Tuesday, June 15, 2010

THE WORLD CUP AND SUDDEN GOODBYES


The energy in South Africa for the World Cup has been so fun to experience! Everyone is in celebration and excitement. The World Cup songs play everywhere and EVERYONE has a Bafana Bafana (their national team's name) jersey, from politicians to bank tellers to
businessmen. And everywhere is heard the sounds of the Vuvuzela
(that plastic, loud horn that characterizes South African soccer
fan cheering and makes everyone deaf). All the games are televised everywhere, on big screens in malls and restaurants. Everyone is singing and dancing and enjoying the world being there. I have also learned so much about the flags of different countries!




I didn't get to go to an actual World Cup game, but we did get to go to a warm up game in the new stadium in Durban and experience the soccer fans! WOW!!!



But then I also learned just as the World Cup was starting that my visa paperwork was not correct and I had to leave South Africa as soon as possible. So I had to say goodbye to 115 children that I have really grow to deeply love. Here are the teenage boys, who are SO fun to be around. They love hip hop and the tallest one in the white shirt, Mzizi, is a brillant hip hop dancer (well, they all are but he and Sanele next to him are particularly good and practice all the time!). But it was sooooo hard to say goodbye to all the kids, young and old. I hope that I can return there. It is sad for them to have yet another short term person come and go in their lives.

So, I flew out today in such sadness as all sorts of celebrating was happening all around me. South Africa is such an incredible place. And the orphans have affected my life in such a profound way that all I want to do is serve them and others in the same situation the rest of my life. Now, I return to the big city. Wow.

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