Sitting still has never been my forte. Playing, skipping, dancing, climbing mountains, meeting new people, walking in sunshine, and playing on the beach have always been much better alternatives. It’s a spirit of movement and moving forward and doing things that has come to define me and my outlook on life. As a kid my dad had a game he liked to call “Still” which consisted of him forcing me to sit down and be quiet when I got too rowdy. You can see where this is going. Struggling and yelling, the “game” lasted until I gave up and was actually quiet, giving some much-needed relief and peace for everyone else in the room. The sight must have been pretty amusing to the rest of the world but within my little six-year-old heart it felt like torture.
Coming to South Africa has in some ways felt like “Still” 2.0: lifestyle challenge. One of the main tenets of the Youth and Global Missions program I’m a part of is the saying “Be, not Do”. Hear it enough times at orientation and it begins to sound like an old do-be-do-be-do Motown jam that still doesn’t make any sense. Be?
Not do? But doing has been a part of what defines me! I love to make things happen and pursue crazy dreams and am constantly on the move! Shifting my focus to being with my community rather than doing things for my community was a foreign concept.
On my third cup of tea already, hands covered in black paint from a fifth repainting of boxes, I gave up and took a good look around at the other six women in the room at the W.O.W. (Women of Wisdom) women’s center. All smiling, most laughing, relaxed, chatting, the smell over over-sugared coffee overpowering the room. And not a single one of them doing anything remotely “productive.” For a moment I was frustrated, but then a thought occurred to me. I’d kept myself busy for the past two hours but had I really done anything worthwhile?
A smiling glance from Caroline, a quiet, joyful intern caught me. Chatting to a woman in the sewing skills class, their conversation had been going on in rapid Afrikaans for the last half hour. The mission of the WOW center is to “inspire women and give them the support to achieve their best potential.” Painting boxes for the upcoming market day—helpful, but not exactly inspiring. Being friendly and building relationships with women in the community no matter the socioeconomic differences, encouraging each other and listening deeply—now that’s what I would call inspiring. And worth much more than any little thing I could do for the organization.
Friday, April 19, 2013
Tuesday, April 9, 2013
Life Updates and Gratitude
Life has changed quite a bit since the last time I’ve written, time for an update!
At the beginning of last month my pastor here moved me to Bellville, a suburb about thirty minutes away. It’s still technically Cape Town (the city HUGE, the size of the entire peninsula) and is a bigger urban center than Athlone, where I’ve been living. Haven’t gotten a chance to explore much quite yet, but I have discovered the fantastic chicken place down the street which is enough for now. He has asked me to volunteer now for the Bellville Lutheran Youth Center to help with their program development. It’s fun work that I love doing, I get to organize community outreach, help plan events, and help develop the internal workings of the organization to make it more efficient.
Moving is never easy, and it was very sad leaving my family behind. In some ways it felt like starting all over again because it took a couple weeks before figuring out how to get around without getting lost. I am staying at the center’s youth hostel which is currently being used as student housing. In some ways it feels like being back in college but having people to hang out with all the time has been fun.
A few days a week I also go in to a women’s center nearby to volunteer. They’re a really neat organization and work to empower women in many ways, but primarily economically. Many skills-based and business classes are offered along with educational outreach about parenting and domestic violence. They also host afterschool programs for girls in the local community. The ladies are a feisty, dedicated bunch and it’s been fun spending time with them and hearing their stories.
Throughout all of the big changes I’ve been trying to focus on an outlook of gratitude rather than being overwhelmed by circumstances. Yes, I’m in a new place, starting over, and away from the families I’ve come to love but at the same time I’ve gained an opportunity to learn and connect with a new place. I’m grateful so far for the new friendships, opportunity to witness life at the women’s center, and to walk with the Bellville community for a little while.
It’s easy to be overwhelmed with life when things go out of our control, but living in gratitude reminds us just how fortunate we are no matter our circumstances. It’s a lesson I’m still learning and with grace trying to walk in more each day.
And while I’m sharing in gratitude, let me take a moment to say thank you to each of you following this blog. Thank you for listening, for your support, and for being part of the bigger story spreading God’s love in the world. Sometimes just simply listening is the biggest gift we can give.
At the beginning of last month my pastor here moved me to Bellville, a suburb about thirty minutes away. It’s still technically Cape Town (the city HUGE, the size of the entire peninsula) and is a bigger urban center than Athlone, where I’ve been living. Haven’t gotten a chance to explore much quite yet, but I have discovered the fantastic chicken place down the street which is enough for now. He has asked me to volunteer now for the Bellville Lutheran Youth Center to help with their program development. It’s fun work that I love doing, I get to organize community outreach, help plan events, and help develop the internal workings of the organization to make it more efficient.
Moving is never easy, and it was very sad leaving my family behind. In some ways it felt like starting all over again because it took a couple weeks before figuring out how to get around without getting lost. I am staying at the center’s youth hostel which is currently being used as student housing. In some ways it feels like being back in college but having people to hang out with all the time has been fun.
A few days a week I also go in to a women’s center nearby to volunteer. They’re a really neat organization and work to empower women in many ways, but primarily economically. Many skills-based and business classes are offered along with educational outreach about parenting and domestic violence. They also host afterschool programs for girls in the local community. The ladies are a feisty, dedicated bunch and it’s been fun spending time with them and hearing their stories.
Throughout all of the big changes I’ve been trying to focus on an outlook of gratitude rather than being overwhelmed by circumstances. Yes, I’m in a new place, starting over, and away from the families I’ve come to love but at the same time I’ve gained an opportunity to learn and connect with a new place. I’m grateful so far for the new friendships, opportunity to witness life at the women’s center, and to walk with the Bellville community for a little while.
It’s easy to be overwhelmed with life when things go out of our control, but living in gratitude reminds us just how fortunate we are no matter our circumstances. It’s a lesson I’m still learning and with grace trying to walk in more each day.
And while I’m sharing in gratitude, let me take a moment to say thank you to each of you following this blog. Thank you for listening, for your support, and for being part of the bigger story spreading God’s love in the world. Sometimes just simply listening is the biggest gift we can give.
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