Easter in Africa

“We don’t feel that we are irreplaceable, so we try and make ourselves useful. We don’t believe we are beautiful, so we work hard to be outwardly beautiful or we “let ourselves go” and hide behind a persona that has no allure. We try so hard, and in so many ways, to protect our hearts from further pain.” 

I have been in South Africa for exactly three months and seven days. I know every blog I have been writing I have said how I am amazed that I have been here for that long. But it still doesn’t even feel real to me. A week from tomorrow I will  be getting on a plane and leaving this beautiful place. A place where God has revealed himself to me on a constant basis. I have been challenged, pushed, and loved this whole trip. I have learned a whole heck of a lot more than I ever imagined. One thing that he has really taught me was to really look at who I am. To look at the person I have become and the person I want to be in the future. This semester has been focused on myself, which has been really interesting in having time to do that. I think when I am back on campus I tend to lose myself. To lose sight on who I am and in making sure I am constantly being challenged. I have been reading the book Captivating which has been honestly eye opening. It has allowed for me to realize that I am not the only one that thinks certain things. It has really helped me understand the woman I want to be one day. It makes me understand a woman’s heart in ways I never had even realized. I came across this passage in the chapter I was reading. It is something that I have realized I have always struggled with. It is something that I have found that every woman at one point struggles with. In this chapter is talks about how we have come to think that there is something wrong with us when we are alone. And we put up guards and push people away because we feel as though we don’t deserve it and so on. God has been revealing to me that I need to push away the guards I have built up over the years. That I need to stop working so hard in proving myself to people. And to let myself free from constant criticism I put on myself. Being in Africa I have noticed that I don’t feel like I am carrying a huge weight anymore. I have been able to get up every morning and be able to walk out and hold my head up high. To be able to enjoy every second of the day I am presented with. To not have my worries be filling my head all day. I have been able to focus on great friendships. And I look forward for the friendships in the future. 

We haven’t done much in Cape Town other than attending class. Class sometimes feels like it drags on forever. I have never looked at my watch so much during a lecture. I have been so over school that I got everything done early. So I am a FREE woman as I like to say around campus. I got my final paper done a week early. It feels great knowing that I am actually now done with school. Our last class is on Friday. We are going to Robben Island on Thursday to see Mandela’s prison cell that he spent 27 years in. I am really excited to be able to see it. We are suppose to be climbing table mountain tomorrow. It is optional and I still am debating whether or not to climb it. It is a very hard hike up and pretty much a stair master for two hours. YUCK! I have not decided if it is worth it to me. Who knows I probably will end up deciding on doing it. meh. Next post I will tell everyone whether not I can walk. On Saturday we left our homestay family for a bed and breakfast. It was hard to leave them. I had gotten so used to living with a family and getting home cooked meals. We got to spend all of Good Friday with them. We went to a Good Friday Service. Which lasted two and half hours. It is a baptist church, but in other words it was a true southern baptist church. It was great though to experienced it and I loved people dancing in the aisles. We went over to our host mom’s mom house. Where two other APU girls were staying and had lunch. They traditionally have pickled fish for lunch on easter weekend, but we lucked out and got just regular fish. Our mom was like people usually don’t like it so we made you something else. We got hot cross buns as well. In homestays we got so spoiled and well fed. I have never eaten so much in the span of a week. We got to spend the rest of Good Friday down by the beach where are host brother and sister were camping. It was a blast just being able to hang out by the water and sit by a fire. On Saturday we got to sleep in and then went to the mall with our host mom and she got us good old McDonalds. She was the sweetest and bought both me and Kelsey necklaces for us to always remember them. It made me truly appreciate how kind they were to us. We ended up getting them flowers and a Cd as a thank you. The best thing that I loved was when we were saying goodbye and walking away she was like we love you both. It made my heart melt. 

We are now at the bed and breakfast till Sunday. It has been a blast being able to be off by ourselves with fourteen other girls. Easter Sunday was interesting. It was my first Easter away from home. It was a little sad but I was glad I had people to celebrate it with. We got up on Easter and did a devotional. At that moment it made me realize just how great the people I am surrounded by at APU. Some of us took the train down to the city and ate lunch by the waterfront. It was rainy and cold in Cape Town. So we got lattes and pasta of course! I loved it, it was the best pasta I have ever tasted. We just hung down there and walked around. We had to take taxis as well and I looked at my friend and was like, “girl we are in Africa and we are taking taxis around the city like we have been living here for years” she just laughed at me. It just blows my mind sometimes. We went back and got dinner and all watch a movie. It was a fun day. I will always remember my Easter in Africa. 

I found out that I will officially be going shark cage diving on Saturday. EEKKK! We have to wake up at like five in the morning too. I am still freaking out about it. I had another nightmare last night of getting eaten by a shark. I am never someone to turn down an adventure. So pray for me. 

P.S. Sorry for such a delay in blog posts. Currently my internet was not letting me log into blogger so therefore no posting. It randomly let me log into today! YAY!