tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21973971859623337582024-03-05T18:43:43.615-08:00Oh Africasteph cowellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04761915929639359920noreply@blogger.comBlogger12125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2197397185962333758.post-66276948619886346802012-04-27T02:27:00.001-07:002012-04-27T02:27:11.921-07:00Soccer in SA<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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There are two major passions that I have watched God develop and use in
my life in unique ways I would have never have imagined. One passion is the love for science and the other
- the love for soccer. </div>
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In Chariots of Fire (which I have never actually seen all the way through,
but have heard the story plenty of times…), the main character makes the
statement “I feel God’s pleasure when I run”.
Well, I can easily say I feel God’s pleasure when I play soccer. (I also often feel God’s pleasure when I run,
but this is more temperature and location dependent.) When I play I can’t stop smiling. The game is beautiful. A perfect shot, a perfect pass, a perfect
save – it should be appreciated like fine art.
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Luckily, everywhere I have lived, I have been able to meet up with new
people and build relationships over the common passion of futbol. Here’s what this has looked like in Cape Town
both for me, personally, and with my kids at Bridges. </div>
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Last year I started playing with a 5-a-side women’s team out in Cape
Town. I would drive out every Wednesday
night. The level of play was pretty low,
but it was so nice to kick the ball around and be on a team again. That team fell apart and blended in with a
new 5-a-side team and league that plays every Thursday night at a the Hellenic
Club next to Greenpoint Stadium (built for the World Cup in 2010 - such a
beautiful stadium!). We’re different
from the other teams in our league in that we are from all over the globe –
South Africa, Columbia, Sweden, and the US.
It is such a nice group of girls and we work so well together as a
team. I love playing with them and
seeing how both friendships and on-field team dynamics have been building and
solidifying. I have loaded up the
Bridges van with groups of students who wanted to cheer on our team and it has
been magic! It’s so fun to play for my
students and to be supported by singing and dancing and be fueled by their enthusiasm! My students are so encouraging and full of
joy and they love passing it on to others.
My team loves it and keeps asking for them to come back. I’ve also enjoyed that that is part of my
life I can share with my students and involve them in. It also helps the girls to see a high level
of women’s soccer that they can strive for, and shows the boys that girls can actually
play! I’m going to keep rotating through
groups of cheerleaders and bringing them out as often as I can.</div>
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Also last year, we started up the first real soccer program at
Bridges. We only had 11 boys at the
school from grades 8-12, and not all of them were keen to play soccer, so we
picked up a few girls as well. Thandazwa
played in every match with the boys and Mimitha joined in toward the end of the
season. We also filled in the team with
two of the house parents and myself… Some days it was fun to coach the team and
other days it was really frustrating. I
could tell some of the older boys were hesitant to be coached by a girl,
thinking I would be too easy on them during training and basically make them
play ‘like girls’. This battle to win
their respect as a coach was frustrating, but in the end, they still wanted me
to play on the field with them, so I guess that meant something. One of my favorite games last year was
playing against Bridge House, the rich prep-school about 5 min down the road
from Bridges Academy. There was a very
clear color line between the two teams (them being white rich kids, our team
being black poor kids from the townships).
Our team looked very rag-tag – mismatched uniforms, a huge range of age
and size, and that we were made up of both boys and girls. They did not take us very seriously at first,
but later changed their mind as we whooped them! We also had a huge crowd of Bridges students cheering
us on with drums and everything. It was
beautiful. </div>
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A coach from a local club team noticed that our team had some girls
playing for us and asked if any of them would be interested in playing for
them. They followed up this year and
signed 7 girls on to their squad!
Mimitha, Thandazwa, Nelisiwe, Nangamso, Asanda, Bongeka and Asive have
been going to practice in Paarl two times a week and games on the weekends. Thandazwa is a star. She is naturally talented, but has improved
so much after having consistent coaching and playing with other girls. She is so tough and is developing some
amazing skills. The other girls are new
to soccer and are also improving tremendously!
They come back from practices talking about how much fun they are
having. It’s such a great opportunity
for them to interact with other girls their age and to be involved in a serious
sport. I have been the most impressed by
Nelisiwe. She is not the sportiest of
our students but has LOVED playing. She
talks about her friends on the other team and is developing into a defender not
to be messed with… The development of women’s soccer in Africa is very close to
my heart and I love to see my girls getting involved in it and loving it! I have been able to see a few of their games
and have really treasured driving them home afterwards and re-capping the games
with them, encouraging them on things they are doing well and giving them ideas
on how to improve. It’s actually nice to
NOT be the coach in this situation but to see it as something we can share
together as players. </div>
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We are just starting up the season of Bridges Academy soccer and have a
few matches scheduled against Bridge House soon. We had a practice Wednesday afternoon that I
absolutely loved. The boys all worked so
hard and took the practice seriously, but enjoyed it as well. Their passing and communication was great and
they pushed hard through the whole practice.
One of our best players is Lunga – one of our new Grade 7 students this
year. He has so much energy and ball
control and can read the game incredibly well. I didn’t feel any of the lack of respect I felt
last year for being a girl coach and can’t wait to work more with this group of
boys. I was so encouraged and am hopeful
for what we can do as a team this year.</div>
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A couple requests to throw out – We had a bunch of soccer cleats
donated from groups that have come from the states in the past and I was able
to hand them out to almost everyone on the team, but there are still a couple
boys who couldn’t find cleats to fit (most cleats were for kids and we have
high school boys). If you know of anyone
who has used cleats they want to get rid of - especially men’s size 8.5-10.5,
let me know. Also – it would be nice to
have a whole team set of matching soccer socks – preferably white or blue, and
shin-guards (I don’t think we have ANY of these, and they are much cheaper than
doctor’s bills for broken shins). If
anyone would be able to donate any of these, please also let me know. </div>
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THANKS!!!</div>
</div>steph cowellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04761915929639359920noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2197397185962333758.post-16094199536494710802012-03-16T05:11:00.004-07:002012-03-16T09:45:09.143-07:00The Unexpected - January - LA to Cape TownIt is now the end of term 1 which means that I’ve been able to slowly extend my brain power to more than just planning lessons. It’s given me a chance to reflect a bit more about the last couple months. It has been a great year so far but I have been pretty consistently overwhelmed trying to keep up with planning for the 7 different courses (that's a lot)I have been teaching. I’ve had quite a few moments of wanting to break down crying because there is too much work to get done and not enough hours in the day to do it. Somehow though, it has gotten done and no epic disasters have taken place. I had to smile thinking about how tough these 3 months have been, but how God has embedded little blessings in between to remind me that the hard work is not in vain. I need these constant reminders at unexpected times to show me that this isn’t just a job – but something I’ve been specifically called to – and that God is supporting me and giving me strength along the way to do what most of the time seems overwhelming and impossible. <br /><br />One of the most obvious examples of these reminders was on my flight back to Cape Town from LA in January. I was flying with Emirates and had an 8 hour layover in Dubai from 7 at night till 3 in the morning (not exactly prime sight-seeing time). I was psyching myself up for jumping off of a 14 hour flight and exploring the city at night for as little money as possible. Right before I got on the flight in LA, I was getting last-minute ideas of what to do and see in Dubai from my friend Boxa in Cairo via text messages. He said he was going to try to get me connected with some of his friends in Dubai but I didn’t see how that would happen because I would be completely disconnected for about 30 hrs as soon as the flight took off (I still have a ghetto not-so-smart phone). As soon as I put my phone away, a girl who was sitting across from me waiting for the flight said, “You look really familiar…”. It was my friend Michelle Barnett’s good friend Kelsey. We eventually figured out the Michelle connection and that we went on a building project to Mexico together through Rockharbor about 4 years ago! Kelsey works for a non-profit in Uganda called the Kwagala Project that helps combat sexual violence and human trafficking (check it out! - http://www.KwagalaProject.org). We quickly made plans to explore Dubai together and got on the plane to find our seats at opposite ends of the plane. I was feeling so relieved to know that I would have a partner in crime to explore the city with (you can be a bit more adventurous in pairs than alone) and was feeling a lot less anxious knowing that God was taking care of me on my travels. <br /><br />When we got to Dubai, I turned on my ghetto phone and was surprised to see that it actually worked in Dubai! I had a message from Boxa connecting me with his friend Maged who agreed to meet up with Kelsey and me to show us around the city. My expectations for my time in Dubai were already far exceeded by having an adventure buddy, but when Maged rocked up in a convertible BMW I had to laugh. He drove us around the city stopping at all of the must-see places and showed us a fabulous night out on the town! I had never met Maged before but we had tons of mutual friends from Cairo and he was so wonderful to unquestioningly spend about 5 hours taking care of two strangers en route to Africa. He dropped us back off and I got to the airport right on time. I was feeling very well taken care of and full of peace in heading back to Cape Town – knowing that God was with me and providing for me in ways I would have never come up with. I was in such a content happy place that the 8 hour flight from Dubai to Cape Town did not seem nearly as daunting as it had before. <br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6ugo6gKv1F1z9ljmeHrFyK84yKUz8eNL8Rf1Q-PAtP4jNEJolrIUYfPo0fnbLpIVvShXQ_PQXRdJGEK3DMsKLkIJW7Fn9_fbENrTqknbaWocHO6YWWAfN3XIi6MdId6q-n5V0wnc6uSPl/s1600/IMG_4531.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6ugo6gKv1F1z9ljmeHrFyK84yKUz8eNL8Rf1Q-PAtP4jNEJolrIUYfPo0fnbLpIVvShXQ_PQXRdJGEK3DMsKLkIJW7Fn9_fbENrTqknbaWocHO6YWWAfN3XIi6MdId6q-n5V0wnc6uSPl/s200/IMG_4531.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5720466940408313314" /></a><br />Oh, but the story is not over… I step up to the ticket counter to check in and the attendant said, “Ms. Cowell, we have upgraded you to business class”. I almost started laughing. I couldn’t stop smiling – like this whole thing was a little secret between me and God. There was now officially no question that God had my attention – He was taking care of me and was paving the way for my next round at Bridges. I felt like he was saying, “You’re doing the right thing. Keep going”. I’m certainly not suggesting that God’s blessings are always in the form of business class flights or convertible BMW private tours around Dubai with surprise new/old friends – but I think because this was the last thing I was expecting it was that much more powerful. <br /><br />It’s funny looking back at this 3 months later and realizing that I did need that reminder and still do. I need to remember that I may be doing enough work for 2 or 3 people, but I’m doing this for a reason bigger than myself. Even when things seem impossible, God still wants me to know that He’s with me and that He will provide me with what I need to get through the things He has called me to. And He has!!! Over and over I’ve made it through every “impossible” situation that has arisen. I look forward to many more unexpected blessings to come – maybe not as posh as what I saw in Dubai, but always at the perfect timing and in the perfect form. I only hope that I’m not so focused on the tasks ahead that I can recognize them when they come!steph cowellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04761915929639359920noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2197397185962333758.post-82626368160714669162012-02-11T03:46:00.000-08:002012-02-11T04:29:53.490-08:00The Short Run to Freedom<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyY4H0Pf_sVeA_C3gwcng4-I-vJaKxrOPHsfF-Gp8HYaI83u0OwO_FemRVK421AnPktQyZ6IWS50QVvfktSvWmdBEWhOD1kavQPVBAEdoduufmsmGvOa6Xvmq5xOdxEOFpxNxcoT0NsDM0/s1600/IMG_4630.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyY4H0Pf_sVeA_C3gwcng4-I-vJaKxrOPHsfF-Gp8HYaI83u0OwO_FemRVK421AnPktQyZ6IWS50QVvfktSvWmdBEWhOD1kavQPVBAEdoduufmsmGvOa6Xvmq5xOdxEOFpxNxcoT0NsDM0/s200/IMG_4630.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5707847698286186274" /></a><br /><br /><br />I think one of the things I have learned the most since moving to South Africa is how disgustingly prideful I am. I feel like I am constantly having to suck up my pride, which is certainly nothing to be proud of because it makes me realize how big of a beast my pride is... Thankfully this is something that I'm learning and growing in. Here is my most recent pride-sacrifice --> blessing I have experienced...<br /><br />This morning there was the annual Freedom Run at the Drakenstein Prison (about 3 mi from Bridges Academy). This is the last prison where Nelson Mandela stayed before being released in 1990. There is a statue in front of the prison of Nelson Mandela in the same pose he had when walking out of the prison. (If you are looking for a nice long read, check out '"The Long Walk to Freedom" - Nelson Mandela's autobiography) <br /><br />Because he was in prison for a total of 27 years, the longest race of the Freedom run is 27km. It counts down, not in km but in years so the 10k marker would say "17 years", counting down to the 27km finish or 0 years (FREEDOM!!!). There is also a 10k run and a 5k walk/fun run. 19 of the Bridges Academy students, one house parent, and our school principal had signed up to do the 5k run. I have been running with a running club in Stellenbosch for almost a year now and Saturdays are our long runs (15 to 42 km). This week I was planning to do the 27km race, but was too late and missed the registration date. I begged someone on the phone to do the 27, but he said, "you can still do the 5k!" and I laughed a little and said thanks and hung up. (I have turned into a running SNOB...ew.) <br /><br />Then I started thinking about it and went ahead and signed up to do the 5k with my kids. While driving from home to the school, I had to drive past the 27km run and pass one of the guys I usually run with. We had to distribute shoes to some of our students who didn't have "tekkies" (running shoes) for the race (once we got there - saw that about 25% of the kids participating did not have shoes...). <br /><br />We all warmed up for the race together - I led them in a little jog and stretch, but the kids added their own flair to it with a bit-o clapping and singing that I certainly would have not come up with. While we were waiting for the race to start, they started playing games all together - in 1 group in Xhosa - involving singing and dancing and a bunch of other kids came up and just watched. Then our kids invited them in to join and I wanted to hug all of my kids. I really get so proud of them sometimes. They are so good with younger kids, so inviting, loving... They explained the games to the other kids and made sure that they all felt included. I couldn't stop smiling<br /><br />Then the race started. I took off with Bongeka and Zandile (one of our new grade 8 kids). Zandile stayed with me for atleast the first km, then decided to start walking. Soon after, I saw Ayanda walking and told him to run with me. He ran with me the whole rest of the race!!! I was running fast for me (that's not saying a lot, but I do run pretty often and Ayanda probably only runs when we do stuff like this). We ran through the farms and barracks at the prison and looped back around. At the last km, he said "Yoh!" and started walking, but I convinced him that 1 km isn't too bad and he ran through the end. We then cheered on everyone else that came through. (I kept running to the guy with the microphone telling him specific things to say to our kids like "Hey, Bridges Academy girls - if you don't run through the finish line, the bus is leaving without you!" or "Bridges Academy - no walking! Either run or dance it out!" It was pretty great...) <br /><br />There was live music (cheesy Afrikaans pop)and some little stands around after the race. Our kids found one that were giving away free prizes for playing a game. Our kids (like most kids/human beings) love free stuff, so they grabbed me because they needed to have an adult with them. So the "game" ended up being to look through a bank brochure and be able to find the answer to the question "How much do you have to pay to use another ATM" and win a pen, pad of paper, and a lanyard to hold keys. Real fun... The kids were a bit disappointed. Then the guy (realizing that his advertizing attempts were sadly lost on our demographic) said "Yeah, so tell your parents about our bank so that they sign up with us". Jokes on him, they don't have parents! So in the car on the way back I heard the kids talking about that line and laughing. I told my kids that I thought of telling the guy, "That's me, sir", but I didn't to save on a long explanation. They said I should have said it. <br /><br />Once again, I am reminded how freaking much I love these kids and how blessed I am to be doing what I'm doing. Running a 27k would have been great for my ego, but running a 5k was great for my soul.steph cowellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04761915929639359920noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2197397185962333758.post-470569801237896422011-02-02T21:34:00.000-08:002011-02-02T21:35:18.307-08:00Step UpOne of the great things about our students this year is that we have a pretty big graduating (matric) class of 8 students (4 boys and 4 girls). Last year there were only 2 matrics (both girls) and it made for a bit of lopsidedness in terms of student leadership. (As an update – both passed and should be starting university!!! Well done girls!) This year’s group of 12th graders (and 11th graders) have so much potential to take on responsibility and lead the younger kids. I’ve been seeing it a lot from the boys so far and am hoping to see it more in the girls in the coming months. <br />Odwa, one of our students who has been here since the school opened, has taken an extra step up. At the end of last year he was pushing the limits a bit, toying with the difficult decision to be a positive leader, or a leader of mischief and ruckus-causing… So far, I have been incredibly impressed by the maturity he has brought with him to the beginning of this school year. Over the summer he had his Xhosa tribal initiation ceremony. It’s a full-on National Geographic- type coming of age ceremony involving fending for yourself for days in the wilderness and yes, some blood-letting… I don’t know everything that goes on, but do know that once someone has gone through this process, they are no longer seen as a boy, but are accepted as a man by the tribe and expected to act as one. I can see that Odwa has taken this quite seriously in the way he dresses (he arrived at the school with an off-white dress coat, dress pants, and a newsie hat), the way he respects his elders, and in his general attitude toward others. He used to always want to be in the middle of mischief and now he is focusing more on his studies and is by far the most polite student at the school. Keep it up!steph cowellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04761915929639359920noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2197397185962333758.post-81454288103737413632011-02-02T21:26:00.000-08:002011-02-02T21:42:22.912-08:00ChangesIf this were Pee-wee’s Playhouse, the magic word of the day, nay, year, would be “Change” (cue loud yelling from everyone including the couch). Bridges Academy has undergone a tsunami of change in the few months I was away. I have never been a fan of change, but so far things have been running smoothly in an awkward, bumpy, way. Aside from the obvious leaving home and moving to Africa thing, here are some of the additional changes:<br /><br />The first major change was in school administration. The head teacher, Jenni Feldman, who had been here since the beginning of Bridges Academy resigned. In her place, we took on two Peters – Peter Pederson and Peter Sawyers. I have been able to see Jenni and her family of Feldmans pretty frequently, but they live about 40 min away, so I can’t see them too often unfortunately. Jenni is pretty amazing. I’ve admired her organization, confidence, and ability to play about 50 roles at the same time since I met her 3 years ago, and have even more of an admiration for those abilities now that we are trying to sort out how to attempt to do all the tiny things she used to do at the school. When she left the school, the Feldman’s left the cottage next to the Academy, so that is where Cece, Kristy and I are living now. It is a great house, and is starting to feel a little less strange. I’ll probably always think of it as the Feldman’s house with some great memories of family dinners attached. <br /><br />The two Peter’s are wonderful. Peter Pederson is the school’s head – so he is taking on more of the principal roll. He is also teaching some classes and is doing a fantastic job. He is settling and sorting out problems as they come up. He is incredibly kind, genuine, and is very passionate about teaching these kids and seeing them succeed. Peter Sawyers was at Bridges a couple years ago and was already familiar with most of the kids before being hired on this year as a full-time school chaplain. His job is to encourage, emphasize and guide the spiritual aspects of the school. He is incredibly joyful, always encouraging, and so creative. He has done a great job so far at planning activities for the school, organizing our morning devotion times, and making sure everyone is doing ok. <br /><br />In other staffing changes, we are missing two other faces from last year – Annette, the grade 7 teacher who took on a new position this year at a local school, and John, our counselor. I’m hoping to still see a bit of both of them hopefully some time soon. We also hired on some new teachers, Sarie (an Africans math teacher) and Washington (a Zimbabwean religious studies and English teacher). Both have been so nice to work with so far. I am very lucky to work with such a great staff of like-minded people. All of us share in wanting provide the Academy students with the academic, social, and spiritual tools they will need to have a great future and stay on the right track. <br /><br />We have also lost some students and gained some students. Just after I left at the end of September, there was an incident at the school involving three boys, an altercation, a pair of scissors, and about a 12 inch gash in one of the boy’s face that is now a dramatic scar from his hair down to his chin. Needless to say, the other two boys involved were expelled and are not at Bridges this year. I was sad to hear about the incident, and sad that the boys had done what they did. Both students had great potential, but made a very poor and scary decision that ended their time at Bridges. <br /><br />On a positive note, we have welcomed an absolutely delightful new 9th grader from Gugulethu named Bongeka. She is so sweet and has joined in the rankings of “best smile” at Bridges. She has had a great attitude and has made friends quickly. She is very bright, participates in class, loves reading, and is just a great kid. I’m so glad she’s at the school and that I have the opportunity to teach her! Today we also had another girl come from Philippi to take her placement tests for the school. She may be joining us later this week! <br /><br />The Retreat Center is also undergoing a heap of change. We are surrounded by construction on the pool, property road, kitchen and basketball court. There is a constant layer of dust on everything, but things are getting done quickly and look great so far! The Duncans also have some friends who came from Cali and have been working on beautiful paintings around the retreat center. <br /><br />Last change for now– I do miss my friends Maia, Leeanne and Emily who I had the pleasure of teaching and serving with when I was last here. It is always hard to start over again meeting new people and building new relationships, especially when you miss old friends. It really has a much different vibe without them. Still good, but in a different way. <br /><br />As much as I pretend I don’t care much for change, there is something very refreshing about it. It often is paired with loss, which is never easy, but I trust that God knows what he is doing and I know that good things are coming and are already here. Bring on the change!steph cowellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04761915929639359920noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2197397185962333758.post-52746441901351017282011-01-31T10:42:00.001-08:002011-01-31T11:19:16.533-08:00Getting HereAfter an incredibly restful 4 months back home (so much more could be said here to fill in the 4 month blank, but I'll leave it at that), I took off from LAX the evening of Jan 10th to start the journey back to Cape Town. I had an uneventful flight to London, then on to Cairo for a 24 hr extended layover. <br /><br />I got in to Cairo around midnight on the 12th, and left around midnight on the 13th. Khaled the driver (for those of you who visited me in Egypt know Khaled well) picked me up so I was met by a smiling familiar face. I got dropped off at my friends Jen and Emily's apartment and crashed hard. I woke up early to the call to prayer from the mosque across the street, had a nice day of going to the gym, my favorite coffee shop, a massage from the Moroccan hammam, my favorite fruit stand, a yoga class, and practicing my arabic and and chatting it up with some of the familiar faces at all of the aforementioned places! I got to meet up with some friends that I taught with later that evening at the ACE club and left from the airport from there. That's where things got a little more interesting!<br /><br />I was saying my goodbyes at the ACE when my phone rang. It was Khaled. I started apologizing for being late getting out to the front of the ACE, but he interrupted me and said, "No! I'm not there! There's riots on the Autostraud and I can't get there to pick you up!" So, that meant I had to grab a cab from the street, convince him to take me to the airport, and use the meter, and take the Ring Road instead of the Autostraud. It took some frantic arguing with none less than 4 cabs before I was on my way with a driver who was not sure how to get to the airport. Eventually we got there, a bit later than planned, but I made the flight and all was well for flight #3. <br /><br />My flight from Cairo left a bit late, and landed a bit late in Johannesburg. I picked up my luggage and went through customs. I then had to re-check my luggage (a very large, heavy and awkwardly packed backpack) quickly and get my next boarding pass before my next plane left for Cape Town about 40 min later. I made it through the process and went to my gate. There were very few people waiting there, which should have concerned me. I then heard a final boarding call for my flight and looked again at the empty gate and my boarding pass. I was at the right gate, but...what? the time was wrong, and the NAME was wrong. I am not nor will I ever be Mr. Cotton. <br /><br />I ran to the gate where my flight was supposed to leave from and explained my situation. The first question they asked was, "Well, who checked you in?" Uh... Their solution was to have my bag taken off of the Mr. Cotton's flight (which I ended up on) and for me to pick it up and re-check it with the same person who checked me in to begin with (retrace my steps from my 20 min sprint through the airport earlier - with a busted Achilles, mind you...), and have him re-check me for the next flight (Mr. Cotton's flight) if I could take care of all that business before the flight actually took off. To spare the boring details, I retraced all the steps and not one went smoothly. The man at the baggage said he would just cancel the order to take the bag off, so pretend I was Mr. Cotton, and the lady at the check in desk (clearly not the man who had checked me in) was having her own issues that day. But, I made it on the Cotton flight and made it to Cape Town! My luggage didn't, but I wasn't surprised. I really was just happy to be where I was supposed to be. <br /><br />The luggage did get there later that evening - perfect timing when we went back to the airport to pick up another teacher. <br /><br />Phew!steph cowellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04761915929639359920noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2197397185962333758.post-54279265576547957592011-01-26T21:34:00.000-08:002011-01-26T22:07:26.931-08:00Old Friends in New PlacesOne of the greatest ways I have been blessed again and again is by being surrounded by wonderful people. I have an incredible family (with each member quirky in our own ways), and a great bunch of loving, unique friends scattered all over the world. I have had to say bye to people so many times not knowing when or if I will see them again. <br /><br />In my 2 weeks back in South Africa, I have had the chance to spend some great quality time with 3 great friends from the past (and one new friend). <br /><br />Exhibit A - Jen and Joe Welsh – Two close friends from my first two years teaching in Cairo. Jen is my go-to definition of hospitality. I don’t know that I will ever meet anyone who can beat her in that category (see my “Steph’s Cairo Life” blog on Christmas in Cairo from 2 yrs ago). She is one of the most unselfish people I know and is so full of love to those around her. We got to be great friends pretty early on in my time there, and I got to watch as she met, dated, and fell in love with Joe, the witty Welshman who was teaching at our British sister-school. They are such a great couple and I loved spending time with them. They got married in 2008 (luckily the wedding was in California and sparked an epic road trip with my friend Sarah to make it there) and moved to Malawi to teach shortly after the wedding. Well, first comes love, then comes marriage, then comes moving to one of the poorest countries in the world and a trip to Cape Town to deliver a baby in modern facilities! So, perfect timing – Jen and Joe were in Cape Town for a while to deliver their baby boy, Caleb! Joe picked me up from the airport, and we headed over to visit Jen and Caleb. It was sooooooo good to see them! They took me home (to Bridges) and I got to show them around a bit of the property. Joe left last week to head back to Malawi to teach, but I got to visit Jen again this last weekend and have some great talking time. She is such a good friend. Such a refreshing, honest, real person. I do miss our conversations so much, and am beyond thankful that I had the chance to spend some more time with her in such an unlikely situation. She is heading back to Malawi in a couple days, and I don’t know when or where I will see the Welch’s again, but I know I will. (inshaallah) <br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMxbHHL5EDdxZsGaPWuNVOefVLxN_YIgNvm5qj3xUJcbsEZQ5G6jlmdFgKvY5qPC8V7lkL4_cIn4am5rQ-tifX7szw1BRi8TxjLpIxEmQGkiV3cvNgXsaGmdJC2y4OWoB78QbeX6Ie0bOx/s1600/IMG_2045.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMxbHHL5EDdxZsGaPWuNVOefVLxN_YIgNvm5qj3xUJcbsEZQ5G6jlmdFgKvY5qPC8V7lkL4_cIn4am5rQ-tifX7szw1BRi8TxjLpIxEmQGkiV3cvNgXsaGmdJC2y4OWoB78QbeX6Ie0bOx/s200/IMG_2045.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5566737367209462578" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgki5ZMBThg-bRHcPMzCpM1Eq6oJlnm77omg0gSrtP2m0v21jnuOWX5mir-w0koLRgE5E_DWeoKNZHzF3hyYawLPUMZdlbxCxKn7PN18avGqLik0oI0f5UadWHeI6JqA-cBQ28PySF4rK2F/s1600/IMG_2005.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgki5ZMBThg-bRHcPMzCpM1Eq6oJlnm77omg0gSrtP2m0v21jnuOWX5mir-w0koLRgE5E_DWeoKNZHzF3hyYawLPUMZdlbxCxKn7PN18avGqLik0oI0f5UadWHeI6JqA-cBQ28PySF4rK2F/s200/IMG_2005.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5566735899446167106" /></a><br />Here are some pics of Jen, Joe and Caleb, and of the Cairo crew at their wedding. <br /><br />Exhibit B – Sarah Guhrung – Sarah is a friend I met during my first visit to Cairo to coach at Wadi Sports Camps in 2005. We had many adventures together with another coach, Lori, that summer. The 3 of us were a force to be reckoned with. Sarah is from Germany, but was living in Florida to attend college. She stuck around in the US for a bit before moving to... Cape Town! Crazy! Her brothers are also living out here. We actually hung out while I was here a couple months ago, and have met up a couple times since I’ve been back. She introduced me to a great church that I have gone to for the last 2 weekends, and a great beach! Ah, summer in January… It is so good to have an old friend nearby and I look forward to hanging out with her in the months to come! <br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCSMImzDd7UvYUctQLLDkUNNHbdkyFRxKZCnBWzglsVXcxe9z01QVKvIrZun3hn6HkSfVFy_ZNcQ1gfdCbTOigmJeKfuvNPM4KU5Mbvc16MzfczyGn4VUU1dv5aedu3KYyYYn11nB2nHjK/s1600/IMG_2227.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCSMImzDd7UvYUctQLLDkUNNHbdkyFRxKZCnBWzglsVXcxe9z01QVKvIrZun3hn6HkSfVFy_ZNcQ1gfdCbTOigmJeKfuvNPM4KU5Mbvc16MzfczyGn4VUU1dv5aedu3KYyYYn11nB2nHjK/s200/IMG_2227.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5566743168976979682" /></a><br />Here is a picture of Sarah, Me and Lori on top of Mt. Sinai back in 2005<br /><br /><br />So, the moral of the story (stories?): God is really good. It’s little “coincidences” like this that put a smile on my face, like God is sitting there saying, “Don’t worry. I see you. I’m taking care of you.” A good reminder that I am blessed and that God is bigger than I usually think he is.steph cowellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04761915929639359920noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2197397185962333758.post-60452794814545851602010-09-24T09:15:00.001-07:002010-10-04T16:51:26.197-07:00Robben Island, Soccer, and What Little I Know About Apartheid<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghN7JgtQDrfR_1lqwiWiHdmmAHvvHwiwdnHWMbBbBlp9w7NY-woylZZvBNNHywST31b3Vx5Vpb1yx87qTryvwWue-MgiDl4Jyn9IUisk_VXQXA2yOV5ObDEL6sa6uQkeV6-jiD8oKhBMxK/s1600/IMG_1339.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghN7JgtQDrfR_1lqwiWiHdmmAHvvHwiwdnHWMbBbBlp9w7NY-woylZZvBNNHywST31b3Vx5Vpb1yx87qTryvwWue-MgiDl4Jyn9IUisk_VXQXA2yOV5ObDEL6sa6uQkeV6-jiD8oKhBMxK/s200/IMG_1339.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5524339591599542466" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhg2erNBYbpIboK4Fo-C7mm0QQ5iPHHIA3fMiwaZjm2cQgsYQA93N8_ExTBWdahVLWiis-U29hYtGN0CHMqg03GEKtrLx_cDm1-zxQsFZE5BTRNO7ujEPS8Rj0pua9UhXIFybMuh90qgACC/s1600/IMG_1350.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhg2erNBYbpIboK4Fo-C7mm0QQ5iPHHIA3fMiwaZjm2cQgsYQA93N8_ExTBWdahVLWiis-U29hYtGN0CHMqg03GEKtrLx_cDm1-zxQsFZE5BTRNO7ujEPS8Rj0pua9UhXIFybMuh90qgACC/s200/IMG_1350.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5524339604965653506" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjKA183JNGJCQ7vlOB4dCesUouxAOv5qAGMtGbBsF11INfDumcnUYgoFvMOSM5Snfdjt0avYaMLrf07caLRFqhAKNuA3gyjinHtlZfov4E4_09ZcmDy7WPj4tKfzDRBZ-481-Ub4qgwHjX/s1600/IMG_1344.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjKA183JNGJCQ7vlOB4dCesUouxAOv5qAGMtGbBsF11INfDumcnUYgoFvMOSM5Snfdjt0avYaMLrf07caLRFqhAKNuA3gyjinHtlZfov4E4_09ZcmDy7WPj4tKfzDRBZ-481-Ub4qgwHjX/s200/IMG_1344.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5524339595500562786" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhY12m88nsyCX7C_EPC01_UKvzMuJCbSyin2X-OJ49rIgJVM4J41hi_7_14P0tgRUL-CBZe7nOxPct-8_rSZgCnqOrsR2qY4_J3F9FL-cafq9SdrocgBiFt0_qadf-C4O06O5Ql0euskkSk/s1600/IMG_1333.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhY12m88nsyCX7C_EPC01_UKvzMuJCbSyin2X-OJ49rIgJVM4J41hi_7_14P0tgRUL-CBZe7nOxPct-8_rSZgCnqOrsR2qY4_J3F9FL-cafq9SdrocgBiFt0_qadf-C4O06O5Ql0euskkSk/s200/IMG_1333.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5524339585060580610" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtaJWXuHZry48W_zM1BMECEi2XquSj2l_tewOitNraTJGCn_vqZPWpfg8f0y9DnivIEkeNtlc74-1-9GJgZ0Z6J2tKlad0MQ0sQjOamaLfZ2AdAKZteavSrR32w5At-mLi9jTbQxZEaomE/s1600/IMG_1328.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 150px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtaJWXuHZry48W_zM1BMECEi2XquSj2l_tewOitNraTJGCn_vqZPWpfg8f0y9DnivIEkeNtlc74-1-9GJgZ0Z6J2tKlad0MQ0sQjOamaLfZ2AdAKZteavSrR32w5At-mLi9jTbQxZEaomE/s200/IMG_1328.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5524339581836287026" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRkgh7L_wuAxKRh0-G89bcUgFa8jlYxXDjzXVigJ-FcmKl0AWKNzvOBknH0tnAx8_LvI0zObEcbjIWzTLO7iAcUlZ42Ruler-fCHu1zfZt7tC6icsfIPKJAgLjOg6dhexy73XY6kJaNzLU/s1600/IMG_1318.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 150px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRkgh7L_wuAxKRh0-G89bcUgFa8jlYxXDjzXVigJ-FcmKl0AWKNzvOBknH0tnAx8_LvI0zObEcbjIWzTLO7iAcUlZ42Ruler-fCHu1zfZt7tC6icsfIPKJAgLjOg6dhexy73XY6kJaNzLU/s200/IMG_1318.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5524335993574910578" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFAddJKK_inGu7_m7Kj2po441Dv4ya3HiWlJ7QdvEu4dJ7LI99SdvAROciEpFgDdjGZ-Pk_GvzTnMk-NKV7X9Vb8q6_nN0iuAgbqRvIhgsurHx85cl9sMaYdSS3Y6kD5fV1mP7ulbxk9lB/s1600/IMG_1305.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFAddJKK_inGu7_m7Kj2po441Dv4ya3HiWlJ7QdvEu4dJ7LI99SdvAROciEpFgDdjGZ-Pk_GvzTnMk-NKV7X9Vb8q6_nN0iuAgbqRvIhgsurHx85cl9sMaYdSS3Y6kD5fV1mP7ulbxk9lB/s200/IMG_1305.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5524335989551258130" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj70DZQd2UStir3BW_lgaz2UUM_M1QdeEzZIHiHTUk42i3g_WLjd0jaYmCNs5k47YeehsYPV8S23ZuVksC0hOdxVgn07QlsF2IuKVk6C86pvi9w-VdluSX7YscyvW28paK1WnDcWFkR22sJ/s1600/IMG_1293.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 150px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj70DZQd2UStir3BW_lgaz2UUM_M1QdeEzZIHiHTUk42i3g_WLjd0jaYmCNs5k47YeehsYPV8S23ZuVksC0hOdxVgn07QlsF2IuKVk6C86pvi9w-VdluSX7YscyvW28paK1WnDcWFkR22sJ/s200/IMG_1293.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5524335985000961426" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4n7EbFLEpIeOrqN9vQhlfqjDLZmj9zxj5rAM45WMLI612lP9z9_BIOk-2iEFsxoFEw0H-1lOFrNPWsPiTnWRqNeushsycFM7ZCqe6oGFqNEtLuP1NalEOGxaZLVRPYoiEsdKS81pmzo0o/s1600/IMG_1297.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4n7EbFLEpIeOrqN9vQhlfqjDLZmj9zxj5rAM45WMLI612lP9z9_BIOk-2iEFsxoFEw0H-1lOFrNPWsPiTnWRqNeushsycFM7ZCqe6oGFqNEtLuP1NalEOGxaZLVRPYoiEsdKS81pmzo0o/s200/IMG_1297.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5524335976347772210" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjByauoU-BhHOnlFDXP6jzY0bLeglhwXx1X_eExhvsmjz-GAnJ19dgDivocAorvbVA21GXohhMVxlzYqzWAHMtydbggY751_gCoOD2Sx9HL-DVB5gn1DBuzOFT1nBih3ZoDFz54Hg2OQasP/s1600/IMG_1291.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjByauoU-BhHOnlFDXP6jzY0bLeglhwXx1X_eExhvsmjz-GAnJ19dgDivocAorvbVA21GXohhMVxlzYqzWAHMtydbggY751_gCoOD2Sx9HL-DVB5gn1DBuzOFT1nBih3ZoDFz54Hg2OQasP/s200/IMG_1291.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5524335972840813282" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjaBQVaB0UlMlRQUjtSHMW16M-vraFgq1YC4AaGtc6k4IeEtxYjZ-7vGvjIWJ-XXgwxbkIhmAJnauIe1rzUd7o5n0psWMFrDtC_tH7n3yOfvlF_OYDZ_9GrgsxLZRy45uWNC5ZY4gnkNZxL/s1600/IMG_1280.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjaBQVaB0UlMlRQUjtSHMW16M-vraFgq1YC4AaGtc6k4IeEtxYjZ-7vGvjIWJ-XXgwxbkIhmAJnauIe1rzUd7o5n0psWMFrDtC_tH7n3yOfvlF_OYDZ_9GrgsxLZRy45uWNC5ZY4gnkNZxL/s200/IMG_1280.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5524334199280420850" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgc82CDcH-VhOPa7SbZBQYsBVNaQ_l_huYglv9na3hYiNvZ8Jc-EvWTbH1VHlJ3XPp1uiiH0mBy9mQxc3O0AAfw-RmZhlBUchER4RJSVbg7HVOTUysJYTVxDuZZJYUXvKinT8WkJkFnsF2l/s1600/IMG_1258.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 150px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgc82CDcH-VhOPa7SbZBQYsBVNaQ_l_huYglv9na3hYiNvZ8Jc-EvWTbH1VHlJ3XPp1uiiH0mBy9mQxc3O0AAfw-RmZhlBUchER4RJSVbg7HVOTUysJYTVxDuZZJYUXvKinT8WkJkFnsF2l/s200/IMG_1258.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5524334190088252338" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkpBNvS0NO2b0px2vJpmlnwFLfrjRH_k6-ELtc6BH0lea7akzrpLj1VyEZpzSiqTqRcNe1ti8El2LHYy8xQeHdNj5iGIsK7ecL7S2PU7L25OBY-weU1wu62b75yPp0yvRRqOzS7A47jr7b/s1600/IMG_1281.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkpBNvS0NO2b0px2vJpmlnwFLfrjRH_k6-ELtc6BH0lea7akzrpLj1VyEZpzSiqTqRcNe1ti8El2LHYy8xQeHdNj5iGIsK7ecL7S2PU7L25OBY-weU1wu62b75yPp0yvRRqOzS7A47jr7b/s200/IMG_1281.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5524334206249659282" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAiSwfoUZeSOpk0czZbPb63FWSZKslaIWTN434FQzS6-GUxlbq2Wy7898Lei0nck1evnjXfqLER2UC4xZnHCNnU-Nzmnk0_3fo1rP_8_KanM6q9AMMHQBStFcy39FG4l8pW3nReWqluYM1/s1600/IMG_1273.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAiSwfoUZeSOpk0czZbPb63FWSZKslaIWTN434FQzS6-GUxlbq2Wy7898Lei0nck1evnjXfqLER2UC4xZnHCNnU-Nzmnk0_3fo1rP_8_KanM6q9AMMHQBStFcy39FG4l8pW3nReWqluYM1/s200/IMG_1273.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5524334195219799618" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhppfUWz2jMNS5qF9u5Zi_g5aAcFsoHI-jVA64f593o7DwLQMERjdBpxehROoAAKA9uzDMxZvVhKbwlvzgu8IH4iGHy8rEVTSXfVydhLJzMZLY7twJl9mKUtZECb1oFl0qNpttlRMB4fXQ4/s1600/IMG_1255.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhppfUWz2jMNS5qF9u5Zi_g5aAcFsoHI-jVA64f593o7DwLQMERjdBpxehROoAAKA9uzDMxZvVhKbwlvzgu8IH4iGHy8rEVTSXfVydhLJzMZLY7twJl9mKUtZECb1oFl0qNpttlRMB4fXQ4/s200/IMG_1255.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5524334187949627202" /></a><br /><br />Robben Island is a small, flat island off the coast of Cape Town where political prisoners were held during Apartheid (probably the most famous prisoner being Nelson Mandela who spent over 20 years on Robben Island). The island has a long history as a leper colony, World War II training facility, and prison, but it wasn’t until 1961 that the first Apartheid political prisoners arrived (and 1991 that the last political prisoners left). <br />When I came to visit Bridges Academy last spring, I was a bit humbled by how little I knew about Apartheid – and still am. In the airport on my way back to Egypt, I went on a hunt for a readable book to teach me more about the recent history that created the unbalanced social strata that still exists today. After a long, critical book search, I came across More Than Just a Game : Soccer vs. Apartheid, a book about the Makana Football Association that was formed by prisoners on Robben Island. The book explained a bit of the history of Apartheid, blended into the context of the prisoner’s passion for soccer. <br />Most of the prisoners on Robben Island were highly educated and had been leaders for political groups fighting for a freedom and equality in South Africa. The prison contained people who have become doctors, lawyers, scientists, and the presidents of South Africa. The white guards did anything they could to degrade and demoralize the prisoners. They gave common law prisoners authority over the political prisoners (sometimes as guards), allowing them more privileges like better food and jobs on the island. When the political prisoners were first brought to the island, the common law prison facility was too small to house the huge influx of prisoners, so they were forced to work long hours in the limestone quarry breaking off rock that they would later use to build their own prison. Food rations were allotted based on race: Whites, coloreds, and blacks would all be given different amounts of food in the prison with the black food portion being the smallest portion with the least amount of nutrition. <br />To combat the dehumanizing attempts by the guards, the prisoners pulled together to form a soccer association. The organization of soccer on Robin Island is pretty unbelievable – until you consider who was doing the organizing. They had negotiated with the prison for years, consistently bringing up their case as to why they felt the game of soccer was important to life and work on the island. With each request usually came a punishment, but eventually the prison gave in and allowed them the privilege. There were individual clubs that involved managers and contracts, trading, schedules, tournaments, and awards. Most prisoners on the island, and guards for that matter, became loyal fans to the different clubs. The prisoners had fashioned goal posts out of driftwood and would carefully maintain the field that they worked so hard to attain. Teams would train and discuss strategies quietly in their cells at night or out in the quarry during the day. <br />Soccer on Robin Island provided the prisoners with the opportunity to exercise not only their bodies, but their minds. They were able to assume similar roles that they had played before life on the island by organizing, strategizing, negotiating, and networking. The prisoners wanted to make sure that every prisoner on the island had rights and opportunities and that everyone was treated equally – especially since they had been denied these rights in every other way on the island. The prison guards would sometimes use the right to play soccer against them by randomly deciding that soccer would not be taking place on certain weeks. The prisoners would then use their right to play as a sort of hunger strike – to forfeit their rights so that the prison could not use it against them. <br />Anyways, read the book. It’s fascinating. Apparently there is a movie as well, but I haven’t seen it yet. <br />About 3 weeks ago, Cece, Leeanne, Maia and I had the chance to take the Grade 8 class to Robben Island. The grade 8 class is pretty notorious for being the toughest bunch for teachers to handle, so we were looking forward to the chance to hang out with the students in a context outside of school (Especially in a context where we didn’t have to be their teachers, but were fellow students). Jenni dropped us off at the water front where we walked around with the kids and had a little photo shoot while we waited for the boat to take off. We then boarded the boat for Robben Island. <br />As we pulled out of the harbor, the boat’s safety video came on, followed by a video on the history of Robin Island. As soon as we left the harbor area, we didn’t hear any of it because everyone was yelling and laughing hysterically as the boat rocked like mad through the choppy water. We had a couple full barf bags by the end of our trip. Most of our kids were not used to being on a boat… <br />When we got to the island, we jumped on a tour bus that took us around a quick tour of the island that took us past the leper graveyard, the first prison, penguins, some of the structures established for the guards and their families on the island, and the limestone quarry that the prisoners had spent years of their lives working in (even long after the second prison had been built). Apparently, many of the prisoners had permanent damage due to the massive amounts of chalk dust they had to breathe in every day. The guide said that Nelson Mandela can’t cry because his tear ducts were clogged and injured during his time in the quarry. <br />After our bus tour, we took a tour of the second prison (the one built by the prisoners themselves). Our guide on this portion of the tour was a man that had been a prisoner himself for “crimes against the state” in the 1980s. He showed us the prison blocks where 20-40 prisoners would live together, the kitchen where large vats of food were thrown together, and the solitary prison cells where more “dangerous” prisoners were kept alone (like Nelson Mandela). Most of these prisoners were the leaders of political organizations. <br />I think our students enjoyed the chance to get out and see a part of Cape Town they had not been to before. I don’t know that they were severely impacted – but hope that as they learn more about Apartheid that it will sink in a bit more and that the images from Robben Island will stick with them to understand what people had to go through to fight for their freedom. Our students come from the townships that are the result of Apartheid. The townships were created to separate the blacks, colored, and white South Africans – creating more poverty, and therefore violence, a lack of quality education, and a breeding ground for AIDS. All of our students are orphans, mostly due to AIDS and other challenges of living in the townships. A lot has changed since the end of Apartheid, but there are many issues that continue as a result. Even the fact that a 4 white teachers were able to take 8 black students on a field trip and hang out with them as equals probably could not have taken place 20 years ago. I feel very privileged to be able to play my tiny part in the positive changes that are taking place.steph cowellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04761915929639359920noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2197397185962333758.post-85144094435282663772010-09-10T11:14:00.001-07:002010-09-10T11:45:08.521-07:00Dam part II<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9SwtHR8JgyCtb67ziG1rw3SB6GMnZjvVOVyo18fWgh8E9R6L6ROVjWx_JQ_bX0HOmLAZHGOKzav3NQTqVVmb2X2fiTjJMEoPlB_eXSktkw4FBhkK1lnBbtyNPUKhqZ8Qsrtfq28twrJ4V/s1600/IMG_1203.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9SwtHR8JgyCtb67ziG1rw3SB6GMnZjvVOVyo18fWgh8E9R6L6ROVjWx_JQ_bX0HOmLAZHGOKzav3NQTqVVmb2X2fiTjJMEoPlB_eXSktkw4FBhkK1lnBbtyNPUKhqZ8Qsrtfq28twrJ4V/s320/IMG_1203.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5515357140187798242" border="0" /></a><br />Here are some pics to follow up on the dam fieldtrip from last week. I think they learned something, and even if they didn't, they had fun getting off the school property and running around a bit. Here are the 8th graders in front of the Berg River Dam<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1cHR2ukFNRUmm_xj1vnyCpa9r0TEs2qvvtZYzgjcIRWppeFIgohWyDayOqFdeyBK6lH2wtryJOkd_wsv6dZaJX2dNuN_2tgx1NTv0hn81N4aLVhqihbZXxg_O4iXV3fKPPQHX1_IIpnMY/s1600/IMG_1190.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1cHR2ukFNRUmm_xj1vnyCpa9r0TEs2qvvtZYzgjcIRWppeFIgohWyDayOqFdeyBK6lH2wtryJOkd_wsv6dZaJX2dNuN_2tgx1NTv0hn81N4aLVhqihbZXxg_O4iXV3fKPPQHX1_IIpnMY/s320/IMG_1190.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5515351021250833858" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihXHnBgtp6QQWTiVzw_-EVnwNHkWYjSfsXNOvneBnI-yW03LO6NliPojoZP0Tv2aOTQAGffBUILGj42islOJj5uaWc-dDdJmaIJbmFDqqjO-sGnjGErQ7Zr3D3Poz3QSqfEkyEk3IF38k_/s1600/IMG_1191.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihXHnBgtp6QQWTiVzw_-EVnwNHkWYjSfsXNOvneBnI-yW03LO6NliPojoZP0Tv2aOTQAGffBUILGj42islOJj5uaWc-dDdJmaIJbmFDqqjO-sGnjGErQ7Zr3D3Poz3QSqfEkyEk3IF38k_/s320/IMG_1191.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5515357385672135170" border="0" /></a>and playing with the amphitheater that overlooks the dam<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLilrMEBbwfdG3kC1A2piESY5Gnj5tEuKzozLO9vNWqex9DSANtNEzYw3wLeL0fYBp3dtlGDuR1bLOYQ_jtl1ZKvAoy2yWXu0tyKYsdrgWPvcImW_k4_add1COgMod93Z1tv6MlmEkpIsE/s1600/IMG_1195.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLilrMEBbwfdG3kC1A2piESY5Gnj5tEuKzozLO9vNWqex9DSANtNEzYw3wLeL0fYBp3dtlGDuR1bLOYQ_jtl1ZKvAoy2yWXu0tyKYsdrgWPvcImW_k4_add1COgMod93Z1tv6MlmEkpIsE/s320/IMG_1195.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5515351667426806434" border="0" /></a>This is Sandile<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6RKnutfgmznuDkC8X6oIK3B29RIvH6ZkSa5beB-y3eoyrkS4nIZbExjyAGwlmJvMxZp0pmWmx8nRcosHLRrJQ9q8wHNLuIPv2ccPkEa9XcGNE-qz4ejfU6T3956_Lw68xx3-pxAZ6OVHK/s1600/IMG_1196.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6RKnutfgmznuDkC8X6oIK3B29RIvH6ZkSa5beB-y3eoyrkS4nIZbExjyAGwlmJvMxZp0pmWmx8nRcosHLRrJQ9q8wHNLuIPv2ccPkEa9XcGNE-qz4ejfU6T3956_Lw68xx3-pxAZ6OVHK/s320/IMG_1196.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5515352624577671794" border="0" /></a>Thandi, mystery hooded child, Lazola, and Sive the boy<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9nzfQMaZI7cxiKVJXglUbBgj3ZWz3cNWxH4EcguPP0fKwafZlVHbTP6IEcC2zflgemMZAwh7ncYjkhr-yLRPUlxaTNcrp9pLcj_6RbfsmY_Q-WS3s-KVd3QpOas1yC6_JcVxCp2lh2_Pd/s1600/IMG_1201.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9nzfQMaZI7cxiKVJXglUbBgj3ZWz3cNWxH4EcguPP0fKwafZlVHbTP6IEcC2zflgemMZAwh7ncYjkhr-yLRPUlxaTNcrp9pLcj_6RbfsmY_Q-WS3s-KVd3QpOas1yC6_JcVxCp2lh2_Pd/s320/IMG_1201.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5515355133032526498" border="0" /></a>and Zanele. She was sick this day, but I love her hair in this picture.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaOeVU7YjgxAS6Ch5chxZwyPO3AQEaWuN7xU6HHdg-0sVld4lnMxHNi3Hs-mmux9Z_QViMKfQ-524VYZwpOKLU1835YpmmtZsHFQQi64qk5oiJOGEaI1xa_1P64XrqNrJMsA6zM92IFwIO/s1600/IMG_1199.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaOeVU7YjgxAS6Ch5chxZwyPO3AQEaWuN7xU6HHdg-0sVld4lnMxHNi3Hs-mmux9Z_QViMKfQ-524VYZwpOKLU1835YpmmtZsHFQQi64qk5oiJOGEaI1xa_1P64XrqNrJMsA6zM92IFwIO/s320/IMG_1199.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5515353018093970034" border="0" /></a>Time to head back to the van! <a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNWq7XqYPxiqzr_8qOTnyU7Gv7t3GaKS3ZawpSdCi8h4f0F5Yv1sj6a2qsyaKoFvjEIZTvQl6cE1tKtabAq32KFvBIQYco8NFmhEw00pBFAXz4zaa0YAz8o7KbHcENyaG3jLnQQPQDgh3J/s1600/IMG_1208.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNWq7XqYPxiqzr_8qOTnyU7Gv7t3GaKS3ZawpSdCi8h4f0F5Yv1sj6a2qsyaKoFvjEIZTvQl6cE1tKtabAq32KFvBIQYco8NFmhEw00pBFAXz4zaa0YAz8o7KbHcENyaG3jLnQQPQDgh3J/s320/IMG_1208.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5515356104733574306" border="0" /></a>steph cowellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04761915929639359920noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2197397185962333758.post-78955419789317076512010-08-29T06:53:00.000-07:002010-08-29T07:10:41.690-07:00The best dam run everAfter a drizzly, cloudy day yesterday, I woke up today to nothing but sun and a light breeze. I met up with Leeanne for a run to the Berg River Dam - about 5 km away from the school. We'd never tried the run before so it was a nice little running adventure. The whole run was beautiful! The road was empty and wound through fields of grasses and wildflowers. When I got closer to the dam, I was overcome by flash of brilliance (actually, it wasn't exactly a flash. I should have figured this out a while ago). I've been talking about energy resources to my grade 8 natural science class, and tomorrow's planned lesson... hydroelectric power! And, because I'm here, I can pile my students into the van and drive them up to the dam to learn instead of talking about it in class. I love this! <br /><br />The rest of my run turned into a running reconnaissance mission to check out how my plan would go down. When I got to the top to check out the reservoir, an older couple pulled up on a motorbike. The man proceeded to walk around, explaining to the woman how the dam had been built, how the turbines and the spillways worked, why the dam had been built... everything! I creeped their whole conversation to gain precious teaching ammo for our impromptu field trip tomorrow. On their way back to their bikes, I admitted to them that I had been snooping their conversation and why. We got into a great conversation. The man worked for the company that had built the dam and was more than happy to explain some of the more technical details. He had also spent a significant amount of time in Cairo while he was working in Khartoum in Sudan, AND he had spent a lot of time up in Santa Cruz surfing in his younger years. Small world. Yet another example of why talking to strangers can make life a little more interesting.steph cowellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04761915929639359920noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2197397185962333758.post-59486837943423962042010-08-27T08:50:00.001-07:002010-08-28T09:34:51.251-07:00The possibility of something greatA couple weeks ago, while the <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">Rockharbor</span> team was here, we had the chance to take a couple of our best students out to a dinner at SPUR, the "American" restaurant with a confused theme that would never fly in the states. Theme: mix between Native American/ Mexican/ Country Western/ Pizza parlor arcade ... All I can say is there was line dancing and paper hats made to look like Indian head dresses. <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">Anywho</span>, it was a huge treat for the kids.<br />During dinner, Leeanne (teacher/friend) was chatting to Jenni (principal/head teacher/school bus-driver, nurse, mom, etc/my hero) about the idea of taking <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2">Sibusisu</span> (grade 9 student - very bright, especially in Math) to <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_3">Stellenbosch</span> University to check out the Engineering department there. His dream is to become an Engineer - the only problem is, the type of Math and Science he needs for the program is not currently offered at the school. I got excited and butted into the conversation, saying, "I'll teach it!!! Pick me! Pick me!" or something like that...<br />Well, the conversation did not end there. Jenni and Leeanne brought the idea up again yesterday - with the possibility of bringing in some of the other top grade 8 and 9 students who might be interested. Today I had a chat with <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_4">Sibusisu</span>, <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_5">Sive</span> (another incredibly bright 9<span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_6">th</span> grader who wants to be a Chemical Engineer - <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_7">YAY</span>!!!), and 3 8<span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_8">th</span> grade students, <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_9">Lazola</span>, <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_10">Asanda</span>, and <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_11">Thandi</span>, about the possibility of offering these classes - under the premise that they know what they're getting themselves into (a much tougher curriculum) and are up to the challenge. All students were incredibly at the possibility - especially <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_12">Sibusisu</span> and <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_13">Sive</span>, who are some of my most mature and dedicated students. It was great to see them get excited at something that requires more work, and a ton of maturity, but you could see in their faces that they understood and felt a great sense of privilege to have the opportunity.<br />I really feel like this is a teacher's dream come true if it all works out. I get to teach challenging subjects that I love to a small group of students that are committed to them, and WANT to learn! They are well aware of where they came from, and well aware of what these classes could mean for their futures.<br /><br />Please pray that this works out.<br />There are a couple challenges that come along with this as well<br /><br />1. I would have to prep some extra classes -which will take time, but under the circumstances, this is a privilege for me - some sort of nerdy, intellectually-stimulating pleasure<br />2. The real issue - courses here aren't just for one year or a semester like they are at home - if they choose to take Physical Science and the harder math, it is a choice that they will carry on through to graduation. They choose their courses and have to stick to them so that they can pass the national tests in order to graduate and get into universities. At the moment, I'm not planning to stay through to their graduation, so either another science teacher will have to come along, or they will have to take classes at another school for the last year or two.<br />One of the great things about this school is that we can be very specialized with our kids. They are coming from backgrounds that offered them very few options for the future. We have the opportunity to provide for them and to be creative in how we can make this happen. It's all very exciting.<br /><br />These kids are incredibly bright, and deserve the chance to pursue what they want to. It is humbling to think that I truly have grown up, knowing that I could pursue whatever I wanted. I was given an amazing family with loving, supportive parents, a wonderful education, grew up in a beautiful location, and have been able to travel the world on unbelievable adventures. I have never been rich, and probably never will be, but I have still had so many opportunities available to me. I have been blessed beyond belief and am well aware that I am part of a very privileged minority.<br /><br />Please pray that this works out and that the details that come up, and for the students who are taking this on (<span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_14">Sive</span> and <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_15">Sibusisu</span>, probably <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_16">Lazola</span>, and possibly <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_17">Thandi</span> and <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_18">Asanda</span> - the last 2 are most likely going to pursue social work, and wouldn't need the physical science to get into those university programs).<br /><br />Here is a picture of Sive, Me, and Thandi on Cultural Night (when the Rockharbor team was here). We don't always wear tribal face paint...<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEge2eLf3-H5YHJNb5RFUu1mDIB83rXVkVRo0UjHHi6suyXoqIH0hCwjsFKP5YE4Zk__BAV9CbcGZRv9WTa2_nxkUAEm6lvipXrOQZqSGELzyE452MOIpuu2_4iytYaBiy60DfsNg0p7eo67/s1600/IMG_1158.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEge2eLf3-H5YHJNb5RFUu1mDIB83rXVkVRo0UjHHi6suyXoqIH0hCwjsFKP5YE4Zk__BAV9CbcGZRv9WTa2_nxkUAEm6lvipXrOQZqSGELzyE452MOIpuu2_4iytYaBiy60DfsNg0p7eo67/s320/IMG_1158.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5510499110606166434" border="0" /></a>steph cowellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04761915929639359920noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2197397185962333758.post-84779278233486450452010-08-18T23:07:00.000-07:002010-08-18T23:27:00.139-07:00Cairo to Capetown<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqkagDRJmHdvAY3uKk39FTUIBN-p4JeuB7jqsE1J0bR4rYnXI8klDr2rC76md5eA4QymjgTPTHoUlL00toZMMeqIZLNA7eMZaesH4ANlrfOLaM6orfnK1PJErQAwUlGu88Xbw6dca1SoWj/s1600/IMG_0747.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqkagDRJmHdvAY3uKk39FTUIBN-p4JeuB7jqsE1J0bR4rYnXI8klDr2rC76md5eA4QymjgTPTHoUlL00toZMMeqIZLNA7eMZaesH4ANlrfOLaM6orfnK1PJErQAwUlGu88Xbw6dca1SoWj/s320/IMG_0747.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5507003493363538562" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpo8vVFASdPpI3XRkVTpYSh5-uNgXqcFNZCzC3l2BZOgdYXHRIONuMuIyzJZ791UpzUncE3ZvUuvRUUuUn3ZBzNAb71L3TRGRxdBol9gsaBzwDha_590dzjX-wPI5oAVmpnoyP2bB64w4E/s1600/IMG_0739.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpo8vVFASdPpI3XRkVTpYSh5-uNgXqcFNZCzC3l2BZOgdYXHRIONuMuIyzJZ791UpzUncE3ZvUuvRUUuUn3ZBzNAb71L3TRGRxdBol9gsaBzwDha_590dzjX-wPI5oAVmpnoyP2bB64w4E/s320/IMG_0739.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5507002774099782482" border="0" /></a><br /><p class="MsoNormal">Well, it’s been over a month and a half since I packed up my last 3 years and said goodbye to Cairo.<span> </span>In being positively reflective, I have made a lot of friends and memories, have worked with some great people and taught some great students that I truly believe have the power to impact their country.<span> </span><span> </span>There are definitely a few things I will NOT miss, but for the most part,<span> </span>I have a lot to be thankful for and will reflect fondly on my time in Egypt.<span> </span>I know I am not done digesting all that I learned and the ways I grew (or digressed), but all that will come in time.<span> </span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"> </p> <p class="MsoNormal">I arrived in Cape Town in time to catch the world cup vibe and to attend a quarter final match (Argentina vs. Germany).<span> </span>Between Egypt and South Africa, this was by far the best world cup experience I could have asked for.<span> </span>I am convinced that the World Cup was meant to be best enjoyed on African soil.<span> </span>It was incredible to be surrounded by people from all over the world, all sharing the passion for the game of soccer.<span> </span>Looking back, it blows me away to think that when I was a little 5 year old on the soccer field, doing pirouettes and picking flowers, I was developing a passion for something that has connected me to people all over the world and has been the start to many unlikely relationships.<span> </span>It really is far more than a sport.<span> </span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"> </p> <p class="MsoNormal">So, aside from watching the World Cup, I pretty much hit the ground running at Bridges Academy.<span> </span>I’ve been teaching 3 different classes – Grade 8 Natural Science, Grade 9 Natural Science, and Grade 11 and 12 Maths Literacy (although my spell-check underlines “Maths” in red squiggles, it is indeed correct).<span> </span>I’ve also been coaching soccer and leading a discipleship group.<span> </span>There are about 50 students at the school from 6<sup>th</sup> grade through 12<sup>th</sup> grade.<span> </span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"> </p> <p class="MsoNormal">The staff here is great.<span> </span>Most are native South Africans, and there is one other couple from the states that are here as full-time volunteers.<span> </span>There has also been a fun group of temporary volunteers along the way – Aaron, from Westmont who was here until the beginning of July, Maia from Canada, who flew in the day I got here, <span> </span>Emily from Southern California, who got here a couple weeks later and is leaving this weekend, and Leeanne who is a native South African, but volunteering for this term.<span> </span>We have had a great time together and have likened our friendships to a mass arranged marriage that somehow worked out perfectly!<span> </span>Thanks to Maia and Leeanne’s connections to the area, we have been invited to some local braais (barbecues) with friends, have gone to a rugby match, had some nice drives up the coast to see penguins and whales (not at the same time), and have had some lovely wine tasting adventures.<span> </span>There have also been two church groups from the states that came to help out at the Academy and in the townships – a team from Community Covenant Church in Goleta (where I went in college), and Rockharbor church (where I went during grad school).<span> </span>They have been great and have helped out a ton in organizing activities for the Academy students and giving the teachers some time to prepare and have a bit of a break.<span> </span>It has also been great to get to know some of the members of the teams and build some new friendships.<span> </span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"> </p> <p class="MsoNormal">I wish I could say it has been an easy transition and that the students at the school have been overwhelmingly welcoming and loving, but in reality, it’s been tougher than I expected.<span> </span>It has actually been a pretty slow process of getting to know the kids and earning their trust.<span> </span>I have to keep reminding myself that these kids have been through far more hurt in their lives than I will probably ever experience.<span> </span>All the students at the academy are orphaned, most due to their parents dying of HIV/AIDS.<span> </span>Some have HIV themselves. <span> </span>They have grown up in the townships of the Cape Flats, one of the most dangerous slum areas in the world.<span> </span>Some have experienced violence, rape, pregnancy, death of friends and family, and many other forms of hurt in their lives.<span> </span>On top of this, add the racial tension that still exists in South Africa in the wake of Apartheid.<span> </span>Like I said, it is a process and my relationships with the kids are slowly starting to deepen and grow.<span> </span>It is a strange dynamic to be both teacher/disciplinarian and mentor.<span> </span>Teaching is becoming easier, and I’ve been able to slowly get to know more and more of the kids.<span> </span>It was very discouraging at first, but things are definitely picking up.<span> </span>I’m still convinced that this is where I am supposed to be, and know that God has brought me here to love these kids and help provide them with an education that can help them to break the cycle they have grown up in.<span> </span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"> </p> <p class="MsoNormal">Well, there is more to be said, but I’ll cut it here with some prayer requests.<span> </span>I would definitely appreciate your prayers for these things:</p> <p class="MsoNormal"> </p> <p><span style="font-family:Symbol;"><span>·<span style="font: 7pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><span dir="LTR"></span>Wisdom and creativity in teaching – it is always tough to start new with a class or group of kids.<span> </span>Please pray for me to know how best to teach them in a way that makes sense, and to build skills through my teaching that will help them later in life. </p> <p><span style="font-family:Symbol;"><span>·<span style="font: 7pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><span dir="LTR"></span>My relationship with the students – Please pray that the students would open up in trust and that relationships would continue to be built. <span> </span></p> <p><span style="font-family:Symbol;"><span>·<span style="font: 7pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><span dir="LTR"></span>The attitude students’ toward HIV/AIDS – there is still a huge stigma against HIV/AIDS in the communities where the kids are from, making it so that many students do not want to find out if they have it, or once they find out are afraid to tell anyone.<span> </span>We are trying to change this at the school but need wisdom in knowing how to best do this so that we can get the students the medication and support they need.<span> </span></p> <p><span style="font-family:Symbol;"><span>·<span style="font: 7pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><span dir="LTR"></span>Post-Rockharbor team– The Rockharbor team is currently here, and the kids are having a great time.<span> </span>We’re a little worried that the kids will have a hard time settling back down after the team is gone and resent having to jump back into working hard.<span> </span>Pray that the dynamic between teachers and students doesn’t digress, but that we can continue working hard and building relationships. </p> <p><span style="font-family:Symbol;"><span>·<span style="font: 7pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><span dir="LTR"></span>Financial Support – I’ve been able to raise quite a bit of support, but am still far from what I will need for a year here.<span> </span>Pray that these finances will be provided and that I will find creative ways to raise money.<span> </span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"> </p> <p class="MsoNormal">If anyone wants to see pictures of the school or kids, check out the website:<span> </span><a href="http://www.bridgesworldwide.org/" target="_blank">http://www.bridgesworldwide.<wbr>org/</a></p> <p class="MsoNormal">Click on the adorable girl on the page to see some of our students!<span> </span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"> </p> <p class="MsoNormal">Hopefully I’ll get a chance to see most of you in the next couple months!<span> </span>I’ll be in Cairo for a week on the way home in the middle of September, and will be back in California from October through the beginning of January before I head back to South Africa for the next school year.<span> </span><span> </span></p><br /><span style="color: rgb(136, 136, 136);"></span>steph cowellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04761915929639359920noreply@blogger.com1