Video

So, I realize that its been over two weeks since we returned from South Africa and I haven't posted anything more about the trip. I am getting my pictures and thoughts organized and have written an article for a Salvation Army newsletter that I will post once the final edit comes back.

In the meantime, check out this awesome video that Erin put together! Make sure you turn the volume up to hear a taste of the amazing music we were so often treated to while there.

Teaser Post

Well, I have almost finished packing to head back to Colorado tomorrow night.... Obviously, I did not have much opportunity to post while we were here, but I have lots of pictures and stories to share. Some I will do in person, but look here over the next week or so - I plan to post more when I get back to my own computer and have some time to gather my thoughts about what I have seen and experienced over the last two weeks.

In the meantime, here a few pictures:

The First Few Days....

I haven't had much time to spend on here over the last five days, so here are a few highlights:

Friday night, after we arrive and settled in to the retreat Center in Constantia, Erin and I decided to go with the Majors Booth (the Divisional Commanders in the Western Cape) to South Africa's Next Top Model, a fashion show that one of the Corps Youth Groups was putting on that evening. There was some fantastic dancing by a group of boys (I have video, but its too large to upload from here), a great runway show by the teenage girls and the little siblings running around were very interested in everything about Erin and I. The picture to the left is a couple of the boys who were there that night.

Saturday morning, we went to the Athlone Corps and went out into the surrounding community to talk with the people who live nearby. We went to an old run down building that people are living 8-10 people per room. But at least they have running water, and some of it is hot. We spoke to one woman, Ethel, who lives there and shared her fear and anger because the government wants to move them out so they can remodel the building and use it as a hostel during the Soccer World Cup next year.

That afternoon, we had free time, so we took the cable car up to the top of table mountain. It was a beautiful day and the views were spectacular!

We had lots of time to walk around and see a bird's eye view of Cape Town and the surrounding area.

On Sunday, we divided into three groups and attended morning services at different places. In the afternoon, we joined up at the Langa Corps Kid's Club where the program for the day was an 'Olympics' competition. Langa is a township (shanty town) in Cape Town. The final game was a tug o'war - kids against leaders. It's amazing how much joy and laughter is present in these children who live in conditions that would be considered deplorable in the US.

Ok, thats all I have time for right now. It's only a peek into what we've been up to so far, but I wanted to get a couple of pictures up. More to come soon....

Hello from South Africa!

After two overnight flights and a whirlwind day tour of London, we finally arrived in Cape Town as scheduled on Friday morning! We later heard that due to the snowstorm moving through Denver on Wednesday, we were one of the last flights to make it out before they closed DIA. Since then, we have kept very busy with various Salvation Army programs in the Western Cape Division. We have also had some problems with getting adapters/converters that work and the internet is only strong from the building where we have breakfast and dinner, so I'm just now getting on to the blog.

I'll be posting pictures and more about what we've been doing soon! Check out Michelle's blog in the meantime.

The Countdown Continues....

One week to go!

My teammate, Michelle, has been appointed the 'official blogger' for the trip. She will probably be able to update more frequently while we are in country so please keep an eye on her blog as well. I've added it to my Blog List to the right - the one called 'Mission South Africa'.

My assignment? Reporter. I will be responsible for writing articles for various publications after we return. I asked if I get a press pass... apparently not.

On Monday, the team members who live outside of Denver will be arriving and we will start by getting acquainted over dinner that evening. I am looking forward to this, since there are several members of the team that I have not yet met. We will then spend Tuesday and Wednesday together in preparation leading up to our departure Wednesday afternoon.

That's about it for now.... Please keep us in your thoughts and prayers over the next week as we get ready to go. Also, there are lots of sicknesses (colds, flu, pnuemonia...) floating around the building that I am trying hard not to catch! I am really getting excited, but I must admit to being a tad anxious as well. Above all, I am curious to see what is in store for us while we are in South Africa and hope to be a positive presence in the lives of the people that I come into contact with.

Monster Cookies!

As requested by Rachel:

Monster Cookies
(makes 60 - they freeze well)

2 Cups Sugar
2 Cups Brown Sugar (packed)
1 Cup Butter or Margarine (softened)
6 Eggs
1 Jar (28 oz.) Creamy Peanut Butter
1 1/2 tsp. light Corn Syrup (I used less or none)
1 1/2 tsp. Vanilla
4 tsp. Baking Soda
9 Cups Oatmeal (not the quick kind)
1 pound semi-sweet Chocolate Chips
1 pound M&Ms
Other optional additions: Chopped walnuts, raisins, dried cranberries, etc.

Cream sugar, brown sugar, butter and eggs with electric mixer. Add peanut butter, corn syrup and vanilla. Mix thoroughly. Transfer to a LARGE bowl. Add baking soda, oatmeal, chocolate chips and M&Ms. Mix by hand.

Using 1/4 Cup dough per cookie (an ice cream scooper works well), place on ungreased baking sheet (leave some space) and bake at 350 degrees for 8-10 minutes.

Enjoy!

Two Weeks From Today....

I cannot believe how quickly time is flying by and that two weeks from now we will be in the air on the way to London!
Wait.... London?!?! As it turns out, we'll be spending a day in London on our way to South Africa! We have an extended layover and will have the opportunity to visit the International Headquarters (IHQ) of The Salvation Army as well as to see where it all started in London's East End 144 years ago. (You can learn more about the history of The Salvation Army here.) We'll also have some time to visit a few other famous London sites: Westminster Abbey, Buckingham Palace, etc. It should be a fun day - though I'm sure we'll be feeling the jetlag by then! I spent a day in London almost exactly nine years ago when I was studying in Budapest for a semester and visited my brother in Oxford for a long weekend - I am looking forward to going back.

So, whats with the picture of the cookies? Well, I had a little bake sale at work on Monday to help raise some more money to support the trip. I made 4+ dozen of my mom's famous Monster Cookies, ten mini-loaves of pumpkin bread, some pumpkin cake rolls with cream cheese filling and dark chocolate cupcakes. The sale was a success - I sold every last crumb and have had multiple requests for more.... maybe next weekend.

Other than that, more plans are falling into place as the departure date nears. I've learned what my role on the team is, but more on that next time. Also, I will be able to post updates periodically from South Africa, so be sure to check in.

We are very close to our fundraising goal - thank you to those who have been so generous with their financial support already! If you'd like to contribute, you may make a secure online donation here or go here for info on mailing a check. Thank you for your prayers too!

Four Weeks from Today.....

I've been a bit preoccupied with a few other things that are happening before I go to South Africa - trying to get things in order to close on a house (today!) with/for Jesse and Abigail (my brother and sister-in-law); moving; hanging out with my cousins while my uncle and aunt are in Ukraine adopting two orphan children; trying to get ready for the busy holiday season at work.... you know, everyday stuff. In the meantime, plans have also been moving forward for the South Africa trip and I've received some more information that I thought I'd share.

(The logo for our team/trip to the left above was designed by our Divisional Music and Multimedia Director, Erik Dabis)

Though we won't have a finalized itinerary until mid-October, I do know a bit more about what our team can expect while in Cape Town. Most of our time will be spent in townships (according to Wikipedia, townships in South Africa usually refer to (often underdeveloped) urban living areas that were reserved for non-whites under Apartheid) and will include taking part in home visits, prayer walks, feeding programs, youth outreach (sports, music), etc. We will also be going to two nursery schools and a home for abused women among other places, and there may also be minor building repair work (painting, etc.) that is needed. In all, I believe we anticipate visits to at least 11 of the Army's programs in the Cape Town area during our 14 days there.

Oh, and I don't think I mentioned this before, but the 'team' I've been referencing is comprised of twelve officers (ordained ministers), soldiers (Salvationists/members of Salvation Army Churches) and administrative staff from around the Intermountain Division of The Salvation Army. Our Division covers the states of Colorado, Wyoming, Utah and two thirds of Montana. For those of you unfamiliar with The Salvation Army, the organization serves a dual purpose as both a church and a social services organization. It has a long, international history of providing holistic services to meet basic human needs without discrimination.

Our host in the West Cape Division summed up our purpose well in a recent email when he said, "We will invite you to come along side the people, to listen to them, to understand their threats and hopes and, together with them, to address their situation with God's grace."

So, there is a lot to look forward to as we continue to prepare over the next month. As a team, we set a goal to raise $30,000 to cover the costs of this endeavor and we are just over half way there. If you would like to contribute, you may do so online at our secure site here, or for information about mailing a check, see here. Thanks for the comments, notes and emails expressing support and excitement for the work we are setting out to do as well!

I'll be updating periodically over the next month and hope to be able to post updates with pictures from South Africa as well, so check back here from time to time!

A little more info....

Just a quick post to answer some questions:

When are we going?
I just learned the final dates the other day - we'll leave Denver Wednesday, October 28 in the evening and return on Friday, November 13. The original plan was to go in August, but due to some logistical conflicts, we had to postpone.

I'd like to support you financially but would rather mail a check than donate online, where do I send it?
Checks can be made out and sent to:
The Salvation Army
1370 Pennsylvania St.
Denver, CO 80203

Please indicate that it is in support of the South Africa Missions Team and send it to my attention.

Many thanks to those who have donated and sent messages! I'm not so great at updating my email address book, so feel free to pass this on to anyone you think might be interested that I might have missed.

More to come soon....

Six Weeks to Africa...

It has been just over four years since I bought a one-way ticket to Hawaii and boarded a plane with my two suitcases, one carry-on and one very large 'purse'. Planning to find work as a massage therapist in paradise, I signed up with a temp agency for office work until I could get the proper licensing. For my first temp assignment, I was sent to The Salvation Army as an Accounts Receivable Clerk. I envisioned counting money in the back of a thrift store, but I was way off. Since then, I have learned that the worldwide organization does so much more than thrift stores and ringing bells to collect donations in red kettles at Christmastime.

As much as I value the opportunities I have been given working for an organization that does so many things to improve the lives of so many people, I don't often get to see those great things first-hand. I spend most of my time in front of a computer and often find I need to remind myself of why I do what I do.

When an email popped up announcing a Missions Trip to South Africa, I realized that this would be the perfect opportunity to participate on a more tangible level in what many in The Salvation Army do every day. The fact that we will be in Cape Town, South Africa is the icing on the cake for me since I love to travel to new places. I have been fortunate to have had multiple opportunities to participate in service trips/projects in various parts of the States in the past and have always found them to be rewarding experiences that taught me new things and allowed me to meet and share with people that I would not otherwise encounter. I am honored to be a member of this team.

I will share more later about what we will be doing in Cape Town as I get more information and more details are solidified. In the meantime, if you'd like to make a donation to help make this trip happen, please do so here:
https://secure.salvationarmy.org/donations.nsf/donate?openform&projectid=USW_IM-SA_Missions
Any amount is greatly appreciated! Regardless, please pray that preparations for the trip continue smoothly as we get closer to the departure date.

Thank you!