Obvious statement alert: Cape Town in beautiful!!! Flying into the city you could see farming land neatly manicured leading into factory campuses. Buildings comprise a metropolis nestled between the mountains and the ocean. Elegant homes and expansive shantytown areas. It is topography as diverse and complex as the lives of those residing upon it.
Today, we meet Pastor Young Ohm – the director of African Leadership here in South Africa. We also meet Glory, Angela, Dong Su, Paul, Joy, Tobi, Jeff & Julie – all exceedingly kind and hospitable to us.
Upon arriving at the mission house in the township of Breckenfell where we’ll stay, the team settled in, briefly unpacked then swept off to hike Lion’s Den mountain. Situated to the east of Table Mountain – the iconic, largest mountain here – Lion’s Den is a bit more accessible and scalable. It was a majestic climb that wound around the mountain. We planted ourselves at the top for a bit, taking in the majestic sights of the ocean and the separated by this vast city and its beaches. We then visited the beach – breathtaking! Too cold to swim (it’s wintertime here, 50-60 degrees on average), but a beachside meal made me appreciate why Cape Town has been ranked one of the most desirable places in the world to live. A brief look at the tourism side of this place before we get exposed to its poverty and need. The team kept showing each other the myriad of great photos we have taken thus far, but I know that the best shots are still yet to come.
Pastor Ohm spoke to us tonight. It was part orientation, part sermon, but all originating from the heart of a man who has grown to love this city and its people from his native Korea. Two main points he shared: view people, especially those we’ll be working with, through Christ’s eyes. It is a request that humbles your spirit and guides you in the proper way to serve and interact with others. Secondly, live life with an eternal perspective, it centers you and keeps you mindful of the long-term meaning to our works and relationships and how differences truly are petty. He’s a great man, and I’m looking forward to working for him and learning from him. But for right now, my heavy eyelids reveal that lesson time will have to wait.
The team is beat. The long flights (9 + 11 hours) and hectic days have us fading fast. It is 10PM here, I’m at an internet café briefly letting people know that I’m here safe. Surfing the web holds little interest to me as I hope for this trip to take me far from normalcy. I’ve unplugged from my life back home for this time…and I’m happy for it.
Today, we meet Pastor Young Ohm – the director of African Leadership here in South Africa. We also meet Glory, Angela, Dong Su, Paul, Joy, Tobi, Jeff & Julie – all exceedingly kind and hospitable to us.
Upon arriving at the mission house in the township of Breckenfell where we’ll stay, the team settled in, briefly unpacked then swept off to hike Lion’s Den mountain. Situated to the east of Table Mountain – the iconic, largest mountain here – Lion’s Den is a bit more accessible and scalable. It was a majestic climb that wound around the mountain. We planted ourselves at the top for a bit, taking in the majestic sights of the ocean and the separated by this vast city and its beaches. We then visited the beach – breathtaking! Too cold to swim (it’s wintertime here, 50-60 degrees on average), but a beachside meal made me appreciate why Cape Town has been ranked one of the most desirable places in the world to live. A brief look at the tourism side of this place before we get exposed to its poverty and need. The team kept showing each other the myriad of great photos we have taken thus far, but I know that the best shots are still yet to come.
Pastor Ohm spoke to us tonight. It was part orientation, part sermon, but all originating from the heart of a man who has grown to love this city and its people from his native Korea. Two main points he shared: view people, especially those we’ll be working with, through Christ’s eyes. It is a request that humbles your spirit and guides you in the proper way to serve and interact with others. Secondly, live life with an eternal perspective, it centers you and keeps you mindful of the long-term meaning to our works and relationships and how differences truly are petty. He’s a great man, and I’m looking forward to working for him and learning from him. But for right now, my heavy eyelids reveal that lesson time will have to wait.
The team is beat. The long flights (9 + 11 hours) and hectic days have us fading fast. It is 10PM here, I’m at an internet café briefly letting people know that I’m here safe. Surfing the web holds little interest to me as I hope for this trip to take me far from normalcy. I’ve unplugged from my life back home for this time…and I’m happy for it.
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