Ellie the Bricklayer

So I have found a new back-up career plan if the whole community organizer thing doesn’t work out… brick-laying!!

Today was my first time ever doing Habitat for Humanity, and it was such an incredible experience!  The house is in a township called Mfuleni, and we are building it for a woman named Nozipholo and her daughter.  Right now they live in a one-room shack made out of metal.  When we got there, the house was already really far along because they’ve been building since Monday, and believe it or not Habitat for Humanity generally only takes a week to build an entire house!  There were four of us students and about four grown people from around Cape Town working on it today, and we were basically finishing up the walls inside the house and the very tops of the outside walls.  At first we were making cement, which was really really fun!  And then, ok this is weird, but for some strange reason I have always had this desire to be the person that spreads the concrete out and sets the brick on it and then fills in the gaps with the concrete… brick-laying, you know what I’m talking about?  I must have seen it on TV or a cartoon or something when I was little because I had this really strange desire to do it!!  And I didn’t think they would let me but one of the guys (who knew like two words of English, we were using sign language like the whole time! LOL) just asked me to step up onto the scaffolding and start doing it!  No type of training or anything!  But it was so much fun because it fulfilled this lifelong goal of mine!!  So I really enjoyed it.  After that I just helped out in different ways, sweeping up and stuff.  Oh, and Nozipholo cooked lunch for us and it was amazing!!!  Pap and this beef stew, it was delicious.  And these kids came to hang out with us and they didn’t speak any English either so we were just making silly faces at each other and stuff and they were trying on the hardhats… it was SO cute!!  So overall it was a really really great experience.

And I can’t even begin to tell you how excited and grateful Nozipholo is for her new home!  As we were leaving, she looked in my eyes and just said, “Thanks to you, I have a house” and I can’t describe the look in her eyes.  It just felt so good to have such a direct role in making her life a little bit better.  I can’t wait to go back tomorrow and take part in making the finished product!

The big update…

First of all, let me apologize for not writing in so long. It has been a hectic few weeks! I’m not going to be able to do everything justice in this post but I will try.  Oh, and check out the NEW PICTURES!

The week of the 6th ended well – we had a goodbye dinner for our friend Morgann who was here on a fellowship and is now in Senegal. Then I went to dinner with my friend Grant which was probably one of the most enlightening dinners I have ever had! He is from Zimbabwe (like most of my friends are lol!) and he was telling me the history of the country and how it got to be the way it is, and it just made me so sad to know that there are so many people like him and my other friends from Zim who were able to “make it out” but there are so many others who won’t be so blessed to have those kinds of opportunities. So I am considering applying for a Fulbright Scholarship to Zimbabwe after I graduate from Georgetown to see what I can do to make a difference. We will see what happens! I am so glad my mind is being opened in so many ways while I’m here, because before I got here I literally knew nothing about Zim and now I really feel moved to help in some way.

Then, that weekend I went to stay with Quinton and his family! It was a really wonderful experience. It was so relaxing to just get out of the hectic UCT life and relax in a real home, you know? We just hung out, went to a fair with the kids, checked out the beach, went to church, braaied, all that good stuff. It was such a blessing to get away and get some rest and relaxation!

The following week (week of the 13th) was the last week of classes so I was busy working on papers and everything like that but in the midst of it was Terrance’s memorial service. The service was on Tuesday the 14th and it was such an incredibly powerful evening. I felt a little overwhelmed because I was singing in the UCT Choir for Africa, doing a reflection, and singing a song with William all for the service. But once the actual service started I wasn’t even thinking about the stress any more, I was just remembering Terrance and thanking God so much for having him in my life. Quinton, Roshni, Chenai, and Poetry all spoke very powerfully, and Sharon sang a really beautiful song. William and I sang “The Appeal” by Kirk Franklin because Terrance kept telling me I needed to listen to Kirk Franklin’s album “Hero” so after he passed I finally did, and that song really ministered to me those first couple weeks. Then, they sang it at his funeral in Arkansas which was SO crazy… I was just thinking wow this song is speaking to me in so many ways. So we sang it and I felt so good because I haven’t sung in front of people since high school and Terrance was always telling me I should sing and he would always try to get me to perform at Georgetown and I never did so I really feel like I made him so proud and happy that night.

After the service Quinton was so sweet – he took me, Poetry, William, Chenai, and Nyoko out for ice cream!! It was the cutest thing in the whole world and a great way to end the evening, surrounded by the love of friends. God, I am going to miss my friends here SO much!! They have supported me through this incredibly difficult time and I don’t know what I’m going to do without them!

That week was also pretty hectic because I’m in the UCT Choir for Africa and we were busy rehearsing for our Cultural Concert that weekend! But I managed to find some time to go to Phil’s capoiera class with Aya on Thursday, and I’m so glad I did! Capoiera is an Afro-Brazilian form of dance/martial arts and it was a great experience going to learn it, even though we were obviously way behind the rest of the class! I felt so spontaneous for just going for it and not being embarrassed, and I might try to continue in DC!

Friday was a crazy experience because we hiked Lions Head. It was a beautiful experience because it was a nice big group of us and the view at the top was incredible, but WOW it took a LOT to get up there. It was only an hour-long hike but I am a little traumatized because the last time I hiked was the day Terrance passed, and the rescue people made us hike all the way up from the beach, pulling us up while we were screaming and crying… so I have some really bad associations with hiking. I didn’t think about that day until we were pretty high up on Lions Head and then all of a sudden I started freaking out and crying and I really wanted to turn back around and go home. But they helped me through it and I made it to the top and I just felt SO victorious!! At the top I was thinking about Terrance a lot. I miss that boy SO much. But I was so glad I was able to overcome that fear and make it to the top – I knew he was proud of me!

Saturday (the 18th) was SO much fun!! I went to the Beach Braai, which is this huge braai on the beach (as the name suggests lol) that all the residence halls put together. So I got on the bus with friends, made my way to the beach, and had the BEST time just eating and relaxing! Christina and I ran into William and Taf (another church friend) and we were just talking, walking along the beach, and then we decided to have a sand/water fight so that was a lot of fun!!!!! And guess what? I got into the water! All the way up to my waist! I really had to overcome a lot of fears that weekend… the hiking and then the water… but I did it! Last time we went to the beach the waves were making me really mad but this time I was able to enjoy the water so that was really, really exciting!

After the beach braai was the CIEE Final Dinner! It was so sad because it was the last time all the study abroad students were all going to be together. But ut was a great evening – I can’t believe how much I ate considering I had just gotten back from the beach braai, but it was SO good, I couldn’t resist! It was also really sad though because there just happened to be an empty seat at our table and I couldn’t help thinking about Terrance. I mean he is constantly on my mind but especially that night, it just felt so crazy that he wasn’t there. I have those feelings a lot, like why aren’t you here?? It just doesn’t make sense. But it’s just one of those things I’m dealing with.

The next day, Sunday, was our UCT Choir for Africa performance! I went to church early with Christina and was so blessed by the service, and then I headed to the building where we were rehearsing. Everything went smoothly, and the concert was SO much fun!!! Our director had former members of the choir come down and sing with us; they knew the words and the movements and everything! And he dedicated Ndikokhele Bawo to Terrance, because he was supposed to have a solo at the concert, and it was the song we sang at his memorial service, too. The whole event was just so beautiful, and a lot of my friends came out to support, which was really great.

Then after the concert we went into town to see Israel & New Breed lead worship at a church called Hillsong. It was such an amazing experience!!! We were just praising praising praising!! I got very emotional but luckily I had friends there to pray with me and it was just a wonderful evening. Unforgettable.

On Tuesday, Jasmine & I went to the Slave Lodge, which is a slavery museum that focuses on slavery worldwide but particularly what took place here in South Africa, with slaves being brought from India and other Asian countries, which I had no idea about! The experience was really interesting and I definitely learned a lot.

Then on Wednesday I got on a plane to Bloemfontein, a city about a 90 minute plane ride from Cape Town, to visit my friend Babs! She is home on a leave of absence, and she is one of my good friends from church, so I definitely wanted to make sure I saw her before the semester ends! It was soooo much fun. We just hung out with the family, watched movies, ate a lot, went swimming, went to a couple museums, and just really really enjoyed ourselves!! It was so much fun and really relaxing. It was the perfect break from all this busy-ness! We also really supported each other by praying together and helping one another through the struggles we’re going through right now. I feel so blessed to have formed such a beautiful friendship with her, and I know our paths will cross again!

So that brings me to this week. Right now I’m headed off to what will probably be my last day at the LEAP school. I’m gonna be sad to leave those kids, but I know we will stay in touch through email and everything. Other than that, I just need to start studying!! All 3 of my finals are next week. Oh, and this Thursday and Friday I’ll be doing habitat for humanity which I’m really excited for! So I will try to do a much better job of keeping you all updated.

Oh, and a week from today… I can’t even wait… GO OBAMA!!!!

Remembering Terrance Davis

I have been missing Terrance so so much (I mean that is really an understatement) so I was looking at some of the articles on google and I found this.  At the memorial service at Georgetown, a representative from Arkansas Senator Mark Pryor’s office came and read a statement that Sen. Pryor had read on the floor of the Senate in honor of Terrance.  Terrance had been interning for the Senator just before he left for South Africa.  It is just so inspiring to know that they honored him in this way, and I just wanted to share the text with you all

REMEMBERING TERRANCE DAVIS — (Senate – September 09, 2008)

Sen. Mark Pryor [D-AR]: Mr. President, it is with great sorrow I rise today to remember a bright young man who was taken from us far too soon. Terrance Davis, 20 years old and from Osceola, AR, was a gifted student majoring in sociology, theater and performance studies, and African-American studies at Georgetown University.

My staff and I were blessed to benefit from this young man’s talents this past summer when he served as an intern in my office. I had the privilege of getting to know Terrance during this time and to see his passion for public service.

Terrance was an enthusiastic leader who was not afraid to take on multiple responsibilities. After fulfilling his duties in the Senate he would attend rehearsals for the play he was directing at Georgetown University until late into the evenings. He also served as director of the Georgetown University Gospel Choir.

His friends at school and people in my office referred to him as someone with a positive attitude who was always ready to work. Other friends referred to him as having strong passion for his Christian faith.

Terrance had plans to serve our country by participating in the Teach for America program and wanted a future in helping students through higher education. He once said that becoming a college professor or dean was something he inspired to do.

Tragically, on September 1, 2008, Terrance Davis was involved in a fatal accident in Harkerville, South Africa, where he was traveling on a holiday break from his academic study abroad program at the University of Cape Town. I join his family and friends in mourning the loss of this great young man.

Mr. President, I ask my colleagues to join with me in honoring the life of this exceptionally talented young man, Terrance Davis.

http://www.govtrack.us/congress/record.xpd?id=110-s20080909-30

Seafood, cross-dressers, birthday cake, and slumlords…

These past few days have been GREAT!

Saturday was a CIEE field trip to the West Coast.  First we went to a national park and looked at all these flowers, and then we went to lunch at this beach that ended up being the MAIN EVENT!  We sat there chilling on the beach and ate like TEN COURSES of seafood!  It was crazy!  I had mossels, a bunch of kinds of fish, this seafood rice stuff, and crayfish (like lobster)!  It was so so good.  And they had this amazing homemade bread to eat with it.  It was SO good!!  And it was really relaxing to just sit around on the beach all day.  Then we went to see this stand-up comedian guy do this political satire about South Africa and he was SO funny!!  He did SUCH good impressions and cross-dressed and everything, he even came out as Hillary Clinton!  It was so cool.  So Saturday was great!

Sunday was Tawanda’s birthday and he was playing a soccer game that day so me and Poetry and Phil went to support after church, and they ended up winning the game, which meant they won the league!!  So now they’re going to a Cup game… exciting!!  Then Tawanda, Hilary, Thami, Phil, Poetry, and Christina came over to celebrate!  I cooked chicken parmesan for everyone and we just hung out and had cake and ice cream and everything and it was such a fun time… just goofing around, and Thami got us in trouble with the whole Liesbeeck cuz when they were leaving he was like “let’s yell Happy Birthday Tawanda” and you know everything echoes cuz it’s enclosed… well it’s hard to explain if you don’t live hear but yeah basically all 400 people heard us!!  But what else is new, I’m used to being loud!  And Christina did this freestyle for Tawanda incorporating the translation of his name which is “We are MANYYYYY” and for some reason we just got so hype off her freestyle!  So yeah like I said, just goofing around… but it was a great night!

Yesterday was fun because Jasmine took me out to lunch for my (belated obviously) birthday!  This is the longest birthday ever, I’m LOVIN it!!  She even bought me this amazing ice cream afterwards!  Then we went to volunteer at the LEAP school and it was so fun because we played softball and I got to be the all-time pitcher/umpire and I was feeling all athletic!    Those girls are so much fun.  Then I went to UCT Choir for Africa rehearsal for the first time since I went back to the states, and they were happy to have me back.  And I was happy to be back!  I love practice because it’s so fun and relaxing to sing the songs and do the little dance moves.  And it feels great to be immersed in a new culture, learning Xhosa and Zulu songs and what they mean and stuff.  Our concert is a week from Saturday, I wish you all could come!!  Then after practice I went to Jasmine & Morgann’s house to teach Jasmine how to cook!  We made macaroni and cheese and fried chicken and it was a really fun time!  So Monday was very eventful!

Today was a pretty good day too, first of all cuz I got to sleep in!  Then after classes I went to volunteer at the orphanage, and I realized how much I missed those kids’ cute lil faces!  We just colored and stuff but it was really fun.  Then I get a random phonecall from my flatmate, Neo, who has been M.I.A. for REAL because he’s been so busy with work and he invited me to the movies!  So me Neo and Hilary went to see this South African movie, Jerusalema, about these two boys from Johannesburg who grow up to be huge slumlords and it was really deep.  Plus it was great hanging out with them.  So today was another good day!

So if you couldn’t tell I have really been enjoying life!!  I feel happy right now and I can feel all the blessings Terrance is sending me down from heaven.  School is gonna be crazy this week because next week is our next week before study weeks and then final exams!  But I will get through it, I know.  I hope everyone is doing well!

Making it one step at a time…

*CHECK OUT ALL THE NEW PICTURES!!*

It’s Friday!  I’m happy about that.  Two weeks of school down, and I’m still surviving!  So that is something to be happy about.

Let’s see, where did I leave off… Tuesday.  Tuesday morning we went on a hike with the kids from the LEAP school that we mentor, and I can’t describe to you how much FUN it was!!  But it was crazy because we were hiking to the Rhodes Memorial which is like 10 minutes away from campus but we definitely took the “scenic route” because we started in the middle of some random forest, hiked alongside Table Mountain for 2 hours, and then realized we were actually ABOVE the memorial and had to hike DOWN.  (Our leader clearly did not know where he was going!)  Needless to say it was a little tiring but SO much fun!  We had taken a break at this really nice look-out point where you could see the whole city of Cape Town, and the kids were singing all these traditional Xhosa songs and dancing, and I knew a few of the songs from UCT Choir for Africa, and we were just having SO much fun!!!!  And it was nice to see the kids out running around in nature because they’re from the townships where it’s just so crowded and they don’t get to experience this much, if at all.  One of the mentors was like “Do you see how beautiful the place you live is??” because she was just so overwhelmed by the view, but the reality is that they actually really don’t know, because they’re never exposed to the nice parts, you know?  It’s really sad.  So it was great to be able to take them.  It was interesting having a discussion about Cecil Rhodes too, cuz even most of the mentors didn’t know who he was… he colonized a bunch of Southern Africa for those who don’t know.  So yeah he’s not that great of a guy but they have this whole huge memorial to him, it’s kinda crazy… but I mean I’m sure he put tons of money into UCT.  But anyway we had a whole discussion with the kids about him so that was cool too.  It was just a great day!

That night I got dinner with Chenai (the best SOLmate ever… she’s taking me back home to Zim with her!  WOO HOO!!) so that was a lot of fun, catching up with her.  And then yesterday I saw Mark, an old friend from church back home, who just happens to be in South Africa too, doing a cultural immersion program/thesis project.  So I introduced him to NANDO’S the best thing since… anything… (the chicken place I always go to for those unaware lol) and it was really nice to see him.

Last night was GREAT because I went to Thapz’s house (another SOLmate) to cook!  I made pap and did a not-so-good job of it but next time it’s gonna be on POINT I promise!  Cuz I gotta come home and make it for y’all, so don’t worry I’ll practice!  And Thapz made some really good chicken to go with it.  It was just nice relaxing and spending time with people that I didn’t get to see while I was home.

Tonight is gonna be amazing because it’s my boo Poetry’s SEASON FINALE night with Poetry Delight!!  I can’t wait to see her performance and rep hard for my sis!!  Christina and I are getting dressed up and going together so it should be fun. 

I saw my counselor today and he helped me out with a lot of stuff… as usual.  It’s been great talking to him.  I realized I really do need to take more personal reflection time, just sitting outside and enjoying nature and not thinking about anything in particular, you know?  So I’m gonna do that a lot more.  In fact I think I’m gonna do that right now!    Things have been really really hard without Terrance despite how much fun it sounds like I’m having.  Every time I go somewhere I wonder why he’s not coming with me, you know?  But it’s gonna be ok.  God has been by my side this whole time and I have wonderful friends.  They can never truly understand what I’m feeling but they’re here for me and that’s what’s most important.

I love you all and hope everyone is doing well!