Clop Clop....
Who's there?
Dolores.
Dolores who?
Dolores my shepherd!
Apparently, in Afrikaans, knock-knock jokes start out with "clop clop" instead. I will have to get used to this switch if I intend to make any friends over there. Get the punch line? "Dolores" sounds like "the Lord is", when said with a South African accent. Oh, it's a good one! Yes, I use clop-clop jokes to make friends. No, I am not 6 years old.
Now that we're all friends. Here is my blog. I refuse to be considered a blogger but yes, I will be keeping a blog while I'm away. This is the first one, so it may be a bit rough...please bear with me. As you must know by now, this upcoming August a friend and I will be traveling to Pretoria, South Africa to work as interns with the Tshwane Leadership Foundation. For more information about what this organization does in the city, check out their website which should be linked at the bottom of the page. Thank you everyone for your encouragement, support, and suggestions as I prepare for this next year. It will be a fantastically stretching experience and I am so looking forward to it. There are so many unknowns about the trip right now and if you would like to be praying for this next few months here are some specifics that are in the front of my mind:
Safety: Pretoria is a city of 2.3 million people (roughly the size of Chicago), with this comes a much different culture than that of my quaint little Bellingham. This huge city is also 1/2 way across the world in a new country that has new laws and socially acceptable behaviors.
Health: Self-explainatory. Being careful about what to eat and drink and where to swim or not swim.
Funding: The trip will cost about $6000 for the year and I am confidant that the Lord will provide if He's leading me there. Fundraising event info to come soon.
Wisdom: Being grounded in Scripture and truth is always important, but I have been reminded so many times already that this should really be a time of Spiritual preparation as well.
Thanks! I will keep ya posted about how God is working in each of these areas. It is my hope that by keeping this blog, it will help all of us work though what it looks like to get ready and go on a trip like this. Please feel free to leave any suggestions on other information you would like to know.
One of the ways I have been trying to learn more about this culture we're going into is by reading books. My summer reading list is: "The Long Walk to Freedom" Nelson Madela, Cion by Zakes Mda , "A Raisin in the Sun" by Lorraine Hansberry and "Cry the Beloved Country" by Alan Paton. If you have any other South African lit. Lit me know. HA.
Leave it alone. It's a pun.
More to come....when i get there there'll be pictures! WooHoo!
