Hey all! Here I am in Fish Hoek. Its about 5 minutes down the coast from Glencairn, where I'm staying. Its really nice here, man!
So this has been a pretty eventful week. On Wednesday we had two speakers talking about apartheid and on Thursday we had a guy/girl day and we girls visited some markets. I bought a Jesus fish necklace and a bracelet that looks like the SA flag. It was cheap and super cool. We had lunch on top of a mountain, observing the coast. We had just finished eating when everyone starting screaming. I looked up to see the biggest baboon of my life! It bared its teeth like 3 inches from Carmyn's face, grabbed our lunches, knocked Mae off the bench she was standing on with me, and ran off! I looked around and everyone had run away but me and Mae. I was like, "Mae are you okay?" And she was half laughing, half crying when she said, "No. I think it touched me!" Then we hugged for like 10 minutes. It was terrifying, but hilarious afterwards! Now we are all really afraid of the baboons, especially because they are so vicious and b/c we have so many at camp.
After the baboon scare we went to another beach and swam with penguines!!!!! It was so cool! Or should I say cold - the water was FREEZING! But it was so much fun, and they'd swim by you as you stood in the water. Then we dried off on the beach. The boys were climbing Table Mountain and on the way down they had to re-route due to a forest fire! You should look up pictures of it online, it was insane! They easily could've died, the wind was so strong that day. They didn't get back until like 10:30 that night!
The next day I woke up dark and early at the unGodly hour of 4:30 am to go SHARK DIVING! Yup, me and 17 other drove 2 hours and sailed 45 minutes to see some Great Whites. It was so sweet, I went in a cage with Terrell, Mae and Josh R and we saw the shark! It was fighting with their bait, so cool! It was a really long day and I took 2 Gravol and almost puked but it was SO worth it! I loved it, man to get the chance to do that was incredible! Plus my wet suit was unbelieveably hot! I'll tell you more when I can!
Today has been an assignment day, with 3 due by supper. I'm done them all. Tonight my worship team is leading worship and then I have prayer committee. Tomorrow we go to the jail in Robben Island where Nelson Mandela was kept. Cool or what?
Well I don't have much time left (stupid internet cafes!) and I should probably go. I love you all! Happy almost birthday daddy! 51!
Much love,
Janna xoxo
Saturday, January 28, 2006
Tuesday, January 24, 2006
Life in Cape Town
Hey guys!!
So after a gruelling 18 hour drive, I find myself in Cape Town. Its SO nice here! Right by the ocean (Indian, I think) and its so breezy that I actually find it cold most days. Crazy! Wearing a skirt here is pretty risky too, with the wind blowing it up every 5 seconds. I feel like Marylin Monroe! But it really is beautiful. We got here at 8:00 am yesterday morning and had time to settle in before breakfast at 9:00. Then I got my suit on, slapped on the SPF 45 and headed to the ocean (about a 10 minute walk). It was really nice out, it felt like the afternoon. I wasn't sure if I'd swim, I was really tired, but Caryn and I walked down the beach and thought it would be funny to skinny dip some time...but we thought, there's really no time like the present! So we ran in, removed the suits and...yeah. It was so funny! But mostly scary, I was so worried that someone from our site would run by. But after frantically fighting with my suit to get it back on, we stumbled on to the beach laughing our heads off. I still can't believe we did that! Then we ran down the beach and frollicked in the water with Charisse, Janice and Dave (fully suited of course!). WE were catching all these sweet waves...it was so much fun. I started feeling nauseous from all the swallowed salt water, though. I've never spit so much in my life. It was so much fun, man I LOVE the ocean! We didn't go out too far because they told us to be careful - they've seen at least 9 great white sharks this year in the bay. Crazy, I know! I didn't even think about it really. But yeah it was an amazing morning.
I was exhausted by that and from my 3 hours only of sleep on the bus so I had a nice nap after lunch on my bunk. We're staying at a camp here, I forget what its called, its kind of run down and dirty but it serves its purpose. The food is really good too. Last night we had curry...yum! But yeah everyone but me walked to town (about an hourlong walk!) and used the internet etc. They all came back super burned! Its very misleading here, the weather. Its so windy it feels cool and you forget how hot the sun is. But yeah, it was funny, waking up alone and looking out my window to see a huge baboon ripping into a garbage can! It was about the size of an 8 year old boy, it was actually kind of scary! And they told me that they were really fierce too and we should avoid them. So randon though to wake up to baboons!
We had super last night and then our weekly community meeting. It was good, I love being back with everyone! I shared about how happy I am this semester with my self (body image wise). Guys I feel so beautiful here its ridic! And everyone was so cool about it, people told me they had been praying for me and stuff, and said that I was inspiring and that they were happy to see me happy. It was incredible. Marcus was proud of me. :) But yeah, then pretty much talked to the girls in my room and went to bed. Today we had quiet time all morning and now I'm at the mall in Fishook for another 20 minutes until we head back. I should probably go, I'm running out of time!
I love you guys!
Love,
Janna xoxo
P.S. Everything here is so BIG...sometimes I really just miss the smallness of Strathclair.
So after a gruelling 18 hour drive, I find myself in Cape Town. Its SO nice here! Right by the ocean (Indian, I think) and its so breezy that I actually find it cold most days. Crazy! Wearing a skirt here is pretty risky too, with the wind blowing it up every 5 seconds. I feel like Marylin Monroe! But it really is beautiful. We got here at 8:00 am yesterday morning and had time to settle in before breakfast at 9:00. Then I got my suit on, slapped on the SPF 45 and headed to the ocean (about a 10 minute walk). It was really nice out, it felt like the afternoon. I wasn't sure if I'd swim, I was really tired, but Caryn and I walked down the beach and thought it would be funny to skinny dip some time...but we thought, there's really no time like the present! So we ran in, removed the suits and...yeah. It was so funny! But mostly scary, I was so worried that someone from our site would run by. But after frantically fighting with my suit to get it back on, we stumbled on to the beach laughing our heads off. I still can't believe we did that! Then we ran down the beach and frollicked in the water with Charisse, Janice and Dave (fully suited of course!). WE were catching all these sweet waves...it was so much fun. I started feeling nauseous from all the swallowed salt water, though. I've never spit so much in my life. It was so much fun, man I LOVE the ocean! We didn't go out too far because they told us to be careful - they've seen at least 9 great white sharks this year in the bay. Crazy, I know! I didn't even think about it really. But yeah it was an amazing morning.
I was exhausted by that and from my 3 hours only of sleep on the bus so I had a nice nap after lunch on my bunk. We're staying at a camp here, I forget what its called, its kind of run down and dirty but it serves its purpose. The food is really good too. Last night we had curry...yum! But yeah everyone but me walked to town (about an hourlong walk!) and used the internet etc. They all came back super burned! Its very misleading here, the weather. Its so windy it feels cool and you forget how hot the sun is. But yeah, it was funny, waking up alone and looking out my window to see a huge baboon ripping into a garbage can! It was about the size of an 8 year old boy, it was actually kind of scary! And they told me that they were really fierce too and we should avoid them. So randon though to wake up to baboons!
We had super last night and then our weekly community meeting. It was good, I love being back with everyone! I shared about how happy I am this semester with my self (body image wise). Guys I feel so beautiful here its ridic! And everyone was so cool about it, people told me they had been praying for me and stuff, and said that I was inspiring and that they were happy to see me happy. It was incredible. Marcus was proud of me. :) But yeah, then pretty much talked to the girls in my room and went to bed. Today we had quiet time all morning and now I'm at the mall in Fishook for another 20 minutes until we head back. I should probably go, I'm running out of time!
I love you guys!
Love,
Janna xoxo
P.S. Everything here is so BIG...sometimes I really just miss the smallness of Strathclair.
Tuesday, January 03, 2006
So this is Goodbye...
Hey everyone!!
Sorry for the last minute post, I realize how rushed and crappy this will be, but yeah, I have very limited time. I just wanted to say that I'm leaving for south africa tomorrow morning, we fly to Toronto, then Frankfurt, then to Johannesburg (I hope I'm spelling all these places right). Its probably a 30 hour flight all together, I'm excited and nervous. But yeah, I just wanted to say that I'm leaving, and that I'll miss you, and that I love you all and was very excited and happy to see you while I was back. And if I didn't see you, thats super unfortunate because I really would've liked to. Well, please pray for me and my team, I'm sure this will be a crazy life altering experince for us all, and I just pray that we're ready for it. Also pray for safety, I've never been on a big plane and I'm a little scared of keeping my luggage together and bad weather - its a long time to be in the air! Contact will be limited too, but if you want to write me send me an e-mail or mail me at:
c/o the Goulds
1 Cambridge Rd, Prestbury
Pietermaritzburg
Kwazulu - Natal 3201
South Africa
So yeah, I hope you all have an amazing three months, you are amazing and I think you're the best ever! I'll miss you ridiculously. Love you!
Much love,
Janna
P.S. Enjoy the cold winter. :)
Sorry for the last minute post, I realize how rushed and crappy this will be, but yeah, I have very limited time. I just wanted to say that I'm leaving for south africa tomorrow morning, we fly to Toronto, then Frankfurt, then to Johannesburg (I hope I'm spelling all these places right). Its probably a 30 hour flight all together, I'm excited and nervous. But yeah, I just wanted to say that I'm leaving, and that I'll miss you, and that I love you all and was very excited and happy to see you while I was back. And if I didn't see you, thats super unfortunate because I really would've liked to. Well, please pray for me and my team, I'm sure this will be a crazy life altering experince for us all, and I just pray that we're ready for it. Also pray for safety, I've never been on a big plane and I'm a little scared of keeping my luggage together and bad weather - its a long time to be in the air! Contact will be limited too, but if you want to write me send me an e-mail or mail me at:
c/o the Goulds
1 Cambridge Rd, Prestbury
Pietermaritzburg
Kwazulu - Natal 3201
South Africa
So yeah, I hope you all have an amazing three months, you are amazing and I think you're the best ever! I'll miss you ridiculously. Love you!
Much love,
Janna
P.S. Enjoy the cold winter. :)
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