JR on gratitude

As we begin our internships tomorrow, our two weeks of orientation have allowed us to see the need that is here in Cape Town, particularly in the townships.  I’ve been thinking about how grateful I am that our weeks of orientation have allowed us to see both the good and the bad of Cape Town, as well as the good that can come from the bad, particularly in places such as Treatment Action Campaign, The Social Justice Coalition, and my internship at Black Sash.  These are people working to make difficult situations better for a lot of people, and that is something that I always try to look for, the people trying to shed light in the darkness. 

JR & Carolyn will both be interning at Black Sash

One place in particular that we visited that struck me was our faith experience last Sunday in Guguletu.  The church was small and cramped, and the service was entirely in Xhosa, but their constant praise and spirit made me feel right at home.  The people there have very little, yet their songs were full of praise and gratitude toward God, something that I found to be astounding as well as admirable.  I have been struggling on my own walk of faith lately, and being able to experience a service like that was truly faith-affirming, and for that I am truly grateful.

Overall the overarching theme of my trip so far has been gratitude.  I’ve been grateful to have been given this wonderful opportunity to study abroad here, I’ve been grateful for this wonderful two weeks we have had of orientation to get a look and feel of the new place we are in, an I’m grateful now for the opportunity to work at my internship and hopefully make a difference in the time I’ve been given.