Cape Town: Day 1

11:23PM Saturday

I landed safely in Cape Town last night and was greeted by Bishop and his friend's daughter, Tori. Tori was visiting with Bishop from Jo'burg (Johannesburg) where her father lives and serves the 19th District as Bishop. She and I spent a few hours together last night getting to know each other but mostly her showing me pictures of her time here, in and around Jo'burg as well as Pretoria (the nation's capitol city). We all thought it quite unfortunate that her time here ended this afternoon as mine just began, but she had to fly back to visit with her father before heading back to Philly. She did me a great service and I appreciated our time together.

After Tori left, the day was pretty chill. I'm still a bit jet lagged so I rested most of the day and spent time preparing for my day tomorrow (and time here). We have a tough day ahead...

5:39AM Sunday

I'm up watching the Louisville-Cincy game. It's amazing; I woke up just as the game began. It's about 9 minutes remaining in the 2nd half. I didn't expect to miss home so much but watching the game is comforting for that reason.

I'm looking forward to our day today. As I mentioned before, it's going to be tough because it's going to be a long day with tough conversations. I will be meeting church leaders and members for the first time and will begin assessing the situation. Bishop tells me he has informed folks of my arrival and they are looking forward to receiving me. I'm remissed about how short my trip is in the context of my ability to have significant impact. However, I have to trust that the Lord knows the way forward and I'm simply a vessel by which those here will navigate their own destinies.

So I have been kinda bummed out about my communication challenges. T-Mobile led me to believe I'd have cheaper more accessible communications with my phone. My family hasn't yet successfully logged into Skype and even Pandora tells me it's "not available in this country!" Really? But God knows what He's doing; and so do I. A friend made me laugh about it. He said, "That's to be expected...forget the west!" so this blog and my journal will be much more important and useful than my phone. I have to admit though that I like that...means I get to purchase a new camera Monday so that I can post pictures!

A few interesting observations thus far:

• Race and class are much more important and impactful on the lives of people here. Much more than in Louisville.
• I'm reading In His Own Words on Nelson Mandela...his work and that of the ANC make the Civil Rights work in the US look weak. The book has also confirmed a belief that I have about the plight of Blacks in the US; that part of our issues are related to the lack of forward thinking and strategic planning post-integration.
• Hustling is a theme that has been following me for about a year or so...from a farmer friend's reference to T-Pain's song to seeing Africans grinding on the streets and intersections here. As Jay-Z said he could, I believe they could sell water to a whale!
• I hate our industrial food system (not that it's a surprise to anyone) and its dominance in the global world. I have hated seeing McDonalds and 24-hour KFCs and their signs at busy intersections along major roadways! It's quite disgusting and embarrassing! Being from Louisville almost makes feel like a representative on some level for YUM! I will though express my dislike of that company and all it represents when given the opportunity....
• I'm staying in a gated community where Bishop's residence is the only house of color. Can't wait to rock my fro and walk through the neighborhood - LOL!!