5am is really early

It's their world

      Today we did part two of our game drive.  Being up at 5 am to go on an open air game drive sounds like insanity but was a great time to see some of the  animals in their habitats. We unfortunately didn't see the primates that seem to enjoy visiting the immediate area around the lodge.The giraffes were eating breakfast and we go to get pretty close to a male giraffe eating acacia. By the way a group of giraffes is called a tower. Giraffes have four stomachs and are ruminants.
Today's animal sighting for my particular travel group included

• A zeal of zebra
• Goshawks
• Kudu have big ears to aid them in hearing in the bush.
• Duikers
• Elan antelope
• Guinea fowl scratch open elephant dung and pick out the seeds and eat them

     But the story of the day for one of our groups was the sighting of two young male elephants. Upon arrival at the sight the two young elephants were jostling with each other and locking tusks. One of the elephants decided he needed to come and investigate the open air vehicle the group was riding in and bumped it a couple of times. It then got its tusk stuck in the canvas door of the vehicle. A very scary tale for the person sitting in the seat but a gentle reminder that we are in their territory which is one of the first things that we were told before embarking on yesterday's journey. No one was hurt but everyone gained a new respect for the giants.We must respect the environment in which we are in and be grateful for the experience to intrude on their lives. 

     Our group also drove by Executioners Hill which according to local lore was the place where tribes executed those in the tribe that had committed treason and a few other "offensive" acts. If it was believed that a person had shared tribal secrets with another tribe or not shared information that could benefit the tribe about other tribes they were taken to Executioner's Hill and dropped over the age. This was also the fate of women unfaithful to their marriage vows. 

Pilanesburg photos

Cape Town

     Today we traveled to the final city on our itinerary. We arrived in Cape Town aboard Mango Airlines. Must say the bright orange plane was moderately amusing to me, but I digress. The sight of Table Mountain as we landed was absolutely awesome.

Our guide for this leg of the tour is Gerry who was quick to inform us that Tom was off on holiday while he worked. (badabum!) Cape town is considered the legislative capital of South Africa. The seat of parliament which it seems is across from our hotel is in Cape Town. Pretoria is the executive capital. This is where the President and Cabinet are seated. The judicial capital is Bloemfontein. This is where the seat of the Supreme Court of Appeal is. The Constitutional Court of South Africa is in Johannesburg.

      The city is in a major water crisis, due to a multi year drought, and there are signs and even metal art posted all over the city on the streets and in establishments reminding people to conserve water. Thankfully Day Zero, the point at which the taps will be completely dry, has been pushed back to May from the April date that we were given prior to preparing for this trip. People are limited to 59 liters of water per day.There is heavy rain currently predicted for late Friday afternoon which while

disappointing to the tourist is not something that any decent human could ever begrudge them.

     Capetown is the second largest port in South Africa. It has a known population of 4.2 million. Known refers to the fact that there are many informal settlements in Cape Town wherein the people living there would not have been counted as part of any type of census. 

     Dinner this evening was at Tiger's Milk Restaurant. The restaurant specializes in American fare. Not sure they were completely ready for a party of 56 even if food had been chosen in advance but it was a nice social end to a long day. I got to taste a Coca-Cola product actually in another country. I visited the World of Coke Museum in Atlanta last summer. One of their rooms was dedicated to Coke products around the world. Each continent had a station and tasting cups. I have decided as a result of that experience that some products just don't translate well to other countries. I tasted the African products at the museum but got try this particular one today in Cape Town.  This was my cream soda. Notice anything odd?

Cape Town photos

Soweto, Johannesburg

Central Methodist Mission

      We started our day at the Central Methodist Mission for Sunday morning service. The sermon delivered by Rev R. N. Ncombo, Superintendent was entiteled "So We Wait" pulled from Isaiah 40:21-31.

Listen to the voice crying out in the wilderness. Listen to the voice of reason and learn to wait. So here in South Africa is so much about I have done everything that I can do. I have reached the end of my rope. I have nothing left to give. This is the place where God speaks, in that place where there is no food , no light, and no water. It is in this place that God can make a way. And he doesn't have to wait for the architect to design it or a construction crew to build a road nor does he need anyone's approval to make the way. God is a God of those who can wait. This waiting that we are called to is not the kind of waiting that is deliberate but it is situational and directional. You are bound by circumstances in this waiting place. 

You must learn that asking for wings when you cannot wait isn't prudent, wings don't grow overnight but are strengthened over time in order for you to fly. Much like a bird after it is hatched it needs time and it also needs its mama to watch and make sure that the enemy doesn't come and devour it. There is the same thing happening to you in the waiting period if you are not protected by the grace of God there is often an enemy waiting to devour you. So therefore your waiting isn't meaningless. The destination isn't about the waiting. The waiting is preparing you for the destination. 

There is no way possible that we can wait and have an experience with God and not be changed in the process. If we wait we know that God will sail through with us on the storms of life. Many of us are scared to run because we are scared of falling. But this passage promises us that when we run and finish the race we will not be tired. We must fix our eyes on the prize because we are not running for the applause but for our reward in heaven.

“If you can't fly then run, if you can't run then walk, if you can't walk then crawl, but whatever you do you have to keep moving forward.”~ Martin Luther King Jr. In your waiting don't go to God saying hey God I am waiting for this but go with thanksgiving, adoration, anticipation and worship. I know the Lord will make a way. 

 As a part of this service we worshiped in conjunction with their awesome and amazing church choir. Check out the picture link at the bottom of this post to see a video of this awesome choir practicing one of the songs before service. The spirit moved mightily in the house and lives were changed both through the ministry of music and the ministry of song. We even learned to sing a song in another language, well we tried but the congregants and choir welcomed us with open arms, a warm heart, and spirit. God's love is never ending and is a universal language that all can learn to speak, feel and hear. The church further demonstrating the ubuntu spirit fellowshipped with us and provided lunch after the service.  The choir after lunch came to each bus to bid us farewell in song and dance.

Wandie's place

     Wandie's is noted as the first restaurant in Soweto.  It is approximately 15km from Johannesburg and is a popular stop for Soweto tour operators. We enjoyed a delicious buffet lunch complete with a house artisan who by his own definition was there to provide edutainment. His repertoire of songs included Bob Marley, No woman no cry, through to the Lion sleeps tonight and everything in between.He enthusiastically encouraged everyone to sing along which for a group of  traveling singers did not require a lot or arm twisting. :) The walls, ceiling, and floor of the restaurant bear witness to the many dignitaries local and international who have come through the doors.

Regina Mundi Catholic Church 

Regina Mundi Catholic Church is the largest Roman Catholic Church in South Africa.  Regina Mundi which translates to "Queen of the world" was built in 1961 and officially opened in July of 1962. It became a historical place of record when it opened its doors ti anti-apartheid groups and provided shelter to apartheid activitists. The church became a place of refuge for the students participating in the 1976 student uprisings who were trying to escape police tear gas and pullets. During this uprising the police entered the church and continued shooting which ultimately damaged the marble altar and the crucifix. This role has earned it the moniker of the people's church. The church includes stained glass windows depicting various scenes important to South Africa including a full panel dedicated to Nelson Mandela and one of the Annunciation donated by Jolanta Kwasaniewaska. The church has been visited by President Clinton and Hillary Rodham Clinton, Rev.Jesse Jackson as well as former First Lady Michelle Obama. They signed the guest roster and the church has laminated the roll sheets.

The church is home to the Black Madonna painting a rare jewel that includes within the painting symbols relevant to Soweto. 

• hand shake symbolizing solidarity
• red spots represent the Soweto train stations
• the forks and machete represent the suffering of the people. The eye in the painting is that of the Virgin Mary looking over the houses of Soweto, the Orlando and Elka stadiums and the Regina Mundi at the center representative of the cross. 

Hector Pieterson Museum

           Due to scheduling conflicts we were unable to visit the museum before it closed for the day. We were able to see the outside memorial built in his honor.  The museum is located in Orlando West South Africa approximately two blocks away from where the preteen was shot and killed during the Soweto Student Uprising in 1976. The museum named in his honor became one of Soweto's first museums when it opened in 2002. The memorial includes a photo taken by an amateur photographer of an injured Pieterson being carried by a then unknown South African youth as his sister walked alongside them. The unknown student was later identified as 18 year old Mbuyisa Makhubo who was forced into exile after the photo was published. The photo was reportedly smuggled out of the country in order to make sure that the world saw what was actually happening. The photographer was stopped but because he had removed the film surreptitiously before being stopped despite his camera being taken the pjot became the bloody face of the police response to the uprising. 

    The uprising started as a response to the Bantu Education Act of 1953 an ideological policy on racial segregation on all educational levels from primary school through to university.  Students in 1976 after the passing of the Afrikaans Medium Decree, which made Afrikaans, the language of the oppressor" and English the teaching medium for black children during their final six years of school. In response students went on strike and decided to schedule a march for June 16, 1976 .The government setup blockades to stop the march but an estimated 15000 students took to the streets. They were met by a police force ill equipped to deal with that many student marchers and rocks were thrown, tear gas was dispensed and finally the police opened fire before the children could disperse. 

Johannesburg photos

    OR Tambo Airport.The airport is named for Oliver Reginald Kaizana Tambo who was the President of the African National Congress from 1967 to 1991. He was an anti-apartheid politician.

 Swarthmore College Alumni Gospel Choir & the First United Methodist Church of Germantown have joined together to journey to South Africa. We left Atlanta and after a 16 hour flight landed at the

Factoids I learned today

• Johannesburg, also known as Jo'burg, Joni, Jozi, eGoli is the largest city in South Africa in terms of population. It is the provincial capital of Gauteng. Johannesburg, the largest city in South Africa, was known as the city of Gold because its beginnings as a gold mining town. It was founded on October 4, 1886 during the gold rush.
• The currency of the area is the Rand
• We are at an altitude of 5,571 ft.
• Southern parts of the country are suffering from the worst drought  in 100 years in .
• There is the belief which we could all benefit from adhering to that a spirit of humanity is an essential part of the culture. "I am a person because you are a person."
• There are 11 formal languages in South Africa.English, Afrikaans, Zulu, Xhosa, Southern Sotho,Tswana, Northern Sotho, Venda, Tsonga,Swati, Ndebele, and South African English.
• the Johannesburg Stock Exchange is the largest stock exchange in Africa and the 16th largest stock exchange in the world. 

        For dinner after our long flight we were treated to a delicious Braai at the Capital 20 West Hotel/Apartment The braai, which would be the equivalent in the states to a BBQ or grilled.
Day1 Photos