"Sawubona" South Africa!

"Sawubona" in Zulu means Hello!

I'm sorry that I haven't been able to post until now, however the internet access is costly and our team is extremely busy. There are SO many things I would like to share with you, but for today I'll just post a few pictures. I'm sitting at the Menalyn Mall Center in Pretoria after our second day of classes. It's just like our malls in the US, but with almost all your purchasing needs in one place and an internet cafe!

Our first flight left from Boston at 5:30 PM on Monday, June 20 and we arrived to a dreary (14 hour layover) in Paris on the 21st. We were able to leave the airport for day sight-seeing, but due to a sleepless flight, we decided to spend a couple hours walking around and then decided to take it easy. Tara, Todd, and I got separated from the group on the way to the Eiffel Towel and decided to justify a few few hours sitting at a street side cafe with this view:

We boarded late in the evening and tried to sleep as much as possible on the almost 11 hour flight to Johannesburg. Such a relief to arrive safely baggage and all!

Driving to Pretoria...

We're staying a lovely center in Silverton (Pretoria). The people here are incredibly friendly and welcoming; they are filled with warmth and have genuinely joyful spirits. We've done so much in our short time here including visiting the Public Gardens (gorgeous!), Apartheid Museum, and Johannesburg. Last Friday night we played in a drum circle in the middle of an African field somewhere!

On Sunday we took a day of rest. It was a beautifully sunny-cool day, so after attending Willows Church, a few of us walked for a few hours through the Botanical Gardens near our site:

"Happily Lost" in the woods of the Botanical Gardens

 

 

 

Waterfall.. we found it!

After the gardens I made my way up to our Chapel on the Hill ;) and watched the most beautiful sunset I've ever seen:

We started classes yesterday for the Mamelodi (township) Winter Program. I have 7 students so far and they are absolutely incredible. I'm sorry I can't share more now, but I hope to update at least once every 2 weeks. Please keep me, our team, and our students in your thoughts and prayers.