything that we’ve done like they were a stack of glossy postcards. From standing on the edge of the world at The Cape of Good Hope to leaping off the edge of the world record bungy bridge spanning the Strom River Valley, it’s clear that we’ve experienced and accomplished things that we’ll talk about and remember forever. However, it doesn’t take a world record bungee jump or a dip in the freezing Atlantic with Great Whites to make those incredible memories. It can be as simple as diving in to a deep conversation with people you barely know or fitting more people in a taxi than you ever thought was physically possible (26 to be exact). Our five weeks here seems to have been short enough to force us all together, but still long enough to form great and lasting friendships. Together, we’ve been challenged with questions that demand the perspective of our entire lives, and together, we’ve waded through those deep thoughts that will hopefully produce an answer for each of us.

It’s a bitter sweet reality to know that all of our pictures, stories and experiences simply won’t do justice for the real thing. We want to tell everyone about everything that we’ve done here, but only those who really experienced it will know how truly breathtaking that sunset was or how that joke had us all doubled over in side splitting laughter. Along with hundreds of other instances, it’s these moments that make our friendships valuable and completely unique. For many of us, we might as well have been exploring a new planet for five weeks; some of us left the States for the very first time, and many of us for only the second or third time. We ventured into a place where the letters TIA (This is Africa) are the only necessary response to anything that goes wrong or doesn’t go as planned. Anything we did had the potential to be a complete adventure, and, for those of us that were able to embrace that, it made the trip that much sweeter.

Yesterday morning, Friday, June 17, we had our last lesson here in Cape Town, and we learned about gratitude and how important others are in our life stories. With that in mind, I’d like to finish this blog post with gratitude. Parents, supporters, friends, brothers, sisters, and the multitude of others that I’m probably leaving out, we can’t thank you enough for your love and support. I think I speak for all of us when I say that we surely wouldn’t be here without it. It has been an amazing adventure of learning and self discovery, and we owe it all to you. We love you and can’t wait to see you Stateside!

-Hamilton Bolton

Thanks, Global LEAD.

2011-06-18T13:43:00.001-04:00

As I look back to the week of spring break, when I signed up for Global LEAD, I could have never envisioned just how incredible this experience has been. It has changed my life. It has taught me that the beauty of success and failure is that neither are final. I must constantly work to improve myself, take risks, and exist outside of my comfort zone. Complacency is the friend of mediocrity. Never be comfortable with where you are. Act, ask questions, and live life to its absolute fullest.

Just as there are moments that define a life, there have been moments on this trip where I have felt so incredibly happy, so incredibly alive. Whether standing on the jagged rocks on the top of table mountain looking out at the picturesque expanse that extends as far as the eye can see or looking a Great White Shark in the eyes as it lashes against the side of your cage or even the time where you laugh uncontrollably with a new friend, the Global LEAD experience has had such a profound effect on me. It has shaped my vision, sparked my love of adventure, and developed my passion for service. I have felt so alive.

It hard to imagine that I will soon be making the long, arduous journey back home. But I’m ready to be back home. Ready to see my family, friends, and dogs. But above all else I’m ready to go home and share my experiences with others. I’m ready to live out my bucket list every day. I’m ready to care, risk, dream and expect more than society deems normal. I’m ready to be a leader. Thanks, Global LEAD.

-Tim Rood

Stronger than Words

2011-06-18T13:40:00.002-04:00

Since day when I stepped foot into my beautiful new apartment for five weeks, to this closing fun filled busy packed week, my journey here in Cape Town has been an experience of a lifetime, to say the least. From taking a leap of faith off the worlds highest bungy jump, to building awesome new friendships, this trip has shown me who I am as a person. The fact that I am abroad, in a new surrounding, and out of my comfort zone, I have had the opportunity to question myself about what makes me, Chris Kasuya, exactly who I am. Without my parents, core friends, or distractions from the fast paced environment back at home, I wanted to see what truly identifies me. As I seek to learn more about my identity, and myself, I couldn’t help but to giggle upon comprehending my identity. I have always heard, “the apple doesn’t fall far from the tree,” but I thought I would be that odd apple that rolled down the hill. However, that old saying contains some truth in it. Whether I was cooking spaghetti and tested the noodles if they were ready by the throwing them on the wall like my mom taught me, to introducing myself as “I am hungry, what is your name?” when someone complains about being hungry which my dad always does, I have clearly matured to be an interwoven creation of my parents. They have raised me and developed me, to who I am, instilling their values. Those values which generated my personal core values, and ultimately my identity.

Today, June 16th is national youth day. How blessed am I, to have the opportunity to blog on my transition from a youth to adult, which is only feasible due to my parents unconditional love and nurture. I am truly blessed and lucky to have such wonderful leaders and role models for parents. I thank God everyday for both of them, seeing that not everyone in this world is fortunate as I am. Going to the townships has exposed the heartbreaking reality that not every child is as lucky as I am. And for that reason, I dedicate this blog to thank Keishi and Andrea Kasuya for being the greatest impact in my life and the utmost parents I don’t appreciate enough. Words will never describe my gratitude and love for ya’ll. I love you mom and dad!

-Chris Kasuya

“He loves you too. Bye Jake.”

2011-06-17T13:31:00.000-04:00

After adventure week, I found myself engulfed in the energy of the experience on the garden route and my mind was led astray from the eye-opening experience I had in Sir Lowry’s pass the week before. I had been away from the Township for a week and a half when it was time to go back for the final time to see my new friends. On the 45 minute bus ride to Sun City where Sir Lowry’s Pass is located, we passed dozens of townships. I couldn’t wrap my head around the number of kids just like me that go to sleep in tiny shacks every night and wake up to the smell of fecal matter and charred wood from the fire that boils their water. At first, I thought the poverty in South Africa was bad beyond return. It seemed hopeless. There seemed to be a scrappy shack for every grain of sand in this country and about 5 people living in each one. How do you recover from that? What I came to realize is that it isn’t about repairing their shacks or giving them materialistic gifts. Our job here is to give the kids hope and love. Having this mission, I felt like on my final return to the township, I would make an big impact on one kid in hopes that he remembers me forever and has a sense of purpose for the rest of his life.

On the first day in Sir Lowry’s Pass, I was overwhelmed by how many kids used me as a makeshift jungle gym or an Everlast punching bag. I could not single out one kid and I felt almost worthless because I was not serving as a loving figure for any of the kids. I was merely a playmate. On the second day I stepped off the bus and saw one boy separated from the commotion of rowdy kids. He had a shy smile and a timid way he went about reacting with the Global LEAD students. I decided to reach out to this kid because I felt he needed me more than the outgoing, mini martial artists and boxers that had bruised me black the day before. I put him on my shoulders and attempted to talk to this kid. The only things I could find out about him is that his name was Leton and he was 5 years old. I figured he didn’t understand me well because his response to all my questions was just a big smile. After hanging out with him for about 30 minutes, I left him to go play rugby with a few kids. I turned around a few minutes later and there was Leton standing behind me smiling. I have never felt more fulfilled in my life because I knew I had already made a small difference in this kid. I taught him how to swing a bat and I pitched to him. Due to my passion for baseball, I was excited to see his engagement in my favorite sport. He hit every ball I threw to him and he took note of everything I told him about how to hit. I soon realized he could comprehend everything I said. I would do anything to give him the opportunities I had growing up because seeing how quick he learned and how grateful he was to have me pitch to him, he could be a great player. The next three days he greeted me with a smile as I stepped off the bus. He would say, “Jake...shoulders please!” I would put him on my shoulders and I walked him to the “cresh” which is the after school recess area. There was one instance outside the cresh that I accidentally ran him over playing tag and sent him rolling into a fence with rusty barbed wire. I was frozen in fear as he laid on the ground still with his eyes closed. I approached him, terrified of what could be wrong with him. As I shook him, he kept his eyes closed and then smiled and laughed in my face. His toughness was inspiring and his sense of humor even at age five made me laugh with him. On my final return, I spent my entire day with him. At this point, we were constantly talking about school, baseball, and his friends. It seemed like I was talking to a 12 year old in a 5 year olds body. It started to rain hard and the wind was so strong it was shaking trees and rocking the dozens of Coca-Cola signs. It is a miracle the shacks stayed upright. Even in the severely frigid weather, Leton stood wearing sandals, sweatpants and a thin t-shirt without a single complaint. I gave him my mens XL rain jacket to wear and when he walked it seemed as if he was floating like a ghost because the bottom of the jacket was dragging on the muddy street. I felt like a father to him which was a good feeling. When we sat on the floor to watch the talent show on the last night, 9 Rand worth of coins fell out of my pocket without me knowing. He picked them up and put them back in my pocket when he could have easily pocketed them. He shattered my stereotype of the township and really made me step back and realize that these people have such huge hearts.

The picture I drew for him stayed tucked into his pants except for when he was showing it off to his friends. Towards the end of the talent show, a toothless man approached me and said “hello Jake.” The man shared the same smile with me that Leton had on the first day at Sir Lowry’s. His hair was the same thin hair that Leton had. I didn’t have to ask to know that it was Leton’s father. He took Leton off my shoulders and said “it is time for Leton to bathe and then go to bed.” He never took that contagious smile off his face despite his unfortunate dental situation. I told the man that I was honored to have made friends with Leton and that I loved him. As he walked away with Leton on his shoulders like I had done so many times, he said “He loves you too. Bye Jake.” That was the last time I will ever see my new friend. I was actually happy his leave was so abrupt because I did not want to experience an emotional departure mostly for his sake. I am confident that he will remember me forever and there is no doubt he will remain in my heart for the rest of my life. I hope he hangs on to the picture I drew for him but I especially hope he hangs on to the time we spent together. Despite the severe poverty Leton and every other child in the township lives through, I feel that they will live happily through the strong ties they hold with each other. I wish I could value friends and family to the extent that these people do. I wish that I had friends that wore such a genuine smile at all times like my friend Leton. He has taught me that in order to live a fulfilling life, you must stick to your relationships with others and never let go. He has pushed me to never take anything for granted. Money might buy me nice things but it will never buy me the feeling I experienced with Leton in the township. I feel I have accomplished my goal and I hope Leton knows how much he changed my perspective on things. Hopefully I can get a hold of his address so I can keep in touch with him in the future because I will always wonder who he is going to grow to be.

-Jake Taylor

5,4,3,2,1 BUNGEE!

2011-06-15T17:50:00.002-04:00

Today was our last day at Sir Lowry's pass. It's hard to believe that our days in Cape Town are coming to a close. It's sort of like when we went bungee jumping on adventure week. Everyone talked about it all week. We planned for it and wondered how we were going to feel and what it was going to be like. We knew it would be amazing but we were still a little scared. We waited and waited and waited. When the day came everything was so hustled. You pay and then you throw on a harness and the next thing you know you're standing on the side of a bridge with people yelling in your ear “5,4,3,2,1,BUNGEE!” AND IT'S GREAT but you feel strange because now it's over. You've been looking forward to this thing, letting it consume you, and now it's just OVER. What next?

We spent months looking into different study abroad programs, days applying for Global Lead, and finally weeks preparing for the trip. Although most of us were nervous but for the last 5 weeks, Cape Town has been our home. Is it really all about to be over? Do the weeks really just go 5,4,3,2,1, home? What next?

Many of us will return home to our family and friends, while some of us start jobs and go out on other adventures. What's important is that we take whatever it is that we learned back to whatever state we return to. Although we did so many of the same activities, many of us had different experiences here. We were scared or excited by different things. We were touched by different stories and spent time with different kids in Sir Lowry's Pass. Despite that, we still share something that no one at home can understand, something that is nearly impossible to explain. That's why we CAN'T forget the stories of forgiveness and courage that we heard, the sunsets that we saw, or the welcoming local people that we encountered. We shouldn't be afraid to let it change us. Although we'll miss Africa, we can always take a piece of it home with us, sharing what we loved about Cape Town (like the old biscuit mill) with those in our own towns (old athens mill anyone?) and using what we learned here to promote good in our own communities. Remembering that we don't have to travel across an ocean to have an adventure or even change a life.

Do your little bit of good where you are; its those little bits of good put together that overwhelm the world. -Desmund Tutu

-Blair Prescott

Everything We Have Done Connects

2011-06-15T17:44:00.004-04:00

Yesterday, we talked about our vision statements in class. Personally, I have never thought about creating a single phrase that could define my actions for the rest of my life. Considering my indecisive nature, not to mention my conflicting ideas for a career, it is no surprise that this task was incredibly difficult. How could I narrow down everything I want in life into one single statement?

Apparently our teachers expected this reaction because we were given a worksheet to help guide us through the process. It forced us to go back through our journaling, making connections and spotting common themes along the way. Surprisingly, it became more and more obvious what should guide me in writing my vision statement. When looking through my core values and other assignments, I found repeating themes about how important my family and friends are and how I wished so much that they could be a part of this journey. They became the driving force for my vision statement.

It’s crazy to me how everything we have done here connects in some way or another. I have learned so much about the culture and history of South Africa. Not only that, but I have learned so much about myself. One of the things that I wanted to accomplish in coming here was become more independent. So in relation to my vision statement, this goal may be contradictive of my core value, family. So when editing my vision statement, it is more about finding a balance between the two.

This last week has made me realize just how amazing this experience has been. Not only have I been forced to think about the world in a different light, but I’ve also been given the amazing opportunity to deeply analyze myself. We read an article called “Becoming World Wise”. It talks about disconnect between our experiences here and reality back home. Coming on this trip has definitely changed each and every one of us, but not everyone at home knows what we have experienced. I’m so excited to go home and see my family but it makes sense that we might feel uncomfortable once we get back.

Being a homebody, it’s the small moments that bring me back to the level of gratitude and appreciation for being given this opportunity. For instance, yesterday I was missing my family and counting down the days until our final dinner. My roommates and I went to Camp’s Bay to eat dinner and watch the sunset. This sunset was unlike anything we have in America. The beauty in my surrounding made me stop thinking about a week from yesterday, and brought me right back into that moment right then. This brings me to my final point. If we keep thinking about the past or the future, you often forget to realize what’s happening in the present, and it is those moments that are important.

-Sara Snelgrove

Week 4 – Service Experience and Rugby Game

2011-06-15T17:42:00.003-04:00

Each week we give our highs and lows of the previous week. Low: getting strep throat in a foreign country. Yuck. High: going to a braai and professional rugby game featuring the Cape Town Stormers versus the Pretoria Bulls. The game exceeded my expectations and completely made up for my less than desirable, 3+ hour clinic experience. Who knew we would have so much fun with the locals at the braai? Besides this interaction with the locals on Saturday, we also had an amazing week serving in Sir Lowry’s Pass.

Spending time in this township has allowed me to witness firsthand what true selflessness and being thankful are all about. I have seen so much love and hope in a town that at first glance appeared so broken. I spent a lot of time with my “soup mother” Ms. Fiela and her 16 year old daughter Samantha. I really connected with Samantha throughout the week because I saw a lot of myself in her. She’s an extremely ambitious girl, motivated by the support of her family and the vision of one day leaving Sir Lowry’s Pass. In what seems like such a hopeless situation, Samantha is able to work hard and trust in herself and her family to achieve her goals. Her real mom died when she was four years old, so Ms. Fiela took her in. Samanatha said a lot of her motivation lies in that—she has a commitment to work hard so as not to disappoint the woman that has shown her so much love and support. Ms. Fiela fully embodied what it means to be selfless, working everyday to provide love, support, happiness, and health to all of the children in the community. She must have said at least ten times how thankful she is for what she has. Rather than being negative, she remains optimistic and encourages others in her community to do the same. Although I had to miss two days of service week, reflecting on my experience with this two amazing people has really had an impact on me.

After having a heavy heart all week, it was great to kick back and relax on Saturday. The Bafana Bafanas and Springboks were finally reunited, and we got to celebrate this at the rugby game. We had a braai, the South African style barbecue/tailgate, and then got to go into the rugby game. Although the Cape Town Stormers lost, the whole experience was awesome. I thought it was interesting how similar American football gamedays are to South African rugby gamedays. The whole experience definitely narrowed the gap between that sense of “us” and “them.” It’s hard to believe we’re already in our last week of this five week trip. I will go home having met so many awesome people and having some of the most influential experiences thus far in my life. I really look forward to seeing what this last week holds in store for us.

-Morgan Edwards

Be a Watermelon in a Pumpkin Patch…

2011-06-15T17:38:00.003-04:00

It’s hard to believe that this time next week I will be back in Atlanta. Where has the time gone? I’ve enjoyed every minute of every day here in Cape Town. From the new friends I’ve made to the lessons I’ve learned and the activities I’ve done, I’ve challenged myself in ways I did not think possible and hope that the personal growth I’ve gained on this trip continues to develop once I return home. This trip has made me question a lot about who I am and what I’m capable of.

A common theme I’ve thoroughly enjoyed here and learned a lot from is the power of WOW. Having that WOW factor that sets you apart from everyone else and raising the bar of expectations. It’s about doing more than what is asked because you simply want to rather than doing something for the sole purpose of recognition. WOW is excellence in anything you do. It’s about being impressive and making a difference that truly counts. Personally I think the WOW factor is what turns a good leader into a great leader.

Random story, but one of my friends from home once randomly joked with me, saying, “You are like a watermelon in a pumpkin patch.” At first I thought the statement was incredibly absurd and pointless but for someone reason when we learned about WOW last week this saying came to mind. So, my metaphorical definition of WOW is: to be a watermelon in a pumpkin patch. Seriously, if you saw a watermelon growing in a pumpkin patch wouldn’t your initial reaction be: “WOW!”? Realistically, however, having that WOW factor means standing out in some way that is different than the norm. May seem crazy, but there are too many people who are easily influenced by the people they are surrounded by. If there is anything my parents taught me over the past twenty years that reminds me to have that WOW factor is to stick to my core values. That may seem a little off topic, but for me, knowing what my core values are and making them a solid foundation to live on ultimately serve as guidance that give me the competence to make independent, confident decisions that aren’t influenced by others and remind me to do more than what is expected of me.

-Laura Dunlap

SKYDIVING!!

2011-06-15T17:35:00.002-04:00

After getting cancelled last weekend due to weather, I finally got my chance to skydive. After we were suited up I was told I would be the lucky one who got to be thrown out of the plane first. Yay! When we got to the plane it was literally the tiniest thing I’ve ever seen, it was quiet the squeeze up to 9,000 feet, which took about 20 minutes. There was no training sessions for this either. My tandem guide just told me that once the door of the plane opened, I had to wrap my feet around the edge of the plane, hold on to my harness, and lean my head back against his shoulders. When he finally pushed us out of the plane, we were in free fall for about a minute. It was so much fun! Once he opened the parachute, we just glided through the sky. The view of Cape Town and Table Mountain from up there was magnificent. Definitely want to do it again!

-Lauren Harris

Final Time in Sir Lowry’s Pass

2011-06-15T13:29:00.001-04:00

Today was our final day in Sir Lowry’s Pass volunteering in the township. We left lagoon view around 2:00 and arrived in Sir Lowry’s Pass around 3:00. Just like everyday during service week our bus was surrounded by children who had been waiting for us to get there. We went to the mural that Global Lead painted for the local school and admired and took several pictures with it. Afterwards, we headed to a building to watch the talent show that both global lead students and Sir Lowry’s Pass children had been practicing for.

Despite the random torrential downpours we experienced while we were there, we had an amazing crowd of children and teenagers. It was amazing to see how many relationships were formed during both service weeks, and how close so many Global Leaders had gotten with so many of the Sir Lowry’s Pass children. It was clearly evident throughout the community how much our time there meant to them. It was also clearly evident how much our time in the community meant to each of us. I know I gained so much from an experience that going in I really did not know what to expect. I formed a close friendship with two ten-year old girls, and I know that this experience has truly changed me.

Watching the talent show, it was amazing to see the raw talents of all of the Sir Lowry’s Pass children who participated. The whole time I couldn’t help but think about how naturally gifted all of the children were. It was also amazing to see so many teenagers participating with the younger children and how many other women came just to watch. The people of Sir Lowry’s Pass truly display a sense of community like I have never seen.

As the talent show ended, there was much emotion as everyone spent their final moments in the community and with all of the children. I know that one little girl wouldn’t let go of me until we got to the bus and even then stood by the window and waved until it drove away. It was very difficult and sad for us to leave all of the new friends we made in the community. However, I feel that we are all leaving with a new knowledge that will be with us forever. It will be very important for us all to not forget our experience in Sir Lowry’s Pass and continue to serve others any way that we can.

-Amelia Gwaltney

Girls Day Out!

2011-06-14T13:22:00.006-04:00

The phrase “shop ‘till you drop” took a literal meaning today when a small group of us girls headed out in the beautiful weather for some lunch and shopping! The day started around noon at Café Royale for lunch. The menu is essentially all burgers, veggie or beef, and they are all delicious! I had a veggie burger called the Googamooly…AMAZING! It was a sunflower seed and bean patty with avocado, melted cheese, and feta! Definitely food blog worthy!!!

After lunch we walked around Long Street for a bit, and made our way over to the Green Market! We spent about two hours bargaining for cool gifts and souvenirs like scarves, bottle openers, bracelets, straw bags, paintings, and masks.

Then we walked about 20 min. over to the Waterfront to grab some ice cream, go into a few more stores, and have dinner at Beluga. Beluga is an amazing sushi restaurant with a very cheap happy hour from 4-7… food and drinks are half off! We sat outside under the warm heaters and enjoyed a wonderful dinner. After an entire day of walking, shopping, and eating, we headed back to the Lagoon to relax and get some sleep! I have to say that today was one of my favorite days during our entire stay in Cape Town!

-Allie Cooper

Monday June 13, 2011

2011-06-13T17:28:00.001-04:00

Woke up at 6:45am to meet up with my community group and another group so that we could begin our rounds of waking up some of our new friends and Global Lead staff by banging pots and pans, shoving a video camera in their faces, and screaming “ Don’ t just go… LEAD!” Very entertaining! Some people, including myself, are just NOT morning people. It was a great way to start the day off, and we got to share the video to the rest of the group for the morning WOW. Today’ s lesson was about how we can take what we have learned from our amazing

experiences here home and do “ good” in our own communities. We were given this quote by Desmond Tutu: “ Do you little bit of good where you are; it’ s those little bits of good put together

that overwhelm the world.”

Being in South Africa and seeing all the poverty and needs of communities such as Sir Lowry’ s Pass and realizing our responsibility as privileged people of the world, it can be overwhelming deciding who and where and what needs our help. Instead of getting so bogged down with trying to save the world, “ do for one what you wish you could do for everyone.” It may be difficult finding that one, and it may seem unfair, but it really is the best place to start. We were given three tips for how we should do our bits of good – 1)Do something deep, rather than wide, 2) Think long-term, not short-term, and 3) Contribute your time, not just money. We were then given some statistics from our home states and examples of where to begin helping our communities when we get back with our new sense of social responsibility.

After class and lunch, a huge group of us went to the Green Market to purchase souvenirs and gifts. I was scrambling to find the perfect gifts for friends and family back home and ended

up with some great stuff by bargaining some good deals. After the Green Market, some people walked to the V& A Waterfront to do some more shopping, and the rest of us went back to the

apartments. We had another large group pile in Ish’ s cabs for dinner at Beluga for half-price cocktails and sushi. I love sushi, so I was super excited. It was delicious – some of the best sushi

I have ever had. My mouth waters just thinking about it! We had such a fun dinner, just girls! Afterward, some of us wanted to walk to the Waterfront to walk off our dinner, but also to, of

course, get ice cream there. However, on the way we saw and sign for Gelato Mania and decided to check it out. We had the place to ourselves so we sat around and ate our delicious gelato – some of us even went back for seconds! When we finally made it to the Waterfront, we met up with other Global LEADers to hang out for a bit. A wonderful end to another wonderful day in

Cape Town!

-Betsy Klopman

One, Not Everyone

2011-06-13T16:15:00.002-04:00

Another great weekend in Cape Town has come and gone. Saturday morning was spent at the infamous Biscuit Mill, the greatest place on Earth. This round, I enjoyed a delicious steak sandwich and a mango passion fruit smoothie that I bought from a man dressed as a wizard. Haha I’m really going to miss the eclectic atmosphere, and of course the awesome food. By nightfall, I was surrounded by die hard screaming fans at my very first rugby game! Rugby is like a religion here. These fans are intense. We cheered for the Stormers, who faced off against the Bulls. Although we were not victorious in the end, it was an exciting match and I feel that I have a much better understanding of the game. Shout out to all the locals that I was drilling with questions- Thank you, or “Dankie” in Afrikaans. Sunday, we explored the magnificent Kirstenbosch Gardens. They really lived up to their reputation of having “Dr. Suess” looking vegetation. This is a picture of me and the coolest flowers I’ve ever seen.

Monday has arrived and it’s really hard to believe that we are embarking on our final week in Cape Town. In class today, the theme was “the power of one.” Do for one what you wish you could for everyone. Not knowing how to help everyone is not an excuse for overlooking the good that you could be doing for one. Don’t underestimate the power of this. Think ONE, not everyone. This was the mindset that we explored today, and I found it very relatable to my time in the township last week. I tend to look at a situation and immediately try to find a solution. At first, I was disturbed by quality of life and overwhelmed because I felt that I could never do enough for these amazing people who deserve so much better. Throughout the week, I had to discover my role and accept that many things were out of my control. I began to understand that I was underestimating the affects of my presence. It’s not a surprise that in the end, they will have done more for me than I will have for them; however, once I accepted that I was only capable of so much, I feel that I was able to fulfill my role to the best of my ability. I was the truest and happiest version of myself, aiming to give as much love and encouragement to the children as possible. “Do your little bit of good where you are; it’s those little bits of good put together that overwhelm the world.” This is a quote from Noble Peace Prize winner Desmond Tutu that epitomizes my realization through this experience and will stay with me once I return to school. I can’t let myself get discouraged if I think that an issue is too big to tackle. There will always be some bit of good that I can do. If I can make a difference in even one person’s life, then that’s something I can be proud of. While I hope to one day make a bigger impact through philanthropic business, for now I’m embracing baby steps. They will get me going in the right direction.

-Ali Pleiman

Never Have I Ever

2011-06-13T16:13:00.001-04:00

A popular game amongst us college kids, the game of “Never Have I Ever” proves to be an interesting way to get to know your friends and have a fun time. Before coming to South Africa, my list of “never have I evers” fell to the floor. This trip has been the experience of a lifetime where I’ve stepped out of my comfort zone, conquered fears, and made new friends. Here’s a list of some “never have I evers” that would otherwise still be true had I not come to South Africa. I can now proudly claim I HAVE accomplished these feats in the short period of time we have been in Cape Town.

1. Never have I ever eaten ostrich, springbok, or kudu.

2. Never have I ever stood with my toes hanging off 710 feet above a river and bungee jumped.

3. Never have I ever been face to face with a great white shark.

4. Never have I ever ridden an ostrich.

5. Never have I ever made such fast friends than I did with the children in Sir Lowry’s Pass.

6. Never have I ever crawled on my hands and knees inside a cave millions of years old.

7. Never have I ever toured a prison with such political and social significance.

8. Never have I ever learned words and phrases in Afrikaans.

9. Never have I ever split a taxi fare between 19 other people.

10. Never have I ever been less than a foot away from a cheetah.

It’s crazy to think we are now in our last week of the trip, but I am so grateful for the countless incredible memories made and experiences I’ve had with 101 fellow Global LEADers and friends. It will be a difficult adjustment not waking up and seeing the beautiful Table Mountain scenery outside my window every morning; however, I am looking forward to heading home and sharing my South African stories with friends and family.

Cheers,

Michael McDaris

Home Stretch

2011-06-13T01:59:00.004-04:00

It is amazing to think that we are heading into the final week of the program. Throughout the past four weeks our students have heard from incredible speakers—an Apartheid expert, director of a major NGO, legendary SEC football coach, and a prisoner who served his sentence on Robben Island. They have visited incredible sites—the luscious vineyards of Franschoek, the breathtaking cliffs of the Cape of Good Hope, and the historic Robben Island. They have conquered many feats and faced incredible fears—hiking Table Mountain, bungee jumping, diving with Great White Sharks, exploring ancient caves, and coming face-to-face with lions, elephants, leopards, and even ostriches (those birds can be intense)! And they have given their heart and hands to the community of Sir Lowry’s Pass—recognizing that sometimes the best gift you can give is that of encouragement and love.

This past week I had the opportunity to join the Bafana Bafana’s on adventure week. Locals speak endlessly of the beauty of the Garden Route, and they are correct—it is amazing! But what I was truly in of awe was not the epic scenery, but the endless encouragement that students showered onto each other as they each pushed themselves to new limits. Adventure week is not about taking a week “off school,” it is a chance for each individual to lead themselves into new arenas of strength, to challenge themselves to preserve, and to open their eyes to their own powerful potential. When I returned to Cape Town, I was so excited to hear all the amazing stories from the Springboks and their time in Sir Lowry’s Pass. Embracing a community that is different from what you grew up in is its own adventure, and both our students and the families of Sir Lowry’s Pass did this so well. In addition, the group made huge progress on the school mural that will be ready to be revealed this Wednesday at our final day in the community!
This week we will focus on how we can take our experiences and leverage them when we get home—application is everything!
-Courtney Doran

Is Love Enough?

2011-06-12T15:36:00.001-04:00

I woke up this morning and opened the curtains in our living room. We’re always so rushed in the morning that sometimes we forget to do this. The view is more beautiful today than ever. The sun is shining and I can hear the waves folding along the beach. I guess being moved from the first floor to the bottom floor wasn’t such a bad thing after all! It’s nice being able to just walk right out to the water front. Its little things such as this that I will miss once I am back in Athens.

Service week has seemingly gone by faster than adventure week did! It’s hard to believe that we only have one week left here in Cape Town... where has the time gone? As I sit here and reflect on what this last week has had to offer, I must admit I’m a little overwhelmed. I knew going into service week that we were there to give love, to show interest in the community, and to just give hope to those who didn’t seem to have any. Although I am confident through the relationships that I built there that I did indeed do what was intended, I can’t help but wonder… did I really even make that much of a difference?

I met a girl named Michelle, she was 14 years old. I learned in just the first conversation with her that her mother had died 4 years ago and that her father was never really around. She lived with her grandmother and 3 siblings, all of which, she looks after. She loves school, and was very honest with me in admitting that some days she goes and barely learns anything. Of course I ventured into the “whys” of the situation and she shared that many kids in the community don’t see the value in going to school. In classrooms of around 40 students, teachers get frustrated and sometimes “give up” on the lesson for the day. It was hard knowing that someone as level-headed and motivated as she was couldn’t get the education she wanted, although she assured me she was going to keep on keepin’ on and even continue into the 8^th grade; students here aren’t required to continue school after the 7^th grade. Although it’s hard knowing that many children in the community have little to no motivation, mostly because of their lack of parental support, there is some comfort in that fact that there are students like Michelle that strive for a hopeful future.

As we prepared to get back on the bus Friday afternoon, Michelle said to me, “goodbye my sister, I will see you Wednesday.” Sister? Even though I wasn’t giving this community concrete things such as fresh water, new clothes, or money… I guess I was making a bigger difference than I had thought.

Sometimes you can help by just giving a hug…

I am only one, but I am one. I cannot do everything, but I can do something. And I will not let what I cannot do interfere with what I can do. -Edward Everett Hale

Katie Hudson

GAMEDAY in South Africa

2011-06-12T13:02:00.004-04:00

It’s Saturday! Saturday! Saturday! Saturday! Saturday night’s alright! It’s time to kick it off between the hedges in … Cape Town (not Athens). I’ve gone stir crazy without Braves baseball and Georgia football. Best solution? Cape Town Stormers verses Johannesburg Blue Bulls rugby match! Ecstatic about today’s match, we all bought Cape Town Stormers’ jerseys in an attempt to blend in with the masses. Just to top off our team spirit, we painted our faces Braveheart style on our way to the Stormers’ DNL Newlands stadium. As we filed out of the buses displaying our spirit, we followed our adventure tour guide Gavin to our tailgating site. While the locals still tailgate prior to big games such as this one, they do not know how to do it SEC style. Gavin and his friends hosted a scrumptious brai, or South African barbeque, with hot dogs and other tasty goodies. For a few hours, we held an off-season tailgate party while bonding as a whole group. Good times.

GAMETIME! You have no idea how excited I was to say, “It’s Gameday!” to every person I came in contact with this afternoon. As we walked towards the stadium, we naturally began calling the dogs and singing, “Who’s that Coming Down the Track?” Sorry, we were alittle obnoxious, but we all miss football season. (84 days!) At least, we saved the South African people from hearing the Tennessee students sing “Rocky Top!”

When the game began, we spread ourselves throughout the standing room only section in one of the endzones. Within the first few minutes, we some how maneuvered our way down to the first two or three rows in the stadium. I think it’s safe to say the Americans were mesmerized by the game. Most of us had no clue how to play the game, but the energy of the crowd still allowed us to blend in as true fans. If you didn’t know, rugby is no cup of tea. The players’ intensity and lack of padding makes football look like a little girls powder puff game. Our jaws dropped at the size of their thighs and the intensity of their slide tackles. Sadly, our die-hard Stormers lost this intense match but made an incredible come back at the end. Good news? They passed out free tangerines after the game, and for those of you who assumed, I did not pout because we lost! It’s the little things in life.

Carrie Rainey

What a Week!

2011-06-12T13:00:00.000-04:00

What a week!! We spent the week doing service in Sir Lowry’s Pass but it never felt like service. It was so fun! I met so many interesting people and made some really close bonds with a few. The most intriguing person that I met was 14-year-old Samantha. She was my soup mom’s neighbor and she would always come over when we were there but she never really talked to us. I would always make small talk with her but she was super shy. By the third day we were sitting on this grassy hill and she was starting to open up to me. She was telling me that she wants to go to college and become a teacher. She wants to move out of Sir Lowry’s Pass and into a big house with two dogs that will stand out by the gate to protect her, two cats that will stand by the door to protect her, and two snakes in her attic to protect her. Everything was about protection. It made me wonder what she is scared of…

Then I asked her who would live in the house with her and she said nobody. So I asked her if she wanted to get married and have kids one day. She said no. She doesn’t want to ever get married and she never wants to bring children into this world. It was so jarring because she is not like anyone else I have met in this community. Everyone else I have met is full of such joy, love, and thankfulness that it was shocking to meet Sam. Surprisingly though, it was refreshing because I think it is easy to fall into a false sense of happiness in Sir Lowry’s Pass. I do think that the people here are happier than most people, given their situation, so it’s easy to forget that their lives are far from what we would consider acceptable. There’s real fear and sadness in everyday life here that we will never understand. I swapped mailing addresses with Sam though because I would like to try to understand her life more and keep in touch because I think she is an amazing person

It feels weird to juxtapose this next to what I was just talking about, but we went to a rugby game yesterday and it was so much fun! It was the Cape Town Stormers vs. the Vodacom Bulls. We had our own little area roped off to pregame and have a Braai (South African BBQ). It was so good to have all the Bafana Bafanas back from adventure week. It was the first time we’ve been all together in two weeks! So everyone had a good time catching up and sharing highs and lows from adventure week and service week. Everyone had such inspirational stories to share and it was the perfect atmosphere for us to be reunited. The beer was cold and the Braai was delicious and even though the Stormers lost it was a fantastic time! And sleeping in this morning only made things better!! And now we are getting ready to go to Kristenbosch National Botanical Gardens. There is so much to do here and so many beautiful things to see!

Tessa Jensen

2011-06-11T18:46:00.001-04:00

“READY, SET, GO!” I yell, and he’s OFF! The little boy in my “Dizzy Bat” line who couldn’t be older than 3 or 4 runs towards me giggling with joy, a huge smile plastered on his painted face for all to see! His determination to reach the bat I’m holding is tangible as he sticks his tongue out in serious concentration, his little body wriggling and running just as fast as his little legs will carry him! He finally reaches the bat, grabs hold of it, and after all of his expended effort, just kind of stands there and looks up at me with raised eyebrows as if to say, “What in the world do I do now?” I lean over and physically spin him around the bat that is practically as big as his tiny little body five times and then he’s off again. This time he’s a little off balance, stumbling every few steps but he never stops smiling and laughing the entire way back to his team on the other end of the field. This little boy is full of joy because he is getting to play outside in the sunshine with all his friends. He doesn’t have any shoes on. He’s wearing the same outfit he was wearing yesterday. His teeth are much less than healthy. And who knows where his next meal will come from. But he doesn’t care; it doesn’t matter. He is joyful anyway. I think back to today’s class discussion, which was all about us being “The Lucky Ones” and that to whom much is given, much is required. Well, as Courtney was telling Joanna, the phrase should be, to whom anything is given, much is required. And it’s so true. We have a responsibility to take care of those who aren’t in the position to take care of themselves… like this little boy who hasn’t a care in the world that he’s wearing yesterday’s clothes or doesn’t own a pair of shoes.

So I’m thinking. Here’s this precious “nugget,” as we’ve been calling kids all week, who has so little, yet is so happy. And I find myself so unhappy sometimes despite all of what I do have? I can eat whenever I want. I have a car and can go anywhere anytime I want. I have a closet full of excessive amounts of clothes. Yet I find myself discontent and wanting more of what I already have plenty of? And when I find myself up against obstacles it’s hard for me to just pick myself up off the ground like this little boy did countless times on the field today and keep running with a smile on my face. I learned more today from this little boy and the game of “Dizzy Bat” than I ever could have anticipated. Have joy in the small things. Be thankful in all circumstances. Take care of those who can’t take care of themselves. And when you stumble, get back up and start again with a smile.

-Emily Gregory

Service Week

2011-06-11T18:37:00.001-04:00

Going into this week, I was apprehensive about everything that we were going to be seeing and experiencing in the township. We had just gotten back from our Adventure week and a fun weekend in Stellenbosch, so I doubted that a Service Week would be able to compare to anything like that. I was definitely wrong. I’ve loved every part of this week, but my favorite part was definitely the time we spend each day with the family that we were pared with.

We started off the week by going into the township, Sir Lowry’s Pass, to meet the kids and our “soup mom’s”. These soup mom’s are amazing ladies in the community who make soup for the kids every day to make sure that they have at least one hot meal a day. These ladies sacrifice even their own meals sometime to allow for a few extra kids to get soup. So in groups of about five Global LEAD students, we had dinner with them Monday night and got to know the rest of their family. My “soup mom” is Mrs. Elsie, and she is an adorable lady who has four girls and a boy, which is the same number of boys and girls in our group that goes to visits her. One of the first things Mrs. Elsie said to us was that God blessed her with four girls and a boy as her children, and now he has sent her four girls and a boy again to become part of her family. She has told us so many times that God knows what he’s doing and was thinking about her when he sent us to Sir Lowry’s Pass. Even after just one week, this family has completely accepted us into their lives and seems so excited to see us everyday.

It’s amazing for me to see how strong Mrs. Elsie is in her faith and gratitude towards us, even when they have so little. Most days this week we have spent packing ten or fifteen people into their twelve by twelve foot living room and singing and dancing together. Her son is in a band and plays the guitar so we sing anything from church songs to American pop songs with him leading us all. They ask us questions about our families, goals, and things we do for fun, and we ask them about their culture and traditions also. Their sincerity and kindness is overwhelming to me. They have expressed multiple times how they feel so lucky to accept us all to their family, and each day ends with hugs from everyone present. These people have so much life, joy and love in their hearts. I have learned from this family how much happiness can come from kindness, family, and supporting the people you love. I have learned from this week that reaching out to a stranger to show them that you care can change lives; it certainly has changed mine. I hope that one day, everyone can experience a bond like the one we have been blessed enough to form in this past week.

Sarah Bissell

Service Finale

2011-06-11T18:36:00.001-04:00

It was the last day of service today and it was bitter sweet, we had a great time having a field day with the kids but saying good bye is never easy. We started the day meeting up with our soup-mom and our family. We gave them a gift of brownies and pictures for everyone. Thankfully Mrs. Unis, our mom, was home from work early so we didn’t miss her with the change in time from the other days. After saying good bye to her we took the kids to the school and started the field day by dividing up into teams and the games begun. I was a captain of the Cheeta’s a wiry bunch of kids that were ready for action. We took a hard loss on the dodge ball court to the Pirates but kept our composure and got ready for the over under challenge. Soon however, the kids got back to using me as a human jungle gym and found much more entertainment in various disorganized attempts at the games. This was fine by me I had a good time playing spinny bat until we couldn’t stand due to dizziness for half an hour. Then there was a bit of drama between Monique, one of the girls in my soup-family, and a boy who she told me was mean to her. So I spent a good bit of time cheering her up but it worked out, it was just a bump in the road for her. Monique is a strong girl who I became quite attached too and you can see her above in the picture, dead center with a devilish look, this is her personality in a nut-shell. The rest of the photo is my soup-family who we spent time with everyday of the week. I am very much looking forward to seeing them again next Wednesday. I got to know them and their stories which was an incredible experience they also taught me a bit of Africans, which I am terrible at, yet they love hearing me butcher various phrases in my accent. Over all today was a great day and a good way to end the week. Good bye was hard but I will see them again next week!

Sam Stribling

Day 5: Life Lessons from the Townships

2011-06-11T18:25:00.001-04:00

On Thursday, Kevin Chaplin, the Managing Director of the Amy Biehl Foundation, came to talk to our group. The foundation was established in the memory of Amy Biehl, a young American woman who traveled to South Africa in the early 1990’s to help promote the post-Apartheid elections. While driving friends home one night, she was murdered by a mob of angry blacks, the same people she vowed to save from persecution, simply because her skin was white. The four men who were convicted of Amy’s murder were pardoned after a five-year prison sentence due to the forgiveness of the Biehl family. Amy’s parents’ story in itself is a tale of human compassion and strength in morals, but what’s even more incredible is the fact that two of the murders work at the Amy Biehl Foundation today as service directors.

The main focus of Kevin Chaplin’s presentation to us was based on living a life of significance over a life of success along with the idea of “ubuntu.” “Ubuntu” is described as the connection between people through a mutual respect for all individuals and cultures. These ideas both especially pertain to the service mission of Global LEAD through connection with the locals while focusing on a fulfilling life of compassion. Kevin used to be the Cape Town area manager for First National Bank, but gave up his prestigious title to head the Amy Biehl Foundation. Kevin’s life truly is a testament to his mission: a man living his life not for the material rewards, but rather for personal fulfillment and service to others.

After lunch we loaded up the buses to head to the after school centers run by the Amy Biehl Foundation in the local townships. Driving through the townships was by far the most depressing thing I’ve ever seen. The average size of a house was about 15x15 feet and the shacks were basically stacked on top of each other they were so close together. The ground was covered in dirt and garbage was piled everywhere. There were more dogs roaming the streets than I could count. However, in the midst of the extreme poverty were hundreds of smiling children. They waved to us from the streets and ran behind our bus; their enthusiasm and joyful spirits was unlike anything I’d ever seen before. After our drive through the townships, we visited two of the Amy Biehl after school centers and were greeted by elaborate dance performances by the children. I used to think I could dance until I saw these little guys. They could easily be professional dancers, moving their bodies in ways I didn’t think was possible. It was probably the highlight of my trip up this point.

Friday was an extremely moving day for me. As stated before, it was hard for me to comprehend the inhuman living conditions in the townships. It was even harder for me to comprehend how the children could be living such impoverished lives yet have a joyful spirit a thousand times greater than any child I’ve seen. After some personal reflection, I realized the lives of the children in the township are a testament to Kevin’s message of a life of fulfillment. These children do not dwell on their lives’ of poverty and political corruption, but rather focus on the real significance of life: friends, family, faith, and happiness. This is by far the most inspirational thing I’ve ever experienced in my life. I have never been more thankful for the opportunities God had given to me in life.

Charles Purcell

Ten things to be thankful for in Cape Town today….

2011-06-10T01:41:00.002-04:00

1. Sleeping in a little (9am)

2. Breakfast at Charley’s Bakery, YUM!

3. Running along the Pacific Ocean in beautiful weather

4. Spending time with all the AWESOME Global L.E.A.D.ers!!

5. Dancing and singing to “Do the ice cream and cake” a hundred times

6. Holding precious babies who fall asleep in your arms

7. Spending time with the lovely soup mothers and hearing their stories

8. Breathtaking sunsets on the ride home

9. Potluck dinner with everyone in the leaders room

10. Tiger Tiger (dance club) with everyone to enjoy the night!

-Lindsey Montgomery

We can do no great things, only small things with great love

2011-06-10T01:37:00.001-04:00

We can do no great things, only small things with great love. ~Mother Teresa

For almost a week now, when my friends and family would ask me how service week in Sir Lowry's Pass has been, I would say, “It's been incredible. Still processing everything though...” and that's really all I could muster. I literally didn't know what else to say. I realized that it has been almost to the point of feeling annoyed and frustrated because I couldn't think of what else to say. To try to put into words what the Lord has done this week is almost impossible, because no words can even begin to explain His power and goodness in a midst of people enduring far more hardship than we will ever experience in our life. Here in the United States we have more than we'll ever need yet continue to complain, suffer from depression, and live complacent half-hearted lives while these people that our society would consider “have nothing” continue to amaze me and warm my heart with the overflowing joy that they radiate. We came to Sir Lowry's Pass to serve and love the people and children of the town. However, it was truly the other way around. They've loved us, served us, and shown us love in a far more tangible way than I've ever understood it.

Monday as soon as we stepped off of the bus, I met a girl named Philipia whom I've got the chance to talk to every day this week. She's thirteen years old, and honestly one of the sweetest girls I've ever met. As we were doing the “Ice Cream and Cake” dance for the 10^th time today, we decided to take a break and sit in the corner with the arts and crafts group. As soon as we sat down, I must have unknowingly made the comment “Ah, I'm so hungry. I can't wait to eat lunch” … and didn't think twice about it. We continued conversation until I got wrapped up with the 4 two year olds climbing all over me and pulling my hair. By the time I had noticed, Philipia disappeared, but I wasn't worried about it because I was sure I would see her soon. About 5 minutes later I felt a slight tug on my jacket, and sure enough it was Philipia, apple in hand, with the biggest grin on her face. She had gone all the way home to get me an apple. Tears filled my eyes as I repeatedly and politely refused her apple, encouraging her to save it for herself. What did she say? “No, Leanna. I'm not hungry. Eat it please. I'll get another one tomorrow.” I was in tears by then, but I couldn't help but smile and accept the apple.There stood the thirteen year old girl that I came to serve who's house was the size of my bedroom, giving ME an apple because she had overheard me say that I was hungry. Moments like these made me realize that yes, I may live a life with more material possessions than she does, but she lives a life far more abundant than I do. I believe that her circumstances are the reasons why her heart, as with the other people I've met in Sir Lowry's Pass, is so big, joyful, loving, and giving. I started this week in hopes of loving these kids and changing their lives. Instead, the love these kids have given me in return have truly changed my heart and my mind, instilling a lasting impact into my life.

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-Leanna Carr

Keep Calm and Carry On

2011-06-09T19:14:00.000-04:00

After adventure week I thought I could never experience a better week in my life. Then came service week, which has been a completely different experience, but nonetheless one of the best weeks I can think of having. Today we started off the day learning about overcoming obstacles. We learned how to turn a problem into a constructive goal that has a solution. We were then all given a sign that said, “KEEP CALM AND CARRY ON”. This sign was posted all over England before WWII. The poster serves as a reminder that you can overcome anything and it is how you respond to the crisis that defines you. We learned trouble handled rightly encourages those around you. When you have crisis it does not have to define you, but it will shape you. After hearing this lesson I realized the wonderful people I have met in the township of Sir Lowery’s Pass perfectly portrayed this message. The soup kitchen mom’s, who we spend our days with, provide meals to all the children who need food in the area. They show that a crisis, such as starving children, should call you to your highest and best, rather than your lowest and least. The poverty surrounds them, yet they keep fighting for the children because they don’t want them to be a product of their negative circumstances. They give the children a chance to become more and do more by believing in them. The children have darkness all around them in so many ways, but you do not notice this when you are there playing with them. This is because everyone I have met has such a positive attitude, rather than letting the darkness overcome their attitudes. They are a true testament to the ideals behind “Keep calm and carry on”.

Olivia McDonald

Wednesday June 8, 2011

2011-06-09T19:11:00.001-04:00

Today was our third day in the township of Sir Lowry’s pass. We had a morning lesson and then boarded the bus at one o’clock. When we arrived at the township, there were children waiting outside of the bus excited to see us, just as they did yesterday and the day before. Our plan for the day was to have stations for the kids of arts and crafts, sports, and song and dance. However, we faced a bit of an obstacle when we realized that the main area that we usually use was being painted. This, along with the whipping winds and stormy clouds was a bit discouraging, but everything ended up working out in the end. We used the courtyard of the primary school for our activities, and even though the weather wasn’t ideal, the kids did not seem to notice and we all ended up having a great time.

I spent a lot of time today with a four year old little girl named Kimmy. The more boisterous kids seemed to overshadow her in the big group so she liked sitting on the sides with a few people in a quiet group. She did not have much to say but never seemed to want to let go of me, which is the case for a lot of the smaller children in the township. Kimmy was perfectly content to sit on my lap for an hour and play with her tiny beaded bracelet that she made at the arts and crafts station.

After about two hours of free time at the stations, we all broke off into our smaller groups and proceeded to the houses of our assigned “Moms”. These are all women in the community who take many people in and know almost all of the children by name. My “Mom”, Miss Veronica, has children of her own but also takes care of her grandchild, and works four days a week from nine a.m. to three p.m.. She takes a lot of pride in her home, and it is not what I expected to see in a township. She has many kitchen appliances, a refrigerator, oven and more. In her living room there are couches and even a television, computer, and a stereo. During the last hour of our visit at the township, my group spends time sitting in her living room talking, watching t.v., or having a dance party with her and her daughter Portia. I look forward to going back to see all of the kids tomorrow, and on Friday for field day!

-Lizzy Bracken

Made a difference to that one!

2011-06-09T19:04:00.002-04:00

I really enjoyed today.

Kelsie, Lindsey and I started the day off at 7:15am and ran the full four miles to the lighthouse and back twice. Big accomplishment people.

We had breakfast with our community groups for the first time in a couple weeks, and it was delicious. We had some grapes, yogurt and granola, and some super yummy french toast. We chatted about our highs and lows of our first day of service and it was really interesting to hear about everyone’s experiences.

We had class at 10 and had a couple of really great discussion about what service week means to each person. We read two articles called “The Mindful Traveler” and “We Should Serve Them” prior to the discussion, which made for some interesting conversations. We discussed the idea of gift-giving. In areas like Sir Lowry’s Pass, it’s really difficult to give a gift. We have the best intentions for making the lives better of those around us. But sometimes giving one house a new roof, leaves the house next door wondering why they weren’t given a new roof. There is a ripple effect in the community far greater than we would ever think to imagine. The same is true for giving a child a teddy bear. There are hundreds of kids in Sir Lowry’s Pass that we interact with everyday. If we only have fifty teddy bears to give, how are the other children going to feel who didn’t get one. They face enough neglect already. But then there’s that knot in your stomach of wanting to help them.

This takes me back to an old camp devotion:

As a man walked a desolate beach one cold, gray morning he began to see another figure, far in the distance. Slowly the two approached each other, and he could make out a local native who kept leaning down, picking something up and throwing it out into the water. Time and again he hurled things into the ocean.

As the distance between them continued to narrow, the man could see that the native was picking up starfish that had been washed upon the beach and, one at a time, was throwing them back into the water.

Puzzled, the man approached the native and asked what he was doing. “I’m throwing these starfish back into the ocean. You see, it’s low tide right now and all of these starfish have been washed up onto the shore. If I don’t throw them back into the sea, they’ll die up here from lack of oxygen.”

“But there must be thousands of starfish on this beach,” the man replied. “You can’t possibly get to all of them. There are just too many. And this same thing is probably happening on hundreds of beaches all up and down this coast. Can’t you see that you can’t possibly make a difference?”

The local native smiled, bent down and picked up another starfish, and as he threw it back into the sea he replied, “Made a difference to that one!”

Each of us is but one person: limited, burdened with our own cares and responsibilities. We may feel there is so much to be done, and we have so little to give. We’re usually short of everything, especially time and money. When we leave this shore, there will still be millions of starfish stranded on the beach. Maybe we can’t change the whole world, but there isn’t one of us who can’t help change one person’s whole world. One at a time. We can make a difference.

I tried to keep that in mind today when we were in the township. We were there from about 2 to 5. I’m a student leader for arts and crafts, so we set up supplies to make tissue paper butterflies and paper plate masks for the kids in the Crush. We managed that for about two hours as students were also helping to organize dance and sports, such as soccer and rugby. There was also a great team of people working on the mural, which is definitely still a work in progress, but looks amazing so far.

At around 4pm, we headed to Miss Hetta’s house to spend some time with this incredible woman. unfortunately she was tied up with work, so we didn’t get to see her until right before we left, but we were able to go to Miss Cheryl’s house for a little while. As the woman who started organizing the soup moms, she is so incredibly strong. Her daughter Candy and granddaughter Courtney, named after Courtney Doran, were both there, as well as her son Duncan. They are such genuinely happy people and are so open about their stories.

I am simply amazed by the people in Sir Lowry’s Pass and I can’t to see how that amazement grows over the next few days.

Sending inspiration from Cape Town.

-Shannon Dooley

Tuesday 7/6/11

2011-06-09T18:49:00.001-04:00

Incredible! This whole trip has been incredible and I don’t want to miss the opportunity to make that known. While I would love to recap the whole trip, my charge is simply to give you a snapshot of today.

Today began with learning. I learned how to make French toast. The Global LEAD staff bought food and supplies for breakfast and my community group had the opportunity to cook and eat together. I love the people in my community group and have come to really enjoy these opportunities to have breakfast with them. On par for this trip, there were 7 girls and one guy, myself, at breakfast. We were fortunate enough to have one of our Teaching Assistants, Mallory, join us for breakfast. This was our first time being together since adventure week, an awesome adventure-packed week when I got to know many of my group members AS WELL as Mallory. We discussed our high’s and low’s of either adventure week or the first day of service that we experienced yesterday. While many students, myself included, discussed their high’s and low’s from adventure week, many students had already been substantially impacted by the first day in Sir Lowry’s Pass and decided to focus on yesterday. The first day in the township, reading “We Should Help Them,” and the class discussions that ensued had a profound impact on students.

Immediately following breakfast, we went to the room in the apartment complex where we have class. Our professor, Dr. Montgomery Wolf, lead a discussion about students’ thoughts, experiences, and reactions to the first day in Sir Lowry’s Pass. After that 30-minute conversation, we broke up into three smaller groups in order to discuss the article “We Should Help Them,” which we all read prior to attending class. The article basically went through the different ways that the United States or the “developed” world has tried to “help” Africa and the impact of that “aid.” The article first questions whether Africa needs help at all or if they are doing just fine on their own. Then, assuming that there is opportunity for improvement, the article goes on to analyze the primary methods that developed countries have utilized to help Africa. Basically the article shows that having a positive impact is extremely complicated and difficult and that our efforts could actually do more harm than good if the proper thought, planning, and study are not undertaken. Given that my vision for my life is to make a positive impact in a place that is poverty stricken, just like the majority of Africa, the conversation was a bit overwhelming for me.

As I reflected on the conversation, I became thankful for the opportunity to read and discuss the article and become disillusioned to many of the challenges inherent to helping people. As I reflected further, I realized that I didn’t really learn anything that I didn’t know before: Making a big, positive impact on the lives of impoverished humans is not going to be simple or easy. Rather, knowledge of the specific challenges became much more concrete and real. Furthermore, I became more eager to make a difference and was charged to learn more, over come obstacles, and truly rise to the challenge.

Our time in Sir Lowry’s Pass today was awesome. Most of the guy Springboks got a rugby game going with the kids. They had a massive field that was perfect for some hard-hitting rugby. It was really fun to play with the kids and other students and get a feel for a game that is so important to South African culture. I got to meet and talk to a 15 year old boy named Shane and continued to play with my man, Lathan. I also got to spend some awesome time with my “family” and soup mom, Ms. Ann. Our whole family loves her, her daughter, Natasha, and her grandchildren, Mikaela, Kay, Caleb, and Mathew. I’m so excited to continue to get to know her and her family this week.

Now it’s time for me to go help my roommates finish cooking our delicious dinner: chicken alfredo with bacon, salad, fresh bread, and wine. We have invited a room of girls and the two staff members here this week to join us. Cooking has been a really awesome part of the trip. Just as the day started, I’m off to eat!

-Zach Hogue

Service Week!

2011-06-09T18:46:00.001-04:00

Today was the first day of service week. After a week of adventure, it was a different scene, but we were ready to jump right into it. We had a lesson on service-learning this morning and learned that service-learning should benefit both the receiver and the giver. At 3 we climbed on the bus and headed to Sir Lowry's Pass, a township about 45 minutes from Cape Town. As we pulled up to the school, the kids started congregating, and I knew that what I was going to experience this week would be life changing.

Right when we stepped off the bus, I was greeted by a ten-year-old girl named Kaylee. She was eager to talk to me and play with my hair. The kids just want love. And that's what we're here to give to them. One of the soup moms, the natural leaders in the town, said while introducing herself, "You must give love to get love." I think that this described our goal of the week perfectly. I'm so excited to get to know as many kids as possible and hopefully to make a lasting impact on everyone I come in contact in. I loved seeing how many relationships we're making already. Boys were human jungle gyms and the girls love "Little Sally Walker." It's going to be a tiring, but rewarding experience.

After playing for a while and just loving on the kids, we went to our soup moms house. I was with 4 other students. We received a tour of her home and met her son and two daughters. The other two daughters had moved out. One of the daughters who lived at home had a son named, Lathum, who is a ball of energy and such a joy. They made us dinner and would not allow us to help. They were so kind to us and made us feel at home in a place we were so unfamiliar with. Her son, Jeremy, and Hamilton played the guitar and bass the whole time, and the girls danced and sang. We definitely weren't as good as her daughter, Candice, and her friends though. When we said goodbye, our soup mom, hugged us and said she was blessed to have her own 4 daughters and 1 son, but now she has an additional 4 daughters and 1 son. It was moving to hear her say that and as we said bye to her children, they said bye to their brothers and sisters. I'm blessed to be part of their family already.

I'm so excited become closer to this family and as many kids as I can. Its going to be an extremely fun week, and I can't wait!

-Anna Marchman