Tag: South Africa

Ndzuti Safari Camp: 3/5 Big 5 Spotted, but 5/5 Star Experience

This modest safari camp nestled deep in the Klaserie Game Reserve offered an escape from the bustle of Joburg and provided an incredible peek into the animal kingdom.

Booking a safari for my parents who were visiting and I proved to be a difficult task. I wanted to find the best of both worlds: adequate accommodation for a those who were not ready to rough it, and an intimate interaction with the wildlife. Ndzuti Safari Camp fulfilled both seamlessly.

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Meeting Joburg: The Maboneng Precinct

Before I came to Johannesburg, many people warned against the danger of Johannesburg CBD.

I had driven through it a few times with one of my coworkers to Park Station which is in the heart of Joburg CBD. The crime rate in this area is so high that even the locals are nervous to go there. But tucked away in the city is an up-and-coming place where hipsters can hide in Sunday markets and underground art museums.

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Observations of a Sprinkler in The Sun

The colors ripple through droplets
Sending sparks of light through the air
Steam rose like linens blowing in the wind
A rainbow out of crystal.
Beauty came from nothing.
Alone the water nourished the grass,
But the light proved there is more.
We are not just vessels.
Let light shine through you, and others will see your beauty.

Soweto: Scratching the Surface of A Rich Township

I am lucky enough to have a fellow ELCA global missionary friend who is in a year-long program called, Young Adults In Global Mission (YAGM), and is living in the largest and arguably most historical township in South Africa. She resides in Central Jabavu in the South West Township called Soweto, also known as the home of Nelson Mandela and Desmond Tutu.

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“What’s Up?” – African Social Media, That’s What’s Up!

Two weeks ago, I was invited to Kenya for a strategic planning meeting with Lutheran World Federation (LWF) to prepare for the 2017 Celebration of the 500th Anniversary of the Reformation.

During my visit, I had several conversations about the churches in Africa, as well as the role of social media. I could write a book about it, probably, but instead I want to focus on one particular conversation I had with a taxi driver.

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The South African Media Waltz: My Favorite Four Steps

Studying communications at California Lutheran University has prepared me to be media literate.

I learned the dance and tricks of advertising and marketing firms in America and could withstand the wooing of brands claiming to give me everything I want with a simple swipe of a credit card. After being taught the dance, and the importance of not falling for the romance of marketed desire and greed, I have come to love my new dance partner: South African media.

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Gambling on an Experience

When I found the position with the ELCA as a global missionary I almost lost my breath in disbelief that such a job would exist.

The description was exactly what I had studied as an undergrad at CLU. The job was in one of my favorite countries I visited when I studied abroad with SAS. The organization was through a church that I am proud to be a part of. It was a dream job.

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Middle School Nostalgia as a Foreigner

Coming from a small town, being on display is nothing new to me.

It seems that everyone else is secure in who they are to the outside world. They know their place, where they are, and what it means to be South African. I’m still discovering what it means to be American, and yet I’m not just on display, but I’m also a window into the USA.

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