Is This Real Life?

April 21, 2011

This morning, I was excited for life.

Breakfast was absolutely phenomenal. There was something magical about the granola, yogurt, and fruit… maybe it was the super cheesy soap opera in the background?! (Marion discovered her father was alive after a WHOLE lifetime of thinking he was dead, and now she doesn’t have to sell the dance studio!) I don’t know WHAT it was. But it was a party. Thanks, Corinne!

In the taxi on the way to BI, I was staring out the window. I thought… “This is my Africa.” I truly love it.

You guys. I just feel so incredibly blessed to be here. And yes, it’s getting harder to be here… I miss my family, especially as Easter approaches! But still, there’s no place I’d rather be.

I feel like Peter, when he’s in the boat with the disciples. When I keep my eyes on Jesus, I can walk on water! All is well! I LOVE being here!!! But when I lose sight of the Lord, and His purpose for me here, I start wishing for my family and the states, and many other things that are silly, like my room, a shower, etc. Wanting family isn’t silly. But the other stuff is.

Today was field trip day! On the bus, I sat with Mary Bette and Melinda and Shayna. Mary Bette and I had a FANTASTIC talk about self worth. Woot woot!

Our first stop was a look out point. Truly breath-taking. It was here that Tyler showed me his tattoo! He got “Ethembeni” above his heart in bold lettering. It looks amazing. Ethembeni, of course, is where Tyler and I worked for service sites. Ethembeni also means “Place of Hope.” Therefore, Tyler got the tattoo to symbolize that his heart is indeed a place of hope, as well as to remind him of EVERYTHING he learned while there, as it was a life changing  experience for him too! I am so excited for him. Thumbs up, dude ;)

At this time, 11:00 AM, our tour guide decided it was time for lunch. Alrighty, then. The options: Pick ‘N Pay, or McDonalds. There was a mall right across the street. Heather and I weren’t feeling these options… so we dashed over to the mall in search of yummy goodness! We found it in the form of Mug and bean. Oh, how I shall miss you when I return to the States, dear M&B! We both got mozzarella, pesto, and tomato salads for “take away.” Unfortunately, our salads came at 11:32, when we were supposed to be at the bus at 11:30. We made like Donald and ducked (as Paul says)!

Ok, side note. Our semester is not incredibly punctual. We’re about 7 minutes late generally. But of COURSE, the ONE TIME I was late, everyone was super on time. Everyone was staring at us and “ooooohing” as we clambered on board. So embarrassing! But hey. We had ROCKIN’ lunches. And they didn’t! Hmph!

Next, we drove to the MOST South-Western point of ALL OF AFRICA! ‘Twas called the Cape of Good Hope! I have read about the Cape before, so it was exciting to see it in actuality!

 I think the Cape is one of the most BEAUTIFUL places I have ever seen.

We climbed up to a light house to get a better view (who knew it could be any MORE gorgeous?!). There was this point when I stopped on the way up, caught by the beauty, and I realized that I was alone. But I also realized I didn’t feel alone. Because I wasn’t alone. Not really. And then I discovered that I was spending time with someone I honestly wanted  to spend time with! I stood there admiring my father’s creation. And a small thought popped into my mind: “I did it.”

As a seventeen year old, I left my country, my family, my friends, and everything I knew and I came to a foreign country with 54 strangers. That was one of the scariest things I have ever done! And I was successful! I have been blessed beyond belief! I have learned SO much. I am not the same person I was when I got on the plane.

My hugest goal I wanted to accomplish when studying abroad was acquiring confidence. I didn’t know whether or not I would be able to.

As I was admiring the Cape, I remembered a conversation I’d had with my friend Heidi when I was fourteen years old, and in the show Magdalene.

Heidi was the most confident person I’d ever seen! One day, I decided to ask her, “Heidi! How did you become so confident?!”

“I went through a very lonely time in my life. God grew me so much! And it was really, really painful. But it was so worth it, because look at me now!”

Today I thought, was this my lonely time? If so… it wasn’t even that bad! And how BLESSED am I that it wasn’t that painful, and that it happened in SOUTH AFRICA?!

Thinking back, it was painful. I have felt a lot of hurt. But it was all because of growing pains. And I would go through them again and again to learn the valuable things I’ve been lucky enough to learn!

I know I have a long way to go… but I think I have—rather, I KNOW I have—gained more confidence! I am so excited. Sigh.

After this lovely adventure, it was time to go. But no one was on the bus… and Heather and I naturally REALLY wanted some coffee… SO we ran away to find some! Lucky for us, there was an award-winning little store right outside the bus! With COFFEE!!! Unfortunately… I believe they won their award for the slowest coffee-making in South Africa. Ahem. So once again… we were the LAST ones on the bus!!!

I have NEVER been the last one on the bus, besides today! So, obviously, I had to make up for it. I was making an entrance!

Our final field trip stop was to see the penguins!

WHO KNEW THERE WERE PENGUINS IN SOUTH AFRICA?! When you think penguins, don’t you picture icy slopes and Eskimos and igloos? So do I. We are both wrong, my friend.

Their mating call is like a LAWN MOWER.

It’s great, because on the way there, I asked Shayna, “What does a penguin sound like?”

We never could have suspected the answer. You couldn’t miss it for MILES.

On our way back to BI, Janet and I hopped off the bus a bit early to go to my doctor’s appointment.

This I was real excited for.

NOT.

I have been PRAYING and praying that he would not find it necessary to pull out that scalpel again…!!!!!!

On the way to the office, I told Janet (my Bible buddy) that I was reading through 1 Samuel and LOVING IT, and she says to me, “Renna… did you know that I’m studying David right now??”

Um. “NO!!!” Jesus. What’s up.

SO I told her all about my excitement with David and we were super happy about it… and then—

“Renna, the doctor will see you now”

GULP.

“How is your arm doing, Renna?”

“SO much better, sir!” Do you like the sir?! Will it keep you from your power tools?! “I have been taking my meds every day and changing the gauze and putting savlon (South African Neosporin) on it and keeping it clean! Did I mention I was taking my meds?!” See, Doc? No surgery necessary!!!

“Let’s have a look.”

In literally about 30 seconds, he checked it, gave me new gauze, said I was fine, wished me happy Easter, and charged me 315 Rand.

THANKS.  SO apparently, I am single handedly paying for his Easter party or something. Right on.

Janet and I didn’t have a ride home, and we decided to skip the train. This gave us great time for some hardcore conversation. She blew my mind with her new revelations about David and Jonathon.

And then she told me her story.

I am struggling to see God in it. She has been through so much. And her faith is solid as a rock. I have so much respect for what she’s gone through. It’s amazing to see how God has shaped her amidst much ugly.

I don’t understand, Lord. I really don’t. But thankfully, I don’t have to. I trust that you were at work the whole time, Father. And that you will reveal your purpose in due course.

I honestly believe that nothing we go through is in vain. Take hope in that in whatever pains and struggles you’ve gone through.

I was super blessed by my time with Janet. I don’t know what I’d do without her.

On the way home, Debs and I convinced our taxi driver to drop by Pick ‘N Pay so we could assemble the necessary items to cook spaghetti for our family! Mission: Successful.

When we made the spaghetti, I don’t know how much our family liked it! “I’ve never had this before!”

I was SHOCKED. At home, pasta is all I eat. ALL combinations of pasta… I couldn’t imagine my life without it.

Therefore, Debs and I changed their life tonight.

I think they were kind of iffy on it though J.

We were then off to Ghost Town. We got rid of Jordan and Luke. We have officially replaced them! WOOOOO HOOOOOO! Just kidding. They are staying the night at their grandparents so that they don’t have to go to the THREE HOUR church service tomorrow.

Don’t get me wrong. I love Jesus AND church. But a three-hour Anglican service may be a bit too much to handle.

It was about this time that Debs and I REALLY needed chocolate. It was an emergency. And the horrible part was that there was LOADS of chocolate in the house! But it wasn’t for us! It was for the kids at church! NOOOOOOO!!!

I volunteered us to help stuff the Easter “packets,” hoping there would be chocolate left over. It was TORTURE stuffing packet after packet with chocolate Easter bunnies, chocolate eggs, Kit Kats, and giant chocolate bars, knowing I couldn’t have any. Sniff, sniff.

However! When we were done, there were a bunch of Kit Kats and mini chocolate eggs left. Paul let us eat them!!!!

HAAAAAALELUJAH!!!!!!! THEY WERE SO GOOD!!!!!

I honestly believe that chocolate has the ability to make things better. It’s true.

And now, Debs and I are sitting having our blogging/ picture uploading/ journaling/ Bible reading time.

It’s quite the party.

No class tomorrow!

Woot Woot!

Hey. Today I went to the South-Western edge of South Africa.

Is this real life?