Ethan's memorable experience

It has now been around two weeks in Cape Town, its amazing how quick the time has passed, but it seems like our arrival in this city was a lifetime ago. This past week was the last week of orientation and it was a true introduction to the people of Cape Town beyond the tourist sites. What started in a small church in Guguletu and ended in a traditional braai at Vernonʼs house. This was a week that lacked the excitement and thrills of the previous week but was driven by genuine human interaction and experience in this lively city. We traveled lacking the cameras and the backpacks of days past, with just a little more street smarts to guide us. Within the week we saw the internships of fellow co-educators, the interesting scene on Long Street, and the fun (but uncomfortable) method of transport known as the minibus taxi.

Sivuyile National Baptist Church in Gugulethu

However the most personal and memorable experience was in that small church in Guguletu. Though the entire service was in Xhosa, the amazing acapella hymns as well as the amount of passion the pastor had for the sermon was incredibly powerful. A Xhosa-speaking woman was kind enough to guide me through the ceremonial practices, and I attempted to sing along from her hymn book. At the start of the service I was nervous, uncomfortable and felt alienated from the rest of the people. However as the service continued, as the congregation sang, and as the Pastor preached with more intensity than could have imagined that feeling changed. This experience more than anything else thus far has helped me understand unity, togetherness, or “Ubuntu.”  It was powerful, to know that all these people crowded into the room came to worship, welcomed us with open arms into their family. It was warmth, to know that regardless of ethnicity, language, or culture we were all together in that church. All people. All humans, one singular race and in that moment we all held one purpose: to love and celebrate that incredible truth. So much of this trip has shown us the malicious realities of apartheid, and this made the time at Guguletu even more moving and heartfelt. It was an experience I will remember as long as I take breath.