South African Journey

A long over due update since my arrival in South Africa...2 weeks ago! Since arriving here in South Africa we have spent a week and a half having our in country orientation. Orientation here has been led by country coordinators Brian and Kristen. During that tie we talked a lot about expectations we had, the program had and how we shouldn't worry when things don't go how we expect. We also were given tours of local places and a chance to meet and talk with local church leaders. In all of our placements we are working jointly with the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Southern Africa. The role ELCSA plays in each of the 10 placement sites varies but is roughly 50/50 with other local organizations and/or schools.

I have had a lesson in patience thus far in my 2 weeks here. During orientation it became clear that my placement site in the Hillbrow community of Joburg wasn't going to work out. A series of last minute events and discussions led to tweaking things a bit. We were scheduled to begin our volunteer work out our site on Monday the 7th but, due to the changes, I am moving to Joburg this coming Monday the 14th. This week has gone by quickly and I have excited to begin things in Joburg.

Thanks for your prayers and e-mails. It's great to hear from you all. I will try my best to post things more regularly once I am settled this week.