A True Inspiration (Reflective Piece)

After a spectacular day of hiking at The Cape Point, and group picture time, our group had the opportunity to listen to Alison Alexander’s personal story, a native South African who grew up in a township.  Alison has an incredible life story, and I am so thankful and honored that she took the time out of her schedule to share with us her personal story.  She grew up with multiple siblings and actually was one of the only girls her family to make it completely through grade school.  At a young age, Alison had a vision to reach out to others and desired to make a difference in the world.  However, she had set expectations from her parents.  Both her mom and her dad wanted her to stay at home and start a family right after grade school.  Even the South African Government prevented Alison from pursuing her vision, as women during this time were prohibited from going to any University.  Alison had hoped to go to a University to become a social worker so she could reach out to children by providing them with the tools to build lives outside the townships.  Although she never actually went to a University, she still managed to follow through with her hopes and dreams.  Alison developed a non-profit organization called The Rainbow House, which houses about 12 abandoned, abused, and neglected children.  She shared with us some of the stories about the children she has cared for in her houses, and let’s just say that no child should have to live in the terrible conditions that were discussed. 

            Needless to say, she has a very rewarding, but difficult profession.  I admire her work ethic and her compassion to help others.  Her motivation to care for these children is an incredible gift and it has allowed me to realize how blessed we all are to have people like Alison in our world.  I also respect the fact that she fought for what she believed in, which was a greater life for herself.  I can’t imagine this was an easy step in her life, but I can tell that she is happy with how her life has played out, and she even mentioned that she wouldn’t change one thing about her organization.  She sees it expanding within the next couple of years, however she truly believes that she has developed a place that incorporates all of her values and follows her set vision.  On top of that, Alison has developed an organization that teaches children “bible based values.”  Just by listening to her story, I could tell that she is a strong Christian woman.  On top of her leadership skills and heart of compassion, I also admire her sense of faith.  This part of her story definitely made me question if I am living my life to its fullest.  On our long bus ride to our African Safari site, I popped in my ipod and took some time to reflect about my own life.  It still hasn’t hit me that I am in a new country because of the fact that we have not been fully exposed to the lifestyle of those who live in the townships.  Our entire week has been filled with site seeing, and although we have been provided with background information on the culture of South Africa, I am not sure I feel ready to enter the “east side” of the country.  I assume no one feels entirely prepared to enter a new culture, which is a little reassuring, but still intimidating.  I guess you could say that I am scared of feeling vulnerable.  I am the kind of person that puts on a smile even when I am feeling distressed.  I have had multiple opportunities on mission trips to be exposed to impoverished areas and it has made me realize how much I take for granted.  After taking three leadership courses, I want to go into this week having an open mind and also having the mindset that it is okay to feel vulnerable.  On a bigger level, I hope to build a relationship with my host family.  I want to gain a clear understanding of what it is like to live below standards, and explore what kind of life passions and values my family holds.  Alison’s story in particular has inspired me to really look at my life passions and to even examine myself as a person.  It amazes me that someone like Alison, having very few resources to begin with, can make such a huge impact on others.  I have all the resources in the world, and yet I take them for granted every day.  My mission is to take risks this week, explore my own passions and values, and put them to the test. 


Thanks for reading:)  Much love.

Taking on a new perspective

Today was our second full day in Cape Town.  I started on time today, however it was a rough morning after my interesting shower experience.  My roommate Simone and I woke up extra early to shower before breakfast and we have figured out that the showers only stay hot for about one minute intervals.  After these time frames the showers become extremely cold.  This is not really how I like to wake up in the morning, but I am adapting, and may or may not shower for the rest of the trip.  Just kidding:) The rest of my morning was filled with an informative lecture given by Alan Jansen, our program director, on the history/background of Cape Town.  One interesting concept that I pulled from the lecture was the idea that everyone has different perceptions.  I have entered an entirely new culture that is incredibly different from my home in Woodbury, Minnesota.  The point is, I am challenging myself to take on a new perspective, and just because it is outside my norm, does not mean it should be considered abnormal.  I think it’s difficult to think this way because we have engraved in our minds that our way, is the best way.  In fact, something that I have observed in the past two days here is how “American” our food has been.  Last night we were told we would have an authentic South African meal, however the rest of the meals have been pretty standard.  For example, we were given sandwiches, fruit, chips, and a juice box for lunch yesterday, and today, we were given a cold hot dog, fruit, juice, and a candy bar.  It seems to me that people, specifically the South African cooks, are trying to live up to our standards.  Maybe they feel the need to make us feel more comfortable in their country, or maybe that is really what they eat for lunch.  Either way, I feel that we should live by their expectations and not the other way around.  We are guests in their country, and I personally feel we should adapt and learn to live by their set standards.  In my own opinion, I think that the only way to see the world from a different perspective is to walk in someone else's shoes.  I think I will get more of a feel of what this means next week when I meet my host family in Gugulethu.  As I mentioned before, this experience will for sure force me to step outside of my comfort zone and adapt to the standards of my family.  I can't wait to meet them:)  

Thanks for reading.  The next couple of days are filled with fun adventures:)  I can't wait to share them with you. 

Much love:)    

I made it :)

I can actually say that I am in Cape Town South Africa:)  I am officially sick of flying and sitting at airports and am extremely happy to be able to walk around outside and smell fresh air.  The plane from Amsterdam to Cape Town was awesome.  I am pretty sure I watched a total of 6 movies and 8 T.V. shows in 24 hours.  Our group was welcomed by Aaron Asmundson, our instructor, and Alan Jansen, the Arcadia Program leader, when we arrived at the Cape Town airport.  It was nice to see a familiar face and it made me feel more comfortable that they knew their way around Cape Town.  Today was our first official day in Cape Town, and I am really excited for the next couple of days.  My roommate Simone and I already managed to sleep through our alarm, which was a great way to start off our first day:)  Today was mostly orientation stuff and safety tips for our three week trip.  We had a chance to take a bus tour of Cape Town, and learned a lot about the history of Cape Town South Africa.  One intersting fact that I learned was that Cape Town is divided into a West and East side.  The West side we saw today, and it is known as the "wealthy side."  The East side on the other hand, is consumed by poverty.  This Sunday, our group will have the opportunity to experience the so-called "East Side" at hand.  We will be staying with families in the townships and will get to see what it's like to live below standards.  I am looking forward to this part of the trip.  I think it will be an awesome experience for me to step outside my comfort zone and learn a lot about the culture and lifestyle of the South African people.  Tonight, we will have the opportunity to eat a real South African style dinner at the Riverview Lodge, which is where we will be staying for this week and also our last week in Cape Town.  So far, I love everything about Cape Town.  The Weather was rainy today, but it still beats Minnesota:)  On our city tour today, we got a chance to see the stadium where the world cup took place!  It makes me so happy that this country loves soccer:)  Well that's it for now!  Thanks for all of your love and support, miss you all!

Much love:)

4 Days and counting!!!

My blog is finally finished!  I have been spending the entire week trying to perfect this page, but I have realized that this is a space for me to just reflect on the feelings and thoughts I have towards my trip to South Africa.  The trip actually seems real now that I have been packing, and saying goodbye to my friends and family.  I never thought I would ever have the opportunity to study abroad, especially to South Africa.  I feel so incredibly blessed to be going with such a great group of people and to have the opportunity to step outside of my comfort zone.  I am feeling very anxious, but extremely excited.  After our pre-departure meetings, I feel a lot more comfortable with what we will be doing while we are at the University and in the Townships.  My main goal is to stay open minded and immerse myself in the South African Culture by opening my heart and mind to new things.  I want to come back from this trip with no regrets, and most of all, I want to hope to build strong relationships with the people in my group and the families and people I meet in South Africa.  

I am ready to take on this experience ahead of me, and I can't wait to share it with all of you:)  Thanks for all your love and support!

Much more to come:)