LPTS Travel Seminar to South Africa

AJAX, Biltong, and Doughnuts?

2009-01-25T09:52:00.002-05:00

On our last official night in Cape Town, South Africa a large group of us went to a local soccer game. Yes, here in Africa it is "soccer". Some of the local Brits would challenge it, but I have been told soccer is fine.

It really was a good time. Everyone had these signs made of newspaper to support the home team called the AJAX (the J is pronounced as Ya). They read "Ajax jou lekker ding!" It was in Affrikans which is the South African style Dutch. It said AJAX...It's a good thing!! My friends found one that had been discarded and brought it back so we could fit in, as much as possible anyway.

So the crowds were large, the stadium is under construction, but still in use (it was getting a facelift for the 2010 World Cup) and the game was on with the fans raging with support by means of abnoxious and loud horns all around. The Ajax, who were undefeated at home lost to the Morokko Swallows...tragic.

But wait!!! The best part of the whole game was the fact that there were no beer and hotdog vendors. South Africans at their soccer fanatical best like to take in a match munching on biltong which is beef jerky, and hot chocolate and doughnuts. What a fabulous experience. The hot chocolate was distributed by a guy wearing an insulated back pack cooler with a hose. His tag said "Hot Choc".

I wa saddened along with many that the Ajax ( an Amsterdam farm team) did not emerge victorious. I am not sure if the referee was watching the same game I was.

Pretoria etc

2009-01-20T15:14:00.002-05:00

It's been a few days since any of us have been able to get online so I thought I'd give a quick recap.
Sunday morning we went to the airport and flew to Johannesburg (or Jo'burg as it's known here), was picked up by Pete Meiren (misspelled I'm sure) who was on the Truth and Reconciliation Commision and who is our guide this week, and taken around. We went to a few monuments in Pretoria and out to a township/city called Mamelodi where we stayed for two nights.
Monday we drove to the other side of Jo'burg to Soweto where we toured different historical sites of uprising and injustice as well as a famous tower and the houses of the Mandelas and Tutu. Soweto is supposedly the largest township in the ZA (over 4 million) but when compared to the shanties in Cape Town, it felt like a real city unto itself. So when we drove back to Mamelodi we sang and then had dinner with some young people from a couple of churches. During the night we had our first harsh thunderstorm.
Tuesday we went to a game park and experienced a real safari. We saw zebra, elephants, rhino, hippos, crocs, and even a leopard. Then we came back and now are broken up into houses of families of a local church. The houses are nice and the people are nicer. I'll let others talk more emotively or about specific events but I thought it my duty to update since I have the chance.

From Katie (blog account won't work!)

2009-01-16T00:58:00.002-05:00

With the JL Zwane Presbyterian Church we had the blessing of visiting folks whose lives had been affected by the HIV/AIDS pandemic. Several of the folks had been struggling with HIV for years; one woman who shared her story with us had been living with it for nineteen years, and now she is faced with breast cancer on top of it all. The courage and strength we have seen here in these recent days has been simply extraordinary, and this strength has allowed people here to support on another in remarkable ways. One gogo (grandmother) we met was raising twelve children... Each time she saw a need, whether a child had been orphaned or was experiencing neglect in their home situation, she took them in. She told us that each time a new need was discovered she thought she could not do it, that she could not take another child in to her home, and then she said, "I heard their story, and I took them." She could not turn them away once she heard their stories, and knew she had to help them. What a beautiful example of the call we have been given as Christians! She is meeting the call, day in a day out, to feed and clothe and love those that the world could so easily push aside and forget. She has molded their stories into her own. Now, having seen all that we have seen and heard all that we have heard, we are part of their story too. What are we to do with that story? How are we to respond to the tales that we have now become a small part of? There is an extraordinary love in so much that we have witnessed here, and the struggle for us now becomes to figure out how we can best honor all that we have been blessed to hear, see, taste, touch, and experience. How will we honor their stories?

Think Globally. Act Locally.

2009-01-15T14:45:00.002-05:00

AIDS doesn't kill people; it makes the body so weak that almost anything else will. AIDS develops from having HIV in your body. HIV is passed from one person to another through mixing of bodily fluids. The most common way HIV is spread is through unprotected sex. Sex is a part of life of so many people in the world and those in South Africa are no different. In fact, South Africa has some of the highest rates of HIV infection in the world. This is due to many factors such as unimaginable poverty, very cramped living conditions, paternalism, and the country's leadership in powerful denial about the problem.

All of this has led many, many people to want to solve this pandemic. Primarily through religious institutions and social services, different prevention and treatment centers have sprung up all over the country to assist those in need - often helping themselves or someone very close to them. The past three days here in Cape Town, we have visited several ministries that are doing their best to alliviate the pain and suffering of the tens of thousands in the community with HIV/AIDS.

One of the pastors at the JL Zwane center/church reminded us to think globally and act locally yesterday. This stuck in my mind because I see this as some of the best advice one human being can give to another. It is one of the main reasons I am on this trip, why I travel and experience as much as possible, and why I will never stop learning. I want to know what humanity is. I want to be able to know as much as possible and much of this knowledge is only available through others or learned in communities. The better I understand humanity as a whole, the better my foundational assumptions will be for any given human in particular. This allows me to see what unites us as created images of God and indeed see God (Himself). Acting locally is enabling us to think about the situations we are in and start small. I do plan on acting globally one day but I just see that as expanding the local to include all of God's creation.

The Church

2009-01-15T00:09:00.002-05:00

The theology of the church really excites me. I believe that it is the vision of how we are supposed to live as Christians that keeps us grounded in what is truly important to furthering the kingdom of God as well as challenges us to work to live up to the truth of the Gospel. As individual Christians we need the community and support of one another so that we may hold each one accountable and to see glimpses of what is possible through the grace of God.

Today I was reminded that I work for Christ's church - not Grace Presbyterian in Clarksville, IN or First Presbyterian Church in Boone. The joining of the church to the reconciling work of God through Jesus done all over the world is the church I work for. Last night I felt as if I was a part of the work being done in South Africa to alleviate the suffering caused by HIV/AIDS.

The church choir where we visited sang a song which included the lyrics: "God will raise me up to more than I can be." As I search for my call here in South Africa and I see the work that is being done by the church, I cannot imagine how the people have been able to do so much with so little. The pastor of the church stated that since God creates out of nothing and they had nothing after apartheid ended, they believed they were in good shape. The lyrics of the song echoed his sentiment and reminded me that as a person seeking to serve the church and the member of the PC(USA) that "God will raise us up to be more than we can be." While I worry about grades and my future and while the church worries about members and finances, we need only be faithful to God's call and practice our faith through prayer and reading Scripture then we too will be raised up to more than we can be and more than we ever imagined.

I pray for the work of the churches in South Africa and across the world that we trust in God's promise and join God in the work God is already doing in the world. I must forget what experiences and resources we have have and remember God creates from nothing. Never before has nothing felt so full of promise...

Flesh of my Flesh, Bone of my Bones...

2009-01-14T16:39:00.005-05:00

I could name a whole lot of emotions that are running through my heart and my head at this point in time, a bit over a week after landing in Cape Town, South Africa. Yet the fact that neither my heart and head can identify the extent of them at this point makes it hard to explain. I can say that I have been a witness to (and felt), beauty, loss, fear, hope, thoughtfulness, outrage, joy, helplessness, pride, faith, and so much more. All of those things are stirring in my soul at the moment, and I haven't had a chance to sit down and identify them. One thing I did realize, however, is how feeling all these feelings make me homesick. When I was young I would get homesick at my best friends house, a mile down the road. In recent years it's not so prevalent, and so I was surprised to identify that particular emotion. I suppose that this is what comes from being away from your comfort, and those that make you comfortable. It's taking me out of my comfort zone and forcing me to realize the comfort zone that I never part from, from the Spirit of God.

Tonight at JL Zwane Church and Centre, in Guguletu, we were reminded of the gospel, by a man named Edwin, what it is that we should realize in each moment, no matter where we are: that you are the flesh of my flesh, the bone of my bones. He reminded us that what we do in America affects what happens to him in South Africa, and vis versa. How beautiful were his words. He followed them by saying that he's "not a good public speaker, and doesn't preach", in which Josh replied "you just did!". It was so true. I have witnessed the Spirit of a people that is unmatched. This Spirit does not only make me thankful, but it moves me forward. It moves me into a life lived each day by action, by standing up for what I am called to by Jesus the Christ: to recognize the humanity in each face I pass, to see the face of God in each person I meet, and to fight for the humanity that is God-given, not humanly regulated.

So tonight I go to bed with new faces etched on my memory, and new feelings in my heart. I hope that these faces and these feelings stay with me always, continually challenging me to what it is I am here for, and wherever I go to what I am to do there. Peace & love.

More Photos...

2009-01-14T16:20:00.008-05:00

Langa township home.

Langa township children.

Langa township toilets.

Johnny Hill at "Gugulethu 7" memorial.

Bre Harmon with Langa children.

Botanical Gardens visit.

Lisa Hermann pointing out God's beauty to Bre.

Bre, Katie and Daniel having fun in sculpture garden.

Men returning from initiation rite in the bush.

Liziwi, owner of guesthouse in Gugulethu who housed and fed us.

Andrew, Gugulethu tour guide, at Amy Biehl memorial site.

Gugulethu children.

Iris Jasmin smelling African beer in welcoming ritual.

Gugulethu kids being kids!

Peter Storey, former Bishop of Methodist church in South Africa and key figure in fight against Aparthied and an all around beautiful child of God.

PENGUINS!!!

Emily Miller at Cape of Good Hope.

The Cape of Good Hope.

Gate at Robben Island.

Derrick, tour guide and former prisoner of Robben Island.

Nelson Mandela's prison cell.

This is like...

2009-01-13T15:27:00.003-05:00

It is impossible to go to a new situation leaving behind all that has made you who you are today. While it seems silly to continually compare the current reality of South Africa to the life I have witnessed, loved, and known, it happens quite naturally. These connections are made nearly every day and sometimes the comparing results in recognizing how something is different (the grocery store checkout workers sit rather than stand - which is a great idea! and you have to pay for a plastic bay - another great idea!) and others it is how it is the same.

Over the past few days I've come to recognize many similarities in the conditions surrounding the circumstances of immigrants in the United States and many of the black people in the townships surrounding the city of Cape Town. Perhaps this has to do with my continuing interests in this area of US culture but surely I'm not the only one making these connections.

Some of the people in the townships came to Cape Town from their tribal lands in the eastern Cape searching for a way to earn money for their family's security. Most long to return home with enough money to live a modest life. Further, their dream is often dashed because of low wages, insufficient support, unemployment, and systems which benefit from the vast cheap labor pool. The people themselves are generous and add much to the cultural landscape of South Africa and they have welcomed us into their homes and lives.

Of course each situation is unique in its own way and I can only speak about the conditions here as an outsider looking at the surface but it seems that neither country is coping effectively with the "strangers" in our midst. I use quotation marks because in some cases the "stranger" has been a part of the local society for many years or even decades but because of their marginalization they have not able to fully integrate into the social landscape.

However, there is the church. The church that I love and the hope in the promise of Christ. That we will recognize the image of God in all God's children and in love we can reach out to one another building up the kingdom of God. It is my prayer that the church will continue to play an integral part in teaching us all how to live in community with one another in ways that are consistant to our Christian faith.

One thing that isn't the same is the fantastic weather. It is beautiful here: clear and sunny with a light breeze. Too bad I can't bring a little bit of this home.
In hope...

What's in a Name?

2009-01-13T10:33:00.002-05:00

My name is Lisa Carol Hermann. I am from South Carolina, currently residing in Kentucky. My middle name is after my aunt Carolyn, and my last name is reflective of my German and Norwiegen heritage on my father's side.

Names - we all have them, some we are quite proud of and others that we like to keep secretive with initials. Nonetheless they are ours whether we are people, cities, or inanimate objects.
Since coming to South Africa I have been bombarded by names. I have found this helpful as people introduce themselves and our group to them, as well as getting to know the sights and sounds of this fascinating country.

When we arrived on January 6th I was immediately asked by the South Africa immigration official holding my passport "What is your surname?" I was a little hesitant, I didn't know what to say ...one slip of the tongue and I could be put back on a plane or something. Much to my surprise the South African woman with the lovely British accent wanted to know if I was a member of the HERR-MAANN family, one of the wealthiest Dutch families in all of South Africa. You say that stressing the HERR in a very throaty way. So step one - Way to go HER-MANN.

Next, is whenever we introduce ourselves to groups. We first say we are from KENTUCKY, you know the United States? They usually get it, but I believe most are trying to place Kentucky on the map in their mind. Then they say - like Kentucky Fried Chicken? And we all bust out laughing and say "Yes, like the Colonel!" So Kentucky in South Africa is synonymous with Kentucky Fried Chicken, which is quite popular here, and has helped us to let people know where we are from.

Then there was today's actvity. It has landed me three examples of names and how profound their meanings were and in someways are for me, those who encounter them, and those who may never know them except for reading this blog.

1. Robben Island - for some 500 years this small island off the coast of Cape Town, South Africa has existed as a place of exile for political prisoners, criminals, lepers, and the mentally insane. It was and is a living hell in many ways, but also a living reminder to what happens when we try to segregate a population of people. The Island is most well known for its prison. This is where Nelson Mandela spent 18 of his 27 years of imprisonment along with other ANC leaders. This prison's name, no matter what, is synonymous with BANISHMENT - the colonial and later nationalist apartheid governments tried to make the undesireables disappear by sending them there. Many of its occupants will always remain nameless, but as one man said "The tears of the banished water the soil on Robben Island."

2. Our tour guide through the Langa Township. His name was Siviwe, which in Xhosa means "Our Prayers are Answered." Siviwe is a part of a group (in addition to being a liscenced tour guide) called UBONO OMHLE which means " Beautiful Vision." Each member of this group of young people has to undertake a project that will better the community. For some it is sports, fo Siviwe he teaches children to dance. We were able to see his dancers aptly NAMED "The Happy Feet Dancers." They do rousing mine dances utilizing their stiff rubber boots for the stomping and clapping sounds that make the crowds that gather to watch come to life in a stepping fashion.

3. Finally, there is the little girl in the purple shirt and red pants in the township of Langa. She lived in the hostels. She was very small, but with the hand shading her eyes she looked at me as I took a knee so that I could be on her same level. I asked her what her name was. She replied "-SA." I didn't quite hear you can you repeat that. Again she said "-SA." The kids around her could see I was struggling and said giggling with delight "Her name is LIIIIISA." The little girl that stole my heart with her soft voice and gentle touch shared my name. I left Lisa physically sitting in the remants of a fire pit playing, but her face still dances in my head and lives in my heart.

Names are given to us by others, but they are ours and teach us lessons, and help us tell the sotries of countless others that we will meet face to face, and those we can only read about in books. Names of places, people, and things have been a profound part of my journey of learning, stretching, and growing here in South Africa.

Liziwe's Guest House in Guguletu

2009-01-12T23:58:00.002-05:00

Guguletu. Just speaking the name of this township brings a smile to your face. As we entered the township, we saw a group of young men returning from the forest. They were in traditional dress. Their faces were painted a burnt orange. They were singing / chanting and even though I did not understand the words they sang, I could tell it was a joyous occasion.

Back in 1994 this township's name struck another emotional cord in the hearts of Americans when Anne Biel, an American exchange student, was murdered here. That was then, but now during our stay I found Guguletu township to be a very friendly hospitable and welcoming community.

We began our stay with a wonderful lunch at Liziwe's Guest House. We had dinner there as well. Not only was the food fabulous, but Liziwe's Guest House is quite lovely. There is this one room upstairs that I would have loved to have stayed in that had a balcony view of Table Mountain.

Andrew who works for Liziwe's Guest House took us around Guguletu advising us of this township's history. We went past the memorial set up to remember Anne Biel and he told us of the remarkable forgiveness and reconciliation story that occurred during TRC. How Anne's mother not only forgave those who had killed her daughter, but hired them to work for the foundation established in her daughter's memory.

We also went by the memorial of 7 young men killed during the struggle to be set free from Apartheid. As I looked at their dates of birth, I realized most of them would have been my age and it made me sad.

As we walked, everyone spoke to us or waved to us as we passed. Some stopped to talk to us. After dinner the majority of my group spent the night at Guest House Indlu Yabtyelei. I had my best sleep so far in South Africa in one of the rooms here. What I loved most about my stay here was the gathering we had prior to my going to bed. Community friends came by to talk to our group. It was like a big reception where we mingled around the room. We spoke of how to persons get health care coverage, politics and changes taking place. We shared our realities with one another. And what was most memorable about that evening was the songs, we heard traditional African songs, opera and we even had a surprise duet between a man from Guguletu and Professor Francis Adeney of Old Man River.

Overall, I loved my visit to Guguletu. I know some may find it strange to say, but I saw beauty in the midst of what many may see as extreme circumstances. I saw pride. I saw creativity. And I believe I made connection with a community full of hope.

Sermon Notebook

2009-01-12T16:09:00.003-05:00

I was once given a piece of advice that it would be a good idea to keep a sermon notebook. I listened, but I wish I was actually better at keeping a notebook of the many stories and theological experiences we have had over the past few days. I've made extensives notes, and maybe this will actually suffice.

After we spent the night in "Googes" we made a group decision to NOT travel downtown to St. George's Cathedral and experience high-church worship with the Anglicans, but rather we stayed and worshipped with our new township friends. Sunday morning in the township is actually someting else. Many, many of the residents dress up in their finest clothes and walk to their neighborhood church. We decided to attend the Harvest House. It is a new church (10 months) in that area and they still worship in a big tent (supported by two middle poles but they hope to grow to 5 poles soon). They have a chancel area and sound equipment to be heard from all over. IT WAS LOUD! Beautifully, when it was silent in the tent, you could actually hear the other churches in the neighborhood praising their Maker.

So here it is...their ministry is to reach out to those who live in the shanty town next to it, but it is also located next to the township dump. So, I wondered what it meant, theologically, to worship and sing praises to God next to this massive amounts of trash and in sight of the shanty homes. Well, I need to continue to cogitate on this, but hospitality was really the word of the day and theologically, it was powerful.

We were obvious visitors, and they welcomed us quite warmly and as more people arrived for worship, we gave up our seats for them, but then several fellas went down the block and began carrying formal, padded-seat, dining chairs from their homes for us to sit on. It was hot. It was in the middle of worship. It was some distance. It was some effort. The sermon on was on what it meant to worship God all day long, and that worship of God doesn't stop when when you leave the tent. I got a true sense that this community, this body of new believers understood something that I believe many of us struggle throughout our lives to understand. It's about delivering your very best for the stranger in your midst without second thought because that is what Christ has done for you. When you do this, you will never mind the effort or the heat or the timely inconveniences. When you do this, you will glorify God.

May it be that we would be so quick to extend such a welcome to those in our places of worship who have come to hear the good news of God's love and grace and to worship God. May it be that we would bear witness to Jesus Christ when we do our very best to make our guests feel authentically welcomed into God's kingdom.

Penguins and ostriches and baboons, oh my!

2009-01-12T15:06:00.002-05:00

No need to wait for an official safari to see some of the amazing wildlife of South Africa. Today we went to see the African "Jackass" Penguins (named for the donkey-like braying call they make while mating). They were SO cute. I mean...SO cute. I could have watched those little guys all day. We went to their penguin colony this morning and learned all about how they came to settle there. The penguins wander freely in a protected natural environment. It was so fun to see them waddle along the beach and dive into the water. Ohhh they were SO cute!

Continuing on our day's journey, we traveled to Cape Point. On the way, we came across a family of wild ostriches roaming freely near the road. A mom, dad and 5 babies (well, more like teenagers, we were told). Naturally we stopped the bus and jumped off to take several pictures. I have never seen such wild birds just freely wandering the land. How cool!

The final animal on our unofficial African wildlife tour was the baboon. OK, to be fair, we never saw an actual baboon, but we were in a baboon area. Road signs warned drivers not to leave their cars unattended because baboons can easily break into cars. Along the walking trails we took, signs warned walkers of the possibility of baboons. Our guide gave us advice on how to deal with a baboon if we should encounter one--drop all food items and back away slowly. To withhold food would most likely result in a baboon bite, which, according to our guide, is worse than being bitten by a bear. Ouch. Needless to say, with all the warnings, I think we were all glad not to have seen one up close. But where else have you seen a baboon warning sign!?

Penguins and ostriches and baboons, oh my! What a great day in Africa!

Thinking about Michael

2009-01-12T14:16:00.002-05:00

Cape Town is quite the cosmopolitan city. The British and Dutch colonialism of the past has left it now as a bustling "Europeanized" city. It is not what I expected. A westernized city where KFC is known by everyone, the clothing is of all the latest styles, cars are a popular thing to have, and the waterfront (of a huge port) the other night was alive with the sounds of South African Jazz music.
Today amongst our activities we drove along the western coast home from Cape Point. We drove past the Clifton Beaches, and in and amongst some of the pricest properties in Africa. It is rumored that Posh Spice, Elton John, David Beckham, and Steven Speilberg play here to the tune of millions of dollars.
Amongst all of that abundance we stopped the van at a local store to purchase a couple of gifts. As some of the group were waiting outside there was a gentleman pushing a grocery style cart. He said his name was Michael, and that these were all of my things as he pointed to the cart. He had stopped to talk to the group when I walked up. He was yelling at one of the other nearby drivers who had asked him to move along. It is amazing how curse words are pretty universal no matter what language you speak or understand. Michael sang a song to one of our group and as we all boarded the bus and drove away he waved goobye to us.
As I go to sleep in such a cosmopolitan city tonight Micheal is just one of the things on my mind. His situation, regardless of why. We have been able to bear witness to some pretty powerful images over the past week through work AND play. Most of our work has been just sitting and listening to the stories of the residents of townships (aparteid slums), anti-apartheid workers and freedom fighters, and also to one another as we begin to process all that we encounter. In two weeks we will return to the United States and begin thinking about how to translate what we saw and apply to our individual and collective future ministries. From heart wrenching, to sensual overload and delight...all preconvcieved expectations and conotations are out the window!

Educational Irony Found in Africa

2009-01-12T14:08:00.002-05:00

Today we visited the Cape of Good Hope. How ironic is it that for five years, as I taught high school geography (among many other subjects), that I would teach them about the Cape of Good Hope. The point of Southern Africa where the Indian and Atlantic Oceans converge.
It was an awesome experience to stand there and look out into the big blue vastness and reflect on this past week and the two more weeks that we have left here in South Africa, but I think it was even more telling and moving for me personally to stand there at a place that I had introduced so many students to all those years. The water was a bright blue, the sun was beating down, the waves were crashing into shore, but I was there. Kaappunt!! Cape Point!

Joy..In So Many Ways

2009-01-11T14:07:00.002-05:00

Friends, we have not yet been in South Africa for a week, and already it feels like a month. As my colleagues have said we have climbed Table Mountain and experienced God in our midst, we have been to the beach, the Waterfront, and swam in the Indian Ocean..

..and we have experienced Joy in so many ways. I say this because we spent most of yesterday and last night in the Township of Guguletu. Guguletu is in the Cape Flats, where it is windy constantly and there are always people around. The guest house that we spent the night in is owned by a wonderful woman named Joy. Joy sees her guest house in the Gugs (as Guguletu is known in Cape Town) as something that represents what she and her fellow sisters and brothers are. Joy showed us a true hospitality when she invited friends and neighbors to be with us, talk with us, to teach us songs, and giggle at us while they taught us to dance. There is a constant smile on Joy's face, and it is her desire to help us understand who the people of Guguletu are, and to show the people of Guguletu that she hopes to bring people to the guest house for their benefit, not their destruction. My favorite night thus far was spent feeling a true sense of South Africa, with people who are proud to be from Gugs, who are proud of their heritage and who are deep grounded in their faith. I can only hope that I am able to mirror Joy and all that she is to herself, her community, her family, and God.
Peace & love.

2009-01-09T09:38:00.002-05:00

Standing at the top of Table Mountain...the view of the city on one side, the view of the ocean on the other...breathing in the crisp cool air...getting lost in the clouds as the wind carried them over the mountain...it was hard not to feel God's presence. Surrounded by such beauty, the grace of God seemed closer than our own breath and as powerful as the gusts of wind at the top of that mountain. That was Wednesday. Today as we walked through one of the townships I wondered where that overwhelming sense of God's grace had gone. It was heartbreaking. I was so humbled by the people we met there and the way they live. And I was so angered at the injustice that led them there. Tomorrow we are returning to one of the townships...hopefully tomorrow will help me continue processing and thinking about where the hope is...where the grace is.

On a lighter note, yesterday for lunch we went to a BBQ restaurant. Well, butchery, not really restaurant. You first picked out which raw meat you wanted--it looked like a deli counter at the grocery store. And then you took it in the next room where BBQ pits were set up and you grilled your own meat! Our lunch was already prepared when we got there, so we didn't cook the meat ourselves. The food was delicious! I was big fan of the chicken, but they had lamb and sausage too. It was yummy! Not so much for our vegetarian friends though.

Yesterday we also went to the Warehouse. It is a local ministry that ministers to local churches. It's like a mission outreach organization that provides ministries to churches. For example, if a family needed clothing, the church would contact the Warehouse and the Warehouse would put together a box of clothes specific to that family, then send that box to the church where the church would give it to the family. The Warehouse, then, goes virtually unnoticed--and that is the way they want it, to be invisible. The Warehouse also has several programs that are all grounded on relationship building. All of the people there seemed to echo the idea that prayer, patience, and perseverance are vital to social growth and social change.

2009-01-08T23:41:00.002-05:00

You know how in Exodus where it talks of how the cloud descended upon the tent whenever God was speaking to Moses. Last night while walking on the streets of Cape Town, I was able to see an awesome vision that made me remember those scriptures. We looked up and there was this great fluffy cloud that had descended on top of Table Mountain.

Day Two Photos

2009-01-08T15:51:00.007-05:00

www.warehouse.org.za

The Warehouse works in partnership with churches in Cape Town, South Africa as they respond to the poverty and injustice that pervades society.

Maurie, volunteer and tour guide.

We got a chance to work in the warehouse sorting clothes.

Frances getting instructions.

Johnny sorting the unmentionables and, well, being Johnny.

Melissa sorting shoes.

Gillian, project director for Workspring at The Warehouse gave an overview of her program and her testimony.

We had lunch at Maphindi's Butchery, which wasn't a primo selection for our four vegetarians. It is located in the township Gugulethu, and operated by Kyle Maphindi who hosted us. It is a self serve BBQ (braai). You select your meat, pat for it, throw it on a grill and grill it yourself or tip the workers to grill it for you. Fascinating experience, and extremely commendable employer in this highly unemployed community.

O Lord,
we can never fully comprehend
the length, breadth, depth and height of your love:
but we pray that that love may so transform us
through your suffering
as to make us reach out to
the despairing and the desperate
and work for peace and reconciliation between all people:
for Jesus’ sake, hear our prayer. Amen.

—Douglas Bax, Cry Justice! Prayers, Meditations and Readings from South Africa

We had the privilege of listening and interacting with The Revd Douglas Bax who is a Calvin scholar and Presbyterian minister active in the Truth and Reconciliation Commission.

Day One Photos

2009-01-08T10:58:00.011-05:00

View from Table Mountain.

Gene & Melissa Gee

Bre Harmon, Lisa Hermann, Emily Miller, & Katie Strednak conquering Table Mountain.

Theresa Walton & Jamesetta Ferguson

Table Mountain

District 6 Museum

Notes to HIV/AIDS victims.

Katie Stednak looking at names of former slaves as the Slave Lodge Museum.

John our tour guide and Johnny Hill.

Frances Adeney striking a pose.

Gene Gee, the shutterbug.

2010 World Cup Arena in progress.

Josh Robinson, 3,569.75 ft on top of the world!

Thinking about Biko and the Power of Words on a Wall

2009-01-07T14:30:00.005-05:00

Today we went to a place called the Slave Lodge. It was a housing facility in Cape Town for the slave labor brought in to work the farm built in the cape, as it was made a refueling stop for ships in the colonial era. The slaves were a global mix culturally. They were from Indonesia, Madagascar, India, and other parts of Africa. Slaves in this part of Africa were imported; unlike the slave trade that Americans are more familiar with (i.e.-The Middle Passage and the slave traingle from Western Africa to the Carribean to the Colonies) slaves as an export.
There are two parts of this museum that I am thinking about and will continue to do so as the next three weeks unfold, and I return to Louisville, KY.
The first is a man whom I had never heard of until now, Steven Biko. Biko was a leader in the anti-apartheid movement with the pinnacle of his leadership being in the 60's and 70's. Biko was the President of the BCP or Black Consciousness Party. Biko was taken into custody by the national police for a variety of reasons, but seriously, it was fear. Biko hit the nail on the head and was able to articulate to those far and wide what apartheid was and why such a devious institution must come to an end. Biko died in police custody. Was it a hunger strike or was it brain damage that lead to Biko's death? There are conflicting reports, and in the exhibit it is evident that the police comissioner/minister at that time was sending specifically ambivilent and mixed signals about the actual causes of Biko's death.
The second piece of this museum that I continue to think about is a long gray hallway that had a bunch of quotes painted on the walls in the various authors' handwriting. They looked like chalk, but were actually white paint. I was struck by one in particular -

"Never doubt what a few committed human beings can do to change the world."

I am not sure who the author is because their name was written in such a way that I was unable to read it. Although I am not sure who wrote it, I could hear their voice in my head as I stood in that dimly lit gray hallway reading the words that had rolled off their pen. Committment and changing the world...

Have you ever tasted the clouds?

2009-01-07T14:05:00.002-05:00

This afternoon we were finally able to go up to the top of Table Mountain. Soaring 3,500 feet in the air I was given a bird's eye view of Table Bay, Cape Town, and its bustling harbor. You can even see the skeleton of the brand new 68,000 seat soccer stadium being constructed as a part of the infrastructure improvements leading up to the World Cup that South Africa will be hosting in 2010.
Storms, fog, and strong winds earlier in the morning had kept us from our original agenda of an early morning encounter with this breathtaking piece of God's creation.
So it is a 3 to four hour strenuous hike up a pathway made of stone steps. I sure am glad there is a cable car...did you seriously think I was going to take the path? I am a walker, but there is something deterring about a path straight up. Yeah, not so much!!
We arrived at the foot of the mountain and there was an extremely long line that trailed down the road for blocks to buy tickets. Somehow we were able to bypass that and go ahead onto the cable car. So we began to ascend the mountain in this cable car (sponsored by VISA). I may have forgotten to mention that the floor of this cable care rotates 360 degrees as you are inching slowly up to the top of the mountain so that those on board can soak it all in.
When we got to top we walked along the trails that had been carved out all over the top of the mountain. There were little decks that had been built on all sides so that you can look at Cape Town from all sides.
Still wondering about tasting the clouds? Today I did, along with some of my classmates. What do they taste like? They are NUM YUMMY. As we rounded the trail into the last curve you are in the middle of the clouds. Look up clouds. Look out clouds. Close your eyes and open them again....thats right CLOUDS. They taste clean, and come with a mist that is far more cleansing than the summer rain showers on a sweltering summer afternoon in South Carolina.
Close your eyes for a moment and imagine what it is like to be 3500 feet in the air, watching the clouds pass by straight out, and a city that you only know from the history books, documentaries, and movies, pulsing down below...the city that my classmates, professors, and I will become intimatley involved with over the next several weeks.
Our first full day in South Africa has started with a smorgesboard for the senses. I believe that over the next 3 weeks I, along with my classmates and professors, will continue to touch, taste, see, smell, and most of all hear South Africa from its past to the present, and consider what all of this means for its future and ours. Remember that taste, even if clouds are on the menu is more than just eating.

2009-01-07T13:50:00.002-05:00

We arrived late in the night. I was totally exhausted from the 30 hour journey. Our tour guide and driver were there waiting for our arrival. We gathered our things and loaded them into our transportation for the next 2 plus weeks. I really would have loved to have fallen to sleep on our drive to residential accomodations, but I'm in South Africa. Who can sleep????

As we road on the dark streets to get to our accomodations, our tour guide was doing his best to inform us on what we still make out in the darkness. The darkness could not block out the shadows of the shanty towns built by those who have moved to Cape Town hoping for a better life. The darkness also could not shut out the outline of the mountains. Awesome!

For those who may have been concerned that I would be burning up with all my blue jeans and long sleeve shirts, wrong!!! Wednesday was windy and cool. We needed jackets.

Cape Town is my kind of town. The architecture makes you think of Mediterean / French Quarter. The town itself is nestled between numerous mountains. Among the many things we saw today one of the most beautiful sights was from the top of Table Mountain. We took a cable car up. You could look down from the mountain and see the city cradled within. Only openning up to the ocean. Right on the water front they are building the new soccer stadium to prepare for the 2010 World Cup. You can also see Robbins Island where Nelson Mandela and other political prisoners were once held. Prior to this journey to the top of Table Mountain, we got to go past the spot where DeKlerk had declared the release of Nelson Mandela and the beginning to the end of apartheid.

We went by the Slave Lodge Museum. I knew about South Africa's apartheid issues, but I never knew about their slavery heritage/history. I found out that their slave history involved the enslavement of a diverse group of people: African, Chinese, Malaysian, Indonesian and others. I could not help but wonder how this may have played a part in relates with colored people in South Africa and how that may contrast with the African-American experience. I might not be expressing myself clearly, but this was the thought I had.

Later

We Made It!

2009-01-07T00:38:00.002-05:00

Somehow or other, we managed to lose Tuesday because it's now Wednesday, but the grace of our wonderful God, we have made it to beautiful Capetown, South Africa! There were some funny little adventures for me along the way like meeting Bid Sexy Kevin Nash in Detroit and visiting with my Uncle Ralph in Amsterdam...though I wish I Would not have seen him. Let me tell you one thing though, this was a LONG flight!!!!

Mountain Manor is a little place for travellers that appears to be quite close to everything. It is just a bed and a place to shower, but certainly will meet our needs for the next few weeks. We are weary and excited and mostly just trying to figure out what is up and what is down.

TTFN Josh Robinson

Our Trip Itinerary

2009-01-01T08:37:00.002-05:00

Hello and howdy! With just a few short days left, I'm beginning to feel the excitement that is accompanied by my dear friend anxiety. I'm a habitual over-packer and have been working for months on getting the right travel clothes and tech gear. It is my hope that I will cull everything down to the one pack I will wear on my back which will be my carry on and around for three weeks. This ought to be interesting.

Below is the trip itinerary. I have added links to websites so that you can catch a glimpse of what we will encounter each day.

Monday, 05 January
11:15am Depart Louisville Airport: Northwest Airlines flight #1690,
with connections through Detroit and Amsterdam

Tuesday, 06 January
10:30pm Arrive in Cape Town
Mountain Manor Lodge (www.mountainmanor.co.za)
17 Breda Street, Gardens, Cape Town, South Africa,
Tel. +27 21 461 7200, E-Mail: info@mountainmanor.co.za

Wednesday, 07 January
Morning: Table Mountain walk
Afternoon: Visit Houses of Parliament
Slave Lodge (http://www.iziko.org.za/slavelodge/history.html)
SACC Parliamentary Office http://www.sacc.org.za/
Historic Cape Town, District 6 Museum http://www.districtsix.co.za/frames.htm
Dinner: Mountain Manor

Thursday, 08 January
9am: The Warehouse Community Development Program; (not confirmed);
Afternoon: 2pm—meeting with Rev. Douglas Bax (Presbyterian minister and Calvin Scholar, active in the TRC);
St Andrew's Presbyterian Church
South African Truth and Reconciliation Commission office (not confirmed)
*Desmond Tutu Peace Trust (not confirmed)
http://www.tutu.org/home/default.asp
*alternatives: Iziko Museums of Cape Town (Social History exhibits)
http://www.iziko.org.za/
Dinner: Mountain Manor

Friday, 09 January
9am--Jubilee Community Church/Centre http://www.jubilee.org.za/
11am—meeting with Dean Rowan Smith/St. George’s Cathedral
http://www.stgeorgescathedral.com/index.html
Dinner: Mountain Manor
??Late evening at the beach—Indian Ocean beaches (Helderberg, False Bay)
http://www.sa-venues.com/attractionswc/indian-ocean-beaches.htm#Helderberg-Beaches

Saturday, 10 January
Morning: Desmond Tutu HIV/AIDS Center (Fish Hoek)
http://www.desmondtutuhivcentre.org.za/en
Afternoon: Liziwe’s Guesthouse in Gugelethu; walk through township
http://www.liziwes.com/
Dinner: Liziwe’s Guesthouse/ night in Gugelethu Township

Sunday, 11 January
Morning: Worship at St. Georges Cathedral (Desmond Tutu’s church)
Lunch with Church leaders and community
Afternoon: free time along the Cape Town Waterfront
Dinner: Mountain Manor

Monday, 12 January
Tour of the Cape of Good Hope, Big Blue Sky Tour
http://www.bigbluesky.co.za/capetown/goodhope.asp
(Visiting with Peter Storey in Simons Town, 10am during tour)

Tuesday, 13 January
Tour of Robben Island and Township Tour, Big Blue Sky Tour
http://www.robben-island.org.za/

Wednesday, 14 January
All day: Visit Rev. Xapile Spiwo; JL Zwane Uniting Center
http://www.jlzwane.sun.ac.za/
Dinner: JL Zwane Center

Thursday, 15 January
Morning: Provincial HIV & Aids office for the Anglican church of Southern Africa in Hawston outside of Cape Town;
http://www.hopeafrica.org.za/
Afternoon: Fikelela – HIV/AIDS ministry, (not confirmed)
http://www.fikelela.org.za/
*Dinner with Doug and Pam Howie (not confirmed), Friend of Spiwo

Friday, 16 January
Home of Hope with Jacobus and Erika Nomdoe http://www.homeofhope.co.za/
Dinner: with Home of Hope (not confirmed)

Saturday, 17 January
Morning: Home of Hope (AM);
Afternoon: * Concert at JL Zwane Church and Center, Gugelethu;
Dinner: local restaurant

Sunday, 18 January
Morning: Depart to Johannesburg at 6:30am; flight leaves at 9:00am; meeting with Piet Miering;
Afternoon/Evening: Mamelodi. Discussion on the legacy of the South African Truth and Reconciliation Commission. A number of Black pastors and students from Mamelodi to share the evening with us.
Dinner: Mamelodi Centre

Monday, 19 January
All Day: Johannesburg, Soweto, Apartheid Museum, Inner City Mission, etc.
http://www.apartheidmuseum.org/

Tuesday, 20 January
All Day: Pretoria, Freedom Park http://www.freedompark.co.za/index.html
Voortrekker Monument http://www.voortrekkermon.org.za/index2.html
Afternoon: meeting with church/community leaders, BBQ at Skuilkrans Church, discussion with with Afrikaans students.
*Also day of the U.S. presidential inauguration

Wednesday, 21 January
Morning: University of Pretoria (http://web.up.ac.za/), meeting with theological students.
Afternoon: visit community outreach projects in Pretoria,
***(Alternatively we may visit the Cradle of Mankind, a World Heritage Site, where the oldest human remains in the world were found)
http://www.maropeng.co.za/

Thursday, 22 January
All Day: Pilansberg Game Reserve (Safari)
http://www.pilanesberg-game-reserve.co.za/

Friday, 23 January
Morning: Fly back to Cape Town, flight leaves at 9:25am
Afternoon: Amy Biehl Foundation visit http://www.amybiehl.za.net/
Dinner: Mountain Manor

Saturday, 24 January
Morning: *cultural activities, shopping, markets (Green Market?); beach front
Noon—meeting with Father Michael Lapsley, Institute for the Healing of Memories; http://www.healingofmemories.co.za/
Dinner: local restaurant
Evening: Out and about

Sunday, 25 January
Morning: worship at Khanyisa Community Church http://www.khanyisa.org/
Noon: check out of Lodge; Depart Cape Town, Northwest Airlines flight #8494
Dinner: local restaurant

Monday, 26 January
8:21pm, Arrive in Louisville, Kentucky

Time Difference: SAST = GMT/UTC+2
In short – 7 hour time difference from Louisville, KY to South Africa

Currency: RAND
As of 12/30/08 10:45 am EST
1.00 USD = 9.38980 ZAR

Contact Information: We will mostly stay here.
Mountain Manor Lodge (www.mountainmanor.co.za)
17 Breda Street, Gardens, Cape Town, South Africa,
Tel. +27 21 461 7200, E-Mail: info@mountainmanor.co.za

Preparation

2008-12-30T14:58:00.000-05:00

This season of Advent has been full of anticipation and preparation for me. In some ways I have prepared for the trip through reading and attending required meetings but I believe my heart is woefully prepared for the things I am about to witness. The end of the semester was particularly challenging for me as in addition to finals and writing papers, I completed several non-seminary related projects. This placed thinking about our trip at the end of a long line of realities. I put the thought of traveling out of my mind and was able to avoid considering the impact this time in South Africa could have on our lives.

Last week I spent time with a friend, a mentor really, who has spent a lot of time in South Africa and is especially familiar with the events surrounding the end of apartheid and the role the church played in the effort. Knowing of my interests in this particular situation he shared with me his experience of being present for the first reading of the Belhar Confession (http://www.pcusa.org/theologyandworship/confession/belhar.pdf). At this point we both got emotional and he then told me to be careful because South Africa was a “terminal disease.” After the first trip people often can’t shake the experience and return again and again. This sounded exciting but then upon reflection, I found myself being a little intimidated by that piece of information. As a person discerning a call to ministry, the thought that I could possibly come away from the trip with this terminal disease and that I could only be cured by seeking a deeper understanding of the oppression and hope that has plagued South Africa well, that part frightens me. For now I will put these thoughts aside and focus on the immediate tasks.

I consider traveling exciting and a privilege. My husband and I are very fortunate to have many friends and family members who agreed that this trip would be good for our souls. I am honored by their belief that God is working in our lives. In the coming days, as I begin to pack, finish reading assignments, and review the news of the current political situation, I think I’ll feel more excited yet still apprehensive. The awareness of this incredible opportunity also contributes to my anxiety but I believe God is at work in these emotions and this situation.
My understanding of the reality in South Africa seems trivial when I look at current events in the country. It is with this fear and understanding that I go to God, ask for grace and trust that we are all in God’s hands. During the waiting of Advent, I found comfort in a piece of scripture. Jeremiah 29:11-13 “For surely I know the plans I have for you, says the Lord, plans for your welfare and not for harm, to give you a future with hope. Then when you call upon me and come and pray to me, I will hear you. When you search for me, you will find me; if you seek me with all your heart.”

This text speaks loudly to me in my own life but as I learn more about South Africa, I find it is also relevant to the situation in South Africa. Please keep these words in your heart as you pray for us and South Africa.

Shots, Itineraries, Plane Tickets ...Oh My!

2008-12-29T20:51:00.003-05:00

So we are less than a week away from our departure to South Africa. I think my backpack has been ready for weeks, but who's counting? Can I confess to being just a smidgin' excited? Yes I said a smidgin' as to not take my anticipation of this adventure overboard, but SERIOUSLY- my classmates, some LPTS alum, and 3 professors are "Leavin' On A Jet Plane" to steal the words of John Denver (or Peter, Paul, and Mary). "My bags are packed it's time to go..." WAHOOOOOOO!!!! There has been alot to do (shots-yeah buddy!!), think about, read (Country of My Skull and No Future Without Forgiveness are deep!!), and soak in the last 6 months that have lead up to Monday Jan 5th and an 18-20 hour plane trip to Capetown. I look forward to our travel and all that we will encounter and experience while there, but one of the most wonderful parts is going to be coming back to tell the story. I promise I won't let the Lions and Giraffes nibble away too much in the game reserve. Follow along and thanks to those who have continued to financially and prayerfully support us.

Beyond Excited!

2008-12-23T09:54:00.004-05:00

Hello friends, family, and supporters of our trip to South Africa! My name is Emily and I am a third year student at Louisville Seminary. At this point in time I am beyond excited for the trip, and since being home for the Christmas holiday realized just how close we are to leaving. It seems like many of us were not allowing ourselves to be excited until the semester and all of our classes were over, but now that they are, I'm pumped up! There are many reasons that I am excited for the trip, but one is the fact that South Africa and the Truth and Reconciliation Commission have been things that I have only read and studied as something that is far removed from me-yet we can learn so much from it! I am thrilled to get a front row seat and talk to people who were actually involved. Finally, I want to thank all of you for your support thus far, there is no way that we would be taking this life changing journey without each of you. Can't wait to post a message to you all from South Africa! Peace!

It's almosttime to go!

2008-12-02T23:11:00.003-05:00

Friends,

Like you I am so excited about this trip. South Africa, right now, is one of the most exciting developing democracies in the world. It is truly a global country. The strides that this nation has made over the last decade is nothing short of remarkable. We will be traveling to Cape Town and Johannesburg during their 10th Anniversary of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission. We will be traveling during S.A.'s summer/vacationing time. So, we will be among many global travelers descending into the country during this time. Our focus, however, in the midst of enjoying the beauty and majestic qualities of the country, is to learn about reconciliation, the church, and human rights, as well as build meaningful relationships that I hope will last a lifetime.
To the group: get plenty of rest during the Christmas break! We ship out on the morning of January 5, gearing up for a loooong 18-20 hour international flight. I'm thrilled to be traveling with such a terrific group. Onward we go!

Lisa Hermann

2008-04-30T12:41:00.004-04:00

My name is Lisa Hermann, and I am a finishing up my second year of study in the M Div. Program at Louisville Presbyterian Theological Seminary. I am originally from Charleston, South Carolina, and came to LPTS after teaching high school social studies and coaching women’s soccer for five years. I also served as a Young Adult Volunteer (YAV) through the PC(USA) in Guatemala in 2004-2005. I am under the care of the Charleston-Atlantic Presbytery, and a member of Santee Presbyterian Church in Santee, SC. When not devoted to my studies at LPTS I serve as the student intern at Briargate Presbyterian Church in southwestern Louisville, KY and a relief chaplain at the University of Louisville Hospital.

I look forward to the South Africa travel seminar as a way of taking advantage of the classroom without walls that has been created by our professors. For 20 days my classmates and I will be asked to get outside our comfort zones, placed in situations I can only imagine, and asked to just listen and be, more so than do. We are going to examine and wrestle with reconciliation, theology, justice and human rights – specifically apartheid and its dismantling. I can’t wait. The best part is going to be meeting the people of South Africa, and just listening to their story. Sometimes I wish I could go right now, but patience is a virtue, and January will be here before I know it.

Foreign travel, more importantly the cross cultural experiences that accompany it, are important to me because the world's backyard is getting smaller everyday. Our neighbors are no longer just those to our left and right. We have so much to learn from our neighbors across the globe and what better way to do that than meeting them where they are and learning from one another’s mutual experiences.

In 2004-2005, I had the privilege of working and living on the Southwestern Coast of Guatemala. I was a community development intern, and lived in a small town called Santa Fe, Retahuleu. I taught 10 first graders in spanish, served as a billingual bridge in helping to build a partnership between a church in Ohio and two of the churches I worked in. I also accompanied the Presbyterian Women of Guatemala to workshops and bible studies. For a year I shared a home with six other people. A home with no running water a latrine for a toilet, and cooking over an open fire. I will be returning there for the first time in three years this summer. It is going to be like going home again.

One of the things that excites me about going to South Africa, besides swimming in the Atlantic Ocean (on the other side of the world!!) is culinary exploration. I used food, specifically tortillas, to break down barriers and build relationships in Guatemala, I can't wait to see what will happen at a table of fellowship or in a kitchen in South Africa.

Just as living and working in community with the people of Guatemala helped confirm my call to a ministry of relationship building, pastoral care, and parish ministy I believe traveling to South Africa with my classmates will do the same. We will engage in intentional prayer, study, and a minstry of mutual exchange and presence which will only give me the opportunity to stretch and grow by getting outside my comfort zone, listening to people's authentic stories, and then returning to the United States and figuring out what to do with it all and how to tell the story.

This is a once in a lifetime opportunity for many us, that I believe will leave us with a lifetime of visions and stories to tell. Stories to tell - that is my passion for justice and human rights, both here in the United States and abroad. To learn about both sides of the story and then tell it to those who have never heard it or perhaps need to hear it again. I have never been out side of the Americas so while the flight will be long, the anticipation for what is ahead will be great. I encourage all those who read this to hold my classmates and professors in prayer as we continue to raise funds, begin prelimenary study, and organize.

Gene Gee

2008-04-25T08:29:00.002-04:00

Introduction
I am a supporting spouse and influential helper of my wife, Melissa, a first year Masters of Divinity student at LPTS. So far it has been an incredible experience and I love supporting, encouraging, and sending her off to class after a quick meal. After 5 years in the insurance industry and about 10 years in food service, I am currently working as a resident counselor with children ages 7-12 that have been temporarily or permanently removed from their homes. Most of these children come from homes where there was abuse, neglect, or addictions. Every day is a challenge and test of patience and understanding. It is a job that constantly tests my beliefs, breaks and fills my heart, and helps me grow in my relationship with God. I know my vicarious experience in seminary will be a true asset in my work.

Travel
O.K. this is where the selfishness comes to play. I love to travel and have been fortunate to travel a good bit in the last ten years. Only traveling with in the US growing up, I moved to Amsterdam for a 6 month externship after graduating culinary school. Living in Europe provided many opportunities to travel and my new friends have provided even opportunities. I have been fortunate to experience such events as the Northern Lights above Norway; running with the bulls in Pamplona, Spain; and was even arrested in southern France (a case of mistaken identity, yet still a good story). More recently my travels have focused on mission work in Peru. The opportunity to work beside and share with the people in Peru has created my best memories of travel. Certainly observing the life along the Amazon River each morning on our commute was one I’ll never forget. Since traveling to Peru, I have worked with PCUSA’s Peru network as well as other groups to develop stronger and healthier relationships with our brothers and sisters in Peru.

This Trip
Melissa and I both are greatly concerned with justice and equality and look forward to this great learning opportunity. I do not know exactly how it will apply to my life and work with at risk youth, but know examining a Christian perspective of reconciliation will be beneficial to everything we do. With so much division and with so many barriers in our country and world today, a knowledge and understanding of Christian perspectives, actions, and emotions, in such an extreme case of abuse will help us in mending damaged relationships at home. Please keep our mission in your hearts and prayers and use this blog to grow with us and share in our experiences.

Much Peace,
Gene Gee

Jamesetta Ferguson

2008-04-16T10:20:00.005-04:00

My name is Jamesetta Ferguson, and I graduated in December 2006 from Louisville Presbyterian Theological Seminary in Louisville, Kentucky. I am pastor of St. Peter’s United Church of Christ, which is a renewing church located in urban Louisville, KY. This 160 year-old church is located in the Russell community, directly across the street from the largest public housing community (Beecher Terrace) in Jefferson County, KY. There are approximately 743 head of households living in this community, with an estimate of 5,000 persons, primarily children and youth under the age of 18.

I am so excited about going to South Africa. This trip has been a life-long dream of mine, and I am so grateful to God, my family and friends for helping to make this dream come true. When I was a teenager, I read and looked at anything I could get my hands on about the African continent, so to actually be going is just so overwhelming for me.

I believe this trip will be a most transformative experience for me, because it will confront my understanding of human rights and social justice in this part of the world from a western culture prospective. The United Church of Christ has a tremendous Global Ministry that addresses human rights and social justice around the world and I hope that I will be challenged to participate more fully in its efforts, as well as lead the St. Peter’s UCC congregation to be more concerned about our brothers and sisters beyond the borders of the United States. The prophet Isaiah reminds us in 1:17 to “Seek justice, and to encourage the oppressed” not for some but for everyone and that’s a difficult task for many in our St. Peter’s faith community, because of the oppression that many of them experience right here in Louisville. For us to realize that even with our little we have more opportunity than many South Africans will be a powerful awakening. When I return, I hope to do a series of presentations about our trip to help communicate these benefits not only to our church community, but to other local faith communities. Also being an African American, this experience will give me an opportunity to share our rich African heritage with those in the community.

I’ve traveled to several foreign countries and have always enjoyed adventuring off from the tourist routes to come together with inhabitants from the country. I’ve been blessed to go to Mexico, Italy, France, Germany, Grand Cayman, various other islands in the Caribbean and Spain. The city I enjoyed the most was Barcelona, because the people were so hospitable and made such a concerted effort to include me into their culture. I believe that this radical hospitality will be present in our voyage to the Motherland. Asa’

Reconciliation and Christian Mission

2008-04-14T14:48:00.002-04:00

Thanks Josh for setting up the map feature on our blog. I'm so impressed that we've had hits from so many places--and now one from South Africa! Reconciliation isn't passe--it's news! I think what we will gain from this trip will be shared not only here at LPTS but around the world. What better way to pursue Christian mission!
Frances S. Adeney

LPTS Community Worship

2008-04-08T22:37:00.005-04:00

Last Sunday, April 6th, the LPTS Seminary Village came together to worship and give thanks for the community in which we work, learn and live and it was concluded with a shared meal at the Winn Center.

During the worship, an offering was taken up for the travel seminary to South Africa in which $168.27 was collected.

This is a most generous contribution and we thank all who planned the worship and considered our upcoming mission.

The worship was planned by Claudio, Karin, Becky, Christi and Dave.

Our fellow South Africa travelers Melissa (pictured) was invited to give an offeratory prayer and Gene was invited to give testimony to how God has been at work in his life.

Daniel Stillwell

2008-04-04T01:38:00.004-04:00

I was born in Ft. Worth, TX, moved to Michigan, Georgia, back to Texas, and to Lexington, KY. Lexington is what I consider home because I spent most of my life there and my family still lives there. I am the oldest of four children to two fantastic parents. My dad is a Southern Baptist minister so I grew up in the church. I went off to college at the University of Virginia and loved nearly every minute of my brief time there. Isn't it amazing how brief things look from this side of them? I became a Christian at the age of 12 and have spent my life pursuing Christ and the Truth He is.

As a first year counseling student at LPTS, I often feel like there is tradition and protocol to be followed in nearly everything I'm a part of here. Fortunately, that is not the case for this trip to South Africa. Since this is the first year we are doing this, new traditions and ideas are floating around and creating hopefully a wonderful and different environment for many. This blog is itself testimony to that. Thank you Johnny and Frances for encouraging such creativity and embracing the flow of newness.

I LOVE traveling and as such am looking forward to going to not just another country and continent, but an entirely different hemisphere! I have road tripped to 46 of the 50 states by now, a small portion of Mexico, and some of Canada. I've been to Guatemala a few times and but there isn't really any jetlag for that (central time zone). I'm looking forward to water spinning the opposite direction, to hear people speak in Afrikaans, and to see two oceans at once. I'm excited to meet people, talk to them, and learn how faith works in their contexts. I am aware separation of faith and secular doesn't work the same there as it does here in the states and am fascinated to see it in action.

As I mentioned, I have been to Guatemala a few times and one of those trips was a summer long. This more than anything has confirmed my desire to follow God's call on my life to be an international missionary, perhaps long term. I have some idea of where I am to go, but the time is not now and I only pray God will grant me wisdom to know when that season of my life will begin. Experiencing God's work in South Africa will undoubtedly open my eyes even further to the great plans He has for this world and maybe what small and gracious role I might play in it.

Anyone who reads this that might think about supporting us, just stop and pray. That more than anything is what we need. If you are able your monetary contributions will of course help us tremendously, but this world lacks serious prayer warriors. Only when our hearts are set to receive God's blessing can we use it to in turn bless others. That begins and is maintained through prayer. Thank you so much for everything you do and mean to each and everyone of us.

Josh Robinson, Dallas, Texas

2008-03-26T10:10:00.007-04:00

My name is Josh Robinson and I am a middler student at Louisville Presbyterian Theological Seminary in Louisville, Kentucky. I am Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) member from Dallas, Texas under the care of Grace Presbytery.

When I was a student at Austin College (Sherman, TX), I would give walking tours of the campus to prospective students and explain to them the importance the school placed on study abroad programs. "We can read all about tennis," I would say as we passed the courts, "but until you pick up a racket and put ball to string, you never can quite understand or appreciate what it means to play the game."

During college, I was blessed with the opportunity to travel to England and Scotland on a theater study trip. (17 shows at the heart of live performance was enriching beyond explanation.) After college, with my company I was able to travel to East and West Canada and Mexico. (Hawaii isn't international, but it counts too I would say.) And last year, during my first year in seminary, I was granted the opportunity to travel to Israel/Palestine. (By far one of the most educational and life changing moments of my life.)

Traveling to Israel/Palestine was the most transformative experience for me because while we did do some of the more touristy kind of things, we were intentionally placed in situations that challenged what we knew about human rights and social justice. We were able to spend time with leaders in the two countries who have devoted their lives to embracing human freedom and working towards peaceful ways of coexisting. But, we also encountered the human pain of decades of oppression and built up hostility.

Most importantly, we were able to bring these experiences home and share them with our friends and families and churches. These experiences have shaped my understanding of what it means to Seek Justice, Love Kindness and Walk Humbly with God (Micah 6:8). The way I understand forgiveness and reconciliation has enabled me to have a more colorful imagination in sermon writing and bible study.

This is what I expect from our trip to South Africa in January 2009. By far, one of the most influential books I have read in my life was Desmond Tutu's No Future Without Forgiveness. Tutu chronicles his own personal transformation and reflections from the Truth and Reconciliation Commission in a post-apartheid South Africa. As this was actually the first book I read at seminary, it has aided in my understanding of how we as Christian leaders can do theology.

I would like to thank, in advance, those who will support our trip through prayers and with monetary donations. It is important that we go to South Africa to learn how God is still at work and, most importantly, to bring that message home to share with others. God Bless.

Thank you for your participation in Saturday's auction!

2008-03-13T17:30:00.006-04:00

Thank you all so much for your participation in the Mystery Silent Auction at the Global Feast on Saturday. Your bidding and donations are greatly appreciated. Thanks for helping us get to South Africa!!

Special thanks to those who bid and won:
Emily Miller
Chris Deacon – Won a wonderful Bubble Bath set!
Paula W. Strange
Gail Monsma
The Easons
Yohan Kim
Frances Adeney
The Hesters – Won a wonderful 12-pack of Coke Zero!
Johnny, Reagan, and Jonathan Hill
Beth Hilkerbaumer
Craig Tuck
Dave Felps – Won PCUSA Book of Common Worship…he’s United Methodist!
Deb Crawford
Heather Deacon
Frances Adeney

Your contribution toward our travel seminar is much appreciated!

We're on our way!

2008-02-14T09:04:00.002-05:00

Friends,
I would like to thank Josh for organizing this blog for us. It's a great way to stay connected as we move closer to our departure date. I'm very excited about how things are developing. I invite everyone to contribute regularly so we can get a sense of where we are and how we're doing. Please share the blog with friends, family and colleagues as well.