Life Update

Happy World Teacher's Day!

I didn’t know this existed until today when we got these cute little presents. Every teacher can use some cocoa butter lotion and chocolate! J

I apologize for not blogging sooner-things are starting to get a little hectic and a tad bit emotional! We have a little over a month left in South Africa, and I am not sure I am prepared to leave.

Sometimes the most challenging experiences are the ones that touch you in the sweetest and most unexpected ways. 

Yesterday and today, I subbed for a different first grade class. It was a lot of fun, and teaching on my own taught me a lot, but my favorite part of the day was when two of the boys from my mentor class burst through the door to give me a hug before they left for the weekend.  Even though I gained a lot of experience subbing, I felt this immense sense of pride and relief to see those two sweet boys. The fact that they cared enough to hunt me down, while I was running around in another classroom, meant a lot.

I have come such a long way with this specific group of students. It is incredible to see how much they have enriched my experience here with their endless compassion. I feel very undeserving of their love. 

I am trying to be grateful and appreciate each day I still have here, because I know leaving will not be easy.

I did not have much time to blog about our week off, so I want to catch up! We used the week to relax, explore, and "attempt" to be productive. (AKA Rachel got stuff done...and I didn't. Oops)

One of my favorite days was when we went to Addo National Elephant Park. Rachel and I went with our friends Paul, Claire, and Ashley. Claire drove and we explored the park in the car. We saw quite a few animals, but the most spectacular part was seeing the herds of elephants cross right in front of our car. You are not allowed to get out while on the paths, but seeing the elephants so close, even in a car, was incredible. We also saw tons of baby elephants which made my day.

Addo National Elephant Park

BABYYY elephant!

Claire driving(on the right side of the car) and elephants crossing! Gotta love South Africa!

more elephants

We had a cute little picnic at the park

We topped our day at Addo off with dinner at GRILLERS AMERICAN DINER! That's right...

AMERICAN THEMED DINNER! 

and we're American...so naturally we had to make an appearance. They had a kiddy trampoline and everything!

We had some good laughs. How we felt while eating our "American" food is probably how other foreigners feel when they come to America and eat "Italian" or "Mexican" food. I'm not sure I would have called our meals authentic, but we still had a blast!

What are they trying to say about our portions?!? That was a lot of onion rings...

Home sweet home! Found a little Georgia in South Africa!

Another WONDERFUL part of my week was spending time with Ashley in the Walmer township. She works at a township school teaching English and has made some incredible connections with students and community members. Because of this, we were able to work at the local soup kitchen, and she planned a student dinner for me to take part in. A student dinner is an event Ashley and her roommate Kelly came up with as a way to bridge gaps, provide an opportunity to serve some of their students, and get to know  families and community members. Even though I cannot cook to save my life, Ashley and I made some chicken and pasta for the student dinner and had a wonderfully memorable night. We also spent time during the day passing out flyers and hanging up posters for Ashley's documentary.

Ashley worked hard, in her spare time, to create a documentary that would empower the Walmer community. The film followed several different inspiring people, including students, who were part of the township or had been at one time. It told an incredible story of the Lord's provision and how we are not limited by our circumstances.  God cares deeply about his people and loves to honor our desires when we trust him. I was touched by the way Ashley delegated the filmmaking roles and empowered her students in the creation of the film for their community. She employed community members from Walmer to help her edit and oversaw all of it while sticking to a tight budget.

Ashley has a contagious energy about her. She is incredibly humble, and I deeply admire her passion.

I could not have been more happy for her and the success of her "Words of Walmer" documentary!

I really have been so blessed by the friendships I have made here.

On that note, I want to add how grateful I am for my sweet roomies! They have been a huge part of this journey, and it would not be the same without them!

Enjoy the Fall weather for us back at home!

Love,

Casey