Hi everyone! My name is Amanda Maddox and I'm from Douglasville, Georgia (right outside of Atlanta). Currently, I go to Lee University in Cleveland, Tennessee and major in youth ministry. I'm here in South Africa with Alison and our awesome team. This is my first time traveling out of America so this is a huge deal and I've been super stoked ever since I found out about it! We arrived last Wednesday and since then we've been doing a lot tourist-type things like tours, sports events, etc. I've thoroughly enjoyed my time here so far and am totally in love with this place already! The people here are so friendly to us and seem very happy. We are starting our mission projects with the Prince's this week so I'm looking forward to that :) thanks to everyone who is supporting us being here and for the prayers!

For now,

Amanda Maddox

Katie's first thoughts...

          My name is Katie Smith and I'm from Atlanta. I've been tagging around with these cool cats (Allison, Mary, Amanda, and Nick) as well. It's taken me a few days to actually write down my thoughts considering i had trouble gathering them.
            Today we went to talk to all the Ubuntu coaches and to hear more about what the organization is about and why they started it and what not. Treswell, Sean, are coaches along with Casey and Austin. Some of the stories they shared of the kids are pretty unbelievable. Treswell had the most inspiring words. As I was writing quotations of things he said, I almost wanted to put “quoted by Ghandi” at the end. He is so passionate about what he does and you can tell he is right where he needs to be. It’s seriously inspiring.
              As they were telling us about Football Forward, it said “boys and girls”… I asked for them to elaborate on the “girl” subject. Usually girls don’t play many sports here because most of the time, they have to mother their siblings sometimes as early as seven. It really got me thinking.. I would love, more than anything, to boost these girls’ confidence and introduce them to a sport that they can excel in. They totally deserve it. And even if it’s not a sport, I would love to introduce them to some type of activity that would take up more of their time to keep them out of trouble, just like Ubuntu has done. We'll be working with a youth group of girls in the Ocean View Methodist Church.
              While Chevonne (a local Ocean Viewer) was talking with us at Imhoff farm coffee, I was taking notes like crazy on things I could possibly speak to these girls. I really hope there is something i can share with them that might possibly change their view on something. Another thing that interested me was their lack of self worth. God made these girls just as perfect in their own skins as anybody elses. I just hope that I, or at least somebody, can get it through to them that they are still God's little princess and are worth much, much more than what they have been brought up to believe.

               They might not know it, but these people might be helping us more than they think we're helping them. I certainly can't wait for what God has in store.

Love and Butterflies,

                                        Katie

Day 1- Mary Withers

May 16, 2012

Day one in South Africa—and what a day it has been! After an exhausting 24 hour trip here, I’ve already seen a pink and orange sunset over an oceanfront lighthouse; eaten bacon, banana and garlic pizza; marveled at a night sky with more stars than I have ever seen in my life; and received an introduction into the complex dynamics of the township where I will be living and working for the next six weeks.

This summer I am working in Ocean View, South Africa, a coloured township just outside of Cape Town. “Coloured people” is the official South African term for the country’s mixed descent inhabitants. During apartheid blacks, whites and coloureds were segregated to separate townships according to their race. And even though apartheid ended 18 years ago, the division still remains.

As we drove from the airport toward the city of Cape Town, the division was immediately apparent. On our left side we passed by what could only be described as a slum—dirty shack homes piled on top of each another, made out of tin scrap metal. Just across the interstate stood large homes that could belong in any upper-class suburb of the United States.

We’ll be living in the “Valley,” which is over a mountain from Cape Town. As we crested the hill we saw the communities of the Valley—the black community Masipuhlele, the white communities Fish Hook and Kommeteje (pronounced Ko-me-key) and the coloured community Ocean View.

This summer I will be working in Ocean View and living in Kommeteje. I plan to tell the stories of the coloured people through this blog, and also through photography, articles and a short documentary. At the same time I’ll be establishing a tutoring program for youth in the Ocean View community through the organization Love for the Sake of Love. It’s a Raleigh N.C. based non-profit.

Me, Alison, Amanda, Nick, Katie watching the sunset over the beach

In addition to Alison I have three travel companions—Nick, Amanda and Katie. Amanda and Katie are college students from Atlanta, Nick is just out of school and lives in Raleigh.

 We’re led by Sarah and Casey Prince, missionaries who permanently live in Ocean View with their 3-year-old daughter Kieran. Before moving to Ocean View three years ago, Casey was Alison’s youth pastor in Raleigh. Sarah works at Ocean View Methodist Church, and to this day they are the only white people living in the coloured township.

I didn’t get to see much of Ocean View this afternoon other than a brief drive-through. We spent most of our time unpacking in our charming rental house in Kommeteje. It has a garden with pink and red flowers, a bathroom ceiling of bamboo, a front porch with a view of the ocean, and it’s a five-minute walk to the beach.

We’re renting the house from a man named Michael, who lives next door. He says if he’s not home, he’s usually checking out the surf, and he’s already invited Nick to come with him.

Our house, "Gum Tree Cottage"

View from our front porch

Living room

Dreamy windchimes

Everything moves slower here. For instance, we’re not allowed to pump our own gas, and today we sat at a station for five minutes before an attendant came to pump it for us In addition, restaurant waiters don’t give checks until we ask. It’s common for groups to sit around the table long after their food is gone.

It’s hard to believe that just 24 hours ago was my 22nd birthday—and 24 hours before that I was graduating from college. Now I’m sitting on a couch in a dreamy vacation home, eager to start this new adventure. -Mary

Back in Africa

After 24 straight hours of traveling, we have arrived in Cape Town. This summer my group includes 4 other college students who have an interest in one of our main South African partners- the Prince family and their ministry, Ubuntu Sports. We're staying in a cottage a couple of miles away from the township we'll be working in. It also just happens to be a 5 minute walk away from the beach and a great coffee shop I came to often last summer. Tonight we realized this place stays open late and has free wifi. As college students, a late night coffee shop is about as crucial as anything else we'll find here so we were all excited. We also beat our goal of staying up past 10 pm to beat jetlag. I can already tell the next six weeks will be great. We'll add everyone's initial thoughts and some pictures to the blog by the end of the week. -Alison, L4L co-founder