Friends and Family,

Emily has given you two posts worth of beautiful words describing our experience here in SA so far. As much as I've wanted to join in, I find it difficult to measure up to her work. Of course I will still be writing some of the blog posts in this joint effort, but for now I think I'll bring you something a little different (and necessary). I'm sure you have all been waiting for a little visual stimulation to go along with the verbal descriptions. Wait no longer because this blog post is all about the pictures. Enjoy.

-Jarvis

A group of learners and teachers from St. Matthew's at a farewell party for Ben

Gubu Dam (just down the road on our drive to school)

The usual driving scenery (complete with free range cattle on our route to school)

The main house at Take It Easy B&B (we live to the right)

Enjoying our recently acquired World Cup tickets!

A little World Cup celebration

The view from our new favorite hotel in Port Elizabeth

A typical SA country road (a short walk from our home in Stutterheim)

Our new dwelling place

ALLO!

First I would like to say, that I am writing this post to the tune of Jarvis' inventing on the guitar ...and it's attractive.

In other news, we have seen the other side...and it's AMAZING! We ventured to Port Elizabeth this weekend in search of World Cup tickets. I'm happy to report that we found them. So, if you think of it, join with us in rooting for our African neighbors, and play your vuvuzela as loudly, (and publicly) as possible, as Cote d'Ivoire squares off against Portugal.

Port Elizabeth not only gave us these tickets. Port Elizabeth also gave us an amazing (and reasonably priced!) hotel experience, and possibly the best meal I've had...ever. Now, some may say that the cost of living is substantially lower in South Africa...but much of the time, this is simply untrue. However, one area where a steal can be found easily enough, is in the hospitality industry. Much like many American beach towns, the coast of Port Elizabeth has enough hotels to support the entire Burkina Faso population. Alas, a decision had to be made. Just as I thought I would suffocate in my own indecisiveness, the Kelway hotel beckoned to us from the hillside. We answered it's call, and we were not disappointed.

Now, the Kelway proudly displays it's 4 stars, and yet, costs the equivalent to approximately $80 a night. You may be thinking, "4 African stars are surely not the same as 4 American stars...and heaven only KNOWS what the cleanliness standards are." Well, I would answer these thoughts, with Marco's..."Marco found the cleanliness of Hotel The Kelway in Port Elizabeth excellent"(Google). Marco, we couldn't agree more. No doubt we will return as often as possible...partly for the most tender steak with which I was presented, and partly for the flapjacks in the morning. In case you thought flapjacks were a common breakfast item out of the movie Tombstone, they're also a common breakfast item in South Africa. A pancake on this side of the equator is a companion to cold cuts.

We returned Sunday afternoon, and gathered with Di and her daughter Carey, (our B&B owners) for Ben's farewell dinner. Ben, as a reminder, is who's position we're essentially taking over on behalf of the Calabar Foundation. We have enjoyed getting to know him these past few weeks, and have learned a lifetime's worth of information from him in regards to both our new jobs, as well as life in South Africa.

Today, we dropped Ben off at the airport. I would liken the feelings in the moments that followed to the childhood experience of learning to ride a bike...the anxiousness I felt while riding without training wheels for the first time, and the certainty that a fall was inevitable. I'm not saying I expect us to fail; but rather, that I expect us to feel as though we might for awhile. Such is life...and I don't doubt for a single moment that we're supposed to be here.

We do ask for your prayers...for strength and for wisdom. We love you and miss you.

Please feel free to contact either of us as often as you like...I can't tell you how much your words and updates mean to us!

Emily

South Africa Thus Far

Beloved Friends and Family,

First, let me take this opportunity to welcome you to this blog. Here you will find the things that we would write to you in letters, (if we thought you would get them before Christmas) say to your faces over Skype, (if our laptop and its camera were up and running) or explain over the phone (if we could make calls outside of the Eastern Cape). I promise nothing from these words, and hope you expect nothing, but honesty. Here goes.

You may have heard South Africa referred to as the Rainbow Nation. These two words better encapsulate our new home more than you could imagine. Just about everything is curious to us-to open our eyes is to learn. In many ways, I sympathize with my baby niece and nephews...and every exchange student I've ever met. It's not easy to feel like you're on the outside of a nationwide inside joke. It helps that Jarvis, too, is on the outside :).

So, as outsiders, here is a brief list of the things we are getting accustomed to:

1. Driving...on the wrong side-the wrong side of the car, the wrong side of the street, the wrong hand shifting the gears on the wrong side of the car. However, I can't complain too much...I'm just getting accustomed to sitting on the wrong side.

2. Free range cattle...in the most literal sense of the word...to the point of putting the humans in bondage. These furry friends; goats, pigs, cows, horses, etc. add a video game-like quality to our rides to school...except with potentially pricey and painful collision consequences.

3. Staring...constant staring. Staring is one of the greatest threats to our ability to safely dodge the free range cattle. Everyone stares at everyone here. Part of this is due to the fact that everyone walks or gets a "cab"-which is hopefully your car, to work. The other part is that, while we could be mistaken for some South Africans, we couldn't be for most, and even if we could be mistaken for natives, our driving techniques give us away.

4. Waiting. If you know me, you know that the phrase "real quick" is commonly uttered. No more. There is no more "real quick", "right away", "immediately", "same-day service", etc. You just have to wait. If you're in a hurry, you're the only one.

5. Cravings. Cravings are a regular part of my daily life, but not something I would recommend visitors bring along. The sad fact is, nothing tastes the way it should, or the way you think it will. I have approached many a meal with eagerness and anticipation, and left disappointed and even disillusioned. The sooner you leave your expectations at the door, the sooner you're satisfied. We eat lots of muesli...which is granola. I do, however, feel as though I should make an exception-our B&B owner's cooking. First of all, she spoils us by feeding us five meals a week, and her cooking is better than most restaurants we've found thus far.

6. Togetherness. As newlyweds, we approached this adventure both excitedly and a bit apprehensively. There's no way to predict how spending 24 hours a day with your spouse will make you behave. I'm happy to report, all is well on the home front. Yes, as is typical with family, we often clash within the daily grind of things, but we continually remind ourselves and each other that stress accompanies change...and there certainly have been plenty of changes. I have discovered that nothing holds a mirror to your character more so than marriage. It's not easy to look into a mirror 24 hours a day. I will say, this new life has kept me clinging to Jarvis as my best friend, but more thananything, clinging to the grace of God. I am thankful for a husband that loves unconditionally, and for the knowledge that the mercies of God are new each morning. In this sense, while stress has accompanied some negatives, it has also brought strength.

With these thoughts I leave you for now. We will certainly be updating with more day-to-day details later, but I think, knowing these things, you can get a good flavor for our life here in wint’ry South Africa. We love you. We are so thankful for your prayers.

Let’s talk soon…cheers!

Emily