Live to Learn

June 4, 2013

 

I started my journey to South Africa early Saturday morning with an 8am flight to Detroit. From there I went to Atlanta and on to Joburg. To flight to Joburg was 15 hours. They 2 ladies behind me said that I slept practically the whole way. It seemed like it to me thanks the person who decided not show up and take the seat next to me. I got to stretch out, enjoy my complementary red wine and slowly drift off to sleep for a while. There was a man from Joburg who was returning home from Atlanta sitting on the far end of my isle. He wanted to chat, and those of you that know me well know that I’m not one for small talk. But with the new experiences ahead and all of the new people I was going to meet and talk to, I knew that I had to be open to conversations. I knew I had to learn to like to chat. He told me about all of the local sights and adventures to go on while in South Africa. He tried to explain what Ennerdale would be like. Ennerdale is the small town, south of Joburg, where I live. But I hate to say that his descriptions were not exactly accurate!

We landed and I headed through customs. The customs officers were large, dark, scary/angry looking men. They hardly made eye contact and definitely didn’t smile. By the way they looked, I was sure they weren’t going to let me in the country! I was extremely nervous to take my turn through. My guy looked at my Visa for what seemed like forever. Then he asked me for my invitation letter and other official papers. He looked closely at those for a minute and then mumbled under his breath (without looking up at me or smiling), for me to “keep up the good work.” That was it. He handed me my paper and passport and I walked off. Hearing the scary customs officer mumble that phrase brought me to tears as I walked off to get my bags. That phrase solidified everything for me. It put to me to ease knowing that I was welcomed and encouraged by the strangers of this new city. It was yet another message sent form God telling me that I am on the right path, doing what I am meant to do, allowing me to again have the PEACE that has sustained me since my decision to become a missionary back in January. I was on top of the world at that moment.

Sr. Margaret (from Ireland) and Sr. Giovanna (from Italy) picked me up and drove me to my house where I was greeted by the 3 other volunteers working in my community. Two of the girls are from the Czech Republic and the other from Canada. They are around my age and have been volunteering here for almost a year. They are ready to go. While I am optimistic and enthusiastic right now, they have guaranteed me that I will be over it, tired, and burned out of it in half a year, which is great because I only plan to stay until January anyway. I don’t think they are too fond of me. They are going home next week and we are getting 3 more volunteers from Ireland for a few months. I hope they will be as excited and enthusiastic as I. We shall see though.

We have a small but quaint 5 bedroom house in the town of Ennerdale. Ennerdale is what locals call the middle class of Joburg. Yet it seems like the ghetto to me. The house has a wall and security gate surrounding it. We have to be at home and inside our house by 6 every night because it’s too dangerous to be out after that time. There are stray dogs roaming the streets, people yelling, cars flying by and lights flashing all hours of the night. It is quite scary. The daytime is better. There are 4 nuns that are in community here who founded and run the school I teach at. They live in a small house about a block from ours. It is nice and has Wi-Fi!

Each day we begin with mass at 6:30 at the local church. From there we head to the school, called the Don Bosco Educational Project. It is a school that was founded and now run those Salesian Sisters 2 years ago. The school is funded by donations and grants from many countries around the world. Sr. Margaret spends most of her time writing letters to different countries asking for donations toward the DBEP.

One side of the school is a primary school for grades 1-7. The students there are the poorest of the poor in Joburg. They don’t come from Ennerdale; they come from the squatter neighborhoods and slums that surround the southern end of Ennerdale. It looks like a massive landfill. The neighborhoods consist of tons of one room shacks made of tin for roofs and blanks and cardboard for walls. There is no electricity, running water or plumbing. They “squat” when they need to use the restroom. The children from these neighborhoods walk miles to our school each day. We provide them with a uniform, hot breakfast and lunch and a classroom education from 8-3 each day. The school follows the curriculum and standards of the South African government. We are recognized as a private school under the SA government but not yet subsidized. Soon though!!

The other side of the school is a skills school for college-age young adults from the community. They didn’t go to college so our school teaches them skills like carpentry, sewing, plumbing, wood working and electrical work. They plan to use their skills to make money to provide for their families. They love to share what they know and they have pride in their work. It is awesome to see.

The Cresh is the Kindergarten center a few blocks away from the DBEP. The children there are ages 3-5. The go from the Cresh to the DBEP. The children at the Cresh are wonderful. Anyone white who comes, they automatically call “Sister!” because for the longest time the only white people they knew was the nuns! So I am sister to them. All they want to do it hug you and smile and wave and touch your skin. Just by the way the children act, so happy, energetic, full of life, you would never know that they are South Africa’s poorest children. More poor then I could have ever imagined. I can’t wait to spend every day with them. In a few weeks is the winter holidays and I will get to spend some time at the Cresh. Until then, I’ll be teaching 7^th grade at the DBEP.

I was less than thrilled to be asked to teach 7^th grade. Not only am I not qualified to teach middle school subjects, I have never seen their curriculum and do not have the supplies to meet their needs. Yet, I know all of that doesn’t matter. They already have full-time teachers in all of the other grades. The headmistress, Sr. Teresa, is teaching in 7^th grade right now until a replacement comes. That would be me. So as missionaries do, we serve where we are needed. I am needed in 7^th grade and I will most definitely take on the challenge. I should’ve known better then to think that I would just ease into my comfort zone (gradesk-3). I knew I was going to be challenged in MANY ways. This is the first and most obvious. I told the sisters to bring it on!! I would do my best and ask questions along the way.

So for the next 7 months I plan to LIVE TO LEARN. Each day living here will be a brand new learning experience for me. I will learn a new continent, a new country, a new culture, a new lifestyle and a new area of education. Along with that come new understandings, a deeper sense of patience and diligence and a life of simplicity. I will live each day to learn as much as I can in order to be humbled and gracious for the things that I have and for the life I lead.

It’s only been 3 days.

Pics are hard to download because the internet is very slow here. I will post as I can.