In a matter of moments the rich, affluent fair skinned people disappeared and we had entered a new world inside of the already new world that was Africa. The beautiful brick houses and flower filled gardens turned into metal shacks with tin roofs held in place only by rocks resting on top. Soweto was to become our home for the week, and already we felt like a tourist group of kids brought there to gawk at an unthinkable way of living. I couldn't help but wonder, if I was already feeling uneasy about barging into their township as if we were on a trip to the zoo, watching the animals at play, what did they think of us.

It wasn't until we exited the bus to go to our first black African church service that the sadness and despair that would seem to describe the people of Soweto floated away. The breeze carried the joyful noise that was the people of the church singing.
It’s an impactful experience, walking into a situation with the motive to help in any way you can, and then leave the situation changed in every way possible.
Our week in Soweto changed the way I look at wealth; a man teaching us during the week described the people of the community as being rich in spirit. Never have I ever seen more joy in people that would outwardly be thought of as broken.

Our week in Soweto also changed the way I look at God; experiencing a way of worshiping God that makes me wants to dance and shout and do whatever I can to show that I am unashamed of who he is in my life. That is a moment that I will always cherish.
It almost didn't feel right leaving Soweto after a week, but I know the impact that the people of that community has made on our group will leave us changed forever.

By Tessa Funk

Table Mountain!

Table Mountain Hike Blog

Aly Bergsma

            On Tuesday, the 15th, we went and hiked up a huge mountain, known as Table Mountain, which overlooks Cape Town from 1000m.  It was a really hard hike for most of us.  It was a steep, uphill climb for most of it, half of it was in the sun and thankfully there was shade for the other half.  It took about an hour and a half for much of the group to reach the top - it was well worth the effort though, and the view was amazing!  After having some time to explore the summit and the shops, we took the gondola down the mountain and went back to Die Eiland, the place we are currently staying.  It was a long day with lots of rewards.   

Restorative Justice in Athlone

            Last week was our home-stay in Athlone, a community just outside of Cape Town. The week was spent learning about the history and culture of the coloured people of South Africa. Athlone was a safe neighborhood and friendly place during the day, but at night the streets were very much dominated by gangs.

            One of the most impactful moments of the week for me was when we got a chance to meet some of the members of these gangs. On Thursday we went to Pollsmoor Correctional Facility to learn about restorative justice. Restorative justice is working with the perpetrator of a crime to acknowledge that there was wrong done by them, so that they take responsibility for the crime. Then they work with the inmate to understand that what they did caused pain not only to the victim and the victims family, but also their own family. They must also learn to face the pain in their life that they may be projecting on others.

            We had the privilege of seeing first hand the effect of restorative justice on the inmates of Poolsmoor. We sat next to murderers, thieves, and rapists and talked to them about the restoration process in their lives. It’s amazing how much more human a murderer is when you take the time to talk to them and just listen to their life experiences.

            One of the men I had a chance to talk to was in for 5 years for manslaughter, he had killed a 96 year old woman while driving drunk. He told me of his childhood, he shared with me a story he just told for the first time in his life the week before during a restorative justice session. It was only the second time he had told anyone that his father had been physically abusive to him, that two of his uncles had molested him by day and another uncle every night for a number of years starting when he was six. These events led to an enormous amount of pent up anger in his life that led to some bad life decisions he has made. But I was able to see the restoration at work in this mans life. He did not seem angry and had acknowledged his own wrongs along with the wrongs done to him. He was also working to come to terms with himself about his father and uncles.

            Restorative Justice fact: In Pollsmoor 80% of inmates who get out re-offend, only 20% of inmates who have been through restorative justice re-offend.

Look up what restorative justice is doing in Canada and the United States.
-Jake Bontrager-Singer

R&R (sort of) in Simonstown

Last week was our week off, so to speak. We were staying in Simonstown, a small town right on the coast. When I say right on the coast I mean it, it was a 30 second walk to one to two beaches, one of which had  penguins! And when I say we were in Simonstown I actually mean that we were 30 minutes outside of the town proper. Luckily after all of the walking we've done on Outtatown 30 minutes only causes minor grumbling, which was mostly blown away by the 30 km winds on the first 2 days.
Our first day was spent at Cape Point, the furthest south point you can go in africa. The updrafts off of the ocean were so fierce that we were thinking we might have to hold on to some of our lighter members to keep them from blowing away. We all climbed down to the line that marks the furthest south point that your allowed to go, so now we all have bragging rights.
The second day we spent at Muzineburg (I think that's how you spell it) beach. The high winds made for not the most fun day. The waves were too choppy for a proper shark watch so we swam at our own risk. We only found out the next day exactly how big the sharks were in that area. Most of us went into the water for a while, as long as you could stand the freezing cold, and then came out to face the sand storms that were blowing across the beach. Needless to say we all ended up very cold and with sand in new places.
On the third day we decided to get a little crazy. Most of us signed up to go jump off of a cliff, sorry to all the parents who ever said "If your friends jumped off a cliff, would you follow?" The answer is yes, yes we will. We all took our turns running down the hill and then jumping into the sky. O and did I mention there was a parachute, yes we were actually going paragliding and not just trying to kill ourselves, well Britany might have been, she decided to take 2 tries at getting off the mountain, luckily she remains unhurt and only slightly embarassed. Paragliding was a fun experience, a little to short for most of us but with such a big group we couldn't really blame them. Plus they let us do tricks, that made up for the short ride.
Our fourth day we got even crazier. We signed up willingly, some a little less willingly than others, to go shark diving. After watching a fight onshore we went out and watched shark attacks all day. We got into the cages and waited, then saw a shark, then waited some more, then made a sheep noise and then the sharks came. (suprisingly the sheep noise works) Some of us were a little more scared than others, I will personaly deny having to be pulled back into the cage for the rest of my life, and some were just a little seasick. We got very up close and personal with these sharks, Jim more than others, as they swam within touching distance of the cage. A lot of close encounters and a few sunburns later and we were safley back on shore and retelling the days stories to the half of the group from the other boat.
On our last day in Simonstown we went into Capetown, funny how that works, for an authentic market experience. We shopped for the afternoon in Market Square. We got some great deals, haggled some great deals, and then some of our people, cough Allison cough cough, nearly cried after bartering an old lady down 10 rand. Some good times and good deals all around.
Unfortunatly this is where our week came to an end. We had a lot of fun, did some crazy things and we still have all of our limbs. What a restful week it was.

By: Josh Paetkau

Camping in the Dessert!

January 30^st , the outtatown crew began our long trek through the desert to cape area. Our first long day of travelling left us in the middle of the desert at a gorgeous farm. I was amazed at the beauty of the nothingness around us. Right at the farm there was, what they like to call a 'mountain', which really is a large, steep hill. A few of us ventured to the top to watch the sunset. The wind was so powerful and reminded me of God's great strength. As I looked around me the only green area was the oasis of the farm at the foot of the mountain. It was gorgeous. In addition to watching the sunset, Megan and I rose early enough to watch the sunrise as we ride some Arabian horses through the desert at top speeds. Once again I was reminded of God's love for us and how we are able to have little moments with him.

By: Kate Fishwick

SOWETO WEEK!

 Our professional hair stylists!

 Walking through Kliptown, Soweto.

 Soccer City group shot!