Sun City (day 26)

Ok, today has to be the best day of my life so far. I actually got to ride a Jet Ski. Heck yes, praise God, thank you Jesus. Oh it was amazing. Despite the fact that it only lasted 4 laps, which is about 10 or so minutes, but it was still so amazing. It was worth every dime. Now I was to young to drive it alone, so my sister-in-law had to ride on the back with me. They took her out first for training, so they showed her how to drive so she could teach me. She got back to the dock, told me "Speed up on waves, keep going, stay with in the white, and yield for the parasailers." Right when she said that, I floored it off. It took me about 1 lap to get the hand of how it handled, and then I was flooring it the whole time. I almost ran into the parasailers, but oh well. I almost tipped a few times to, but who cares. Now, we did other things to. We went on a few water slides, went in a wave pool for an hour, and I went on a 90 degree angle water slide that scared the crud out of me. We went walking around the park and saw some cool things as well. Side note, Michael Jackson owns a good percentage of Sun City....just wanted to say that. Anyways, it was a fun day, it was great, and it was Blessed by God that we got to do the things we did. Here are a few pictures.
Love,
Simon

Ok, so it seems the pictures aren't wanting to upload, I will see if I can get it to work later.

Yo Yo Yo (day 25)

Lol, weird title eh? I didn't really do anything today. We all woke up to late for church, so we stayed home. We went to a friends tonight, and stayed there till 11 P.M. Thats about it. lol. So I basically am just posting so no one gets mad that I didn't post. Ill talk to you guys later.
Love,
Simon

p.s. Tomorrow I go to sun city( http://www.sun-city-south-africa.com/ ) I am going to try everything I can while I am there.

coming to an end (day 24)

I can't believe it. I have been here 24 days and only have 3 left. This trip has just been so amazing. I have learned so much...and I have so many plans and ideas and a new thought process for when I get home. Thank you again to everyone who donated to the trip, and to those of you who thought about it even for a second, thank you to those of you who have been reading my blog and juts seeing what I am up to. Thank you to Community Kids Madras for the awesome card you made me. Thanks for everything everyone. You guys are the most amazing people I know. I have gotten to do a quite a few fun things, but I have most of all gotten to learn a lot about the culture here. I have seen the good and the bad. The happy and the sad. The rich and the poor. Its amazing how close they live, distance wise. My eyes have been opened wider than ever. I can tell you this, I may not ever live here (I couldn't stand the heat), but by gosh golly I will be back again. Maybe not soon, but I will. Next time, I will have the knowledge of what goes on here, what to be prepared for, and hopefully the ability to help more. Tomorrow we go to church, and do whatever. Monday we go to Sun City, a cool place from what I hear. We are going to try and go Jet Skiing, provided its worth the price they told us. Tuesday I begin Packing, Wednesday I go to a big mall in Pretoria in the morning, then head to the airport around 3 or 4, 7 something my plain takes off, Thursday I land in Atlanta around 8 something in the morning. Friday I go back to my normal life. The only thing is, I don't want my life to be the same as when I left. I was careless, didn't think all that much about others, and didn't know whats going on in this world. I have even had some personal changes while I am hear. I have lost some wait, thank you God, and now when I get back I want to maintain that. I have gained so much from this trip, and knowing that there is only 3 days left is saddening. I do miss home though, I miss my mom, my dad, my dog, my bed, my room, the ability to use my cell phone instead of just using it as a mp3 player, the cold weather lol, fast internet, and my friends. I have a lot to think about in the next 72 hours. A lot to do.
love,
simon

Safari pictures (day 23)

Ok, here are the pictures from day 21, we went on a trip to a nature reserve. The great part about this nature reserve is the animals are pretty much free, they aren't divided from the humans, or other animals, so it makes it a real excitement cause you really have to search for them. My brother-in-law did a great job navigating us through and finding a lot of animals. We even saw a cheetah run behind our car, we didn't get a picture cause it ran so fast, but it was cool to see. Anyways, here are the pictures. We where really close to most of these animals (we where in a car)











I have to upload some pictures to myspace to, so I don't really have time to put captions under these pictures, but maybe later. I just wanted to get them uploaded for your enjoyment. I hope you enjoyed.
Love,
Simon

Merry Christmas (day 22)

Ok, sorry for the lack of posting yesterday, but I decided that I am going to do a major post tomorrow when we probably will have wi-fi at the mall and I don't have to worry about exceeding the limit on their internet here. I have lots of pictures from yesterday that I want to share. So I am posting this to wish you all a Merry Christmas back home, and I hope you all have a safe and jolly one. May all your Christmas dreams come true. I hope to have a big post for you guys tomorrow.
Love,
Simon

P.S. All the pictures I post are COPY RIGHTED (Arya) so don't steel them without crediting me at least. lol.

wrapping (day 20)

So nothing that special to report today. We did gift wrapping at the mall today from 12 till 3:30, and then at 5:30 we went to go watch the new James Bond movie, and I also found the surfing shirt I have been looking for. So not a whole lot to report today. Not a whole lot to report for the next couple of days, sorry. Here is a pic of my sis rapping.
Love,
Simon

Jakes Car Wash (day19)

ok, this blog is going to be a bit personal. Sorry, haven't done anything much today. Ok, so a year ago my brother-in-law was having a hard time sleeping. It was 4 a.m. and he was still awake. So he started praying to God and asked "God, please lead me to what I am suppose to do" So God said to him clearly "start a car wash" so he asked "what do I call it?" God said in his dreams that night "Jakes Car Wash" My brother-in-law was like "what?" and just ignored it. That morning his friend calls him at 10 a.m. and says "Want to go to the mall?" he said "sure". So he goes to the mall and they go to Levi. The first shirt my brother-in-law's friend picked up was a shirt that said "Staff" on the front, and on the back it said "Jakes Car Wash". He said "Hey Sebastian (thats my brother-in-laws name) isn't this shirt cool?" My brother-in-law flipped out and said "No way, that cant be" The shirt really does say "Jakes Car Wash". So he bought two of them. Now, about 2 weeks ago (so it took him a year to get started) he was trying to think how to get it started. God said to him "put an ad in the paper" Sebastian was thinking fliers. He decided to do an ad in the paper though 2 weeks ago. Now, ads only last a week, and Sebastian was thinking "who reads ads in the papers. So, a week goes by and no one calls, and my brother-in-law was thinking "see, no answers to the ad". So then this Saturday someone called and schedule an appointment for today at 3:30. Wow. So we went today to do it, and me and my brother-in-law wore the 2 "Jakes Car Wash" shirts to the house. We washed the car and the guy said "I want you to come out every week and wash my car, and I have a few friends I can refer you to as well". It was so awesome. When they told me the story I was so amazed, if you don't believe me about the shirt, here it is.

Pretty cool eh? So quick run down, tomorrow my sister is going to be wrapping gifts at the mall from 12 to 3, so me and my brother-in-law have a few things to do around the mall. Then we are watching the new James Bond Movie. So not a whole lot of cool stuff going on right now, but there are a few things coming up. I am not sure if there are any missionary work stuff is coming up, but if not its ok. I have to start making a video for my church before I leave, so I still have a bit to do. Sorry for there not being so much to post about, but I thought this was cool. Anyways, I am off to watch Jeff Dunham again, piece out.
Love,
Simon

Make up (day 18)

Ok, I know I haven't posted a serious blog in a while. Sorry, we have been doing a lot of traveling and I have been recovering from it and my sickness. So you know, I am cured, God willingly, so I am feeling better. We have been doing a lot lately. This weekend I spent the night in a township, its not the worst of the townships, they had a pretty nice house that we stayed at, so it made it a bit better, but there where lot of bad areas in the township as well. It was a really interesting thing to be in the township. We went to the church they have there, which is a tin shack basically, so it was hot as heck lol. My brother-in-law was asked to preach so it was cool. There where so many people of God there, and you could just feel the presence of him. So you know, I haven't gone Jet Skiing yet, some time soon though. Anyways, tonight we got back from the township and went to a Christmas party thing that they had at my sister and brother-in-laws church. It was quite fun. Anyways, I am going to post a few pictures to make up for the time lost, have a great day guys.
Love,
Simon



This is part of the township I stayed in, this is the more poor area.

This is the taxi poor people ride in. There are thousands of these things and they are driven by crazy drivers that don't care for peoples well being because he gets paid per person, not how far.

My Niece was riding me like a horse.

My Niece was chasing a peacock and a theme park we went to

I think the lady in the pictures was making fun of the the guy, and he was begging for money, by dancing and taking pictures, he had his son with him. This was at a flea market.

sorry (day 16)

Sorry I haven't been posting in the past 2 days guys, I lost my convertor for my laptop so I need to pick one up, so I can load pictures and stuff. Ill start blogging soon hopefully. Tomorrow we are going to spend the night at a township, so for the next 2 days I deffinitely wont be posting, but I will post when I get back to get you guys back up to date. Sorry for the lack of blogging though. Stay tuned.

Love,
Simon

Picture madness (day 13)

Ok, so this blog is going to be really short cause not to much happened. Brief update. We left our cottage today around 11:30 A.M. and headed to our formal party. We got to our Inn that we are staying at here (its a LOT nicer than the cottage). Then we got dressed and headed out to the party at 4:30. We got to the party, enjoyed our selves, and now we are back at the Inn getting ready to go to there room and watch them open presents (and maybe eat cake, oh that would be nice). So its been a good and long day. I am feeling a bit better now, i have been taking meds and other remedies to get better, and my throat is a bit better, god willing I will be better really soon. Tomorrow we are headed to pick up our real car, then heading to one of my brother-in-laws friends houses to stay there, then the next day we are going to this theme park sort of thing, and Friday is to be determined by my health. So lots and lots coming up. I am pumped. Anyways, thats that. Here are a bit of pictures from today.
love,
simon

p.s. we went on another hike today, just to set the scene for some of the pics, and it was really nice.



Olivia at the party posing like a model.

Me and Sebastian on the mountain.

I was at a pretty high point on our hike, Sebastian did a great job with this pic.

This is us outside on our hike. I took the photo so I wasn't in it.

This is us posing before the party.

Here is the cottage we stayed in yesterday

Here is a baboon that was in the middle of the road, there where a bunch of them.

Got a cold (day 12)

GAHHHHH, I am sick. I cant stop sniffing and it sucks sucks sucks. We drove up in the mountains today and I think the weather change mixed with allergies is killing me. I am truly annoyed by this cold. I have taken every darn medicine I can, drank hot coco 3 times, rested, nothing is working. Anyways, enough of the depressing annoying news. So today we started our drive to a formal party we are going to tomorrow. It took us 7 hours to get here. We are staying in two cottages in the mountains, and man is it beautiful. I didn't get a chance to take pictures of the cottages today because the clouds moved in on us right when we got here, the clouds literally where right on our level. Then they moved in on the cottages and it started raining and it got really really cold fast. Now, moving back a bit, we rented a car to do this long journey of ours. We rented a Kia Picanto, which is a bit of a small car. Now, there were 4 adults, and 1 baby traveling, and lots of luggage. It was a tight fit, but we made it, and it was quite nice actually. Its a nice car and its really cute. We didn't do to much today, but I have a few pictures to put in. Tomorrow I have a formal birthday party to go to, so I will try and bring some pics back. Sorry for no blog yesterday, but there is not contract that says I have to post every day lol. Plus, we had to get to sleep early cause we had to pick the rental car up at 6 a.m. Anyways, I am sick, and tired, and cold, I am off. Enjoy the pics.
Love,
Simon


Some cool water...im getting a headache some creating captions is hard.

The family...Tasha (my sis) took the pic so she isn't in it.

Our wonderful Kia.

Lighthouse (day 10)

For some reason I am not really in a blogging mood today...not sure why. So I don't think I am going to post much. Just let you know what I did. Today we went to a children's shelter to put on a christmas party. They had a Santa come in on a convertible and give out presents to all the kids and staff. It was great and the kids loved it. A lot of the older boys where scared of Santa though. I have been taking a look at some colleges today as well. So far not a whole lot of luck. I looked at Georgia Tech, but they don't have any good programs, ITT tech is to expensive, and SCAD.....ya. So it looks like this is going to be a long going project, good thing I am looking into it early. Also, I bought my mom's christmas present today...haha mom, deal with the torture of having to wait and guess what it is....mwahahahahaha. Ok, also we went to a restaurant today called wimpy. No I didn't find any mold in my food there..that I know of, but check out what their cream soda looks like.



wow..sorta looks like there is mold in it lol. I couldn't believe that it was green, in yet it still tasted normal. Sorta weird. Anyways, tomorrow we go to church, then we head off for 4 days, not sure what internet access will be like, so if I don't blog much or at all, sorry, Ill get back to it. Promise. I have a formal party, and a whole lot of other things. we had to rent a car to go and do it all. Anyways, Im tired, sorry for the short blog, have a great day guys.
Love,
Simon

Booty and the Beast (day 9)

Ok, so yesterday we went and saw Beauty and the Beast (or, I got my Niece to say Booty and the Beast, just cause I could lol). It was at a casino called Montecasino. Its a beautiful casino, I mean beautiful. It has lots of shops and restaurants, and theaters. So my brother-in-laws sister, my Niece, and me went to a restaurant while my brother-in-law and sister went to a special meeting dinner they where having there. Then we all went to Beauty and the Beast. My brother-in-law and his friend Andre sat in the front, and My sister, brother-in-laws sister, Niece, and I sat in the balcony (which I have to admit where better seats than sitting in the front). So the first half was really good, and my Niece did a good job of not getting scared, until, the beast jumped out and he scared everyone in the crowed. She started balling, and not like a loud balling, but a awwwww kind of ball. So my sister had to leave the theater and go calm her down. Thankfully that was the end of the first half and we where aloud a 15 minute break. Then we came back and we realized there where a lot of seats closer up available, so my brother-in-laws sister and I moved up to those, and my sister stayed a ways back so my Niece wouldn't get scared. The show was really good, which is amazing, cause I normally hate musicals. I would have taken pictures of the theater, but they didn't allow photography in the building. But I do have some pictures to share from the night, but thats later. After the show, we went to this really nice restaurant for desert. Almost everyone got a chocolate Moose, including myself. So I was on the last bite of my chocolate moose, and I was really enjoying it, and then I see this white fuzz on top of my chocolate moose. So I asked Andre (he is a doctor) what it was. He grabbed the spoon and looked at it then kind of gave a mysterious in yet knowing look. So I asked "what is it?". He said "I'm not gonna tell you cause I don't want you to freak". I'm like "uhhh, I just ate it, so your gonna have to tell me" So he says "Its mold". WHAT!!!!! There was mold on top of the chocolate moose. The only reason I recognized it is because the light hit it perfectly enough for me to see. So Andre goes and shows it to a worked, then they go and show it to another, so like the whole staff is a little freaked, and it didn't seem like they had a manager there, so they where all like, avoiding us. I believe they took off my Chocolate Moose off the bill, but I think everyone else had to pay for theres. It took them about 15 minutes to sort out the matter though. I was honestly disgusted and freaking out...I mean, I ate mold...what the heck. GAHHHHHHH!!!! Anyways, it was quite an eventful day. Ok, so I am going to have to do another post in about 6 hours for todays events, so I am going to cut this one off, but the main event for that day, the mold. GAH. lol.
Love,
Simon

P.S. All the pictures below where taken inside Montecasino


Andre, my Niece, and my brother-in-law.

My sister, by brother-in-laws sister, and I.

My sister, Niece, Brother-in-law, me, and my Brother-in-laws sister,

McDonalds and Redneck lighting (day 8)

Well today was a relax kind of day. Sebastian (my brother-in-law) had to type up his application for Harvard so we just stayed at home today. Now a whole lot happened. We did put up the Christmas tree though. This was my Niece’s first Christmas tree. She told me where to put everything, and I put it there for her. We also went to McDonalds for ice cream tonight. Just so you guys know, McDonalds is like, the king of fast food here. Its actually called a family resteraunt. The lines at McDonalds for the drive through are huge all the time, and inside as well. So McDonalds is more popular here than it is in the USA. Lol. Also on the way back we saw this house that had lots of lights on it (not many people here decorate for Christmas) So there where people just all around the house just looking at it. One truck had a couch on the back of it with people sitting in it, and they drove to the house just to stare at the lights. They where there for at least 5 minutes. It was crazy. Anyways, I am sorry I don’t have a whole lot to post today, but like I said, it was a lay back kind of day. Tomorrow I am going to go see a musical, “Beauty and the Beast” so I am going to try and stay awake during it and let you guys know how it is. The musical takes place in a huge Casino in Johanesburg so I will try to bring some pictures from it. Not sure if I will get to blog tomorrow or not, so if I don’t, sorry.
Love,
Simon

P.S. Sorry I didn't post this yesterday, my brother-in-law was up till 2 A.M. working on his application to Harvard so I didn't have internet access. Not sure if I will have a post tonight because we are going to "Beauty and the Beast"

Freedom Park (day 7)

So today has been a...hmmm, whats a good word....powerful day. I started my day at a squatter called Freedom Park. If you don't know what a squatter is, go to www.m-w.com and check it there. It was a really sad site to see. When getting near the place though, I could feel the presence of God....but I felt a layer of discomfort as well. Then we got there...and what a site. And I don't mean a good site. Their houses where made out of tin. The police station was a cargo box like you see on trains. Imagine how hot that gets when the sun hits it. You would see kids running around every where with no supervision. I am going to post the pictures early in the blog so you can have a visual to work off of.



So the two pictures above are there houses, and then the police office. Its terrible. The police force is full of great people though. So we went and prayed for the people, and then they broke out in song...they where just so lively and ready for God to be with them.

They where just great people. Over 20 people got saved today and it was amazing. These people where so ready for God to come into there hearts. One story I want to share is one of the people I prayed for. I had just gotten done praying with 6 people, and I was just standing by the clinic waiting line (which is the picture above) and just looking for God to call me to someone. Then, this lady raises her hand and said "please come pray for us" So I said "thank you God" and went to see her. I knelt down and asked "what can I pray for you today" She said, please pray for me and my son, for good health and financial help." So I prayed for them. They had huge and warming smiles at the end. Then I went back to the outside of the line, and they all broke out in song again. Then, the little boy that I prayed for turned to me, smiled a huge smile, and gave me a thumbs up. My heart just felt so uplifted and warm and all I could do was smile and give a thumbs up back. Then, at the end, he came and put his thumb against mine, smiled, and walked home with his mom. I just felt so good. I think that the people there may have helped me more than I could help them. Just cause they showed me so much of how out of tune I am with the people struggling to live, and how much I take stuff for granted. There is so much more I want to type, but it is 10:30 here. I have one last thing to say though. My brother-in-law told this to someone at Freedom Park today. "If you stand in a garage you don't become a car, and if you sit in church, you don't become a Christian, you actually have to do something" So it was a really good quote, I can't quote it as good as him, but you get it. Ok, so I need to go, but tomorrow is going to be a lay back and relax day, so I can post more about today on there.
Love,
Simon

The never ending hike (day 6)

Ok, so today we decided to go hiking. We would go to the nature reserve around 3ish, cook some good food, eat, and then at 4 head out on a hike up a hill on a mountain. No big deal right? WRONG! Oh so so so so wrong. Ok so here is how it played out. We started walking up this path, then it has a sign saying "hiking trail this way" no problem. So we started, and we looked up and we where close to the top. So we get there, and then we see another high point, so my sister turns to me and says "Almost there" so I nodded and said ok, then continued. Got to the top, and there was more. My sister turns to me and says "almost there", So I nod again and say ok, then continue on. We get to the top, and then there is more. My sister turns to me and says "almost there" and I just nod. We take a break, then head back up. So we get to the top, and there is more. So my sister and brother-in-law say "almost there" and I quickly say "NO, stop saying that, every time you do, there is more and more" Finally, we get to the top of that one, and we are actually at the top. It was a long hike, and quite breath taking, not because of the beauty, all though it was beautiful, but mainly because of the long and hot hike. The view really was nice. We saw lots of nice animals on the way and even saw a Sable Antelope, picture will be below. My brother-in-law, on the way down, saw to Hawks. The climb down by the way, much better than the climb up. After the hike, we had about 35 minutes to get out of the nature reserve, so we got in the car, and took the long way out so we could see more animals. It was about 6:25 and the sun was going down and it was cool outside, so you could see more animals. Now, we saw lots of zebra and antelope and other animals, but we had one problem. We where riding in 2 cars, I was with my brother-in-law's sister and her friend. My brother-in-law, sister, niece, and brother-in-law's mom was in the other car. The car I was in had been giving us trouble while we where in the other town, but we out coolant in it and it started working fine. Well today it started over heating again. So I told my brother-in-law's sister to just go faster and it would cool it off. So she sped up quite fast and it started cooling down. If we would have broken down there, it wouldn't have been as bad as if we where in a lion park, but still, its no good to break down in a nature reserve. Thankfully we made it out safe, and let the car cool down. I have lots of pictures, and I would love to share all of them, but I cant. They are aloud only 2 gigs of internet usage a month on there 3g network, so I can only upload a few. So here a few cool and funny ones.
love,
simon

This is how South Africans get to work. Its a great way to avoid traffic.

This is my sister and Brother-in-law at the top of the mountain looking down.

I was taking a picture of the town and I magically got a sable antelope in the shot. lol.

This is me on the sign that was pointing towards the trail.

Pizzeria (day 5)

Whew, I can't believe I have been here for 5 days already. Its quite amazing. Nothing really interesting has happened today, so I am going to just give a little in site and stuff about what I have learned and observed so far.

So, when I was getting ready for this trip, I was trying to think what the place would be like. I thought, not that technology advanced, and not to advanced in general. Well, I was really wrong. Actually, they are a bit more advanced then us in some ways. 3g networks and wireless internet offed on a 3g network any where were cell service is available is new to the USA, and not as advanced. Where as in here, it is quite advanced and used by all most everyone and home internet (like charter, at&t, and newnan utilities) is used very little. Its quite convenient for when you are on the road, but the speeds aren't as fast as a home network. Everyone has a phone here, and every SMS's (text messages, they call it SMS here though). The young kids use it, the teens use it, the adults use it, and the even older generation uses it. In the USA, very few seniors use it, not that many adults, most the teens, and very few kids. So in the US its mainly the teens and working adults that require it. Where as here, its everyone. Again, don't let me make this place sound perfect, cause you can drive just a few miles down the road and find people who have 2 pairs of cloths, work on a farm to be able to stay in a maids corder's which is the size of a guest bathroom, and have no car. Its terrible, and a lot of people just over look them and do nothing about the problem. Its quite sad. On Wednesday I will be heading to a place called freedom park which is where a lot the poor community is. These people are from south africa or other countries and they went there to work in the mines. Now I am sure you are thinking "oh, they got a job, very good, that means they have a source of income" Well they probably get paid 1 to 2 rand a day, and it takes 8 rand to equal 1 US dollar, so you tell me if you are still thinking the same thing. (side note, the service here in South Africa SUCKS. I am at a Pizzeria and it has free wi-fi. I just asked for another sprite 5 minutes ago, and I still haven't gotten it...sigh) Anyways, back to freedom Park. So we will be going there on Wednesday and we will be feeding them as well as praying for them. Just to throw this out there, I can tell you as many stories and show you as many pictures and videos as I can, but in all honestly, as much as you think you will know about how this place is, you wont truly know how it is until you come here and experience and see it all for your self. Now, you still get a general idea of how it is, but my sister would always tell me about these things, and I never imagined them to be as bad as I have seen. The worst part is, liquor stores open up near these poor villages and then the poor people think "oh, the only way I can feel better is if I am drunk and can't think about it, but in all honesty, we all know it is not that way. Drinking to feel better is like using a air freshener to cover up a smell. (I am referring to a commercial here). There is a commercial back in the states that claims this. "regular air cleaners only cover the smell, but the smell is still there, where as ours eliminates the smell at the root." Its the same way in this situation. Drinking Alcohol only covers up the problem, but it is still there, where as asking God to help and take care of the problem eliminates it from the roots. (side note again, I just got my soda, its been a total of 10 minutes...GAHHHH). So anyways, its truly amazing what happens here. And as much as there are people here to help solve the problem, there are double the amount here to help support the problem. So its really a no win situation for them.

I think I have done my rant for the day. I am quite tired of writing now. I am going to add some more pictures from the first day, so enjoy.
love,
simon



Ok, now I used absolutely no zoom on this picture, I was really that close to the Zebra. The only thing separating us was the car door.

This is my little Niece and her friend holding hands while following the Giraffe

I know this pictures looks photoshopped, but it honestly wasn't. My camera just made the colors on me pop really well.

Fodisha (day 4)

Wow, what a day. First, ITS HOT! Lol, my body is starting to get use to it, but gosh is it hot. The worst part is it doesn’t stay that way. I bet your thinking..what? lol. What I mean is, the temperature goes from a breeze to pure humidity. Its quite annoying. Like 3 minutes ago, I was really hot…now I am cool. Its quite crazy.

Now, onto my real day. Today we went to a church called Fodisha. Fodisha is a church on a farm in the middle of a very poor community. When I say poor, I mean these people barley have food, no cars, and there houses are small and made from tin. It is a really sad drive to be honest. First of all, the road is closed down technically, only residence are allowed (but the police force here is terrible, so there is no one to enforce that). So we start heading down the road and you see all these kids and older people just walking in the pure heat. Then you can see there “houses” off into the distance. Its just a really sad site. Then we get to the church, and it’s a quite nice place. It has a house, and an area for the kids, and then a building for the main church. Its not huge, and I wish I took a picture of it now, so maybe while I am here I will go again and get a picture of it. Anyways, there where a bunch of kids there, and a few adults as well. So the people who run the church (which are friends of my sister and brother-in-law’s) have trucks go out and pick up the people because they don’t have cars. So then they get there and start playing on a bouncy thing, and volley ball (which I found out today I am pretty good at) and just playing around. It was a great site. Then they go into the church and start singing. Now, the songs aren’t in american because a good bit of the people don’t speak english. Then the preecher gets up and starts talking. She would say it in american, then she had some there to interprut it to the people who don’t speak english. The message was amazing, and had a great story to it. Then at the end of the service, she asked for people that wanted to pray with her to come up, and the rest where dismissed. So she asked My sister, brother-in-law, and me to come and help her pray for people. Now, the praying there is a little different then the way we do it though. They put there hands on the person, and then they start speaking in tongue, then one person starts praying aloud while the rest keep speaking in tongue, then the person finishes praying and the next person starts praying. Now, I didn’t speak in tongue, lol, nor do I really plan to any time soon. Not because I don’t want to, but I think I will know when to start if that time comes. Anyways, I got to pray for 2 people, and then I was present for a few other prayers as well. The best/saddest part was I got to listen to the problems these people where having. Best because I got to listen and be able to help them, and the saddest because they are struggling so hard. Some where battling social workers, others where in pain, and even alchol problems. Its just like problems you and I may face. A relative died, or not having enough money, or alchol, or pain, or anything. They have the same problems we do and then some. Now, quick side note, these people don’t make much money, in yet they still give what they have, so the next time you think you are giving to much, smack your self in the face as hard as you can and as many times as you have to until that thought is gone, cause your insane. Now that I got that out, I learned a lot today as well. Here is one thing I learned:

God’s
Riches
At
Christ’s
Expense

I could come up with something really cool and smart and christian like to say after that, but my brain and body is to tired right now. All I know is that when I think back to the message today, that is what really sticks out.

Ok, all of the above was written around 4 p.m. South Africa time. It is now 9:23 p.m. I just got back from my sisters church, and it is quite a beautiful church. It is sort of like a mini CCC (community christian church). Loud and up to date music, and a great message (all though, today we watched a video of another paster from a different church). It was a real eye opener, and I am going to try and buy the dvd so I can bring it back. Anyways, I don't have to much more to add, but I have a few pictures below.


This is the church that my sister and brother-in-law go to regularly. This is the mini ccc.

This is some of the people at Fodisha dancing to the music.

This is the sound board they use, and the reason I post this is for the CCCers that read this. They will know why I am posting it. lol.

Ok, well that is that. Side note to my parents, everyone loves their gifts. Reshmi and Tessie say thank you, olivia loves her "laptop" (leapfrog), Sebastian loves his fancy shirts, and Tasha loves hers as well.

Also, to answer a question, no, South Africa was not what I thought it would be. It is actually a bit more advanced then what I thought it would be. There are also a lot more american companies and shows here that I thought would never be. Of course, its not all nice, there are many low grade communities, so dont let me fool you into thinking this place is perfect. Well, I must be off, have a great night guys, and I will talk with you again tomorrow.
love,
simon

The American boy / sweet 21 (day 3)

Ok, so today was a pretty fun day. We woke up in the morning and ate breakfast, then we packed up and got ready to head to my sister and brother-in-law's house in Rutsenburg, South Africa. It was a beautiful drive. It was like going through the mountains of Vermont. Once we got here, we had to eat real quickly and then head out to help set up a party for one of their friends. Quick note, yes, the weather is hot here, but, it also rains a whole bunch, so it balances out. Anyways, so we went to the party early and I had to help set up a slide show with my brother-in-law for the party. In South Africa, it is common to celebrate a 21st birthday like we do for the 16th birthday. So we got the powerpoint all set up and everything, and then I got to start meeting the people and everything. They where truly nice and generous people. They where all so excied to see someone from America there (my sister is as well, but it seems that no one is ever excited to see her..lol, I guess I am stealing the show). Anyways, so I got to hang out with a lot of cool people, and they all kept calling me "The American Boy" lol. It was quite funny. They knew my name, but they where saying it in a jokingly manner. I made a few friends and got to see what a 21st Birthday looked like in South Africa. They had lots of food, and soda, and sweets...so it was a perfect party for me lol. Now, this was only a warm up party for her, she is also having a bigger party next week, which I will be attending as well. Its just so crazy how big they celebrate the 21st birthday here. I am trully just over taken by all that has happened today. I met so many nice people, and had some great food, and some some beautiful sites. It has been a great day. Tomorrow I am off to church and then..well I don't know what. I will do my best to blog tomorrow night. I have no pictures from today to share right at this moment, they are all still on my oamera, I need to download them and then upload a few. Well, I am off to bed, I am tired. Have a great night guys, and a blessed weekend.
love,
simon

Ice skatting venture (day 2)

Ahhh, Day 2 is already done. Man it has been quite an adventure already. Now, I know these aren’t getting posted on a daily bases, but they are being written on a daily bases. The reason they don’t get posted when I type them up is because they use 3g internet here (wireless on the go) and when they bought their 3g card, windows vista wasn’t out yet, so it won’t install on my vista laptop. So I basically have to wait until I have a laptop to use that has internet and my sister and brother-in-law’s laptop is back at their house. Anyways, I just wanted to quickly let you guys know why I am not posting these as I am typing them.

So like I said I have had quite a good time already and it is only been 2 days. On Friday we went to a mall which had an ice skating rink inside. Oh you have no idea the joy that brings me. I love ice skating. I am not great at it, heck I’m not even that good, but I have a ball doing it. Mainly because I am from the north and that’s what we do up there. Not that I ever really did it when I was up there. I believe the first person to teach me how to ice skate was my 10 year old cousin…..lol, he is great at skating, and he plays hockey, so he was the best person to learn from. Anyways, I got to teach a friend of mine that I meet here, Jordan, how to ice skate for the first time. My brother-in-law and I were able to get him out on his own in about 45 minutes. He learned a whole lot faster than I did. We didn’t do a whole whole lot today, but for what we did do, it was a ball. It actually was quite an eventful day because my brother-in-law’s, Sebastian, car over heated in a parking garage today. So we had to go buy some coolant to get it working again. Everything ran fine after that. Also, we went through down town Johannesburg today and it is a lot like Atlanta. I also took a picture of Nelson, who is like the Rosa Parks and Abraham Lincoln of South Africa. I have been learning a lot more about the life style and culture here as well, so it has been a great day. I am going to try and upload some pictures from today on here. Well, the others should be waking up soon, so I am off for now. I should get these posted soon. Hope all is well in the US, good luck CCC Madras on your first day without me, you guys will do great without me cause I don’t really do all that much while I am there lol, so you should be set.

p.s. I know these haven't been posted the day they where typen, but thats because I didn't have internet access in the beginning, i should be posting more often now.

Lion Park./ circus (day 1)

Well my first day here in South Africa is over now. Because of all the time change and everything it sort of feels like it has been 3 days. The flight here was wonderful. I got to meet a few nice people on the plane as well as watch some movies that I have been meaning to rent. When I landed here in South Africa I wasn’t sure what to expect as far as airport wise. It was quite like Atlanta to be honest, but just not as busy. I got my luggage and thankfully nothing was stolen (apparently that is quite a problem here). I got out to where you go and meet the people that are waiting for and I couldn’t seem to find my sister and brother-in-law. I went to a place called Telkom and bought a pre-paid calling card to I could call them (my cell phone doesn’t seem to get any reception here; I forgot to call Verizon and tell them I was coming). Anyways, I called my sister and she wasn’t far from the airport, but unfortunately there car had over heated and they were stuck on the side of the road at the time. They apparently weren’t in a very good part of town, so it was a bit dangerous. She told me to go grab something to eat and that they would be there soon. So, I went up stairs and ate, and came back down. It was about 6:30 and I saw a lady that sort of looked like my sister, but I wasn’t quite sure. I decided that the one way I could tell if it was her or now was if she went to Telkom and looked inside. So, I see her go to Telkom and start looking around, and I decided to head over there and see if it was her. God willing, it was. We got to the house we are staying at with no problem, I got to meet some of their e friends, and then we headed to bed.

Next morning we all woke up and started doing our morning “procedures”. Eating breakfast, taking showers, and getting dressed. The plans for the day where to go to a Lion camp and then to a circus. So, we went to the lion camp and had a picnic, and also got to feed and pet the Giraffes (picture located at the end of the blog) and also an Austrage. After eating we got in the car and started driving around the park (it’s a driving tour). We got to move at our own pace and everything. The first thing we saw was zebra’s. They were beautiful. Then we continued on and saw a few other animals. Finally we got to the lion camps (there were four of them). Now, they have the lions encaged in a separate area then the other animals, but the gates to the lion camps where wide open and there where people (staff) standing right by the gates. The Lions could get up at any time the pleased and just walk right out, and easily over power the staff. It was amazing and crazy at the same time. We went through the first 2 camps and it was just a beautiful site. The lions where so close, in yet so lazy. They would all be bundled up together under a tree or any other place there was shade. When we got to the 3rd camp, a lion walked right in front of the car. I was able to catch it on video and in a picture. It was just so cool. The Lion was so close to the car, that if we had rolled down the window, we could pet it. It was a great site. Then we went on to the circus. Oh what a circus it was. They had amazing acts there. They had lions and tigers, elephants and horses, and of course humans. The entertainers there where amazing as well. One of the guys would get on this wheel and start going around like a hamster. Then he got on top of it (it was in the air a few feet) and started walking around on top. Now this thing was spinning in circles coming very close to the ground, so this was no easy task. Then they said he was going to do it blind folded. My little niece was so scared for him, so her and my sister prayed for him that he wouldn’t be harmed and that he would be ok. So he started the act, and as the wheel started going around, he lost his control over it, and fell, but he caught the wheel and was able to dodge the ground, the crew stopped the wheel and he got of safely. It was just so cool to see God at work, and even more amazing for my niece to be worried for the welfare of others. She truly is a great Christian. It was a very eventful day, and I have seen lots of wild animals today. It has been truly amazing. The culture here is shockingly very similar to ours in the USA. They have nice houses and cars and stores like we do at home. Now, don’t let me fool you though, not every part of South Africa is great. We drove through a place today where people actually lived in little huts made out of aluminum. Can you imagine living in a little hut made out of aluminum with not ventilation and it being 100 degrees outside? It was really a sad site. I think that most of us take what we have for granted. I know we hear that a lot, but when you come to a place like this and see it first hand, you really do see how good we have it. People would give anything for some of the things we have. Like running water, food, cloths, and the ability to know that your chance for waking up the next morning are high. I think that we all have a lot to learn, no matter how much we think we know, we don’t know it all until you have lived through it all first hand.

I have a lot I want to share, but it is.11:39 p.m. here, which is 4:39 there. So it is a bit late, and I am quite tired after this long day. I have another long day ahead of me tomorrow, and then I believe Saturday we head to where my sister and brother-in-law live. You guys won’t see this right after I finish writing because I have to wait until morning to get internet on someone else’s laptop to post it. I have included a few pictures below, so you guys can see what is going on. I am not sure how many pictures I will have and what of until the day I post it, but I hope they are nice and cool for you guys. I look forward to blogging more, and I am going to try and do it as much as possible. I hope you are all doing well and fell free to email or post any questions or comments you have. Have a great day.
Love,
simon




By the way, the picture of the Lion was taken from inside our car, he actually walked in front of the car, then came to my side. It was trully amazing.

At the airport (pre trip post 5)

Ok, I am now at the airport. I am watching one of the other planes get ready for its departure, because the plug for my laptop is over here. Oh joy. Anyways, I just said goodbye to my mom and dad and started using the internet. I am about 1 hour away from my flight. I am pumped for this. It is so amazing to watch these planes get ready. I will be in South Africa in about 20 hours. I would love to spend more time posting this, but I am going to walk around a little bit and say goodbye to some more people. I cant wait to start blogging when I get there. Talk to you guys soon.

Holy crap, I am going to South Africa (pre trip post 4)

Ok, so last night I opened my eyes and said "Holy crap, I am going to South Africa". Now of course I have known for over a month now, but I think I am just now realizing what the heck is going on, and what is about to happen in 17 hours. I am actually going to go to another country to help other people learn about God. I am going to get to explore a whole other culture. I just cant believe it. I am 17 hours away from getting on that plane and flying away. I talked to my sister today and she explained some of the things that I am going to go through to get that...whew, look forward to it all lol. I am finally officially packed as well. So I am set and ready to go. Well, I still have a few things to do, so I need to rap this up, but thanks to everyone who has supported me for this trip. I appreciate it guys.

What I am going to miss most (pre trip post 3)

Well, today I started thinking about what I would miss most. Now of course, family is standard, but what else would I miss. Well, after this morning, I am sure of what it is. I think out of everything, I am going to miss being at CCC (Community Christian Church) madras the most. Not because I love doing all the technical stuff and setting up everything for the kids, but because I am just going to miss the kids and other volunteers in general. Today, they did the most amazing thing ever. They all made a card for me. It was honestly a tear in the eye kind of moment. I mean, I have always loved doing the work I do at church, but I honestly never expect anything in return, and when they handed me that card that said have a good trip, and that we will miss you, it was just awesome. Everyone keeps saying "i dont know what we are going to do without you Simon" But I am thinking the exact opposite thing, I dont know what I am going to do without them. The kids and other volunteers make it worth doing what I do at the church, and getting to see them grow closer to God is just amazing. I have already seen one of them baptized this year, and that was just the coolest thing. I now am down to 39 hours till my flight. Time is running out, and I still have a suit case to pack, and a carry on to prep. I have to get things organized with my business, and make sure my flight info is correct. There is a lot of work to be done, but in 39 hours when I am in the air in route to South Africa, its all going to be worth it. I just got done changing my seat to a seat with a power plug-in (lol, yes, I am sad, but i really need to have my laptop available to me during the flight, or it will be a really long and bad flight for the people around me). I have attached the card the kids have made for me, along with Susan. I blacked out the part where she gave me her email, cause I don't want the world to have it. Anyways, I will try to make a post either tomorrow, or on Tuesday when I am at the airport, or both. I tried making a youtube video, but my camera didn't co-operate, so that will have to wait. See you guys later.

you may have to click the image to enlarge it